Surgery and School and Anniversary and Birthdays and Death

Its been a bear of a week. You can always assume that if I don't update on Monday. Here we are on Thursday and I am finally sitting down to it.

We had back to school night at the end of last week.

We saw Kiernan's teacher and the parents of his classmates. This years back to school was quite different than last years. It was far more serious and instructive. It lacked much of the  warmth of last years welcome back. On the plus side the Cub Scouts were there and I quite wanted to see them as Kiernan is old enough to join and they have gotten rid of political and moral policies that make me squirm.

I had a pounding headache and spent much of the time standing and concentrating on not looking mean or falling down.

We got a big folder of homework assignments for the year and new sight woods and example sheets and a poster to fill out and return for when Kiernan becomes student of the week.

We met a neighbor whose daughter is in Kiernan's class and on his bus. She knew us as the people with the terrible snow driveway. ha

My dad had to go back in for more surgery.

His incision from his heart surgery got badly infected. I will spare you the really neat but probably horrifying to most of you picture he sent me from afterward.

He went in with good spirits and the Dr.'s say they got all the bad tissue out. He was in hospital for a week and willnow be on antibiotics for 6 weeks on and IV and oral prescription.

Kiernan had his turn at the dentist this week. More good reports of no cavities. 

Megan helped tremendously...

On Friday I took Megan for a hike on the Appalachian trail.

In College a friend of mine (Aunt Carolyn) and I decided to through hike the AT. We got lots of gear and read lots of books and got a ride down to GA to start in the south and move up over the spring. It was beautiful and not too hard but I was so bereft with out David we ended up turning around and not finishing even a weeks worth of our 3 month hike.

The reunion with David (he dove down to NC to meet us) was one of the most euphoric things I have ever experienced. It was the right decision but I have always regretted not doing that through hike.

I hope when the kids get older one of them will love hiking and I will be able to do it.

As has been the case for every hike I have taken with Megan in the last few months we saw a snake.

Megan hunkered right down and told it all about mermaids.

That evening Kiernan had his first soccer practice.

or

Kiernan would have had his first soccer practice if not for the throwing up.

That poor boy is not dealing well with the return of school.

On Sunday I went to work.

I know that this is out of keeping with a holiday weekend.

Honestly it is out of keeping with my personal temperament as well.

I am afraid out of proportion of the alarm system at work and do a great deal to avoid it when I can.

We had so much work to do and Monday being a day off, so little time to do it that I buckled down to work.

I spent the whole day there and only got done about a 3rd of what really needed done.

A frightening and frustrating day.

I spent much of the evening working on my entry to the Qiagen art contest.

Wish me luck.

Monday was Labor day and our unofficial anniversary.

We got married on Labor day but it shifts around a bit so we generally have 2 anniversary's. 

The kids stayed home with mom and played outside to a gratifying portion of the day.

David and I went to Annapolis and had a good long date.

It was hot and I got a headache by the end of it.

It was so hot that when we got home we got the kids into some water.

I sat or laid about in the quiet.

Check out my cool new belt and shirt from date day!

Just after I got Megan into bed I got a call from my dad.

He said that Mary's mom was not doing well and that Mary was ll by herself and he couldn't get out of the hospital (different hospital)and could I get down there quickly?

I stuffed my pockets with ibuprofen and speed down the highway.

My cousin Justin and his girl friend and over the course of the evening all of my grandmothers caregivers came by.

I paced and passed out tissues and took headache pills.

Near 1 o'clock in the morning we went home as she was stable and would make it (due to a very conflicting respirator) until my Aunt could make it back on a red eye from CA.

We were at the hospital the next morning as soon as the shift change restriction was lifted. This time we knew there wouldn't be long to wait. My Aunt and Uncle made it (rather miraculously) and the respirator was disconnected. A very kind nurse named Brooke took care of my grandmothers comfort while an usher from her church and a chaplain from the hospital attended to the spiritual issues.

There was time for everyone eventually to come and say goodbye.

They were able to remove the respirator. So she was able to be comfortable and as her directive had intended and she passed peacefully, to the sound of her daughters singing.

It was very very sad.

I took Mary home. 

She got some surprise help there as my dads parents had driven up to help. They will be able to take care of dad fresh from his hospital bed while Mary concentrates on memorial arrangements and all the piles of paperwork that accompany end of life.

I went home and hugged my boy.

This weekend we will introduce him to the ceremonies of death.