Friday, September 12, 2008Mattie woke up early today and came to find me and then jumped into bed with me. We both went back to sleep and he did not stir until 9:15am. Another morning record for him, but I guess when you go to bed at midnight, you are bound to get up later. Mattie's time clock is very confused and thrown off since he has spent time in the hospital.
One of the first things Mattie worked on today, was building a large puzzle map of the world. Thank you Grandma and Granddad for sending this down. Mattie loves it, and we are really getting to understand where certain countries are located. For example, this summer Mattie attended a Spanish Immersion camp at SSSAS. During the camp, they studied about Guatemala. Mattie was very eager to find Guatemala on the puzzle and we chatted about the things he learned from camp. I love this picture, because it looks like Mattie is the center of our world or better yet, he is uniting people all over the world. Which he is literally doing!
Today was a central line changing day. Mattie put up a fight, but he quickly realized it had to get done, and then not only complied, but also helped remove his dressing himself. He is becoming a great assistant. Myself and my parents, took Mattie out to lunch today. This was an all time first. I have kept Mattie pretty isolated from the outside world until today. Basically I think I had it with the isolation, and I don't think it is fair for Mattie. I rationalized taking him out in two ways. One, his white blood cell counts are good, and two, he probably will be isolated for the next two weeks as he deals with the next round of chemo. I also figured if I took him out to a restaurant at 2pm, we would miss the lunch rush. It turned out to be a very positive experience for all of us. Mattie has grown up going to Clyde's at the Mark Center. This restaurant is geographically close to RCC and SSSAS. In any case, we know most of the staff and manager at the restaurant. When the manager heard what was happening with Mattie, he too was visibly upset today. In any case, it was nice to visit a restaurant in person. I know we have been getting all sorts of wonderful foods delivered to us, but somehow being able to walk into a restaurant, made it seem for a brief moment that things were normal and we were in control of our lives. Also it made me feel as if I had the freedom to enjoy what others do on a daily basis.
After lunch we headed back home. I received a call today from Margaret, Mattie's first preschool teacher at RCC. Margaret is committed to Mattie, and wants to tutor him this year, and is willing to work with SSSAS to coordinate a curriculum. This was music to my ears for many reasons. Margaret knows how to capture Mattie's attention, but she also knows how to teach Mattie in a creative and fun way and they have a solid rapport with each other. Which is SO key for Mattie! Thank you Margaret for sharing your gift with us once again.
I received another e-mail today from Liza May, an upper school SSSAS parent. Liza was chatting with me about some of the wonderful ideas her daughter, Katie has for supporting Mattie and his fundraising efforts. Apparently Katie reads Mattie's blog and is inspired by his courage. I am so impressed with Katie and her fellow seniors at SSSAS. I think they are far more mature and have a greater appreciation for the world around them than I did when I was their age. Their efforts and focus warm my heart during these troubling times for us.
We consider ourselves very blessed. We not only had one great dinner tonight, but two. Dawnee (RCC's former assistant director) delivered us an incredible dinner. I am not sure how to thank you for this feast, but we all enjoyed it and your generosity is so appreciated. Also thank you for the great gifts you gave Mattie. I can't wait to play, Guess Who? Our neighbor, JP (the owner of our resident Jack Russell Terrier) invited us over for dinner and basically threw a dinner party in our honor. At the dinner were our neighbors the Weiners, JP's friend Sheila (Associate VP of regulatory affairs at Georgetown University Hospital), and a couple we hadn't met before, Gail and Bob Bado. It was a pleasure to meet Gail, because she is a cancer survivor as well as a school teacher. She gave me some valuable insights about cancer treatment, as well as options for Mattie's in home tutoring. JP cooked a wonderful dinner, and I am very grateful for all the connections JP has made for us.
On the electronic front today, thank you Charlotte (we loved the picture!), Coach Holm (we hope the home game goes well, and Mattie is glad he can bring a smile to your face), Barbsie, Sarah, Annie, and Allen for your e-mails. Thank you Kim, Susan, Karen, and Lorraine for the wonderful e-cards. Mattie really looks forward to checking his e-mail! I leave you tonight with an update about the Caribbean Conservation Corporation. Rocio and I e-mailed back and forth today. We generated a 200 word article today for the upcoming e-newsletter, and will be working on a more indepth article for their Thanksgiving edition newsletter. The Thanksgiving newsletter will reach 7000+ members of their organization. I am just in awe regarding how Mattie's situation is touching others around him. I always knew he was a special boy, right from the beginning. But his courage, humor, and strength during this more difficult time only confirms in my mind the depths of his uniqueness.
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