The Holidays

12/30/2013 20:50

Dearest Family and Friends,

 

Hope the holidays are treating you well.  We didn't take mom out for Thanksgiving, but we did visit her and take her some pie.  She does love her sweets.  No matter what you take her, she eats it with gusto.  I think her favorites are Carmel Frappe from McDonald's, Strawberries and Cream from Starbucks, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, blueberries and any type melon, and of course ice cream.  Who doesn't like that.  

 

Mom kind of gets a little sad around the holidays.  I have asked the staff there at the facility about it and they notice it happens with some of the other residents as well.  They try to make it as festive as they can at the facility.   They decorate and sing songs, and play Christmas music and watch Christmas movies.  Our visits during the month of December center around talking about cooking, baking, shopping and looking at the Christmas issues of magazines.   She talks about "going up the street to the store."  Most of our conversations are one sided conversations,  but she doesn't seem to mind.  She goes right along with the story.  We did take her to my in-laws for Christmas dinner.  Getting her from the facility into the car can be  tedious.  You have to convice her to come along.  I always ask if she would like to go to a party and she always says that would be nice, but getting her through the gate, takes some coaxing;  but once she is in the car, she seems to be excited.  It literally takes 2 people to manage the care of her during these outings. Getting her transfered from the car, to wheelchair, to the couch.  Trish and I  broke out in a sweat getting her clean undies and jammeis on. at the end of the evening.  Then she was being a little pistol and holding on to the sleeves as I am trying to get her shirt off, giggling like hell!  It was a labor of love!

Unfortunately, we were so busy with her, that we didn't take any pictures.    However, I took some of her at Maryland Gardens opening some presents that family sent her.