Pleasant Change in the Weather

During the A/C season, I turn the thermostat up to 76 degrees in the morning.  Jim moves it down to 73 degrees at night.  This morning the thermostat read 70 degrees and I assumed Jim must have gotten really hot last night.  But now it's 10:45 A.M. and the thermostat still hasn't climbed to 76 degrees.

My immediate reaction was that the air conditioner or thermostat is broken.  But then I realized I haven't heard the air conditioner running all morning.  Could it possibly be that cool outside?  Finally I opened the sun room door to a pleasant surprise.  It feels like fall!

For August in Missouri, day-time temperatures in the mid-70s are extremely rare.  This gift should not be squandered!  Is it going to be cleaning up the yard or following the cat's lead and curling up in the sun room?  Since I'm still on vacation mode, I'm leaning toward a day with my Kindle.

Let Me Off The Roller Coaster!

When I talked with dad on Monday, he was still upset about his Sunday visit with mom. He said mom's color was bad and she had trouble putting words and sentences together. She also had severe bruising.  

I visited at lunch today.  Yes, mom looks much worse than she did before I went on vacation last week.  Both of her arms and hands are nearly covered with bruises.  She also looks jaundice to me, and couldn't put a sentence together to save her life.  I fed mom grapes, which is all she would eat.  Mom's nurse was at lunch, so I called her when I got back home.  

Mom is still fighting, which explains the bruises.  Basically, she swings and misses, hitting the bed, table, or chair instead. They are now letting her stay in bed until she's ready to get up for the day.  She is then "pleasant" until the fighting begins, again, in the evening.  Her recent blood tests showed no problem with her liver, which would have explained the jaundice look.  Mom was 190 pounds when she was moved from the dementia ward to the fourth floor in May.  She is now 185 pounds, so no concern there either.

Before last Sunday, dad was planning to visit mom on Tuesdays in addition to Thursdays and Sundays.  And just two weeks ago dad was telling me he wished mom was closer so he could visit more often.  Now he's too upset to add a third day.  Honestly, the worse part of this whole situation is the emotional roller coaster.  And after 8+ years, I'm more than ready to get off.

Miss You Already, Cameron and Hannah

Cameron

Last night I caught up on my favorite realty show, The Glee Project.  In doing so, I learned that two of my favorite contestants, Cameron and Hannah, were recently eliminated.  Their performances were always well done and entertaining and I will miss them.

Unfortunately, what makes The Glee Project such a good show is the same thing that makes it frustrating to watch.  All the contestants are extremely talented and I feel for each and every one who leaves.  As Jim says, "why can't they all win?"

Hannah

What's refreshing about The Glee Project in comparison to other realty show competitions, however, are how kind all the professionals and decision makers are in their assessments.  They sincerely offer the support the contestants need to continue performing and improving on and off the show.  As a result, I'm betting I'll see many of the performers in the future, if not on the hit show, Glee, then on stage, the big screen, or another TV show.  At least that's my hope.

Summer's Last Hurrah

Jonah loves the pool.

Today we returned from our annual trip to Sanibel Island with the Jorgensens.  We began this tradition four years ago.  The first year we stayed on Fort Myers Beach.  The last three years have been at Sanibel Moorings on the island.  We all had a great time, again, despite this year's "little challenge."

We stayed in the same townhouse as last year, which has two floors and, of course, is not baby-proof.  So whenever we were in the townhouse, if Jonah wasn't eating or sleeping, the chase was on.  Jonah simply can't sit still for long, is always looking for a physical challenge, and feels nothing's off limits.  By the end of each day, all the adults were relieved when Jonah finally went to bed for the night.

Elliott aboard the Pieces of Eight.

For Elliott, one of the highlights of this year's trip was a pirate cruise.  It was the prefect activity for a five-year-old boy whose current passion is pirates.  Between the on-board giveaways and dock-side gift shop, Elliott made quite a haul, which included several accessories for his 2011 Halloween costume.

All-in-all it was another successful memory-making trip. But, unfortunately, it was also our summer's last hurrah. Now it's time to prepare for the 2011-12 school year and the start of grandma daycare again.  Thank goodness Jonah will be at Brilliant Beginnings Academy two days a week!