Monday Memories With My Mom

The Adventures of Caring for a Mom With Alzheimer's Disease

***The Memorial Day Edition***

     On this day of "remembering", you may recall my moms BFF, Jane, and her husband went to visit my mom last week.  I spoke with Jane later that night and it sounds like it was a good visit, although perhaps a bit tiring for my mom and, as always, answering the same questions can be exhausting.  They went to Olive Garden for lunch, so all is well.  Silly me, I forgot to ask about the "Muffin" dog reunion, but according to my mom, her dog is cuter!!?
     Honestly, Memorial Day and the words "remember", "forget", "memory", "memorial" have taken on an added meaning for me these last several years.  For some people, memories are all they have left of their loved ones.  For others, those same memories are what has been taken away.  I, admittedly, have a lower tolerance for my husband "forgetting" to do something.  It scares me when someone says, or I say, "I can't remember".  Not for fear of the actual disease, but for fear of how true memory loss affects lives.  In no way am I trying to take away from what this day is truly intended for, merely just pointing out how this word has affected my life.

      As promised, finally, I gathered my thoughts together and filled out the survey from TMT (The Medical Team).  It was detailed with a lengthy attachment where I expressed my concerns over not being contacted with regard to a fall, a missed medication, inefficient or non-existent escorts and a general decline in services...  It felt good to gather my thoughts and send out the survey, but in light of my mom's most recent fall I knew it was time to contact the powers that be by telephone.  I had an over 30-minute long conversation with an off-site supervisor who was generally very receptive to my concerns, although occasionally defensive of her staff.  She assured me my information would be passed on and that she would be following up with staff. 

     Surprisingly, last Friday (late on a holiday weekend) I received a call from another supervisor who had received my written survey and was following up and reviewing it with me.  This is one survey where I did leave my name and telephone number.  I don't think they are used to receiving such a detailed return survey along with someone filling out their contact information.  He expressed concern and assured me that on Tuesday, after the holiday, he would be on site and working with staff.  He also made an appointment for a follow up telephone call with me on Thursday.  Well, at least I have their attention...!!!  Let's hope I see an improvement with my mom's care.  I strongly believe if her escorts were consistent, and her am/pm care properly given, she would not have had most of these recent falls and she would be much better off -- and I told them so.

Oh Yeah, I Filled Out the Survey!!

    Then, while many, including half of my own family, were heading up north for the holiday weekend, Kristin and I stayed back and colored my mom's hair and brought her fun things like pop, paper towels and a new watch (battery died on the other one).  As always, Kristin is a great help and keeps Grandma busy while I set up things and throw out all kinds of garbage (again) from her walker bag.  (Note to Self:  I gotta downsize that bag again...she is out of control!)  This time, in addition to everything but the kitchen sink, I was lucky enough to find two slices of buttered toast on a ceramic plate!  I was throwing garbage away fast and furious while my mom frequently asked, "what are you doing in there" to which I replied "setting everything up to color your hair mom"!!!??

Pretending to Be a Beautician (not a Magician)

     She asked what color we were doing, I said "light golden brown" many many times. Inspired by Kelly Ripa, we were prepared with a garbage bag smock to protect my mom's clothing.  Kristin documented the entire process...

  

Garbage Bag Available at Your Local Hardware Store

     Big concerns of the day were:  What color?  Where's Muffin?  (We had to keep moving Muffin so she was within my mom's sight...ugh!)  What grade is Kristin in? (rinse and repeat!!!!!!!)  When all was said and done, we were happy with the results!!  She had not had her hair colored since January, before the family wedding.  In the middle of the hair coloring process, we started to become aware that my mom's keys were not around. The big two, where's Muffin and where's my keys??  Well, the keys are always around and so is Muffin.  This time, Kristin and I could not find the keys.  We looked everywhere, including. the public restrooms and the front office as well as alerting the Medical Team staff.  We had visions of also taking my mom for a haircut, but ended up spending way too much time looking for the keys which were never found.

