Where Are You Going?
Fun doesn't begin to describe how things are these days. I don't have a full time job anymore. I worked for a small college, an hour or so away from home until October 19th. The new schedule I was told was required was from 8:30 a.m. until 10:15 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, starting October 22nd. There were a lot of reasons to leave, and very few to stay. Parental care, obviously needed! My gig at HCC, obviously important, especially with a contract! Other reasons, like the fact that I love my husband and want to get to talk to him during the week (face time, people!), I don't see well at night, it takes an hour or so to drive to and from work, these also factored into the decision.
I really miss the students, and some of my co-workers. However, I have three quarters of a tank of gas today, after filling up on Monday.
So this was my first week of so-called "free time". Once I figured the 45 minutes in the morning, and 45 minutes at night to get the old people all set every day, "free time" because less. I now have to wash their clothes, fix their meals, do their shopping. Less "free time". Add in getting Mom to the Baldwin Center, picking her up 1 day a week, getting her ready for the bus and meeting the bus 2 days a week, well, you've figured that out, I'm sure. Once people realize you are "not working", they call you to do things for you. Most of the time, it's a good trade. 45 minutes on the phone for my eldest, in exchange for 45 minutes of putting the 'rents to bed so we could go out - WORTH IT!
Mom is a real trooper. The first day the bus came to take her to CARES, the driver came at 8:55 a.m. Then on Friday, he was there at 8:25 a.m.! Mom swallowed her pills right quick, gulped down some water, grabbed her jacket and was on the bus by 8:30! She gets off the bus like she's been going there for 20 years. Dementia is crazy. She's just started to remember what she does at the program. Obviously she's having a great time, though. She's tired, but not too much, and the activities keep her brain working. I think the program is better than Family Feud and the Price is Right, but that's just me.
Dad, on the other hand, well, his rehab is progressing quite slowly. He looks scarily like his mother when walking bent over the walker. I thought it was just me that was thinking that, but my son brought it up too! He is walking more, even going outside. We walked him a bit, me and Mom. Instead of pretending to hit him with the cane this week, I walk behind him and fake kick him. It gives me just the slightest pleasure, I have to say. I remember him yelling at me, when I cut the grass. "Hurry up! I need you to help me with these GD hedges when you're done with that!" Yeah, that made me move faster.
In the beginning of the week, he was leaving his breakfast dishes on the table. "Your mother said she would take them, and she forgot." "Dad, you are supposed to be doing these things for yourself. I heard the OT (occupational therapist) tell you not to let us do these things for you anymore." "Well, I forgot." Yeah.
Then one morning, Mom brought him a cup of water to take his pills with at breakfast. She moved away from him and he picked up the water and spilled it all in his lap, over the table, the floor. "IRENE, you spilled my water!!" Um, no, no she didn't. "Dad, Mom was on the other side of the table, just admit you spilled it." We cleaned it up, me and Mom. Dad sulked because I cleaned up the water before I got him changed (another thing he should be doing himself!). Yeah.
I think we've started to break him of blaming everything on Mom. Since the pill fiasco, and the mess in the room, he has been reluctant to argue with me. However, he did admit he is not afraid of me, and I told him he really should be afraid of me, especially when he doesn't do what he's told!
The only other real "break him of" issue is when he asks me where I'm going, when I'm coming back. It makes me feel like I'm 15 again! Yeah.
I really miss the students, and some of my co-workers. However, I have three quarters of a tank of gas today, after filling up on Monday.
So this was my first week of so-called "free time". Once I figured the 45 minutes in the morning, and 45 minutes at night to get the old people all set every day, "free time" because less. I now have to wash their clothes, fix their meals, do their shopping. Less "free time". Add in getting Mom to the Baldwin Center, picking her up 1 day a week, getting her ready for the bus and meeting the bus 2 days a week, well, you've figured that out, I'm sure. Once people realize you are "not working", they call you to do things for you. Most of the time, it's a good trade. 45 minutes on the phone for my eldest, in exchange for 45 minutes of putting the 'rents to bed so we could go out - WORTH IT!
Mom is a real trooper. The first day the bus came to take her to CARES, the driver came at 8:55 a.m. Then on Friday, he was there at 8:25 a.m.! Mom swallowed her pills right quick, gulped down some water, grabbed her jacket and was on the bus by 8:30! She gets off the bus like she's been going there for 20 years. Dementia is crazy. She's just started to remember what she does at the program. Obviously she's having a great time, though. She's tired, but not too much, and the activities keep her brain working. I think the program is better than Family Feud and the Price is Right, but that's just me.
Dad, on the other hand, well, his rehab is progressing quite slowly. He looks scarily like his mother when walking bent over the walker. I thought it was just me that was thinking that, but my son brought it up too! He is walking more, even going outside. We walked him a bit, me and Mom. Instead of pretending to hit him with the cane this week, I walk behind him and fake kick him. It gives me just the slightest pleasure, I have to say. I remember him yelling at me, when I cut the grass. "Hurry up! I need you to help me with these GD hedges when you're done with that!" Yeah, that made me move faster.
In the beginning of the week, he was leaving his breakfast dishes on the table. "Your mother said she would take them, and she forgot." "Dad, you are supposed to be doing these things for yourself. I heard the OT (occupational therapist) tell you not to let us do these things for you anymore." "Well, I forgot." Yeah.
Then one morning, Mom brought him a cup of water to take his pills with at breakfast. She moved away from him and he picked up the water and spilled it all in his lap, over the table, the floor. "IRENE, you spilled my water!!" Um, no, no she didn't. "Dad, Mom was on the other side of the table, just admit you spilled it." We cleaned it up, me and Mom. Dad sulked because I cleaned up the water before I got him changed (another thing he should be doing himself!). Yeah.
I think we've started to break him of blaming everything on Mom. Since the pill fiasco, and the mess in the room, he has been reluctant to argue with me. However, he did admit he is not afraid of me, and I told him he really should be afraid of me, especially when he doesn't do what he's told!
The only other real "break him of" issue is when he asks me where I'm going, when I'm coming back. It makes me feel like I'm 15 again! Yeah.
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