Wednesday, August 31, 2005

chocolate to the rescue!

on my second trip to a store for my dad tonight @ 9:30 p.m; I had to purchase Lindts - Lindor Chocolates. I kept myself at eating only 2 on the drive home even though there are 12 in the package.
HOW??? Did I do that? especially after standing & staring at stool softeners for 10 minutes trying to decide which ones he needed.

San Diego Trolley Day!







I promised the kids all summer that we would ride the trolley one day.
So today was THE day!

We had to stop and see my dad at his home first and bring a box of items from his wife. He is not adjusting very well. His anxiety is bad and he looks terrible; extremely hunched over. I have to block out so many feelings to get on with my day and my life. The nurses are taking good care of him.

It is hard to take my kids there, but I hope it is teaching them about life.
I know the other residents REALLY enjoy seeing them. All of the ladies OOh & AHH at them.

So we finally got to ride the trolley.
J & I got "Day Tripper" passes. All day for $5 each. K & D were free (5 & under).

We parked in Santee and rode to Mission Valley. We stopped for "Panda Express" then continued on to Downtown San Diego. Our plan was to switch from the "green line" to the "orange line" and loop back to the car. But D was getting tired and cranky @ 3:15 . So we reversed our route and went back to Mission Valley to "Maggie Moo's" for icecream before continuing on to Santee.

It was fun and interesting to see San Diego from the trolley's view; a tourist's view?
The kids were asking to go again soon.
LM

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Bound to Happen

Every kid has now chopped their bangs with the scissors.

D was cutting a tag off of a beanie baby ( let's not go there.... the sin of cutting a tag off a beanie!)
and, unknown to me, decided to experiment being a hair stylist.

I saw the scissors, and went to claim them and his clump of blonde hair caught my eye on the carpet. Luckily he is in need of a haircut and it should blend in. (Unlike J who, hacked out a big section right in the front - - and we made him live with it and answer all of the questioning adults...)

Well, hopefully, but not expected to be, this will be the only time. HA ha ha ha.
J proceded to experiment on himself a couple more times and on his sister 2 times.

LM

Friday, August 26, 2005

?QOD = question of the day

How come when your child needs you to open a package in the car, 6 stoplights in a row stay green.

But when you are 15 minutes late, you hit every RED light on the way??


LM

Lion in the Heat!


No matter that it is going to be 100 degrees today, just as it was yesterday.

D is already wearing his Simba costume for today. He had it on in the heat of the day yesterday!


It is supposed to be as hot tomorrow too.

We are moving dad into the assisted living center tomorrow morning. I hope we can get it done before noon.

Thursday, August 25, 2005

My dad is out of the nursing home today.

Aug 25th. 35 days ago this seemed like a long way away. It just sat on the calendar, and now it has arrived.
It didn't really hit me until last Thursday when I realized that next thursday would be the day my dad would be able to leave the Rehab center and be moved to the Assisted living center we have chosen.

I decided to bring him home, mainly because there is no way we could have moved him into his new studio apartment, buy and move furniture all on a Thursday or even friday with G & brother BS working.
Dad had a Dr appointment scheduled on Friday so it made sense to bring him home for a night and take him to Dr. Then just move him in on Saturday.

sorry interruption by K to remind me that we have to buy "a big jug of syrup" at Costco today. So I took out a post it to remind us and she said, don't forget to write that we have to pick up grandpa today. I smiled, we won't forget, that is the most important thing to do today.

Wellllll, yesterday the social worker from the VA called and said we didn't have to take dad to the Dr appt. it was made in case he had to stay at the rehab center.
that was a huge relieve, however, I had planned around it and dear SS was actually going to take the kids so I could go.

Called SS and relieved her of babysittng, wished she could do it today so I could pick up dad, but no luck. Neighbor DB not available either. So it looks like I'm taking the troops at noon to pick up dad. That should be a circus.

Thank you SS for telling me that I'm doing a good job taking care of my dad. Thanks for being proud of me for stepping up and dropping everything for him and doing every thing I can think of each day to make sure he is taken care of.

