Stormy Weather.

These were taken Saturday afternoon during a break in the rain along 169 Hwy.

Turkey

You know you live in the country when this is your
view from your kitchen window....Wild turkey anyone?

Having issues with the Blog

Sorry for the overdose of my blogs. Multiply seems to have republished more than half of the things already there. I havent figured this out yet so bare with me.

A day in the life of Alzheimer's

So I was awoken this morning to the sound of fingers drumming on my kitchen table. It was G'pa. He was very agitated because his breakfast wasn't waiting for him and he had to catch the train.  It took about 3 minutes to get him to understand he did not have to catch the train as it was Saturday. I was not about to try to convince him he wasn't working anymore.  So he went back to bed grumbling about being crazy. I am not sure if he was referring to himself or me.  About 7am ( a much more reasonable time) I was awoken by him screaming "Lorine". This is my grandmother's name, although he frequently calls me this. I don't understand that because I look nothing like my grandmother ever did. But I go along with it for my sanity's sake. So I stumble into the living room and ask him why he is yelling. He is upset because he can't find his equipment to catch the rabbits he needs. (He used to catch rabbits and tag them as part of a research project in CA).  I again choose the route of the obscure to convince him he didn't need to do this today. I pointed out it was storming and they predicted thunder and lightening and it wouldn't do him any good to be out in the rain as the rabbits wouldn't be out anyway. He accepted that but continued to tell me about the research project and such.  Then all of a sudden he declares he is crazy.  I am taken back by this and ask him why. He ignores me and goes off on another tangent about rabbits. Trying to change the subject I bring up his birthday which is this month. I ask him how old he will be....he tells me he doesn't know, and looks very puzzled.  Then he declares, " I guess I am too old to worry about it." and laughs.

Unfortunately, these mornings are coming more frequently. He is slipping into the Alzheimer's abyss. His wife, my grandmother, Lorine is well in to late stage Alzheimer's. There are times I think it is a blessing that he is now slipping too. It has been so hard on him to see her and not have any recognition from her.  Now he is more accepting of her presence without her acknowledging him. The hard part for me is seeing how he treated her first hand. He frequently thinks I am her and is not very kind. I am amazed at the strength my grandmother must have had, not to smack him with a skillet sometimes. 

Update on Fundraising for PanCan

We have raised $535 of our $2500 goal so far.  

This week Smithville Junior High raised money thru a "Make a donation, Wear your jeans" day. They raised $160. WAY TO GO WARRIORS! 

I continue with my training. I am up to 4.5 miles. I am really psyched about this. If I make it thru this 10K, I may just try for a 1/2 marathon next year.  

I want to make sure everybody knows how thankful I am for their support, prayers and good wishes. 

If you want to see our progress you can use the link below to go to our donation page.

http://www.firstgiving.com/daddygirls

Easter with the Family

We had a great time with everyone at our house for Easter.  James and Tina called and we were able to video conference with Seth, Staci and Rhianna. Dad got to enjoy some deviled eggs, made especially by Sean. Chad made scalloped potatoes and we had a spiral cut ham with an awesome glaze.  The kids ran around and caused the usual chaos.  It was great fun!

Bunnies...

Easter Bunnies everywhere!

Coloring of the Eggs.

We had all the kids over Thursday to dye easter eggs. It was a blast!

Toupee?

The poor guy in the background looks like he is wearing a toupee. He was quite funny to see up close. The white patch was parted down the middle and looked neatly combed.

Sunset

The sunset tonight was beautiful and progressed

into an equally beautiful full moon.

A reason to Drink Chocolate Milk

One of the newest recovery foods discovered is chocolate milk (although any grade school child can attest to its wonders).

Chocolate milk provides the athlete with a winning combination of nutrients: protein for muscles, carbohydrates and B vitamins for energy, calcium and vitamin D for bones, potassium for fluid balance, and water for rehydration.  The best way to refuel after your next run, workout or competition is to drink 16 ounces of chocolate milk within 30 minutes of finishing. For more information on how to make chocolate milk a part of your training schedule, or on the sports nutrition benefits of dairy, please visit www.midwestdairy.com.

OK, this you gotta love! I valid reason to drink choclate milk. MmmmmmmmmM!

Seth's email

seth.mayo@usmc.mil

For those who would like to have it here is Seth's work email. He asked that it be posted. He still has his personal gmail account too. We figured out how to make the web call work on MSn tonight and Rosie and Rhianna got to chat. It was grreat fun. Next we are going to try for a virtual play date.

Anybody found Zen?

Today is one of those days that I am having to make a concentrated effort to be motivated. I am just off today. Even at the gym I had to really push to get thru my sets. Maybe I did too much yesterday or maybe the stress of life is taking it's toll. Either way, I think I will try to lay low today and hope for ZEN.

