Did I Do That?

So I can see now why, when my Mom leaves our home, she will be going into an assisted living facility. She isn’t as sharp as she once was.  Her step is lower and her gait unsteady.  Her eyesight is failing and Lord the pills that women inhales daily!  There is a weekly pill box with four spots for each day!  It takes over a half hour just to fill it.  In fact there are only four medications, the rest are supplements. Still, it is hard to see your parents’ age.  

This will be the second winter Mom has been with us, quite a difference from last year.  Four days a week I drop Mom off on my way to work.  Two days to the pool for water aerobics and two days to the senior center to do crafts. Then I pick her up on my lunch hour and we go home and eat lunch then I head back to work and she gets to go fight Major for the chair to take a nap.  On Saturdays I take her to warm water therapy (then I hit Costco) and then out for lunch and to get her hair done at JCP.  On Sundays we go to church in the morning, I have agility in the afternoon and host a Bible study for 10-12 people that evening. But, we find laughter is a wonderful stress reliever and I do find many funny things in my life.  My husband is very clever and is quick with witty remarks that make my heart smile. 

Mom has her own room and bathroom in the house.  However, Sarah often uses her room when she visits so it has been hard for Peanut to understand he cannot go in there to sleep on the bed.  Peanut also can open any door in the house with his paws; I swear he has thumbs.  The chair she really likes is also the chair that Major (50 pound foster dog) really likes.  Did I mention that Mom also doesn’t like dogs?  This has been funny from the start, to see who gets in the chair first and who give up trying to get the other one out. 

Mom helps out as much as we will allow her.  I try very hard to do as much for her as I can because I am just a wonderful loving daughter.  Right.  It is just easier and quicker.  The kitchen is pretty open and has many cabinets.  Mom is very helpful in putting the dishes from the dishwasher way, clean or dirty.  I am still looking for my cutting boards and did you know that milk can be frozen and will taste just as good when it thaws? To her defense it is a side by side and she has the regular freezer on the top kind.  I haven’t told her I often move the milk to the fridge after she puts it away in the freezer, I figured it is an honest mistake.  But I heard Kate the other morning saying, “Silly Grandma, milk goes in the fridge not the freezer!”  Busted!

I put Mom’s breakfast out for her in the morning at the table.  One day it is cereal and the next oatmeal.  She likes to pour a little milk in her oatmeal and drinks about a half glass of juice.  I cook the oatmeal and add some frozen blueberries and cinnamon on top and she and Kate share a banana.  So this day I put the bowl of oatmeal on the placement, with a napkin, half banana, the gallon of milk, a glass of juice and a spoon.  I was helping Kate with her oatmeal when we hear Mom say, “Did I do that?”  I looked, sure enough; she poured her juice in the oatmeal.  Sweet Kate asked to do the same with hers.  Not sure if it just looked good or if she didn’t want Grandma to feel bad.  They both said it was yummy though and Kate has asked for it that way ever since!