This year's costumes feature Signa as Frankie Stein (Frankenstein's Monster's daughter), William as Boba Fette, Marc as a deep sea diver and me as Sunken Treasure. The kids' costumes were store bought, but not ours!

A year and a half ago, my doctor gave me a slip for the dreaded mammogram. I sucked it up and went and they said Sorry Charlie, as I hadn’t been NOT breastfeeding for long enough. So six months ago I got another dreaded slip from my doctor and then promptly lost it. I found it a couple of weeks ago and sucked it up and made the appointment for last Thursday.

It’s been a long hard week and to have a mammogram in the middle was just frightening. I shaked myself all the way in, barely able to sign the 40 million waivers, pay promises and privacy notices for all the quivering. I nearly sobbed as I waited. She called my name and I had that stomach sinking feeling from hell.

I put the gown on and went into a slightly darkened toasty warm room. She showed me the machine and how it worked and that she’d be taking four pictures, two of each boobie. She explained everything and then we began. And then 40 seconds later, it was over and I was laughing. “Seriously? That’s IT?!?!? “

There is no pain. There is no pinching or hurting. Perhaps breastfeeding two children past the age of two has desensitized me, but SERIOSLY!??!

If you have been putting this off, stop. Trust me, the Scardy Cat Whiny Baby of the Universe. Just go. It’s NOTHING.

I finished my Halloween costume, but the cost?

Skin.

The user of my hot glue gun (me) decided to shoot glue onto that part between your thumb and index finger. Then that same person grabbed for the offending glue with the other hand.

Ouch.

But my costume's done and now I have a day of work at a client's and then tomorrow a seminar and a Halloween party and then more Halloween parties!

The kids have been practicing their Trick-or-Treat ettiquette. Knocking gently, saying please (I told them that no one says, "Trick or treat PLEASE" and that they could be off the hook this time), taking one piece if the owners hold out the bowl, not walking into their home, saying thank you. While this is all very cute, the over and over knocking is getting on our nerves, so we are glad to be nearing the actual day.

I think with all the parties, we should do a really cool breakfast for Halloween, but not sure I could pull this off:

http://hoosierhomemade.com/halloween-breakfast-food/

We may settle for Count Chocula cereal.

I spent most of yesterday in the John Wayne Airport. I had a client meeting that we thought would go all day. Our flight choices were 4:30 or 8:30. Since we thought the meeting would go until 4pm, we chose 8:30pm, knowing it would be a long day (the morning flight was at 7am. However, the meeting was over at 2pm and we were back at the airport at 3pm trying to get on the 4:30 flight. To no avail. So I spend five and a half hours at the John Wayne International Airport.

Luckily, I was with a really great person and we laughed through the day and night, but ick. What a LONNNNNNNG day. And I never saw Signa or William yesterday. Cannot wait for them to get up this morning, but since it's only 6:30, I won't stomp around and cough or anything to wake them.

Yet.

We went to a wonderful Oktoberfest party with Nana and Papa a few weeks back. Nana made Signa a Dirndl and bought a beautiful shirt for William from Germany. She then borrowed Lederhosen in a beautiful red leather from a friend for him.

William, always the ham, couldn't just do the chicken dance; he had to add in the Curly Shuffle (which he calls the Rock and Roll move).

You can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_UdE9E96bU

We also took a trip to Oregon to see Grampa and Grandma Molly. Just William and me. We had a great time and now he wants to go there every week. He loved the built in playground, but also all the food and special juice that was just for him! We can't wait for Thanksgiving, hoping they will be joining us again.

And if you are a genealogy friend, I've created a genealogy blog at: http://mmgenealogy.blogspot.com/

I figured I needed an outlook for all my recent genealoging before I start writing it here and boring you all!

I’m doing a fundraiser for CORA through the month of October. There are some GREAT new books (including a new series that I’m coveting for William). All my commissions from your orders (and your friends’ orders – pass it on!!!) will be sent to CORA. Last year when I did this, we raised $50. This year, I want to send them a lot more.

My Usborne Website: www.ubah.com/j2614

“CORA provides free and confidential services to victims and survivors of domestic/dating violence and abuse, including child and teen witnesses, in San Mateo County. Our services include a 24-hour hotline, support groups, legal services, emergency and transitional housing, and more, in English and Spanish. http://www.corasupport.org/ ”

CORA is a wonderful organization and performs so many valuable and needed services. For each of us, this fundraiser is a win-win. You get great books for the children in your lives AND part of your money goes to a wonderful organization.

I love to suggest books for you, or you can see our new titles here:
http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/results.asp?sid=J2614&gid=101462745&newtitles=on&submit=new

Personally, I’m ordering this for William, as it looks just about perfect for my anxious-to-read 4-year-old:
Very First Reading Set
http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/VeryFirstReading.asp?sid=J2614&emkt=203

Thank you and please let me know if you have questions!
-Debbie (debbie (at) mascotmanor (dot) org)

Dear Mrs. Magilicutty,

Today you are eight years old. You are my big 8-year-old. And this is my eighth birthday letter to you. Eight. You’d think that I’d run out of things to say to you on your birthday, but I don’t. I just say the same things every year- that you are the coolest, most wonderful kid and I love you so much.

This is the first year that you will read your own birthday letter. All the other years, I just wrote it and tucked it away in your journal, but this year, I am emailing it to you. This week is the week you got your own email address and you are so excited and funny about it. I got 5 emails just this morning, all saying something to the effect of, “Send me an email.” And when you send one to me, I always know it even before I hit Send/Receive, as you are laughing and looking at me and grinning.

You got your retainer this year and it makes you look older and I can’t believe how responsible you are with it. I never have to remind you to put it back in after you eat or to put it in your “retainer container” before you do eat. You just know and you do it without question.

You and I had some special times together this year, with trips to Oregon and to Ohio. I was so worried that after being together non-stop, we’d be on each other’s nerves, but you were the perfect travel companion and I loved having you with me and showing you off to our family. You make me very proud.

You love Build-A-Bear and playing games on your computer. And email, as I’ve mentioned. You also love to play with Will even though he doesn’t play the way you like to. It’s still really nice and big sisterly of you to be so good to him. I know it feels like he doesn’t deserve it sometimes, but trust me, he does and you and he will always have a very special relationship because you are each other’s first friends. Just ask Unkee!

I love that you are mature for your age, but still a kid. We get complemented on how great you are all the time and while we love that, we really love you. I don’t think that either Daddy or I could think of one thing about you that we’d like to change. You are just perfect how you are and you are our treasure and our joy and our hearts.

You are the best daughter in the whole wide world and I am so happy to be your momma.

Love,
Momma