OHMMMMM......OHMMMMMM.........OHMMMMMMM

I ran...

So today I made it to a personal milestone...I ran. I actually ran. I did 5 intervals on the treadmill....4 minutes walking then 1 mintue running. I know 1 minute doesn't seem like much but I haven't been able to even run a full minute until now. So I am psyched!!

 My goal is to up the running while decreasing the walking until I can run a full thirty minutes.

Seeds of Life gift...

We recieved this wonderful gift from our dear friends, Jim and Rachel. It is an acorn ready to sprout into an oak tree that you can then plant. We recieved this just after Aunt Sarah passed. Our plan it to plant it in her memory as soon as it is ready. I truely appreciate the thoughtfulness behind this gift. What a wonderful way to express your sympathy to a family who has lost some one dear. Thank you Rachel and Jim.

GNO - April

Girl's Night Out   April 2009

Mom, Liz, Kris, Meg, Lisa, Sam

Our first girl's night out was a smashing success! I had a blast. We went to Cascone's Italian Resturant. I had the best fettucine alfredo with shrimp.We had this wager going. We all kept track of how many minutes we worked out. The person with the most minutes got their dinner bought for them. This was a huge motivator for me. I came out with 701 minutes, which means I got bragging rights for this month. WHA-HOO!! We decided to do this again and make it a monthly thing...until we get tired of it or our husbands revolt...whichever comes first. 

I had planned the night off for myself. So after dinner I went to my hotel, checked in, watched a movie and went to bed. I slept sooooo good. I woke up this morning with a whole new attitude and feeling refreshed. I even made it to the gym and worked out for 2 hours. As a bonus, I got on the scale and discovered (even with pigging out yesterday) that I had dropped 3 pounds. I will definitely have to do this again.

Weight Watchers

I joined Weight Watchers. I attend my first meeting last night.  It was really interesting. I like the fact that I can eat what ever foods I want as long as I am paying attention to portion size and such. I started plugging in my meals for the past few days into the points tracker. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I wasnt horribly off. I was over my points but only by 5 or less. That made me feel like I was in a good starting place. I just need to be more thoughtfull when planning meals. 

I have gotten back on the gym horse too. My goal is to go 5 days a week or more. Right now I am sticking to the elliptical thingy. It doesn't hurt my knees. Next week I am going to try the treadmill and see if I can do some interval walking/running.  I would like to get to a point I can actually run. 

With luck the combination will be enough to get me in shape and healthy. 

ARGHH!

Last night was a rough one. The kids refused to go to bed and then proceeded to antagonize each other for another hour or so. I finally got to bed about 11:30 and was woken every hour on the hour to the sounds of "I need water. LORINE, WHERE ARE YOU, WHY AREN'T YOU HELPING ME!" (My g'pa has taken to calling me Lorine) I love my children and my grandfather however, I am getting to a place where I don't like them very much.  My attitude sucks right now.

I can not tell you how much I am looking forward to Friday. My sisters, mom and I have been doing a challenge. We have been keeping track of the minutes we workout this month.  Now you will notice I said minutes worked out, not pounds lost.  This was supposed to be motivation to get us all moving more. The person with the most minutes gets their dinner bought at our GNO this friday. We decided to go to Cascone's , an italian resturant. YUMMY! I also decided I needed a break, a night off from being Mom/Nurse/Wife/add job description here. So I have gotten myself a hotel room for Friday night. I am going to enjoy the peace and quiet for one whole night! I can take a bath with out a child demanding to come in, or watch a movie uninterupted, or just sleep with out a knee in my back and being woken up constantly. It is only one night but I am going to make the most out of it. I am hoping to come back a little more refreshed and with a better attitude (did I mention mine sucks right now). 

If it works I may have to make it a monthly thing.

Just for Hannah....

This is our world!

And spring returns.....

And spring has sprung. 

I took these around our neighborhood after the snow melted. It is really starting to look like spring....now if we could just get the temperatures to warm up.

Do something

I have been trying to figure out something I could "do" regarding Dad's cancer diagnosis. I have also been trying to figure out how to "do" something to motivate myself to get healthy and reduce my own risk factors. Last week, I got an email from PanCan.org. It was about the Hospital Hill run. The run is a way to raise money for your cause. I have decided to do the 10K run to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and to raise awareness of the disease and the need for money to do research  and to treat those who already have it.  This 10K also gives me a goal and a reason to get up and go to the gym every morning. The occassional "you go girl", emails,  prayers, and good thoughts would really be appreciated to keep me motivated.

 If you are interested in how the fundraising is coming along or want to make your own donation, check out.....http://www.firstgiving.com/daddygirls

If you want to know more about the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network go to www.pancan.org

What happened to Spring?