     In the midst of it all, I had tied off the bottom of my moms "salon garbage bag" and used it to dispose of the abundance of garbage as I was afraid my mom would pick back through it after I left.  I decided to hope the keys would turn up and ended our visit.  We then took her garbage directly to the dumpster on site as I did not want it smelling up my car.  

     After running some errands with Kristin and getting home hours later, I kept flashing back to all the garbage I threw away and started questioning if I had thrown her keys away in my haste of cleaning our her walker bag.  This was my fear, even though both Kristin and I did a quick look through the black garbage bag to make sure the keys weren't there.

    Later that evening, after some discussion, Kristin cheerfully agreed that perhaps we should rescue that garbage bag from the dumpster before dark and before it was gone...  What if we had thrown out the keys???  I couldn't stop thinking about her missing keys and, worse yet, the possibility they had gotten into the wrong hands...

     On the way, we telephoned Grandma to see if she had found the keys.  She said they were around her neck, but then the discussion kept going all over the place.  We knew the only way to be sure she had gotten the keys back was to actually visit again...  Just in case, we went straight for the dumpster and thanks to the broomstick (no I'm not a witch) I had brought with us and the red handle ties on the bag we were fairly easily able to retrieve the black garbage bag.  We then continued to my moms apartment and low and behold...there she calmly sat...wearing her keys lanyard around her neck. She said she was wearing them all day!!?? (oh no she wasn't!!!).  I am assuming the staff found them somewhere and returned them to her, but who knows!!??  We gave her a kiss, I changed a light bulb, and we were out of there as it was after 8pm and we declared it bedtime for my mom.
     So, yeah, we went dumpster diving...almost!  And that, my friends, is how us wild and crazy girls spent our Saturday night!!!!???  Don't be jealous!!! 

Next up:  Another dentist appointment Tuesday!!

 

**We are off supporting Megan and the high school marching band at our local Memorial Day parade.  You can see more about last year's parade here.  Then, we are driving to Grand Rapids for my oldest nephew's high school graduation party!!**

Looking Sexy...and She Knows It!!!!!
 (It's a Song..., really!!)
(Makeup by Kristin...)

Kristin Played the Copy My Expression Game/Selfies With Grandma
You Can See More of that Game Here

Yep, We Washed Our Hands A Lot After This...

No Worries, I Have My Keys...  Smug as a Bug (in a rug)

The Hallway Night Light is Back On...GOODNIGHT!!!!!!!

Monday Memories With My Mom

The Adventures of Caring for a Mom With Alzheimer's Disease
     Well, after a bit of a difficult time at my mom's Mother's Day tea last week Saturday, you may be glad to know I ended up having a very nice Mother's Day with my kids and husband and they did a great job of making me feel special (more on that to come). 

I Was Admittedly Sad to See My Mom Did Not Put These Flowers in Water
 After All the Discussion about them Being "real "at Last Week's Mother's Day Tea

     On Thursday, I received a call on my cell phone.  It was not a number I recognized and I could not answer the call right away.  Sure enough, I listened to my voicemail and it was the Med Team staff from my mom's senior living apartments.  It appears the staff often uses their own personal cell phones when contacting me and because of that I normally try to answer all my unidentified calls (because I am never sure when it might be them).  They said my mom had fallen just outside the dining room when getting ready to sit down and wait for her lunch time.  Several people saw it happen.  Her head hit the wall, but she was not cut.  They gave her an ice pack and checked her vitals and said she was doing okay.  I was relieved to at least get the call (this time) and after discussing some details asked that they keep me posted.  My mom is soooo easily distracted that "walking and talking" or walking and doing anything is appearing to be more and more of a challenge.

     Later, I called my mom to see how she sounded and she seemed okay and had a similar account of what happened to what I was told.  I asked her several times if her arms, legs, head, etc...were okay.  After mostly saying they did not hurt, she later said she needed a "sling" for her arm.  I asked if her arm hurt, and she just said she needed a sling.  I told her okay, but then she would not be able to walk around with her walker.  After I said that, she seemed less sure she needed a sling!!???  Oh, the tangled webs....

