Weekend Info

Mom seemed to enjoy getting out Friday night.  She sat by Lillian, and I think it was good for her.  After the play, I went home with her and spent the night.    It was really weird getting home, and dad wasn't there.   Saturday morning, mom and I went and had breakfast, then visited dad.  We got there about 9:15, and he was just getting up.   The nurse said she had tried to get him going a few times earlier, but he was so tired, so she let him sleep.  They try to get them into a routine, but once in awhile, she said they deserve to sleep in, just like anyone else.   I took some laundry back to the house and waited for Fred and Eric, and mom got dad dressed, took him to the kitchen area to eat a muffing and some milk.   Fred and Eric moved dad's sofa and dresser in, and we all visited with dad a bit.  When we got there, dad had shoes on that didn't belong to him, and the nurse had found dad's shoes in someone else's room.   The shoes dad had on with Scott's, who lives across the hall.  Not sure how they all got mixed up.  My guess, is that there is a lot of wandering around, and the residents just take what looks good to them.   I am sure it won't be the last time this happens.

Since dad hadn't had much breakfast, he was hungry when they started serving lunch at 11:00.  Chad took him down to eat, so the rest of us could move dad's clothes around, and things settled.   It was cute to see Chad holding grandpa's hand as they walked down the hall to lunch.   Mom went down a little bit later, and Fred said dad grabbed her hand when she sat down at the table with him.  Guess before that, dad asked where his Shirley Mae was.  Cute.   Fred and Chad left, and I asked dad if he knew who those 2 guys were.   He thought really hard, and said, "relatives".  Then kinda smiled.  Told him who they were....you could tell the gears were turning.   We walked back down the hall, and mom and Eric were just coming down.   Dad looked at mom and said, "she looks good," or something like that.   Eric said his good-byes, and the 3 of us went to dad's room.  He was happy to see his sofa.  Said, "well, look at that."   He was cold, so I helped him put on his sweater.   As I was reaching around him, I asked him if was going to slug me.  He said, "nope."   I asked him if he had hit anyone else, and he said, "nope, I've been a good boy."  Told him good, that to remember everyone is here to help him.  Then he said, "I've been a good girl, too."   Then he smiled.   Just then, Eric drove up to his window.  Dad's room faces south, and the driveway is right out his window.  We had opened his blinds to get some sunshine, and Eric stopped and waved.  Dad thought this was pretty cool.   He was tired, wanted to sit on his sofa and sleep.  He sat right on the end, in the sun, and we tucked his blanket around him, and took off.  We went back a little later, and was just starting wake up some.   I labeled the drawers on his dresser, and showed him where his clothes were.   Deb and Eric had left a bowl of M&M's, and dad thought that was pretty cool, munched on a few.   Told him we would get his tv hooked up this week.  Mom sat there with him, and the two of them held hands.   I took off, and mom stayed.    Dad had a few visitors - Larry Poulson, his friend from the days of HAFB.  Larry told mom later that dad was mostly asleep, but he stayed about 20 minutes and just talked to him.   Dad didn't remember anything about that visit.   Guess Dean and Virgie stopped by, too.    After they left, mom said she would be leaving, but would return.  Dad slipped into the bathroom and when he came out, mom said he was wet.  Had obviously not made it very quickly.  Mom said she was gentle, and suggested they get him changed, and he yelled at her, slapped his hands together, and then sat down in the recliner with his arms folded.   What we are learning, is that it's best to leave him alone when he gets this way, so mom told him she loved him, and she would be back soon.   She did call about an hour later, and he had calmed down, and was eating dinner around 5:00.  However, guess when the nurse was helping him get cleaned up, he took a swing at her.  She saw it coming, and ducked.   So much for not slugging anyone else, huh?!  At least he hadn't taken a swing at anyone since Wednesday morning!  Guess the evening went well, and he was in bed fairly early.  When mom called this morning shortly before 8, dad was dressed and eating breakfast, and had a good night.

What I noticed about yesterday, is that dad seems to be getting more settled.  When Eric and I were walking with him, he did motion and said, "this place is good."  Eric asked him if he meant his room and the food so close, and dad said yes.  Also, he told mom that "you did the right thing".  When she asked what he meant by that he told her, "putting me here."  It's clear that dad has been thinking, and is aware of, at least some of the time, of what is going on.   That was encouraging.  But, we also know he may forget some of these things, and will likely have more outbursts and get agitated very easily.   I also thought it was good that he knew who mom was, and seemed very happy to see her.