Last Week

On Thursday, we went to Stations of the Cross at Tollhouse and had a Halloween party.

Friday, K. took B and S to the highschool football game and I helped work on costumes. Sierra won.

Saturday was the playoff game with Washington Union at San Joaquin Memorial. The Sierra Warriors held the WU Panthers for the first half and then the Panthers smashed Sierra's defense to pieces in the second half. Almost all our extended family had come and were disappointed that Sean had almost no hand in the offense -- only 2 passes to him the whole game, one was uncatchable and the other he *almost* caught but they declared incomplete.

Sunday we got up before dawn (left 5 am, luckily it was DS fall back) drove to Thomas Aquinas College and spent the day with Liam. We took him to Mass in Santa Paula (nice mass, nice church, lots of nice people and almost no participant broke the modesty standard, a real rarity!). Then we went to IHOP in Fillmore and then drove to Ventura Beach. Liam played football with Sean and they talked a lot. Then we went back to campus, Liam went to dinner and the older kids sat with him while we took the younger ones to the science building. Then we saw the Benediction Procession to usher in the close to the year of the Eucharist. They chanted and moved from dorm to dorm with candles. It was so cold but nice. Then we took leave of Liam after meeting a classmate of his called Teresa. While I was talking to this girl, I looked over at Liam next to us. He wasn't talking but he was smiling, holding Aidan whose head was drooping sleepily on his shoulder, and his eyes were warm and full of light. I think he is doing all right there at TAC and it makes me feel glad.

Monday we worked on Halloween costumes and did laundry and weekly cleaning, then went down to Fresno for All Souls' Mass and then back up to Shaver Springs for trick or treating. The weather was the pleasantest it's ever been for Halloween and the "babies" were much more into the whole scenario than in the past, and able to walk on their own. Aidan was a Pikachu and proud of it. Patrick was the traditional Cheetah (or Cheeto, as he said) and charmed everyone by how distinctly he said Trick or Treat and Thank you!

Today I called it a "long free day" and we are eating candy and relaxing. Tonight Sean has to go to Sierra High and turn in his equipment and meet with his team for the last time. Sigh.. Oh, and he saw J.D. a team member while we were leaving Shaver Springs. Kevin convinced him to go across to the car and say Hello and J's expression when he saw Sean was so astonished that we've been laughing about it ever since and making up stories to explain his bemusement.

The kids are playing football and using Sean's team members as players.