     The next day, I paid her a visit to check on her myself and she seemed ok.  It was close to her lunch time, so I walked her down to lunch to see how she did and to make sure for myself that she made it safe and sound.  As I have said, I have not been happy with the assistance or lack of that she has received these last few months.  In fact, I am going to spend a good part of today filling out a survey I found in my mom's bag (which she received in the mail).  It is from the company who runs the medical assistance end of things for my mom.  Of course, the survey should have never been sent directly to my mom, it should have been sent to me!!!??  That's the first problem.  My mom had started to fill out the survey and clearly had no idea what to say and her writing, sadly, is illegible for the most part.
     I spent a decent amount of time going through my mom's closet and bringing out more summer clothes and tucking away the fall and winter items.  I also tucked away two of the "hoodie" type jackets my mom keeps wearing -- with the hood on -- as she remains convinced that she cut her bangs too short.  It is getting too warm for those jackets, they make a mess of her hair, and I am tired of her "hiding" under the hood.  I hope it helps, and I hope to color her hair and get her a cut in the near future!  She continues to accumulate an unbelievable amount of stuff in her walker bag.  I continue to be frustrated with the never ending amount of items she is able to "hoard" in such a small period of time.  It is also almost always a telltale sign of how she is doing in general.  Lately, not so good.  The more "off" she is, the more items she "saves".
     I was so happy to get a call over the weekend from my mom's real life BFF, Jane, her friend since school days.  She and her husband are retired and spend their winters in Arizona and their summers in Michigan.  She is back in Michigan and will be spending much of today with my mom with plans to take her to lunch.  This makes me verrrrrrrrry happy!!!   It also made me realize how few visitors my mom actually gets.  I think my mom had one visitor last Fall and one this past Winter (aside from me and my brother).  That is just sad...  Ask anyone who oversees the care of a loved one with Alzheimer's Disease and they will tell you the best gift you can give is your time...just spending some time with your friend or relative may make you feel uncomfortable, but it brings so much to the person suffering from this dementia on a daily basis.  It is also a huge relief to any family caregiver like me just knowing my mom will have some company today.  I often hear that it makes people "sad" to talk to my mom or frustrated, irritated or confused.  Believe me, I get that...  I have been forced to learn to have a lot more patience, and a little empathy goes a long way.  Imagine how sad and scary it must be for my mom, to slowly realize she is no longer able to do soooo many things.  It is almost ironic that only a handful of family and friends continue to visit my mom when she used to (and still would if she could) drive long distances and jump through hoops just to spend time with her friends and family. 
     So you see, this visit from Jane is going to be quite the reunion for my mom.  I also hear my mom's friend found her twin "Muffin" dog that my mom had given her and she is bringing the "dog" to see my mom.  To say my mom will be thrilled is an understatement.  My mom has been talking about these dogs for months and months (trust me)!!  I hope to hear how the visit goes later today!!

     A little love goes a long way...

These Two Have a Big Day Ahead
 Muffin Dog Reunion

It Appears My Mom Has Accumulated Quite a Few Stuffed Animals
From the Various Games They Play at Her Senior Living Community

I Wanted To Make Sure My Artificial Potted Geranium Was Still Standing

I Suggested My Brother Get My Mom a New Chair for Her Balcony
For Mother's Day -- He Came Through -- Plus an Icee drink (her favorite) and her Granddog
5-19-13

 

Oh...Happy Anniversary!!!!

     Awhile back, I remember sharing that this year was going to be particularly filled with family "milestones".  Well, the first one took place May 1st.  My husband and I celebrated 20 years of marriage wedded bliss...  He took the day off of work so we could be "together".