When Nic and I left for the gym this morning it was raining. By the time we were done and heading home we were greeted with snow. Big, heavy, wet snow flakes. 

What happened to SPRING?

Crash, Bang, BOOM

Crash, bang, rattle, boom , crash, rattle, rattle....these were the sounds that were coming form my dining room. The first thought I had, as I ran from the other side of the house, was that someone had fallen and taken the dining room table with them. Instead I was greeted by the sight of our dog, Sumner, having lost his mind and trying to climb thru the picture window. 

This little creature was the cause of all the commotion as he scampered around the tree in the front yard.

Nic and Katie all dressed up.

Nic and Katie were all dressed up for a dance last weekend but stopped long enough to apprease the pavarotzi.

Super Mom

Quiz results

I took the "Which type of woman are you?" quiz on Facebook today.

The  result is: Lovely Lady

You are lovely and caring. You help others and spread out a lot of sympathy. Your life aim maybe is to serve the people. But your weakness is that you forget about yourself, your own needs. All your time is hold back for your friends and family. You are always there for people in trouble. Ready for any emergency. You make a lot of sacrifices just to be a good human. But every woman has her needs, her longings and a destiny. Don't loose yourself in work or curing other people's souls. You will have your own problems in your life. Another problem is that you don't say your opinion when it's right and important to say it. People trample onto your soul if you are always so kind and lovely and helpful. They will play on you. Though you should try to relax more and enjoy your life, you should not loose the gift that was given to you to help others . Not everyone is created this way... You are uniqe and rare!

It is a little scarey how acurate it is.

In loving memory...

Sarah Louise Peyton passed away this morning after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer.  The quote below says everything about Aunt Sarah. 

"Love does not measure; it just gives." -Mother Teresa

She is loved and will be missed. 

The Wall

Here is a recap of the last two weeks or so....

G'pa went to the hospital for shortness of breath. he was hospitalized for a week. He was released to rehab for physical therapy. He was there for 1 1/2 days and was sent back to the hospital with a fever of 102. He had an infection called C-diff. It is nasty stuff but very treatable. So back to rehab he went after a couple of days.  About every two days I get the angry phone call asking me why I havent come to get him yet. Yesterday I went to pick up his laundry and visit for a bit and spent most of the time argueing with him about why he wasn't coming home with me right then. I explained that he needed to get stronger and be able to use his walker, which at the moment he is not. He is also starting to have more and more episodes of confusion and dementia. 

Intertwined with this, my dad went in for a "routine" endoscopy. He ended up vomiting while he was still under and spent a week in the hospital for suspected aspiration pneumonia. He got home, had his chemo. He has also had a headache for two months so they did and MRI this week. We don't know the results yet. He has a CT and PET scan scheduled for next week to check on the tumor status. Then last night he was admitted to ICU for monitoring due to a fever and another  infection (possibly related to the aspiration pneumonia). 

My husband has been fighting open wounds on his legs and finally went to the wound clinic. They cleaned, medicated and wrapped him up. After three visits they are finally healing. This is after 5 months of constant problems and 2 ER visits. He still has to have them wrapped daily but at least they are healing. They did more blood work today so we will see what it has to say next week.

My "mother-in-law" (this is the aunt who raised Sean after his mother passed) She has been fighting pancreatic cancer. She was a nurse and so, opted for chemo and a trial therapy. The thought the tumor had shrunk with the chemo and she was stable enough for surgery but when they got in there, they discovered the cancer had metastisised to her liver and they werent able to do anything. She was sent home with hospice last Friday. We spent most of the weekend down at her house. Their were relatives there that Sean hadn't seen in years and I had never met. It was a little intimidating.  I took the camera and insisted on taking everyone's pictures. I want to be able to show them to Rosie and Ian so they know their family. Two nights ago we got a call that they had started 6 hour watches on Sarah because her breathing was becoming more labored. All I can do in pray she has peace and knows how loved she is.

My g'ma has finally recovered from the UTI she had and is getting more fiesty.Then Tuesday, I got a call from her MD office telling me they want a bone scan done. Apparently there was some value on her last blood work that indicated concern. She is in late stage Alzheimer's, I don't know how they think she is going to cooperate with a scan. I don't think she should be sedated because of the risks and if they do find something, what then? She isn't a candidate for surgery. We are still working on whether or not to go forward with it.

Ian tells me last night that we need to plan some "alone time". This is right after a screaming fit because he wasn't getting his way about something.  I know this is his way of getting my attention because I haven't been giving him enough. I am trying to figure out how to give him more. I know he is feeling left out. Without Tim around he doesn't get much one on one attention. (Tim is still in Washington). 

