Each of the littles made $5 working for Uncle Pat today. And I'm sure they earned it. He had them picking up firewood from out of the yard (limbs he cut from the cherry tree) and then they moved to the backyard. Pat did a bunch of trimming things up and they picked it up and put it in the yard waste bin. Much easier for them to pick stuff up off the ground.
Now one little is super happy and one doesn't really care. So the one who is happy talks the other one into giving him her money. I put the kibosh on that for the moment. She just does not care at all about money.
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Friday, October 5, 2018
Tacos
Mom got to have second supper again tonight. Pat invited all of us over for fish tacos. He also made taco meat for normal tacos. I haven't had tacos since I lived with Dave. And they tasted pretty darn good. I ate three. The little man ate one and Mom had a fish taco. Pat made those out of the mahi mahi he caught in Mexico.
Mom was having a bad night. She was happy to see me, but way out of sorts. She kept asking Pat when he bought his place and she didn't really remember it used to be hers. I have not figured out what year she thinks it is.
Mom was having a bad night. She was happy to see me, but way out of sorts. She kept asking Pat when he bought his place and she didn't really remember it used to be hers. I have not figured out what year she thinks it is.
Lots and Lots
It seems like there is a lot going on lately.
The littles just finished up this session of swimming lessons. They both passed onto the next level. I watched the little woman swim. Not graceful, but still swimming. Grace will come with practice. The little man just seems to take to whatever he decides to do.
So after a four week break the little man is back seeing his counselor. And none too soon. I could just watch the regression happening. So he saw her this week and now we are back to going through the it gets worse before it gets better stage. Oy. One day at a time.
I turned the wifi off after an episode last week. It is absolutely annoying to not have it when you want it. I fibbed and said it was off at the cable company. That seems to have appeased the begging for the wifi. So if I accidentally reconnected on my phone I would be caught because eventually I would forget to shut it back off.
We bought a web cam so we can have a video visit with Mike. We scheduled one too soon. Now we have one schedule for next week. We will see how that goes and if it is enough for all the love they want to feel.
The littles just finished up this session of swimming lessons. They both passed onto the next level. I watched the little woman swim. Not graceful, but still swimming. Grace will come with practice. The little man just seems to take to whatever he decides to do.
So after a four week break the little man is back seeing his counselor. And none too soon. I could just watch the regression happening. So he saw her this week and now we are back to going through the it gets worse before it gets better stage. Oy. One day at a time.
I turned the wifi off after an episode last week. It is absolutely annoying to not have it when you want it. I fibbed and said it was off at the cable company. That seems to have appeased the begging for the wifi. So if I accidentally reconnected on my phone I would be caught because eventually I would forget to shut it back off.
We bought a web cam so we can have a video visit with Mike. We scheduled one too soon. Now we have one schedule for next week. We will see how that goes and if it is enough for all the love they want to feel.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Lunch
I took Mom out to lunch at Olive Garden. Pat joined us. I had invited him but I didn't expect him to show up. And then he did. So when he arrived he made mom move over so he could sit down. She moved over a little bit. He kind of got her to move a little further in the booth.
I was sitting across from her so I got to watch what happened in her head. She did not know who he was at first. You could see her trying to process this man making her move. And she sat there for a few moments and then you could watch it change while something clicked in her brain. And then she was at ease and leaned on him.
I'm afraid we are going to see a lot more of this and not spread out. She has been on this road for a long time and it has been a long slow road. But it almost feels like the slow time is done. Time will tell, but in the meantime we will do what we can and see her while we can.
I was sitting across from her so I got to watch what happened in her head. She did not know who he was at first. You could see her trying to process this man making her move. And she sat there for a few moments and then you could watch it change while something clicked in her brain. And then she was at ease and leaned on him.
I'm afraid we are going to see a lot more of this and not spread out. She has been on this road for a long time and it has been a long slow road. But it almost feels like the slow time is done. Time will tell, but in the meantime we will do what we can and see her while we can.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Family? Dinner
On Saturday my brother cooked us up some more fish. He does a really sweet job at that. We brought Mom over even though she had already dined at her place. There is always room for a little fish.
Pat cooked up two big plates of rock fish and halibut. Mom started eating as soon as the first plate was done. I know she ate at least six pieces and maybe more. The little man ate three big pieces. We had chips and a pasta salad with it. When we were done there were three pieces left over. I cleaned up while the men went to play the computer game they have been playing. I walked my leftovers out to the car.
When I came back in Mom kept saying she was hungry and that she didn't get any fish. Wait...what? Now you can't really argue with a dementia person. I did comment on her fish and left it at that. So then it was time to take her home. She went down the hallway to say bye to the men and as she comes back she starts in with she feels completely left out because she didn't get to spend any time with her children.
This set the tone for the drive home. No big drama, just a running monologue of how she has never felt left out in her own family before this. Oy. She had been with me continually except when I ran a bag out to the car. So I just kept quiet.
