Close Call

It is Halloween week. Because Maggie is in a new school and because Halloween is on a Saturday, I figured I better check with the teacher about how things work. I specifically wanted to know whether the high school would allow costumes on Friday.
I was very surprised to get an email saying they do not celebrate Halloween in her classroom because one of the kids has a phobia about Jack-O-Lanterns and pumpkins. I was crestfallen. This is Maggie day to shine and she loves it. Obviously, she does not go trick or treating. She cannot to the steps and does not eat candy. Hence, school is really her time to shine. Now she cannot.

It did not seem right to me that one student’s needs seemed to be above the needs of everyone else. I emailed her back. Initially it sounded like a snippy email, but Steve told me to rearrange the phrases and it sounded much nicer. I told her Maggie has elaborate costumes and very much looks forward to it, and while we could be sensitive to the child’s fears, I didn’t understand why the entire holiday needed to be cancelled and asked if Maggie’s interest could also be taken into consideration. I attached a couple of photos of her costumes from years past. Everyone can have fun without freaking out the one kid with the phobia. We never do jack-o-lanterns or pumpkins in the costume. Those are for amateurs.

She agreed! We are back on. Now to finish the work by Friday.

Gepetto has a lot to do.

A Halloween Retrospective

Halloween is approaching. It’s time to consider a costume for Maggie. It’s getting tough to keep coming up with things because my husband has done such amazing things in the past. We have to be creative or we will disappoint folks.

When Maggie was little we did the obligatory costume, but there was no thought or life to it. I dressed her up because that is what other kids did. Maggie could not go trick or treating because she cannot eat the candy – snicker bars are NOT the same when delivered through a feeding tube – and, in any event, she cannot do the stairs. We went through the motions, but it felt hollow.

In 2004 Maggie was ten years old. In late October of that year she was being particularly difficult. She was fighting me on everything. Getting in and out of the wheelchair was a fight, changing diapers was a fight, etc etc. I know it was the last week in October because I remember the sequence of events. Her bad behavior - and my reaction to it – changed Halloween for her and for us. Maggie has had the coolest costume ever since.

As I fought to get Maggie into her chair without dropping her I said, “Jeez, Mag, you are Hell on wheels this week.” Cue LIGHTNING BOLT . Hey! you can be Hell on Wheels for Halloween. I dressed her all in red, spent about $3 for a pair of horns and a plastic cape, dressed Maggie all in red and Steve made cardboard flames to cover her wheels
.
Suddenly Halloween was fun.

This was followed by a leprechaun in 2005, complete with the pot of gold behind her head. The “gold” was candy and the kids at school loved this one.

And the viking girl in 2006. Note, braids were attached to a scary helmet. This may be my favorite. It is so hard to choose.

Because the race car driver in 2007 was also very cool.. This is the first year Maggie had the

trach. We were collecting scarves to cover the trach for aesthetic and hygienic reasons. The costume was inspired by a gift from my brother Pat and his family. They went to Italy and brought her a Ferrari Scarf. That was all we needed. Maggie’s school nurse at the time, Nurse Sally knew what Maggie’s outfit would be and to our surprise, she came dressed as a mechanic that day. (can't find that picture)

Last year, 2008, may have taken the cake. Or at least prepared the cake. She was a chef. Complete with her own oven.




So, what’s on tap for this year????? Well, we are working on something.

No. That’s a lie. I’m not doing anything. I gave Steve an idea and he is engineering something in Gepetto’s workshop. Stay tuned for a couple of weeks. We will have the big reveal before you know it !

For now I’m heading off to watch my son compete in the mountain bike collegiate Nationals at Northstar. Check back in Monday.

October

October is a great month. It means the best weather of the year in San Francisco. The summer fog is gone. The days are warm and clear and the nights crisp and cool. The month starts out hot but by Halloween, it’s cool.

There are always lots of activities scheduled all over the City for this long holiday weekend. In politically correct San Francisco the holiday is knows as Indigenous People’s Day. In North Beach, the traditionally Italian part of town, it’s still Columbus Day and there’s a good old fashioned parade on Sunday. There is a great Columbus Day Bazaar all weekend at Sts. Peter and Paul School in North Beach. The energy is amazing. The whole area is alive with activity. In addition it’s the culmination of the Navy’s Fleet Week, so the waterfront is abuzz with activity, and every year the Blue Angels perform on Saturday and Sunday.

Even the Blue Angels are controversial here. One supervisor tried to have them banned, but they didn't get anywhere. I admit it is a bit dangerous to have these fighter jets coming so close to the buildings downtown, but it is so exciting! The precision flying is awesome. You’re afraid to look and you can’t look away. And the noise is frightful. Thankfully, the ear splitting sound of fighter jets overhead is not something we have to hear every day. Rather than complain about it, though I’m just thankful I don’t live in a war zone where this noise would be the least frightening thing about the jets.

It’s hard for Maggie, though. She can’t see the jets and the noise freaks her out. We just have to wait it out. The practice runs started yesterday so we will hear the jets for four straight days. It only last about an hour each day and the noise is intermittent, not constant. She’ll be fine but it’s a bummer when it’s happening.

We are looking past this weekend to Halloween. Maggie has had some great costumes in the past few years. My husband has set the bar pretty high and we are still tying to figure out what to do for this year.

Last year’s race car was a huge hit. My brother brought Maggie a Ferrari scarf to cover her trake. That inspired the whole thing. The Dale Erhard suit from Goodwill was a huge find. That might have been a little too good, though. The kids at school were rushing Maggie around as fast as possible and the whole wheel chair went over. So we need something that won’t endanger her.

The Viking look a couple of years ago was also a big hit. Steve made the viking helmet out of a scary helmet and some goofy braids and the breast plate was aluminum foil over cardboard.

My personal favorite was when she dressed as a devil complete with flames on the side of the wheelchair and she went as "Hell on Wheels." (sorry, can't find that picture)

We need something that fits with a person

sitting down – and/or something that lends itself to good and easy decorations for the wheelchair. And it has to fit on the bus.

Ideas are welcome.