Rosie is being more crabby too. And I am sure it is due to lack of attention on my part. She also misses Nic. He is home most weekends but then we have been gone alot. 

As for me, I have been on the back burner. I have been so busy taking care of everyone else that I don't have any energy left over for me. I can't leave the house unless someone can watch g'ma or I take her with me.  It is taking it's toll.  I also miss having my boys around. I hit my wall yesterday. 

This morning, I feel like I spent the night crashing into it....... repeatedly. 

Update

I think I have now met all the ER docs at Spelman and am working on all the on-call cardiologists and MD's at St. Luke's -Barry Rd.

First it was Sean, he has venous stasis ulcers that got infected on both legs. Took going twice and seeing two different docs. He is still dealing with them not healing.

Then it was Rosie, she developed a diaper rash that then got infected and abscessed in two areas. They sent us down to Children's Mercy Hosp. There they were able to drain the abscesses and get her on an antibiotic. It is looking really good today.

Next it was G'pa. He woke me up last Thursday nite because he couldn't breath. You have to understand that he NEVER voluntarily goes to the ER. So when I asked him if he wanted to go and he immediately said yes and got dressed, I knew something was not right. He ended up transferred and admitted to St. Luke's for CHF and Pneumonia.  They got his cardiac stuff stabilized then started working on the pneumonia. Monday, there was concern that his creatinine was to high so they gave him fluids to try to flush the kidneys. Yesterday it had gone up another 0.1 points. Still working in this one, basically his kidneys aren't very happy right now. In addition, he had a "episode" of extreme confusion , combativeness and was very argumentative. This is not his norm with nurses and MD's....with me he can get that way some times....but them, no. So I went down there and sat with with him so they could get the labs and EKG they needed. They did a head CT but didn't find a cause for the "episode". We are now in wait and see mode.

In the meantime, Ian got the evil ick that everyone else had and has been a miserable child to deal with. He is better and went back to school this week. Although, he still has a nagging cough.

G'ma has also caught the ick and has a UTI. Took her to the MD and they put her on an antibiotic that will cover the kidneys and lungs.  Again this is a wait and see situation. I am hopeful the meds will kick in and she will be back to telling the kids to "hush" soon.

Tim left for Seattle yesterday. 

Nic seems to have gotten over the evil ick with minimal lasting effects. He starts track next week. So be on the look out for divots in the back yard as he perfects his shot put techniques.

As for me.....I got the evil ick too, but mine went straight to my sinuses. I am now fighting a sinus infection.  My biggest issue right now is finding the time and energy to keep the house clean, do laundry, feed people and run errands. 

It seems to be a losing battle, but I press on.

I want a do-over.....please!

I want a do-over for the past week. 

First I want the evil ick that has invaded our house to go away and NEVER come back.

Sean got sick, Nic and Tim were sick, Rosie was sick with it and now Ian has it. And I was sick with, even though Mommies aren't allowed to be sick.

Second , I want to have taken Rosie to the ER sooner than I did.

Rosie broke out with a rash. I thought it was due to the evil ick or her pull-ups so, I switched her to cloth panties. The rash got worse. I thought maybe chicken pox, as it was itching her. Then the rash developed white pus on the tops. Next, she had what resembled a boil on her flank. I  treated it like a boil and put warm compresses on it til it burst. Then cleaned it. The rash continued to itch so still thinking it might be chicken pox, I put Rosie in a baking soda bath. It helped for a bit. But I noticed she had a boil (#2) on her thigh. It hurt her alot. Now, I am really not sure what I am dealing with. She has had a cold symptoms all week and this rash and now another huge boil (#3) in her groin. I am completely freaked out so I took her to the local ER. The MD, very nice, calm guy, looked at her and said I think this is Staph and you will need to take her to Children's Mercy so they can sedate her and open them up. (This is where I recieved my first nomination for the worst mom of the year award.) He set everything up and we headed off (there is more to the heading off part but I will get into that in a minute). Once at Children's we were seen by Dr. Giovanni, who had been warned we were coming. She looked at Rosie and agreed that it was probably Staph or MRSA and would require opening the abcesses to drain them. That done (I will spare you the details), we headed home.

Third, I wish I had been able to come up with a better solution than having Nic watch g'ma.

Not being able to get ahold of anyone else, I called my ever faithful son Nic and asked him to come babysit so I could take Rosie to the hospital. He agreed. I felt horrible having to ask him but knew he could handle it (all except getting g'ma to bed) and would know what to do in an emergency.  After I picked him up (this is the more than just packing up and going part) and picked up Sean from work, I got ahold of Mom. She agreed to come over and help Nic get g'ma to bed. I expected she would go home afterwords. Instead she stayed. She said she wasnt comfortable leaving Nic there by himself. I agree with here it wasnt the ideal situation but I couldn't come up with a better one. (This is where I recieved by 2nd nomination for worst mother or the year.)

