Will You Pat My Back?

This has been another incredible week.  While my friend Allison was busy helping coordinate the final days of our dear friend Dana's life, I was keeping Aidan busy while Daddy was finishing up his insane work hours.  Dana, I am sad to say, lost her battle to cancer Thursday morning.  She was a special and dear person and will be missed by all of us whom she left behind.  I know that she is no longer in pain, and that is a good thing for the last few days of her life were filled with pain.  Her personality was such that she would find happy in everything.  "Isn't the sun really sunny today?  Aren't these dark clouds just beautiful?"  She was always upbeat and always wanted to share responsibilities.  For and about everything. 

Wednesday evening, we had some thunderstorms coming through heralding our change from late summer to early fall weather.  I knew that the end was near for Dana and that we were looking at mere hours.  Trying to keep him occupied and not focused on the storms, I asked Aidan to draw Dana a picture of a rainbow.  He wanted to know why a rainbow so I explained it is a nice reminder of Gods promise of loving us.  This is what he drew:

Children absolutely amaze me with their understanding of things.

I ended up being the caretaker of caretakers.  I have tried to be there to listen when Allison came home and needed to talk about Dana and things going on there and I tried, on Wednesday to make sure that Rob, Dana's husband, had a priest available to talk to when and if he needed it.  I am grateful that our priest at St. James' help me out tremendously in trying to make sure that was covered. 

Dana's funeral will be huge.  It will be held at St. James' on Saturday, September 24th at 11:00 am.  It will be presided over by Bishop Johnston of the Diocese of Virginia and there will be a plethora of clergy there.  Dana was a part of the first group of folks to ordained Vocational Deacon, a very historic event in Virginia. 

The storms continued all of Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.  It was a tough sleeping night.  Aidan woke up several times and wanted me to pat his back.  I did so, and couldn't help remembering my mother patting my back to help me fall asleep.  There is something so comforting about Mama patting your back, you know?  Aidan did ultimately end up sleeping part of the night with me.  I am pretty sure I fell asleep patting his back.  : )

Tuesday night was Back To School Night at Leesburg Elementary.  There were several sign up sheets to bring party supplies and to come and read.  I would love to come and read to his class.  I have a conference for the end of the first quarter already set up.  Perhaps I'll see if there is something still available for me to sign up for. 

I had been concerned about Aidan always saying he is bored and that he doesn't really like school.  He seems to like Mrs. Taylor and he is making some friends.  I have been thinking it is because he is bored.  I think was was right.  Mrs. Taylor said, without me even asking, that some of the children, like Aidan, are more advanced because they have had the benefit of an excellent Preschool.  Some have not.  They are trying to bring those who have not up to speed which makes things a little slow for those like Aidan.  It should even out.  In the meantime, they are giving the children like Aidan a few extra things to do and Aidan's Day Care teacher is also giving the children some things to challenge them as well.  That will all help.  And Aidan is still loving Library Day!!

Speaking of Library Day, Aidan is now getting homework each week.  It comes home in the backpack on Mondays and is due back on Thursday--the same day the library book is due back.  That's awesome because it is something more for a Mom to remember, but at least it is the same day as something else I have to remember!  Mrs. Taylor was hilarious as she, knowing how things work at most homes, even said it would be one less thing for the Moms to remember!!  : )  Aidan's first homework assignment was to trace his name three times and then write it three time.  Simple enough, however the Loudoun County schools use a specific handwriting technique that he has not learned.  I gave him the option of saving it for another night or doing a little bit each night or doing all of it on Monday. . .he opted to do it all on Monday night and we handed it back in on Tuesday!!  Awesome kiddo!!  And he did pretty good, too.  Now we need to start trying to be consistent on that style of writing.

We have been thinking about going on a short trip to celebrate our Anniversary this year.  I've never actually been to Williamsburg, so I think that is where we are going.  It should be pretty neat as it will be decorated for Christmas.  We'll leave on a Friday morning and stay in Williamsburg until Saturday afternoon; then we plan to go to the Great Wolf Lodge and stay there and enjoy the water park until Monday afternoon.  Aidan will love that!  Then we'll come home, send Aidan back to school on Tuesday and we'll have the day to ourselves to do some Christmas shopping and have a nice lunch somewhere.  I'm really looking forward to this time with my family!! 

And now, on to decorating for fall.  Afterall our temperatures have dropped and we are now in the 40's in the morning with highs in the 60's. . .love it!!

If only I could find my black wreath hanger!!!

And now, today, we are off to the ice rink for lessons and then Mini Mites this afternoon!!!