Sunday afternoon :)

Yesterday our plans to take my mom to lunch were changed bc Jaz didn't feel well - she had a tummy ache so she stayed home with daddy as I headed out (disappointed)  by myself.  This time I found mom sitting in a chair in her room with the alarm device clamped to her sleeve.  :(  This thing is like the emergency clip on the treadmill that stops the treadmill when its pulled out.  This thing sounds an ear piercing alarm to let nurses know that a patient who wanders is up and about without supervision.  It made me sad to think how many times she has to have this thing hooked to her.  Its only the second time I've seen it on her though so I guess that's encouraging.  The nurse even told me that they were a little chaotic there today bc two of them (the nurses) were not usually "on this floor" so they "really had to concentrate".  This wasn't the most comforting thing to hear but it made me feel even better about taking her out.   Oh, and the first time I say Mami with the alarm clasped to her was the first morning I went to see her (after her first night there) and she was still in bed at 10:15!  I hadn't started my blog yet but that was one of the reasons I wanted to.  I was heartbroken to see her lying there talking to herself.  I leaned over to hug and kiss her right away and I set the alarm of myself!  It was so loud!  Strangely though, her reaction was just a bit of confusion (if any).  I'm not really sure what she thought.  I know its a necessary device - its just another reality check for me.
I walked Mami to the car and it took me almost 10 minutes to get her in.  She just doesn't understand that she needs to get into the car when you stand her next to it.  I should have known better than to try the left side though - she's always better on the right - it didn't take her as long once I did that.  When she bends that inside knee even a little I'm all over it.  I bend down and help her place her foot on the step up and then I stand behind her and let her lean on my bent leg as I sort of slide her in.  She's heavier than she looks.  :) After that I called Reggie and learned that Jaz was feeling better so I decided to pick up food and bring my mom home to eat with us!  I just feel like we live so much closer to her now.  When she walked up the stairs (J&R were watching the Chipmunks in the living room) Jaz was SO HAPPY!  She smiled so big and said "Yea!  Grandma is coming to live with us now!!"  She was so happy...."Are we going to go and get her stuff?"  I explained that she was just visiting and Jaz said: "but we can take care of her Mami!"  She was so precious.  I sat my mom down and we all sort of scrambled to get our Popeye's meal (I needed a quick drive-thru stop) all together.  Jazzy went upstairs but I didn't notice for a few minutes that she wasn't coming back down.  I went up to get her and she was sitting on her bed w/a sad face.  She said: "I'm sad bc I want Grandma to come live with us."  Wow!  I never even knew she thought about this.  I said "Sweetheart, you never know what's going to happen.  But remember we moved Grandma to Woodbine bc they have so many nurses and she needs them in case she falls again like she did when we were in the garden that time?"  "Oh, yeah, I remember Mami.  But maybe she can still live with us later?"  "Maybe Sweetheart.  You never know what God has planned." 


Today Jaz and I dropped by after school and she was in the other dining room (the one you pass before getting to her hall).  I didn't see her as I passed and I checked her room and her dining room before the same little lady in the wheel chair (the one who told me my mom was dancing last week) saw the look on my face and said "she's in the other dining room - they're having an activity."  She was so cute!  Wow, I would have never thought this lady (I'll learn her name soon) would be the most observant on the block.  Amazing...
I found my cute little Mami sitting in a chair (in a red turtleneck - not a sweater, just a cotton shirt but still...it was 85 degrees today!) ANYWAY, she was just sort of sitting there.  As soon as she saw me she smiled so wide - it made my day!  I hugged and kissed her and asked Jazzy to do the same.  She reached up and touched her arm and said Hi Grandma!  :)   We stayed for about 45 minutes as they played Match Game on tv.  Remember that?  It was hosted by Gene Rayburn - Richard Dawson and Charles Nelson Riley were always celebrity guests.  It was pretty fun!  Even Jazzy liked it.  My mom smiled though I'm not sure she knew what we were doing shouting out answers.  I was happy to see her smiling and it felt good to be "involved" in something there.