Fourth,  it would have been great if I had remembered that on Fridays Sean goes in at 9a.

(And in a special catagory, the nomination for worst wife of the year). I went to the store this morning thinking I could get things done and get back by 10 a so Sean could get to work by 11a. He didn't say anything, so off I went at 8:15. Needless to say I figured this out at 9:45, on my way home.......................... He was late.

So if some one has a "Wayback Machine" I can borrow I would really like a do-over.

Mommies aren't allowed to be sick....

Mommies do not get sick. It's a rule. But, don't look for it in your handy-dandy "What to Expect When You're the Mom" book. They don't tell you the ugly truth - moms are not allowed to be sick, even if we do have a doctor's note.

Oh, we're allowed to catch germs, of course. Bacteria and viruses are allowed to invade our bodies. But we're not allowed to indulge them by doing something frivolous like staying in bed and drinking plenty of fluids.

So naturally, we  try to avoid getting sick. This isn't easy. We live with children, who everyone knows are walking, talking, coughing Petri dishes who bring home every germ imaginable. It does not matter how many times we wash our hands. It doesn't matter how many counters and sinks we wipe down with anti-bacterial wipes. Frankly, we could shower with Purel and we would still be exposed to germs.

But, as every mommy of a 2-year old knows, just because you aren't allowed to do something, doesn't mean you're not going to do it anyway. The problem is, when mommies get sick, all hell breaks loose. I know this from experience. I have spent the last two days being sick. 

The problem is, I'm the mom. And apparently, even though we all live in the same house - they don't know where anything is. So I am pestered constantly to find bread, medicine, toys, TV channels and  clean underwear.

And then  I took the cold medicine - and had hallucinations. At least I hope that they were hallucinations and that there really aren't several large elephants living in my bedroom .

Being the mommy when you're sick sucks!!

Scene from Pretty Woman

For those who don't know, Pretty Woman is one of my favorite movies.  There is one scene where Vivian (Julia Roberts) comes to the concierge, Barney (Hector Elizondo), very upset because she has money to spend and no one will let her. He was able to fix her problem with the help of a friend and a phone call. 

I have felt like I was living this scene today. Unfortunately for me, there is no concierge with a shiny silver phone to come to my rescue.  I got our tax return and wanted to get some things today. Only no one wants to take my check and I haven't gotten my debit card yet.  There wasn't any problem yesterday when I wanted to buy groceries. I double checked to make sure the deposit had cleared (it cleared yesterday) but still could not purchase my items.   Luckily, I wasn't purchasing anything that can't wait a few days for my debit card to arrive or the bank to be open. It was just terribly frustrating.

And hysterical laughter insued

This past week has been less eventful than the previous week.  We only had one major mishap with Rosie. As a mother of four, I should know better than to let a two year old wash her own hands. Apparently she thought she needed to wash her face too. While washing her face, she pushed the soap up to get it out of her eyes and thought...well my hair is already wet, might as well wash it too. So 1/2 a botttle of baby wash later, she comes to me and says , "Mommy, I need help!" All I could do was laugh. It was one of those moments that you know you should be upset but it is hysterically funny instead. 

And people wonder why moms are tired....

Names...

YOUR REAL NAME: Kristin Elaine VanCleave Smith

WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother and fathers middle names) Miller Claude

YOUR SECRET SPY NAME: (your first name backwards) Nitsirk

NASCAR NAME: (first name of your mother's dad, father's dad) Jim Hays

STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name) Smikr

DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Green Panda

SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, county where you were born) Elaine Indianna

SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning) The Purple Hypnotic

FLY NAME: (first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name) Krth

STREET NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie) Chocolate Oatmeal

PORN STAR NAME: (1st pet's name, street you grew up) Pudding Beechaven Drive

YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first 3 letters of last name plus izzle) Smiizzle

YOUR GOTH NAME: (black, and the name of one of your pets) Black Sumner

YOUR NEXT CHILDS NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy) Ombre Rose Peppermint

You have to answer in ONE word...

This is one of the few survey thingies I think I might be able to do.You are supposed to type only ONE word answers. Here goes.....

It's harder than you think!! 

