CAREGIVER NOTE:

It’s celebration day, another trip around the sun has been accomplished!

— we were up late last evening. He just wanted to talk. He’s anxious about visitors coming — we’ll have to talk to the visitor about spilling the beans too early and causing some worry because he doesn’t arrive as soon as anticipated. The “where is he?” has been swirling around for hours!

CAREGIVER NOTE:

He wanted to talk about his parents yesterday — there was disappointment when he realized he couldn’t talk face to face with them any longer – despite his memory telling him otherwise. He wanted dates of birth and death and wanted to see it on paper, though the print was too small for him to read even with his reading glasses. I guess magnifying glass is next on our list to purchase for him. I was able to bring up the information on the computer for him and make things large enough for him to read a little bit better and he was very grateful that information was available and so accessible with just a few clicks on the mouse. I’ve been toying with an idea of a family tree for a little while and I guess it’s time to make one that is large, visual and tactile for him. Getting a start on collecting the pictures for him so we can begin the process of making that and hopefully, it will be done before his birthday in a couple of weeks.

Include some fun in today’s “to do” list.

CAREGIVER NOTE:

Yesterday got off to a rocky start…. thankfully, it ended on a good note with all the boys checking in. We did miss one call and hope to hear from that son sometime today. He’s had an interesting night with some pretty coherent conversation going on. He must have been dreaming about a good experience during his military times — one segment dealt with his asking the “boys” about their rations. I wish I would have recorded it now. No yelling, no screaming or asking anyone to leave. It was quite pleasant for a change.

CAREGIVER NOTE:

3 years ago today, Mom passed away. Alzheimer’s no longer had a hold on her. For that I’m grateful. We had many hard times and many difficult days — but there were lots of fun and joy filled times as well. I miss you Mom. I wish we’d had a little more time together, but I do treasure the time we did have and that our relationship as daughter and mother drew us all the closer, especially during our 5 1/2 years of caring for you full time. It was definitely our pleasure to do so. LOVE YOU and miss you dearly. Till we meet again.

CAREGIVER NOTES:
Holidays are difficult. I’ve noticed that if he remembers what day it is, he lingers a little longer studying the picture of his wife in the mornings and is a little more melancholy during the day. He spent a little bit of time outside yesterday afternoon, and was even happier to hear that the row of cabbage survived the last frost! It was about the only thing that did! He’ll be really excited to watch the garden grow from his new perch on the deck this summer.