It's been a long time!  I haven't shared anything for over a year.   In some ways this last year has gone by so fast, but in some ways it has dragged on so long.   I wonder if I could recap, but that might take way too much time.

Last night at about 10pm I was talking to Jason on the phone.  He was at Lowe's picking up stuff for our new house.   He had just been up in our garden which hadn't been watered, because some of the pipes are broken. He had been in the wood shop, which was in dis-array.   He had been looking around at all the work that needed to be done everywhere he turned his eyes and all that he had neglected because of all the many, many hours he has been spending building our new house.  He was tired.  He'd had a long day.  He was frustrated.  He was frustrated with the kids.  They had left a mess in the wood shop and someone had left his $30 pliers outside on top of the wood pile to be ruined and rusted in the weather.  He told me he didn't want the kids in the shop unattended anymore.  He asked me to get the key from them.   I told him to come home and talk to them about his wishes.  But before he could...I did.  I told them how their dad was disappointed that they hadn't been careful with his things and that they couldn't use them unattended anymore.  Then I got in the shower.  When I finished showering dad was home sitting with some of the kids.  He wasn't angry and I don't think he talked to them about his frustration with them.  But I was grateful.  The kids have missed their dad....he's been working so hard and so much.

Soon all the kids got in bed...they all sleep in the same room right now.  It's Jason's old room, in fact.  Aidan was reading his book.  I was in Sadie's bed and she was reading to me.  Sam was in Cole's bed and they were watching Dragon Tales on netflix.  Then Jason joined us and we all talked.  It was great.  I miss our family time at night.  This past year Jason has rarely gotten home before the kids are asleep.  He has really sacrificed a lot of time to build our house.  That's why this has been a LONG year.

This morning I talked with Aidan's school teacher from two years ago on the phone.  Our conversation left me emotional...and grateful...and humbled.

I'll start from the beginning.  A few weeks ago, on the last day of school, all of the fourth graders met with the teachers to discuss the Teton Science School trip for this coming fall.  All the fifth graders at Edith Bowen get to go up and spend a week at science school in the Tetons.  It's an awesome experience that they really look forward to.  It costs $350.  They held the meeting to help prepare students and parents for the cost of the trip.   Mrs. K, Aidan's 3rd grade teacher, told the students they could do yard work for her to earn some money for the trip.

Aidan came home from school with plans about how he was going to earn the money for the trip.  He and some classmates had planned to do bake sales, car washes, horse rides, and also work for Mrs. K.  Aidan's last day of school was Thursday.  First thing Friday morning Aidan called Mrs. K.  Wrong number.  Then another wrong number.  Then she wasn't home.  He continued calling her throughout the day and the next day.  He left her a message. Mrs. K called back and left a message.  This went on.  I told Aidan that he was probably being a pest and Mrs. K probably wanted a little vacation since school JUST got out.  His persistence continued, but it wasn't until yesterday that he finally talked with Mrs. K.  She told him he could come.  Aidan hadn't told me beforehand that he was going to call Mrs. K.  So I wasn't prepared when he came to me with the phone to his ear and Mrs. K on the other end and asked if I could take him out to Wellsville so he could work for her.  I thought about my very busy day ahead, but I knew that because of his persistence and determination I couldn't possibly have the heart to say "no" to Aidan.

After looking for dirt fill for our lot, meeting with the cabinet guy, taking lunch to the guys working on our wood floor and  a more hectic morning than anticipated I was on the road driving the 15 miles to take Aidan to Wellsville.  Then I said something I regret now.  I said, "I should have never agreed to bring you all the way out here today."   I knew by the time we got Aidan to where he needed to be we were going to be late for Cole's doctor appointment and I had forgotten to bring all of the forms the doctor needed to fill out.

It took us about 20 minutes to drive Aidan to his job and less to get to the doctor's office.  I dropped Cole off in time and went home to fetch papers and back again to meet the doctor.  As usual, I had made a big deal out of nothing.

About 5 hours later Aidan called to ask if I would allow him to use the ride on mower at his job to cut the grass.  I reluctantly said yes.  He told me I could leave now to pick him up since he would be finished mowing by the time I drove out there.  On my way I thought about how I would probably spend over an hour driving and probably more than $10 in gas.  Was it worth it?

When I pulled up, Aidan ran into the barn to tell Steve, Mrs. K's husband, he was leaving.  Steve paid him and gave him his business card.  Aidan got into the van with a cute grin on his face.  I could tell it had been a good experience for Aidan.  As I looked over at Aidan I noticed how dirty his hands and legs were.  His face was brown and a little sweaty.   I knew he had worked hard....because he always does.  I asked him if he had worked hard, even though I knew the answer, and he began to tell me some of the details of how he had spent his afternoon.  As he talked I looked at my beautiful boy.  I looked into his dark brown eyes with long lashes.  I looked at the way his blonde hair curled around his ears and around his baseball hat.  Aidan has the best hair.  I looked at his cute face tanned brown with a few freckles.  I asked him about a scab on his cheek.  Sam had scratched him.  I enjoyed the ride home with Aidan and I knew it was worth it.  He is so worth it.

So this morning Mrs. K talked to me on the phone and told me things...and some of them I already knew. She said her husband, who is often critical of others, talked of an amazing boy who worked so hard he would be happy to have him work for him anytime.  She told me that Aidan is the only one out of all the in-coming fifth graders who called and wanted to do her yard work.  She told me how Aidan got so much work done at her property that she and her husband were amazed.  And then she asked me what I had done to raise such an amazing boy.  I told her that Aidan's dad is a very hard worker, and that Aidan has worked alongside him a lot, but that Aidan has always enjoyed being busy and working and that's just a gift that he has.

I didn't tell her this, but I thought about how I've learned so much more from Aidan than I have ever taught him.  And what a blessing it has been to have him in my life as well as 3 other special children and another one coming.  I am truly blessed.