Easter Blessings!

The window displays in Paris are beautiful and fun.  While we were there, shops were dressed for spring and Easter.  Here is my amateur attempt to capture the magic.  Enjoy!

Back to Reality

Me and my nephew, Jonathan, who's been
living and studying in Paris since last June.

We got home from our Paris trip late Tuesday night.  I spent all day yesterday doing laundry and restocking the kitchen. And today I'm watching Jonah.  Welcome back to reality!

We did have a good trip with no travel challenges.  However, in the middle of our second night, I was hit hard with a virus, which made dealing with jet-lag especially rough.  And, because Jim always has trouble with jet-lag, that means this trip it took both of us a good five days before we were 100%, leaving us with only three really good days.

Happy birthday, Notre Dame!

Nevertheless, we powered through and did a lot of touring, even taking day trips to Brussels, Belgium, and Tours, Versailles, and Fountainebleau, France. We also ate some fantastic food and experienced a historical moment.  Notre Dame Cathedral turns 850 this year.  In celebration, she received new bells and we were there when they rang for the first time!

Bon Voyage!

Paris, here we come!

Praying we see some blue skies.

Happy 3 Birthday, Jonah!

I can't imagine anything better than being a grandma!

Jonah loves being outside.

Jonah's Birthday Party

Today was Jonah's birthday party – finally!  Jonah's been wanting his party so badly ever since his big brother's party on February 9.  Today was finally the day and he had a fantastic time.  

Jonah will be three on Wednesday, March 13.  My grandchildren are growing way too fast!

Jonah was very happy with his
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood cupcakes.

But his favorite part of the party was holding
his godfather's three-month-old daughter, Madeline.
He held her four times, making sure to first
wash his hands every time!

Mom's Nine Lives

Mom qualified for hospice last week.  Frankly, I was surprised.  She is weaker and now rarely opens her eyes or tries to talk, but she's still eating and drinking.  I was even told mom's in late stage seven, but nowhere near end of life.  (There are seven stages of Alzheimer's Disease.)

Nevertheless, hospice decided mom's last decline was dramatic enough to qualify her for their services.  Immediately, mom got a better geri-chair and bed.  She also now has more people caring for her.  There are five people on mom's hospice team.

I'm glad for the extra eyes and help.  But there's still no reason to believe we're nearer the end than we were a year ago.  Since this is mom's second time on hospice, I know better.  As the head nurse on mom's floor said, "Betty's like a cat with nine lives!"

What's He Thinking?

A Bear Blanket

Jonah is obsessed with his bear blankets, three blue and one cream.  He used to sleep with all of them, but two are now living at grandma's house.  I'm not sure why, but here's one theory.

Jonah is so head-strong and, well, "boy," it seems his mom and dad are always putting him in timeout.  It happens so often, it's beginning to lose its effect.  So Jonah started losing a bear for a day whenever he did something especially bad such as throwing a toy at someone.  And that's when I think he decided bears are safer at grandma's.

But now we also have a stuffed dog.  My guess is, since two bears are now at grandma's, Jonah's parents have started taking other "lovies" and Belle is another one of Jonah's favorites.

Who knows for sure what Jonah's thinking.  But I believe grandma's house has either become a safe haven for "lovies" or Jonah's slowly moving in!