Where is your cell phone?....kitchen
Your hair? .........messy
Your father? .......amazing
Your favorite thing? .........daffodils
Your dream last night?...none
Your favorite drink? ...........lemonade
Your dream/goal? ..........survive
The room you are in? ......kitchen
Your fear? ........failing
Where do you want to be in 6 years?.....comfortable
Muffins? .............sweet
One of your wish list items?.........book
Where you grew up? .......Midwest
The last thing you did? .......dinner
What are you wearing?.......jeans
Your TV?........... news
Your pets? .........dog
Your computer? .....laptop
Your life? .........complicated
Your mood? ........exasperated
Missing someone? ....yes
Your car? ....van
Favorite store?.....thrift
Your summer? .....fun
Your favorite color? ........green
When is the last time you laughed? ...today
Last time you cried? ....... saturday
Three people who email me? ..........sean, david, nic
Favorite foods? ........pasta
Where would you rather be right now? ....elsewhere

weighty humor....

This was just cool...

This is the sign outside of my grandparents MD's private office. I just thought it was really cool.

Combining of Blogs

For those of you following my other blog about the grandparents, I have combine that with this one. I found that it is easier. My blogs will continue to post to Multiply as well.

Simplify where you can. :)

Not a routine MD appt.

Today was supposed to be a simple run of the mill doctor appointment. Instead it turned into a fiasco. I took G'ma for a md appointment to have her coumadin level checked in Bethany. (We have an appt with a new MD next week closer to home) For those who don't know, coumadin is a bloodthinner. Levels are supposed to be 3 to 5, hers was 14.9. That is scarey high. So they imediately gave her vitamin K, which reverses the effects of the coumadin, but it wasn't enough. Her MD confered with his partner and decided to sent her to the hospital for fresh, frzen plasma. So what should have been a 1/2 hour appointment has now turned into several hours.  

To back track abit... Thinking this was going to be a routine visit, Sean, Ian and Rosie came with me. It is a 90 mile drive to Bethany. So while I am sitting next to G'ma at the hospital, trying to keep her from pulling out the IV, Sean is trying to entertain the two rugrats. He took them for dinner at Country Kitchen and then to Walmart for toy shopping. Meanwhile, G'pa is home. Mom went over and got him dinner and Tim came home to stay with him. G'pa has a tendency to freak out if we are gone to long (he also has no concept of time). 

While at the hospital, the nursing staff took pictures of G'ma's bruised knees and hand (see blog about her tumbling down the stairs). I know they have to do it for documentation but it sure made me feel like a heel. I know I couldn't have caught her but, I feel like I somehow should have prevented it. 

 I wonder if I can handle having G'ma and G'pa at home. I thought I could. But my experience has been with multiple patients as a nurse, with several aides to help me. It is different being one on two. It is like have a two year old who is 5'2" and too smart for their own good, combined with a forgetful, frail, fall prone, stubborn 80-something old. 

I feel like taking care of them is the only thing I can do to lessen the burden on my mom. She has enough on her plate with dad's situation. But I also feel like I am making it worse because she is the one I call first when something like today happens. 

I hope things will settle into something of a routine soon.

Nurse Humor

And life gets interesting...

We have managed to get thru 5 days without incident. Then today comes along...

The morning started out normal. G'ma got up about 9am, I convinced her into the shower (that was a feat unto itself), she had breakfast and decided to lay down for a nap.   For those who don't know the layout of the house, there is a door in the kitchen that leads to the finished basement. The kids rooms and the rec room are downstairs so they are up and down all the time. I was working in the kitchen and had the basement door closed (we have been keeping it closed to discourage G'ma from the stairs). I turned around just in time to see G'ma open the door and tumble down the stairs. Luckily, she summersaulted the whole way and did not get hurt badly. She has a small cut on her palm and bruised knees. I, on the other hand, think my heart skipped several beats in that moment.  I feel horrible that it happened.  I thought we had taken the correct precautions to keep her from falling but I was obviously wrong. Needless to say, I will be purchasing and installing a gate to keep her from doing it again. I have found a safety gate that is secured / screwed to the wall and can be positioned in the doorway high enough to keep her from going over the top.  What's next?

Day 3 with G'ma

It has been interesting. G'ma has a routine of sorts going. Unfortunately, G'pa is totally discombobulated. He wants her in his room but doesn't understand when she doesn't want to get up in the morning at 7am when he does. He also is having trouble with letting her do things. He wants her to sit in the recliner all day. I keep telling him it is fine for her to walk around and there isn't anything she can get in trouble with. Mainly she just putters and tries to "clean-up".  It is especially funny to watch her try to "clean up" the computer as Sean is working on it.

Frustration followed by excitement

I am sooo frustrated!!! and also excited.

Let me explain, I am on this weight loss quest. I have been really good...going to the gym daily, eating healthy and not snacking, cut down to two sodas a day (working on cutting it out completely), etc. As part of this I having been weighing once a week. I dropped 5 lbs right off the bat. That was two weeks ago. The scale has not moved since, not down and not up. I was so frustrated with it that I made Ian stand on the scale just so I could make sure it was working correctly.....it was. 