 

     I We had decided to celebrate by updating our "look" and getting new wedding bands.  This is something I never dreamed of doing before as I am quite sentimental when it comes to certain things.  The symbolic exchange of wedding rings and vows is definitely one of them.  Well, nothing like the passing of 20 years to make a person change their thinking on all kinds of things!!  Besides, these days I am liking the platinum, silver, white gold look more than our original gold wedding bands.  We did not replace the rings, just have two choices available to us now.  Also, my husband never rarely wore his ring because somehow in our young love and innocence we did not get him a "comfort fit" band and he found the old ring "annoying" (how's that for symbolism!!???) and generally dislikes jewelry.

May 1, 2013 -- 20 Years
(This Photo will have to do -- I will never get cooperation for a "retake")

     We went to lunch together at a favorite place and then got some fro-yo at our new Menchies.  Not long after that, it was back to reality.  The kids were going to be home from school and there was a football meeting at the school that night  (back to reality). 

      We have been through a lot together in these 20 years, both good times and bad -- yet  we are still together!!!  We have discussed a weekend getaway to celebrate, but so far our calendar has not really allowed it!!!  In the meantime....let's all join hands and sing out this post with our wedding song from 20 years ago by the late great Luther Vandross.........

 

Always and forever, each moment with you

Is just like a dream to me that somehow came true

And I know tomorrow will still be the same

'Cause we've got a life of love that won't ever change and
Everyday love me your own special way

Melt all my heart away with a smile

Take time to tell me you really care

And we'll share tomorrow together

I'll always love you forever, forever

There'll always be sunshine when I look at you

It's something I can't explain just the things that you do

And if you get lonely phone me and take

A second to give to me that magic you make and
Everyday love me your own special way

Melt all my heart away with a smile

Take time to tell me you really care

And we'll share tomorrow together

I'll always love you ever, ever

Loving you is the thing that I've planned

For a very long time

Me with you, you with me, we as one

Love together for a very long time

Loving you, you, baby
Always, forever love you

Always, forever love you

Always, forever love you
I said, "Forever love you, love you"

Ever and the day and one day

Loving you, you, you, you, you

Forever, tomorrow's tomorrow
Ever and a day, ever and a day

Ever, everyday, yeah, you

Loving you forever, ever, you, you

Forever 

 

 

 

Set It...and Forget It Sliders

     With sports and school schedules at a peak (actually, last Fall was even busier!), I have been looking for quick and easy recipes!  I love anything with 5 Ingredients (or less!).  Of course, it's a bonus if it tastes good!
     One meal idea that has never really been on our radar is Pulled Pork Sandwiches.  I like them, but have never made them.  Thought it was possible the kids would like them, too.
On Pinterest, more than 50 percent of the recipes seemed to have Dr. Pepper as their secret ingredient.  So, I thought it was interesting and would give it a try.  I kind of adapted my recipe from the one I pinned from here.

This is what I did:

3 1/2 pounds uncooked pork shoulder (lean, trim fat).  Slow cooked and then shredded.

1 cup chopped onion, uncooked,

3 cups Dr. Pepper

1 package McCormick Grill Mates BBQ or Pork Rub

BBQ Sauce (we use Sweet Baby Rays)

1-2 Dozen King Hawaiian Rolls (we used small Sweet)*

*OK, it's six ingredients, I wasn't counting the rolls....
  

Place all ingredients except BBQ sauce (and rolls -- ha) in slow cooker for 6-8 hours.  Remove meat from cooker and remove all bones (meat should be falling off the bone).  Shred pork with two forks (a rhyme!)  Drain juices as desired.  Mix pork with BBQ sauce as you like.  (I let each person add their own.)  Slice rolls and serve as sliders.  We each ate about 3 sliders.  Some of us more (husband!).  We have 5 in our family and had meat leftover.  Goes well with coleslaw and or sweet potato fries!

    I am calling mine, Pulled Pork Sliders** (because I used the small rolls) and my kids actually like them!  Jacob did a "Yes!" (insert hand gesture) when he came home from school and smelled his dinner.  My husband loves them, too!! 

