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Halloween
By Margot | November 3, 2011
Sam and Joe
We had a good Halloween. The boys were very revved up and since the school carnival was on Friday and they went to a party on Saturday and then trick-or-treated on Monday, they had three full days of Halloween. I was in charge of the Pie Eating contest for the school carnival and afterwards ushered the boys around. Andy made it through the haunted house this year – big step for him. He was Lionel Messi the soccer player and Charlie was going to be a ninja but I ordered Andy’s costume from iOffer.com to save some money and then read all of these horrible reviews on Google by ticked off customers who never recieved what they ordered. I emailed someone in China and they said it might take up to 45 days. I figured I’d been had and ordered another one from Amazon and they both came on the same day. Charlie, noting that we had two Messi costumes, ditched his ninja costumes and became Messi jr. Andy protested loudly at first but then was all right with it. It made for a family themed costume as Neil wore his Beckham jersey and I was a goalie. We of course carved a pumpkin for Sam and I did his name as big as I could get it on the big pumpkin. Andy picked out the biggest for him. Andy and Charlie picked out very complicated stencils for their pumpkins and then lost interest after the tops were cut off and left good ol’ mom to struggle with the intricate carvings.
Andy’s political career has begun. He won safety officer at school and is so excited to be on student council. He worked really hard on his speech and we were very proud of him. I had to laugh at the Halloween party on Saturday he said to a 5th grade girl, “Aren’t you the new IB ambassador for student council?” When she replied yes, he said proudly, “I’m safety officer.” His speech is too big to paste on here but I’ll put a link to it at the end of this update. Andy’s doing really well at soccer, started flag football on Sundays which he loves (scary) and is starting basketball twice a week. Nothing like keeping busy.
Charlie is enjoying school and starting to make new friends. It’s been smooth sailing in his K-1 class for the past few weeks. I’m volunteering on library days. The library teacher was reading a story about Thanksgiving and asked the kids what they appreciate and are thankful for and Charlie raised his hand and said he’s thankful he has a Wii. One of those proud motherhood moments. He’s doing Mad science after school and is also having a great time on the soccer field scoring a lot and he actually passed last Saturday (a first ;-).
We got through another Halloween without Sam and have officially kicked off the holiday season. Mainly we’ve kept our crazy schedule which keeps me sane and moving. I kept thinking of how much Sam loved Halloween and Christmas and how excited he got every year, but this year I had a thought that he would have been in middle school and almost too cool for it (not yet probably). Thank you to everyone for the kind comments on my last post reminding me that Sam will not be forgotten. I do panic sometimes. Can’t tell you how much those comments meant to me and Neil. I had a dream about Sam that he was out playing with the neighborhood kids and before that I was helping him with his homework. I was so happy and I asked him how he was getting home from school because I was only picking up Charlie and Andy and he said, “I’m in middle school now, Mom, I walk home.” In my dream I was talking to another mother while the kids all played in the neighborhood. She said she lost her daughter to neuroblastoma and I answered, “our oldest died as well” and then I thought, “but no he’s right here, I just talked to him” and then it dawned on me in my dream “but he is going to die.” and I started to cry. I woke up looking for him thinking he wasn’t gone yet. Ugh. Sorry-didn’t mean to make this update take a sad turn. We are really doing ok for the most part. There isn’t a better word to describe our life than bittersweet. The bitter and sweet can both come so quickly and close together.
I’m pasting a link to Andy’s speech on YouTube because I know it will make you smile: http://youtu.be/KuBT9af3P6A Couldn’t figure out how to get it on the TeamSam YouTube page but I’ll change it as soon as I figure it out.
Margot
Topics: Progress Reports | 10 Comments »
November 3rd, 2011 at 11:19 pm
Sam will never be forgotten. You don’t know me, we know you only from your blog. We have been following it for about 4 years. Just last week, my 7 year old daughter saw a boy with red hair and said “Doesn’t he look just like Sam?”. We live in Maryland and speak of your family often. My son, who is 10, lost his good friend to Neuroblastoma at age 7. My son and Sam had a lot of the same interests. My son said the other day “Do you think Sam gets to read the new Diary of the Wimpy kid book up in heaven, before they release the book here on earth?” So, again, Sam will never be forgotten. He has touched my family and we are still talking about him and will continue to do so!!!
November 4th, 2011 at 3:08 am
I am screaming at Andy’s speech! It was great! What a doll…
Glad you had a good Halloween. As always, keeping all of you in out thoughts and prayers
November 4th, 2011 at 3:29 am
I knew you’d post some great Halloween pics! What a great theme for the soccer fanatics in your household!!! But the SAM pumpkin was my favorite…. so big and happy… all lit up shining brightly…. just like Sam!!!
Thanks for sharing and we send our love,
Colleen, Nick and Family
November 4th, 2011 at 5:22 am
Oh my that dream brought tears to my eyes. That had to be a hard one. But maybe he was trying to tell you that he is with you and his friends in middle school. When my close co-worker died a year ago I had a similar one and it left me a little shaken. On a positive note, thanks for all your hard work at the carnical. I love seeing you and Neil so involved. Also thanks for coming to Savannah’s party. I love that Savannah is in Charlie’s class.I swear that boy is a genius! XOXO Angela (Madison’s Mom)
November 7th, 2011 at 5:33 am
Hey Marg,
First time I’ve checked in to the Team Sam website in a long while. I did it to get the link you told me about to Andy’s speech (hilarious – love that kid!). But of course once I got to reading I started trolling back through past posts and comments.
It really touched me to read the number of comments fom people that never met Sam. It’s a testament to both what an amazing kid he was AND what a great job you have done with this blog to get people to have a real feel for how beautiful he was.
You know that Kaz & the kids and I think of Sam all the time ( and I mean that – all the time), but it must make you feel good to know how many people out there have been touched by him. Of course Sam deserves that – so do you and Neil…
Love, Paul
November 7th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
The video is so funny. Andy is already a gifted pol, promising an iPad in every backpack (just kidding)….indeed, with these talents, he may become mayor of san diego, or the first red-headed president.
I am glad that Sam is with you on your pumpkin and in your dreams. He will live there forever, and in all the other hearts he touched, and in your memories on this blog. Please keep writing the truth as you experience it. Jan
November 8th, 2011 at 4:24 am
Margot, Bittersweet, yes. Tears when I read about your dream, and smiles watching Andy’s fun speech captured forever. Loved reading the comments from all over the country about Sam touching people he’d never met! Remember when we ran Max’s Run the 1st time and that young girl had photos of kids in African villages playing soccer and holding Sam’s picture?? Sam continues to touch so many. Closer to home, while moving back into our house this past week, we all thought of Sam so much as we unpacked items that Sam played with so often at our house – and the photos of Sam and Mack that went right back up on the walls of the boys’ room. Sam’s spirit is etched into our lives forever, never ever to be forgotten. Congrats to Andy-Man, sorry for the kid who ran against him – they never had a chance. Talk soon. Love, Lisa
November 9th, 2011 at 5:23 pm
I cannot possibly help but think that that was Sam talking to you in that dream and telling you that he is indeed with you and your family. Mediums believe that dreams are sometimes a way for those who have passed to contact us. Not saying I ever call 1-800-Psychic or anything, but I do believe some people are mediums and have met one myself at a lecture(though he admitted he’s actually an extra-large). I would bet anything that Sam really visited you in that dream and that things like that will happen again.
November 9th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Oh and PS. Mediums commonly see kids who “contact” their parents because they need them to know that they are OK so the parents can heal. Kids are very empathetic creatures and love their parents that much.
November 23rd, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Happy thanksgiving Hutchisons!