Now on the flip side I was able to put on a pair of jeans this morning that 3 weeks ago I couldn't get into. These were the jeans that you have to lay down on the bed and use a pair of pliers to pull up the zipper. This morning, I put them on and not only could I get into them fairly easily, I could zip them.....while standing up!!!!  I was excited, because although the scale hasnt moved, I now have proof that what I am doing is working.

Grandma moves in...

Grandma moved from Crestview today. She is doing pretty well. The trip home to Smithville was fun. Tim drove so I could pay attention to her. She apparently enjoys Tim's choice in music. She was clapping along and singing.  Once home she was greeted by Grandpa Jim. She recognized him and sat holding his hand for awhile. He seems happy she is here. There was a bit of a issue because he expected her to stay sitting still and she wanted to walk around. He finally realized she was not going to sit for more than a few minutes and that I was there and watching out for her. She walked around investigating closets and rooms. She settled down and sat at the dining room table with us for dinner. She doesn't understand silverware anymore so she has to be fed. She ate really well, though. After dinner she was content to sit in the living room with Grandpa for a bit.  I helped her get ready for bed. We have her room at set-up but at Grandpa's request I helped her to bed in his room. I am holding my breath everytime I think I hear something from that room.  I told Grandpa that if she woke up to call for me or Sean, but I doubt he will. He is stubborn. 

It is proving interesting for Sean. He has not dealt with someone with advanced Alzheimer's before now. He is kind of sitting back to see how I do things then following my lead.  I find myself going into nurse mode. I keep waiting for a little icon of a nurse's cap to appear above my head.  

Karma points

I was at Sam's Club with Mom and Nic earlier today. I went out to bring the van up to the door ahead of Mom and Nic.  As I was walking out to the van I notice a older woman, about 85ish, struggling to get her groceries out of the cart and into her car.  She had a cane in her cart and was having to hold onto the edge of it to keep her balance, so she only had one hand to use to get things out. I saw that she had one of those roasted chickens and a big box of hot chocolate. Both of these items require two hands to pick up.   I went over and offered to help her. I picked up the chicken and asked her where she wanted it and put it in the car with her hot chocolate. Then I handed her cane to her and took the cart back to the stall. As I turned around, I saw her looking at me with the "What just happened?" look.  I had to walk back by her to get to the van. As I passed her, she said thank you again and I said, "I hope you have a good day". Her response was "I think I will now." It made me feel good to think that just by giving her two minutes of my time I was able to improve her day.

Getting things ready for Grandma

I spent this morning with Mom shopping for items we need before I move Grandma down. We got her a bed and bedding along with a shower chair and toilet riser. I am waiting for the bolts for the daybed we got from Seth and Staci; the plan is to get them tomorrow. Once that is put together we can start the arrangements to bring her down from Bethany. The plan is too try to bring her down the first week of February.

Strength training setup

I met with my trainer at the YMCA today and we set up a weight program. Last week I was able to meet my goal of going 5 days. I took yesterday, Sunday, off. My goal this week os to go everyday but Sunday and do the weight circut at least three of those days. I am not counting today because we just set it up. I did do a full cardio workout though. I rode the bike. Now the cool part is the bike is not just one of those upright pedal til you think your legs will fall off things. It has this screen that allows you to pick a course to ride and it appears on the screen as if you are really riding it. You can move the handle bars to avoid other riders and it increases you're intensity to mimic the grades of the course. You also set the gears just like a regular bike. It also allows you to plug in head phones and choose from different music stations.  For those of you who are used to going to the gym this is probably not news but I still think it is cool and I'll take anything that keeps me motivated to keep going.

Tried a new recipe for dinner tonight

I tried a new recipe tonight. 

Tilapia with Dill cream sauce

Everyone really enjoyed it. I served it with steamed brussel sprouts ( the sauce is really good on them), corn and rice.

It is super easy to make!!!

I posted the recipe in the recipe section of my multiply site.

http://krisybear.multiply.com/recipes

Fun at the pool / am I insane moment...

So I offered to take Lisa's kids yesterday while Chad and Sean went out for guy time.  I am not sure what possessed me. They had a half day of school and Lisa had to work this weekend.  I figured she could use the sleep. All the kids came over and we went to the pool. Meagan and her kids came with us. 

For those of you keeping count it was...

Me, Meagan, Nic, Ian, Rosie, Heather, Cassidy, Luke, Caitlyn, Devon, and Jade. That is 3 "adults" and 8 kids. 

Amazingly it went well. Except for the occassional reprimand for running, nobody got in trouble or hurt. We had the expected fit about leaving but managed to get everybody dressed and out the door with everything.  Totino's was kind enough to put their pizzas on sale so that was dinner. 8 pizzas and an entire pitcher of koolaid later, everyone was fed.  Meg took Cassidy and Jade to her house, Chad dropped off Sean and took Caitlyn home.  Everybody else stayed here. I pulled a mom and went to bed at about 10:30 with Rosie. Tim and Nic hung out with the little guys and kept them from burning down the house. 

