The Search Begins Again

The nurse from the assisted living called me last week.  It is time to move my mom to a memory care unit. Several reasons for this.  The first and foremost is a memory care unit will be better suited for her.  They will have activities designed for dementia patients.  They have more staff to interact and distract.
So my search has begun again for a place for Mom.  I toured two new places today.  I pretty much excluded the ones I had already been to.  The two places today were like night and day.  So different.  And I liked things about both of them.  If I could just combine the things I liked into one place.  I'm going to see one more and then choose.
Saw Mom this afternoon and she was having a pretty lucid moment and that made her pretty sad.  She asked questions that I and one of the aids answered.  Maybe it is time to sugarcoat some answers even in times of lucidity.  Anyway I told her about the two places and asked her opinion.  She leaned the same way I did even if the other place was "nicer".
Not looking forward to the transition.  Has to be done.  Here is to hoping there is only one transition and that she doesn't have to move again....or if she does she is beyond the knowing.

And We Have a Yurt

We've been talking about doing a second yurt/cabin trip this year.  But the summer pretty much got away with us.  September is very busy.  So we started looking at October.  We've done a couple of fall trips to the beach before.  This year's summer trip was the anomaly.
So we have a yurt reserved.  Not sure if we are taking Mom or not.  Think we play that by ear when it gets closer.  If she does, I'm taking a tent.  I think I have had enough of sleeping in the top bunk with two little kids.  I would rather stay in a tent.  We are staying three nights this time.  Not sure yet if all of us are staying three nights or if it is the littles and I the first night.  Playing that by ear also.

Old Friends

When you are six and four years-old, old friends aren't that old.  Anyway we met up with Ericka, Cohen and Kinzlee today at Kiwanis Park.  The kids all played and played.  It was so good to see them.  Ericka and I have been trying to connect all summer long.
So glad it finally all worked out. My kids missed hers and hers missed mine. And somehow I never got Kinzlee in a photo.
Thanks for showing up and Kenny also even if we only got to see him for a minute.  I'm sure the little man appreciated the help getting down off the rock.  

Taking Stock

The littles came home this afternoon.  They were hoping for five sleeps with Nana Nita.  Nana Nita has some paperwork she needs to sign tomorrow so she is in town now.  I'm happy. I don't have to drive north to collect them.
Someone asked if they were still gone and I said no, they are home.  She commented that I got a little break anyway.  Well yes and I got two nights good sleep, two naps, a concert without having to pay $60 to a babysitter, lunch and a visit with Mom, and some cleaning without anyone going behind me making a bigger mess.  I think I am way ahead for my two day break.
So I thank Nana Nita and Aunt Traci for the weekend.  It does the kids good to spend time with them.  And it does me good to have a little break.

Splendid Day

It was my day without kids.  I did some housework because I could and not have it all messed up behind me.  Then I took Mom to lunch.  I was thinking Applebee's.  But she was hungry for Lemon Sour Cream pie from Shari's.  We went to Shari's and she was disappointed.  She said everything had changed.  It hadn't except the quiche and she said it tasted fine.  We stopped and played with Betsy and Monster on the way home.
Then it was a quick nap.  My friend Doug picked me up and we went to the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater for the concert.  Playing were Cheap Trick, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and Heart.  It was fabulous.  All three rocked the house.  The people were moving, dancing and singing.  It was a super concert and the first big one I had been to in years and years.
Then we did the gauntlet to get out of there.  The amphitheater holds 18,000 people and we all wanted to leave at once.  It took us 45 minutes to get out, but I really didn't mind.  The company was good and it was fun watching how many people forgot where they parked.
Thanks my friend for a wonderful evening.

Quiet

It was a busy busy day.  The littles went to daycare.  I made a quick visit with Mom and worked.  Then I picked them up and we headed north to Centralia.  All week I sweated if the plan was going to work out or fall through.  I had my back up just in case.
We had a nice little dinner at the Burgerville with Nana Nita and Aunt Traci.  Then the four of them finished heading north and I headed back south.
I got home with enough time to veg in front of the television for a bit.  With no interruptions.  Just quietness.  It was glorious.
Now I shall see how much I can cram into two days with out them.  :)

Slow

Buyback is super slow this time.  Not buying many books.  It is hard to judge the rental returns.  Looks like we are keeping most of them this quarter so it is hard to know how many have went back on the shelves.  When we send them back to the vendors they sit on a shelf until the end and you can see the shelves fill up.  It just feels really odd this quarter.
Anyway we are just plugging right along in our fall build up.  I'm looking forward to the next lull.  Feels like I have worked a lot more than normal this build up.  And maybe I have since Belinda quit.  We do have Geri now, but she is just training and more for fall rush.
I think the littles and I need to do something in Oct.  Something at the beach.