Still dealing with aging parents…

I can’t wait until I have time to write a totally fun entry!  I have those also – trust me!  Hubby and I recently got away from our aging parents for a whole week with family (where WE were the older generation) at an all-inclusive resort in Cozumel – the same family-friendly resort where we went many years back when our kids were kids.  It was great that our oldest daughter planned this trip and wanted to go back to the place that our family had been to many times now that she has three kids of her own (one memory that must have been good for her!) – I am quite proud of the photo above that I took of my daughter and son-in-law and grandkids!

Hubby’s dad had a health crisis from which he has recovered, but it scared him enough that he is now planning to move from his house in a rural town to an apartment in a retirement community in Dallas near most of our family (Hubby and I live just north of Houston).  This weekend we are going to join my brother-in-law to help with the initial sorting and packing.  That being said, I also plan to spell my sister for one weekend and do whatever I can to help my Mom continue her recovery from her fall/hip-break/surgery/rehab/move-to-assisted-living/continued-recovery.  Sis and I have communicated throughout this newest phase of helping dementia-Mom via many many emails.  I kind of like it, because I can look back and get info that I forgot on the first pass.  (I cut and paste all emails and save them by date!)

So, without any more explaination, here is the email response I wrote to my sister after we had talked on the phone this evening and then she decided to list all the subjects she wanted to report back to me from this week that we had not covered in our phone call.

#1 Jordan told me this morning that Mom was getting a nurse visit today (Thurs Aug 16). I have not followed up to see if that happened.
# 2 Please leave the skids in the room when you come on Saturday, and if you were not able to install them, I will get someone to do it on Sunday before I leave.
#3 Noted.
#4 LOL
#5 I am curious to see Mom in person and make my own evaluation. Apart from Mom’s physical abilities, I am concerned about Mom’s mental abilities. From Mom’s mental abilities that I am aware of, I am not yet ready for her to venture out “on her own.”
#6 Sit and Live. I definitely think Mom should go to these exercise classes. Free PT! Also the Tues/Thurs “fun” stuff.
#7 I have added it to my list to talk with Mom about.

This is my life at this point.  Also playing with the grandkids, which I will get to do Saturday afternoon and evening!  I have started reading the chapter books of the original Winnie-the-Pooh stories, and it is working.  I hooked the 5-year-old on the first visit (since the book is called “and now we are six”) so she was ripe for the stories, but now the 3 year old has become excited (after 8 chapters) and I have been told he is excited to hear me read Pooh on my visit this weekend!  After I exhaust this series, I have Hank the Cowdog waiting in the wings.