     I'd love to try another recipe if someone has one out there that they like.  There's so many ways to cook the meat, beer, root beer, etc...  Let me know if you have a recipe I should try or if you happen to try this one!!

**Finished Picture Not Available...Ate Too Fast (maybe next time!?)

Stress? What Stress???

 

     I have three kids, right??  (well, not including my mom...)  One of them has gone all but missing the last several weeks.  Megan!!  This is what her bedroom door looks like virtually all day after school and soccer!!  Door closed.  Silently studying (we hope!)  See, she has soccer games and/or practices 5-6 days per week after school.  Throw in several study sessions with teachers, practice tests, study session with friends, and some after school symphony band practices, to name a few, and I am pretty sure I would not see her at all were it not for my job as "Taxi Mom" or her surfacing for "food and water" on occasion.  
     On top of her already pretty intense schedule, my little sophomore has been preparing for the College AP Statistics exam and the College APUSH (US History) exam.  This is all new to me!!  I'm pretty sure I would have remembered if I took any of those classes in my sophomore year of high school.  Nope, I did not!!  It is a lot of pressure and her schedule has been extremely full, to say the least!!!   She is soooo sleep deprived...works so hard, studies so hard and puts most of the pressure on herself.    She has been like a zombie lately.  Yet, never fear -- as there is light at the end of the tunnel!!!!


Some Notes She Left Laying Around
??????

     The AP Stats exam was last Friday, so that is over and done with!!  The "APUSH" exam is this morning at 7:30 am.  Although her schedule will remain very full, I look forward to seeing more of her in the coming weeks.  (Yet, after the test she has soccer practice and a symphony band concert tonight...  Oh well, at least I will see her on stage!?)  Ugh!
     I am amazed at how much they push kids these days as they realize more and more how truly smart they are!!  It's a lot of pressure, and I have been feeling it "for her" and perhaps more than her!!  We have been doing a lot of finger crossing and saying silent prayers to get through all this over here, and I am proud at how responsibly she has handled herself!!!

     My little girl is growing up!!!!!!

 

 

Studying...Behind Closed Doors

Her AP Stats Teacher Wrote a Note to Each Kid
(so cute and rare for a high school teacher)

And Made a Little Care Package for the Test

 

Testing Time

Waiting Forever For the Students To Get Out



 

 

Monday Memories WIth My Mom

The Adventures of Caring for a Mom With Alzheimer's Disease
     Well, time is just flying by, isn't it???  Another week has passed and I took my mom to a dentist appointment for a checkup on Tuesday and then on Saturday her senior facility was hosting a Mother's Day Tea on Saturday.
     For those who do not know, on Monday's I post about my experiences as a caregiver to my mom, who is 69 years old, and has Alzheimer's Disease.  It has been a real life roller coaster ride for me, particularly the last five years or so.
      The dentist appointment was relatively uneventful, although I did find it tricky to locate my mom (again) in her apartment building.  I thought it would be "smart" of me to go straight to "Don's apartment" this time, and I even parked in the middle of the building so our walk would not be so long.  My mom did not answer her phone, so I thought I would find her there or possibly in the exercise room.
     Knocked on Don's door -- very loudly -- he is very hard of hearing.  He let me come in and even invited me to "look around" to see if my mom was there.  She was not...  I tried to telephone my mom a few times during this process.  No answer.  Finally, I headed to her apartment -- there she was sitting on the love seat (not the couch she normally does) with her jacket hood on.  I asked her why she did not answer the phone and she said she could not get to it on time!!??  (I let it ring a very long time.)  Ugh!  Oh well, time to go to the dentist!!  Her repetition was very much like last time, where are we going, where are we going, the dentist? the dentist? what for? what for? what's his name? what's his name? 
     Truth be told, my patience was almost worn by the time we made the ten minute drive to the dentist.  Mainly from the frustration that it appeared she was in her apartment all along, and I thought I was being so smart not going straight there!!??  Mad at myself, mad at her and mostly mad at Alzheimer's Disease!
     As luck would have it, my mom needs to return for two fillings, so I will be making another appointment.  All of this while I, myself, am overdue for a dentist appointment.  Somehow, my kids and my mom keep coming first no matter how hard I try to work on that!!
     As far as Saturday's Mother's Day tea, I think last year I responded too late for that, or perhaps had a conflict with the kids.  This year, I had an appointment to sign some more documentation with the office an hour before the tea was to start.  When I walked in the lobby, there was my mom front and center listening to this man who often comes and plays piano and talks to the seniors about music, plays songs from the past, and gives prizes for those who can answer the trivia questions.  My mom started to get up as soon as she saw me.  I motioned her to stay seated.  Everyone looked at me because I was holding this geranium arrangement I had made for my mom.  They oooohhhed and they aaahhhhhd!

