We're very lucky.
Jack is the sort of child
we all assume we'll have
when we decide to have children,
and the sort of child
less experienced parents
congratulate themselves for.January and February 2004
March and April 2004
May and June 2004
July and August 2004
September and October 2004
November and December 2004
Blogs we read:
Monday, Jan. 24, 2005 - (Mamma)
The Blizzard of '05
My apologies to anyone who, having heard about the blizzard of '05 and knowing that we're in the midwest, was alarmed when I didn't immediately post that we are Ok.
We live in a lovely little bowl-shaped valley and, as usual, most of the weather passed us by. We got a scant 10 inchs all told and we're just fine.
Oh, travel was exciting enough on Saturday with the snow we did get coming down quite heavily between Midnight Saturday morning and about 8pm Saturday evening -- but it was nothing compared to outlying areas.
We were at a wedding Saturday afternoon that was much much smaller than it was expected to be. Fortunately the bride is one of the most easy-going, sensible people I know and she serenely pointed out that it was fine -- that she'd rathr have people safe so she could catch up with them later.
As it was, one pregnant would-be guest ended up heading to the hospital after her car went into the ditch -- nothing serious, we heard, but it certainly reinforced Heather's wisdom in preferring that her loved ones were safe!
As you can see, we're keeping Jack nice and warm -- and since it's been hitting -23.33�C (-10�F) around here, we have actually convnced him to keep his hat and mittens on at least until the car heats up!
But the real reason for the long silence is that my job description has changed. For most of the year that I have kept this blog, my job as a technical writer has been pretty quiet. I had work to do, but it also left me plenty of free time. That's changed and I now have quite a bit more to do, since my responsibilities have been expanded. I will still be keeping the blog -- but since my posting may be a lot more spotty, I'll be better about posting a notice when I have a new entry for you to read.
We have long know that Jack is a sensitive kid. I mean, it's pretty obvious in many ways.
But yesterday, he really drove the point home.
We were at the funeral of a young man Jack had never met. (Our second funeal in as many months.) Rod had met him because Nathan, who was diagnosed with lukemia a few months ago on his 14th birthday, was interested in all things Australian and so last month, his friends threw an Australia Party for him while he was home from the hospital for the holidays. Rod, of course, was one of the party favors.
So, Jack and I were standing at the back of the room, with about 200 people between us and the open casket. I don't think Jack could have seen Nathan's body, even had he been looking for it.
There were photos of Nathan everywhere and several newspaper articles. I went to read one of the articles and after a few minutes, Jack interupted me to point at the photo of Nathan in the article and made an exagerated "sad" face. (Not an expression I'd seen him use before.) Then he led me from one photo of Nathan to another and pointed at them and looked sadder and sadder.
I'm not sure what Jack was thinking when he pointed sadly to the photos of the smiling, happy baby, child, and young man. He seemed to know that this sad gathering was in honour of the boy in the photos -- he never once pointed to the other family members and friends in the photos -- and it was so odd to see him seem to have a sense of what was happening, even as people many times older were having trouble wrapping their minds around it.
Yesterday was the "viewing" part of the funeral. Today was the service and internment. Rod and Jack went to the service -- I had to miss it because I was working. Rod reports that a friend of his sat with them, and that she had, knowing that Jack would be there, brought paper and crayons and other "baby-tamers". They went unused. Jack sat prefectly still for the entire service, paying close attention to everything that happened.
Now, Jack is almost always "good for company" -- but he's a baby, and he makes noise, chattering and singing and "reading" aloud for himself. How did he understand the importance of this ceremony and that it was important to be so quiet?
He can be eerie, can our little Jack. Wonderful -- but eerie.
Oh, and yes, Dad did pick the photos for this blog entry. Why do you ask?
Too many funerals