Needless to say, I did not lose my mind, the kids seemed to have fun, and the house is still standing.

I just might do it again. Maybe :)

Settling back in...

Things have calmed down from the holidays. Grandpa saw doctor Hall last week and was given a clean bill of health. We also went to see grandma. She was much more active and awake than I had seen her before. She was able to talk alittle. It is still nonsensical most of the time but she had a few brief moments of some clarity. She didn't know me but recognized the name Kristin. Grandpa came away feeling good about the visit. 

I talked to the nurses and social service worker about moving grandma. We are shooting for the end of the month. Mom and I are going shopping on Monday for a bed and toilet riser, etc.  I have resigned myself to the fact that I will not be able to leave the house easily after we move her in. I know the plan was fro me to have two days off a week but I do not see that happening. Mom is now in classes for her masters, Lisa has a crazy schedule and Jenny, Meg and Sam do not handle nursing things well.  Sean is looking at a job that would be 11a to 7p. This would allow me to still go to the gym/Y daily. That will be my escape so to speak. Otherwise I will have to plan time out and get a sitter. 

I am not sure how Sean will handle grandma being here. it is hard on him to have grandpa here. He worries about him constantly. He needs to find a joba nd get out of the house soon.

Another mommy brag moment....

Nic was invited to play with the choir at their last preformace. I am extremely impressed with him. He was given the music on Monday and they preformed on Thursday evening. It was fantastic!  I am still trying to figure out how to upload the video. I will let you know if I ever figure it out!

I did manage to upload it to my multiply account.

YMCA and other things

I officially joined the Y and have been actually going.  I have been pretty good about sticking to the low-fat diet. It has paid off. I have lost 5 lbs. Now I know, rationally, that it is mostly water weight but it still feels good to see that scale needle move to the left.  I also met with the trainer at the Y today. Her name is Sam. She is great. I scared her to death though when we did the 3 minute step assessment. It is this test to see how hard your heart is working when you exercise. It is tough. You have to step you onto a workout step with both feet then step off with both feet for 3 minutes. They take your heart rate before and after.  I made it to 2 1/2 minutes then had to stop. I was breathing hard etc. She had taken my resting heart rate at 69 bpm, then my heart rate when I stopped...it was 179 bpm. This is not good. I think, she thought I was going to have a heart attack right there on the spot. It was kind of funny. After I had caught my breathe we went on to the strength test. This is where you see what your max weight is for the bench press and leg press. I did 160 lbs on the bench and 300 lbs ont he leg press. I was impressed. For the moment we agreed on a cardio plan. I am meeting with her again next week to get setup on the weight machines and to discuss goals and reasons for doing this.  I have what I think is a realistic goal in mind, get under 200lbs by the end of the year. My ultimate goal is 150 lbs. We'll see if she agrees with me. My reasons are pretty straight forward:

1. I need to get healthy.

2. I want my kids to see mom being healthy, so they will learn healthy habits too.

3. I want to look good. 

4. I want feel good about my body again.

So to sum it up. I am working out and have lost 5 lbs. 

Current weight 240lbs.

Top 10....An update for those who aren't in the know...

1. We are now in Smithville, MO.

2. My dad has pancreatic cancer.

3. My aunt-in-law (she is basically my MIL) has pancreatic cancer.

4. We live with and care for my grandfather who is in frail health and grandmother who has alzheimer's.

5. My oldest is 18...enough said.

6. My 16 year old moved in with his grandparents to continue attending Kearney High (long story involving step-mother and her issues).

7. My six year old has discovered how to be sassy.

8. My two year old is 2. WHY? WHY? WHY? HOW? WHAT? you get the idea.

9. We now have a dog named Sumner.

10. I haven't lost my mind.............yet.

Mommy brag moment...

This is my mommy brag moment. 

I have a really good looking kid. This picture was taken last summer in Washington. 

Tim and Selena.

2007

And so it begins....

We are almost a week into the new year. I have decided to start a health plan.  I am going to revisit the Alli diet and join the YMCA. My goal is to get healthy this year. All of the family health crisis have put things into a unique perspective for me and I realized I have let myself slip dramatically. I am hoping if I blog my progress and slip ups it will keep me honest and on track. So wish me luck and here goes.

 

Just for the record,  picture was taken on 12/29/2008. I weigh 245lbs.

Sunset

Occassionally, we are privledged to a few moments of something spectatular.
This photo does not do justice to the sunset we witnessed.
Taken January 1, 2009