Peace in the neighborhood.

My neighborhood was very neighborhoody this Halloween. It warmed my heart.

We have lots of kids around. Usually we trick-or-treat with our immediate neighbors on our street. But this year, one of S's friends asked us to come over to his street and trick-or-treat with them. It was great. We saw lots of people we knew. The kids had fun. The adults had fun. It ended in an invitation to have chili and soup to warm up at another house. The kids all played. There were drinks. There was a large, friendly teddy bear-ish dog called a Golden-doodle or some nonsense... good times.

S:Grim Reaper, B:Obi Wan Kenobi, C:Cleopatra

In other neighborhood news: A "truce" has been called between my two boys and the two girls who live next door. They are the same exact ages, yet opposite sexes. Which means "enemy" by definition. I think the kids got tired of all the effort involved in being snarky with each other. My older son, B, called for a "truce" so that they could all build a teepee together in the woods. This seems to have stuck. My three kids and the neighbor's two girls have been having fun together for two weeks. This same neighbor's husband is in Iraq for a year. So I'm sure she's happy to have the kids occupied playing outside while she gets some things done.

My husband and I were out raking and leaf-blowing this past weekend -LOTS of trees in our neighborhood-LOTS!!- we decided to clear our neighbor's yard too, since she doesn't have her husband's help this year. She came out of the house and was practically in tears, she was so grateful. It felt good to have helped. Of course my arm was falling off the next day, but it was worth it!

So lots of neighborhood love going around at the same time as preparations are underway to get the heck out of here if when my husband does awesome on the OA later this month.

Also, he applied for another job locally. Got an interview and they just called him back for a second round. It's good to have options.

I turn 39 pretty soon. I know, shocking! I don't look a day over 26, right?! Right now, if you add up all our ages in our family, we are 100 years old. That came up doing math homework. Useless info thanks to Everyday Math.

And here's a plug for good thoughts/and/or prayers. A week or two after my son B came home from Jamaica, he pointed out he had a lump (an enlarged lymph node) in front of his left ear. It's called the preauricular node. It has not decreased in size in over a month. (It's 2.5 cm) We have been to our primary doc a few times and have been referred to an ENT. B also had a CBC to check his white blood count. (Don't know the result yet.) I'm sure he's fine, as he's acting normally. But if you have a spare moment to think a good thought for one crazy little/big boy, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

Why do doctors have to say sh#t like, "Do I think it's lymphoma? (long pause) No. Should we be sure? (long pause) Yes."
Then I think: Should I b#tch-slap the doctor? (long pause) ....  If you don't think it's lymphoma don't say it. geez. I've got enough worry in my brain.

My husband told me I look crazy. Ya' think?!

Follow-up edit: The blood test came back completely normal. But we still have to see the ENT on Tuesday.