5. What A Week!¶
Date: 2006-12-24 02:25:00
Elwood, apparently, has not previously had exposure to church. Having gone Saturday night, he was able to survive the Cantata at the Methodist church. He did jump up periodically when everyone else did and when there was applause.
We are learning other people’s cars. I have asked my friends to remember what worked.
Then there was Wednesday night and Thursday morning … Elwood found a traditional Vespers service with chanting and candlelight more than he could take. He wriggled out of his harness and climbed on the pew and me. Holding him with one hand, I unbuckled the harness and got it back on him to settle him back down again. My pewmate said: “I figured out you didn’t want a lighted candle to hold.”
We had practiced resting in the pew alone every day. What I hadn’t planned on Thursday morning was that everyone gets up. Elwood got up, too. I ended up with the flixileash wrapped around Elwood, the pew and myself. More practice needed.
We have a new place at the table for doughnuts afterward. We have to sit far away from the person who comes with dog biscuits in his pocket and who cannot restrain himself. Children are always better. They know about rules.
Bible study was also a trial. The children had been in the room with cookies the night before.
Park is going better.
Elwood prefers the elevator to the stairs.
Today we took a walk, down 2nd Street, up Prindergast, across on 5th and back down Main. After doing all this walking, Elwood suddenly made a turn. He had found St. Luke’s. He was convinced that was where we were going. It took a lot of persuading, after a lot of praise, to convince him to pass it up.
We have elected to go to the late service Christmas Eve. I didn’t think either of us could manage the early one with the pageant. I’m vesting and reading. Elwood’s first time at the lectern. It’s not hard–I hope.
I may finally have gotten the reading sitation changed. It is always announced as Isaiah 35 but it is actually Isaiah 9.
Well, we have some work to do and our final park of the evening.