No Watering...Low Maintenance...Finally Learning

The Captive Audience

     After signing the documents and meeting with the office manager, my mom met me at the office and we walked back down to her apartment so I could put her new flower arrangement on her balcony.  She was full of questions when I told her we were going to the tea.  Lower level?  Lower level?  Where are we going?  Where are we going?  What for?  What for?

     It was a long walk back, but we made it.  I had her change into the nicer sweater, and then we headed back for the tea.  She usually asks me if she should smile when I take her picture.  Yes!  We even ended up taking a couple of "selfies" while we were waiting for the crowd of mothers to gather.  I had been up since 4:45 am (took my kids to a field trip), so I can't believe I am posting these pics of my chubby self...but at least it killed some time!!   (Some days, I can almost feel myself getting bigger as my mom gets smaller, but that's a whole 'nother series of posts!!) 

     It was a nice tea.  Coffee cakes and sweets along with coffee and tea.  I fixed my mom a plate.  It disappeared very very fast!  She enjoyed it, but kept repeating herself.  Now what do we do?  Now what do we do?  Are these flowers real?  Are they real?  They're not real, right?  They're not real, right?  I would remind her that they were real and would tell her to feel them and smell them, over and over.  That's how I got the sweet picture on the left.  When I said I wanted I picture with her and the flowers, I got the pictures on the right (below).

     Sadly, by 12:45 pm I had reached my limit.  Her lunch time is 1:00 pm, so I escorted her to the dining room and waited with her until lunch time.  By then, I could not wait to leave.  Thankfully, this reminder of "Safe Travels" prevented me from "speeding" out of the parking lot.  Just keeping it real here folks.  We had some nice moments, made some memories (mostly for myself) and then I had to leave.  Afterall, this is not my "real" mom anymore.  I am the "mom" to her now, and all of the tea in the world will not change that.  I did what I could, and I felt comfortable knowing that I would spend "Mother's Day" with my own kids without hurting my mom at all.      

 

Ten on Ten - May

     A small miracle happened today.  I remembered its "the tenth"...on the tenth!!!  It was a very busy day as I was driving my kids around a lot today (and every day).  It's my second time linking up with Rebekah at A Bit of Sunshine and participating in "Ten on Ten"!!  For those who might not know, the idea is to find much life and beauty among the ordinary things of our day!

     Thanks for stopping by...I hope you enjoy!!!

A Bed & Breakfast I Often Pass But Never Really Paid Attention To...

On the Road...Again

A Lake Very Close to Home

Pretty Green

So Inviting...

 

 

The Ordinary

  

Fresh From a Roadside Farm

Back Home...I Think This Bloomed Overnight!



