Halloween

Children are amazing! Sammy was so worried about not making it for Halloween this year...fearing being in the hospital instead of out collecting candy. Each night as I took his temperature he would say out aloud, "Please be okay, I want to stay at home tonight." I would see his body heave a huge sigh of relief each time it read as normal.

Halloween finally came and Sam donned his costume, eager to get down to our neighbors house for the pre-party. He had decided he wanted to scare everyone and selected the Scream costume with blood that is pumped to run down the face...lovely! Our plan was for him to wear it over himself and the stroller we were inevitably going to have to use.

We couldn't have been more surprised by him. He walked to the party and happily joined the other children playing in the garden (Jack, dressed as Tinkerbell, was already there). He was delighted by the reaction he got from both children and adults alike...sheer mock terror!!! I was the recipient of what was going through their minds the most...how great it was to see him out. I was beaming with smiles, but underneath the Snow White costume (yup, I kept my promise to Sam), I was a wreck. I was the mom chasing the kid all over, helping him up and down stairs (he somehow needed to use them more times than anyone else), making sure he was not too hot/cold, keeping his pizza and water away form anyone else so it was germ free (or as near to as possible), and basically being the most paranoid helicopter parent imaginable. Well....he was still a cancer patient in the middle of a neutropenic stage and I have always been somewhat of a worry-wort, so I have an excuse!

One thing I did try to do was keep my paranoia from letting Sam just enjoy himself. With all our care, Brian and I still had the outlook: what will be, will be, just let him have fun tonight And did he have fun! No stroller at all :)

We stayed at our neighbors house for over an hour before a huge pack of us headed out to trick-or-treat. We covered a large part of the neighborhood and Sam walked, and even ran, all the way. He wanted desperately to keep up with Jack and his friend M. He was doing a great job but some special consideration was given by Jack and M who both waited for Sam several times so he wasn't left out. This amazed me as they were so eager to run on to more candy...they are both very special and kind young boys.

Bags filled with enough candy for the year, we all hurried to our neighbors house once more as the heavens opened up just as we were heading back anyway...phew! Sam then joined the children down in the basement, playing and laughing...having such a fun time. Brian stayed down there...you know we needed to hover...and all went very well indeed.

Looking back, I am so proud of all the children that night. They all saw Sam without his hat on...his hair thin and whispy shouting out...I am sick! They all showed patience and care for him, and no one made him feel self-conscious or concerned in any way. Once again, I can look at our lot and feel lucky...a great set of friends, an amazing family, and Sammy lasting the whole night without falling sick or missing out at all.