A Mixed Bag

We have had a mixed bag of everything this week.  It's been cool and fall- like and it's been tropical including deluges of rain.  In fact, it's been raining for darn near a week now.  We have been under flood watches in Loudoun County for the last couple of days--most of the streams and creeks are over the banks.  Areas to the east of us are under water completely, having already been saturated from Irene.  We had the remnance of Lee and now an outer band of Katia is drenching us, thereby extending the flood watch until this afternoon. 

Perhaps because of the weather, Aidan has seemed down about school this week.  He is unhappy and upset that he has to go.  He is so much more mature than even a year ago that when I explain he has to go, he dries his tears and puts on a brave face and then gets ready to go.  I think it's a combination of things:  he misses Winwood and asks if he can just go there all the time; and he is bored at Kindergarten.  Things are taking off slow because the teachers want to make sure they know where the kids are and they apparantly don't want to go to fast for those not ready.  We have our Back to School night next Tuesday.  I think I'll talk to the teacher and see what's up.

Meanwhile, we did talk to the teacher at Winwood and she will try to do some curriculum types of things with the kids--apparantly they are all acting the same as Aidan--so that their little minds will stay on top and stay sharp.  Poor little guys!  They are used to being challenged and now they are not. . .in fact, I suspect most of them are way ahead of their classes. 

Someone mentioned having Aidan tested to move up into first grade. . .while I think he is big enough and smart enough, I don't think he is emotionally mature enough.  Our schools cut off the age when you can start kindergarten on August 31st.  Aidan's birthday is May 15th, making him a young 5 in his class.  And he is only 5. 

On a brighter note, Aidan has been hands down the best behaved little boy I have seen in forever this past week.  He is sitting through dinner (mostly), not questioning our authority, enjoying games with Mama and Daddy (we had a really fun family Wii night the other night), and going to bed without any fuss at all.  Truly an angel.  Makes it even harder when I know he isn't happy about the school situation. . .Thank goodness for Thursday's Library Day!  He loves that. . .

Last weekend we were able to go for a playdate with Catherine for a while.  Somehow the kids even got to play outside a bit, in between downpours.  We're trying for another one this weekend at some point.

Hockey lessons start on Saturday morning and then next week we add in Mini Mites in the afternoon.  I think Aidan will be happy to be back on the ice!

My friend Allison arrived on Wednesday evening.  She has come to be with our friend Dana until the end.  I guess Allison will be staying with us until that happens.  The latest on Dana is that she is on Morphine round the clock and has had to have a couple of Dilaudid's as well and is still in some intense pain.  She has, so far, refused hospice care.  Although she knows she is at the end, accepting hospice care is likely like putting the period on the sentence.  Meanwhile, many of us have volunteered to take meals to her husband Rob and we also try to have him over about once a week for dinner--providing a place he can come and talk if he wants to or not if he doesn't.  He and Pat hang in the mancave and smoke cigars and watch sports.  Good male bonding time and good rejuvenating time for Rob.

Aidan has grown another half inch. . .he is closing in on that four feet tall marker!  Defintiely before he turns six. . .one of the teachers at his school thought he was a first grader because of how tall he is!  : )

That's it from this mixed bag.  Hoping and praying for a little sunshine to come back into our lives!  I think we'll have a beautiful fall. . .