Jacob and Lucky



Our Backyard



 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday Memories WIth My Mom

The Adventures of Caring for a Mom With Alzheimer's Disease
      After a week away from my mom, I was ready for another visit.  I was actually waiting for her monthly supplies to arrive and when they did I headed over.  This time, it was the weekend and Kristin wanted to come along and said "we should take Grandma to lunch...it's such a nice day".  I love her optimism, but I said let's wait and see how she is today.  OK, maybe I was not totally over my last outing and lunch with my mom, but time to move on!
     When we arrived, my mom was in the kitchen eating a little Tootsie Roll.  I have not taken a picture of this (I don't think) because it catches me by surprise every time...  Very often the last few months, my mom will be wearing a zipper jacket with a hood (she has a few of them).  She wears the hood...in her apartment.  This times, it was even tied.  When I ask her about it she says, "I cut my bangs too short...I look like a man"!  Or something to that affect.  Obviously, a year later, she is still bothered by the time that she cut her own hair.  (It was a very bad day.  It was not so much about her hair.  It was what it meant.)
     Kristin and I had planned in the car that she would keep Grandma busy while I tried to change her closet to the more Spring-Summer clothes and put away the heavier sweaters and pants.  Kristin did a good job, and I can get so much more done when my mom is not there following me and asking questions.
     Once I was done with the clothes, I was amazed how much stuff was in her "walker bag" this week.  A high school yearbook, a box of tissues, four or five magazines, tons of brochures and junk mail, greeting cards, notebooks of paper.  It was heavy, too!  I cleaned it out and put two thirds of it in the garbage.  I am never convinced that she will not grab it all back out of the garbage (trust me, it's happened).  If I tear up everything it makes her nervous and she comes to see what I'm doing because she can hear it.  Sometimes, I dump water or whatever all over the garbage...  Yes, those are the lengths you must go to. 
     I put my mom's chair and planter out on her balcony.  It is time...Spring is finally here1 
     Kristin was working on a word search puzzle book with my mom (watching).  My mom repeated many times that "Kristin is a genius at crossword puzzles" and that "she could get a scholarship".  Sadly, as much as Kristin is my little genius, the reason my mom feels this was is largely because my mom cannot do any of these puzzles anymore at all.  So, she is in awe of Kristin.  At this point, I don't know if my attempts at trying to give my mom some kind of stimulation are more of a frustration or still worth a try.  I cannot come up with much of anything to keep her "busy" when she is in her apartment.  "Channel 4" seems to be the best thing we have going.  TV does seem to keep her aware of many current events and she gets a lot of entertainment from watching.



Between the Two of Them -- They Keep Me Busy!!

     My mom was having a much better day than the last time I was with her.  So, we took her out to Panera for lunch.  It was very crowded, so I sat Kristin and my mom outside while I went in to order our lunch.  My mom was very happy with her Strawberry smoothie and kid's grilled cheese with yogurt!  I know she does not know their menu, so I just order what I think she would like.  Kid's sized meals seem just about right.  My mom made a few "toasts" to the "best daughter in the world" and thanked me and Kristin. 
     Once back at her apartment, we said our goodbyes and then I asked Kristin if she would go to the front office and pick up this month's newsletter while I pulled the car to the door.  I could see the receptionist having a conversation with Kristin.  Turns out, she was asking if my mom had lost her glasses.  She ended up coming to my car and showing me two pairs of reading glasses that were found in Don's room.  They were my moms.  Oops, looks like my mom is leaving evidence of her "visits" around.  I am sure his daughters were not happy to find them.  Later, after reading the newsletter I realized it was Don's birthday and his daughters had probably been there to celebrate.  It also got me thinking more...I hope my mom's rings are not there in his apartment, and if they are, I hope they would turn those in as well. 

     Thinking of calling them...  Ugh!!

Up This Week:  A Dentist Appointment, Meeting with American House & Mother's Day Tea



Everything But the Kitchen Sink...

Don't Know What Happened
To This Jacket...I'm Assuming It Got Ruined in the Laundry!?
(the staff does her laundry)

Kristin Asked If She Could Put Grandma's Makeup On
(It Was Sweet....)

Kristin Kept an Eye on Grandma Since We Decided to Have Lunch Outside at Panera

The Telltale Glasses...
(my upside down photo)

Waiting for Kristin