Once back to her place I walked her to her room and I gave her a hug and told her that no one intentionally set out to make her feel bad and that all of this is hard. She agreed. And I went home. Now part of the time she was talking to me she wasn't talking to me her daughter. She was just talking to someone. It's a weird phenomenon.
This week I had one of my visits and I stopped in and checked with the nurse for another matter. I commented on family dinner. And then he pops off with well she wasn't in the present. She was somewhere in the past and the people she ate with are not her kids. Oh yeah. I get that. I have read it. It is just kind of weird to start experiencing it. Because it isn't that the person forgets you. It is just they go back in time and you don't look like that anymore depending on how far back they go. And so the disease progresses.
Pat cooked up two big plates of rock fish and halibut. Mom started eating as soon as the first plate was done. I know she ate at least six pieces and maybe more. The little man ate three big pieces. We had chips and a pasta salad with it. When we were done there were three pieces left over. I cleaned up while the men went to play the computer game they have been playing. I walked my leftovers out to the car.
When I came back in Mom kept saying she was hungry and that she didn't get any fish. Wait...what? Now you can't really argue with a dementia person. I did comment on her fish and left it at that. So then it was time to take her home. She went down the hallway to say bye to the men and as she comes back she starts in with she feels completely left out because she didn't get to spend any time with her children.
This set the tone for the drive home. No big drama, just a running monologue of how she has never felt left out in her own family before this. Oy. She had been with me continually except when I ran a bag out to the car. So I just kept quiet.
Once back to her place I walked her to her room and I gave her a hug and told her that no one intentionally set out to make her feel bad and that all of this is hard. She agreed. And I went home. Now part of the time she was talking to me she wasn't talking to me her daughter. She was just talking to someone. It's a weird phenomenon.
This week I had one of my visits and I stopped in and checked with the nurse for another matter. I commented on family dinner. And then he pops off with well she wasn't in the present. She was somewhere in the past and the people she ate with are not her kids. Oh yeah. I get that. I have read it. It is just kind of weird to start experiencing it. Because it isn't that the person forgets you. It is just they go back in time and you don't look like that anymore depending on how far back they go. And so the disease progresses.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Growing, Changing
I've been noticing some changes lately. Both kids seems to be developing modesty. Finally. For the longest time they preferred to be naked. I don't know when that usually changes but I think they held on to it for a long time.
So they now sleep in jammies. They don't run around the house naked. And the little man no longer wants anyone around when he is in the bathroom or changing his clothes. The bathtub is a still okay, but he is working hard on doing all the bath things himself. And he does a pretty good job of washing his own hair now. So I'm sure it won't be long and I will just run the bath and leave.
Just noticing their growth.
So they now sleep in jammies. They don't run around the house naked. And the little man no longer wants anyone around when he is in the bathroom or changing his clothes. The bathtub is a still okay, but he is working hard on doing all the bath things himself. And he does a pretty good job of washing his own hair now. So I'm sure it won't be long and I will just run the bath and leave.
Just noticing their growth.
Monday, October 1, 2018
Broken Heart
So the little woman and I were discussing her birthday and her plans. She wants a party at Chuck E Cheese. And actually after attending a recent one and having the little man's there last year...I really like the venue. I am in agreement that she can have a party there.
Then we discuss the guest list. All adults, her, her brother and Josie. That's it. My heart immediately breaks. Last year she invited six and one showed up. So I think that colored the future. So this time she only wanted to invite one.
Then she had a discussion with her brother and she changed her mind on Josie. I think he convinced her because he doesn't like Josie. So she decided she would invite the boys down the street. Three of them. I'm trying to understand a boy party. Well it may have had something to do with the discussion she had to have had with the little man. He did ask her if she wanted to invite Brooklyn this year. Brooklyn was the sole attender last year. The little woman said no....Brooklyn is a little too mean now. And that is exactly what I would expect to hear if the little woman were to tell me about it.
So we got a couple of weeks to hammer it out yet. But my heart breaks for my little woman who is having such a hard time right now. Hoping counseling helps.
Then we discuss the guest list. All adults, her, her brother and Josie. That's it. My heart immediately breaks. Last year she invited six and one showed up. So I think that colored the future. So this time she only wanted to invite one.
Then she had a discussion with her brother and she changed her mind on Josie. I think he convinced her because he doesn't like Josie. So she decided she would invite the boys down the street. Three of them. I'm trying to understand a boy party. Well it may have had something to do with the discussion she had to have had with the little man. He did ask her if she wanted to invite Brooklyn this year. Brooklyn was the sole attender last year. The little woman said no....Brooklyn is a little too mean now. And that is exactly what I would expect to hear if the little woman were to tell me about it.
So we got a couple of weeks to hammer it out yet. But my heart breaks for my little woman who is having such a hard time right now. Hoping counseling helps.
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