I Wonder What Else She Said...

Kate attends Our Place of New Trier Township every day.  Some days it is all day, some days only half.  She loves it there - and they love her.

Patty is now working there part time as a Program Assistant.  It has been interesting to hear her tell stories about Kate now that she has first hand knowledge of what is taking place there.

I posted in a previous blog how Kate enjoys calling us - and herself - names of characters from her favorite television shows.  Patty was in the van while they were going to the bowling alley for recreation.  One of the staff members was trying to get Kate's attention and said, "Katlin Cynthia".  Patty said - who are you talking to?  His response - your sister.  

Well, Kate's middle name is Marie so it confused Patty a little.  Come to find out - since staff knew her name was Katlin due to all the forms you fill out to attend, she changed her middle name to Cynthia (Angelica's doll on Rug Rats) and has told them that is her name. Clever girl huh?  Maybe not the angel I think she is?

We signed up to go to a concert with Our Place soon.  I was emailing the director back and forth and he said in one of the emails - you are welcome to come but no singing... I wonder if Kate told him how bad my voice was?  We joke that people don't even sit in front of us at church due to my voice.... hmmm.. wonder what else she has told them?

Life's Not Hard

So I'm normally not someone who has pity parties.  I'm usually the glass is half full type of person. The type that figures the person honking behind me when the light had turned green a millisecond ago is not a naturally born jerk, I say to myself they just got a call that someone they love is in the hospital and they have to get there - NOW!

So today I guess I was due.  After all, I do live with three adult women (Kate and the "other two" as she sometimes calls them are home from college - used to living on their own and now back in Mom and Dad's home-ouch), a husband and three dogs, two who have to be kept separated and I work full time.  Like I said, normally this is not an issue and I feel blessed to have a full life.

I get up every morning and make breakfast for 5 adults and three dogs.  I grab that first cup of coffee with my right hand my frying pan with the left and I prepare, cook, package and clean up - 5-6 days a week.  So on Sundays, lately - my husband I have been going to church (alone-almost a date) and out for breakfast after church (alone and a date!). This Sunday we didn't make it  to church - but I thought we would still go out for breakfast. How nice to be close enough to the restaurant- we could have even ridden our bikes up there. But no, he says how about scrambled eggs today instead of the breakfast sandwich.

I get out the frying pan and I made his scrambled and mine over easy.  Kate had already been up and eaten and gone back up to her room.  The "other two" were still sleeping. Art could tell I was upset and when he asked about what and I told him. He felt bad for not offering to take me out to breakfast, which made me feel bad for making him feel bad and then the tears started.

So I took the dog for a long bike ride trying to work it out.  No luck.  When I came back to the house Kate was at the computer and I guess she saw me upset.  I went out into the backyard to water the new plants in the yard, headset on to try again.  No luck, but at least the tears were done, just my heart hurt now.  I was coming back into the house when Kate met me at the door.  

Apparently she had asked Art why Mom was sad.  He said, "Sometimes life is just hard honey."  When she met me at the door, she put both her hands on my shoulders and said firmly, "Life's not hard Mom!" and then hugged me and tickled me under the chin and went back to her room to watch a new DVD she got from the library yesterday.

Your right Kate, it is all perspective and sometimes I lose mine.  Thanks for sharing your joy and reminding me, life's not hard - it was just a moment for me that was hard.  I'm good again, thanks!

Sparkling Clean

We recently remodeled Kate's bathroom... really the bathroom is used by all of us but it is closest to her room so who can argue that logic?

When Kate takes her glasses off she is pretty much blind.  She actually sleeps in her glasses so she can see the TV or at 2 am when she announces she is going to the bathroom she doesn't fall or trip over the items on the floor in her room.

For at least the last 10 years that I can think of (since we moved into this house and the bathroom off the family room has two shower heads) she and I have showered together.  That way she was safe in the tub - no falls - and she was rinsed well.  The new bathroom gave me the freedom to shower alone!  Happy Dance.

The new shower is ADA accessible with hand grips, a low lip to get in and out and a shower head that can be raised or lowered on a bar. So the new routine is when I am almost done in the shower, I tell Bear (the German Shepherd who feels the need to guard me while I'm in the shower from Norman Bates I assume) to get Kate.  He opens her door and kisses her awake - she comes in and I get out. The shower head can be put on pause and that way the water is always the right temp when she gets in and she is "independent" in the shower now.

I come back in when I'm dressed to give her the final once over to be sure all the bubbles are down the drain, dry her off and help her dress.  This morning when I was toweling her off in the shower, she says to me, "Am I shiny?" with her arms spread wide and a huge smile on her face.  My question - why would you be shiny was answered quickly when she told me she used shampoo on her body to make it all shiny!

You Just Never Know What To Expect!

Kate called me at work today and this was the conversation:

Hi Mom, the policeman needs our home phone number.

Why Kate?

He does – tell me.

Kate, are you with the policeman now?

Yes Mom – I’m not in trouble.

Kate, can I please talk to the policeman?

Sure Mom...

Hello Ma’am, I’m Officer ____ of the Wilmette police department.  Your daughter is fine.  The bus that she was riding was in a minor accident and we are just taking the names and information of the riders as a formality. 

So Kate is fine?

Yes Ma’am she is.

She has a State ID in her purse that has her information on it.  Did she give that to you?

No Ma’am, she didn’t offer that to me.  But she did ask me for my business card so she could call me later.

Why am I not surprised!