Time to rustle up the troops for our costco trip. I need to make sure they still have beds, mini fridge (for dad's apt) and don't forget the syrup!
LM

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

bumper sticker of the day

I know you've seen them on the back of SUVs, minivans & passenger vans = the family of stickers.
Little stick figures of dad, mom, kids & pets.

I like to count the kids. I DON"T like when people put their kids' names on there. I think it is dangerous.
Anyway, one caught my eye and from far away it looked liked it had the kids' names. So even though I don't agree, I still have too much curiosity to see what people name their kids.

DH was driving so I was able to check it out.

1st child's name: CHAOS 2nd child's name: MAYHEM

Cracked me up! Still does!
Now ..... what would I "name" my three???
LM

Monday, August 22, 2005

Marathon Mom ....

Green for goooooooo
We were on the go all day today. Somedays it is amazing how much you can accomplish with 3 kids in tow.
Other days you are lucky to get out of the house, or to get one errand done.
Today was phenomenal.
Out the door with 9 minutes to get to the Assisted Living Facility that my father will be going into to pcik up admission paperwork. --- Why O why didn't they tell me about this paperwork (that could take the Dr. days to fill out) 2 weeks ago????
We checked out the room my dad will be in. While the kids begged for the jolly ranchers in the candy dish .... "can't we have one morrrrrree???" While they all have blue or red tounges.
Then came the check .... $1575 OUCH!

From there I treated them to Toys R Us. I wanted to wait until we went to see my dad at the nursing home and see their behavior ... but I knew my dad would be in the middle of lunch.
So we left TRU with the birthday gift for Sat ( "Fridge PHonics" - very excellent!) and the next product from LeapFrog -- "Word Whammer" K can use it to learn 3 letter words. Hopefully it will help with kindergarten. Plus the letters from our original fridge phonics will work in it --- so it says on the box.

On to see my dad. D literally swinging from the "trapeeze" handle above the bed -- - WHEEEEE Wheeee!
Pick your battles as they say.
Luckily it was just out of my dad's peripheral vision and I don't know if he saw it or not.
But he had a lot to say today, and I can't tell you what any of it was. Not that I don't want to. Believe me I wish I knew!! The only thing I did get was that someone came to visit.
Luckily when I returned home an old friend had called his wife, discovered his circumstances and came right over to see him today. God is good!

By then it was 230 and D should have passed out in the car, but no luck!
SO on we went to the next store. The Sears essential that used to be a KMart. I don't know what to call it yet. I won't be shopping htere much so I guess it doesn't matter. It's out of the way, but on the way home from church, which is how he saw a toy there a week ago that he just couldn't forget. Since D got a toy he could get one too. At this point, we have so many toys, I only want to buy what they really want to play with. So it was with K - - she didn't find a toy at either store and was about to choose "toy makeup & nail polish" I said no way! We'll spend the money on the real thing. SO off we went to the cosmetics.
Where we chose some nail sequins and flower stickers for her nails.


Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Official Member of the Sandwich Generation

As of June 30th I became a member of the Sandwich Generation.

Caring for my children while now also responsible for caring for a parent.

So much for our summer.

I've had to spend every day since then doing something for my Father as a result of Parkinson's Disease.

He is 59.

My children are 2, 5 & 8.

I will be a Sandwich for a Long Time. Hmmm, I should pick a flavor. I'm thinking Roast Beef, or Pastrami, I enjoy a ruben once in a while. But there's always my other favorite, Turkey, Bacon & Avocado. Yum.

Today was calling his wife (suffering from a cancer tumor behind her eyeball, found in mid-June). She is doing well. Her 6 wk post surgery checkup was good.

Calling the HMO to find dad a primary care physician in San diego. But that resulted in 9 page forms to fill out.

Just add that to the pile of 21 pages that I got yesterday ...... that need to be done asap.

Well for now my blog will be to vent.

I hope to add funny stuff SOON.
LM

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

question of the day

?QOD

Do you eat the skin on a nectarine or peel it?
I peel mine, but wonder if others do the same.

LM

Monday, August 01, 2005

SEA GLASS HEART


sea glass heart