We were invited to go to the zoo with Jon and his two kiddos on Saturday. We got a text invite last minute to see if we wanted to meet up at the zoo. That's how we roll!
I didn't know how my mom would get around at the zoo, but figured if there is a will, there is a way. I mentioned the zoo to my mom and her comment was "isn't there a lot of walking there". I told my mom that we could get her a wheel chair, not that she needed it, but so she could have fun at the zoo. ;)
Jon was nice and rented the wheelchair. Wheelchair rentals at the zoo are $10. I never heard of wheelchair rentals so that was something new to me.
We raced mom around in the wheelchair and raced the kids around in their stroller to see who could go the fastest. The kids had fun riding around in the wheelchair too. My mom said "I'm going to look like an old lady who can't walk" and she kept laughing about the wheelchair. Jon wheeled around in the wheelchair for a bit to get her excited to sit in the wheelchair for her day at the zoo. The kids thought that was cool to see their dad in a wheelchair & Macy said "can we get one of these".
We saw elephants, monkeys, rhinos, polar bears, grizzly bears, seals, otters, a tiger, wolves, and more.
It was fun to be able to spend a beautiful winter day at the zoo. The weather was just perfect!
Thank you, Jon, for the invite and making this a fun and memorable experience!
Jon and Jamie drove the kids down to pick up Grandma Tiger to take her out to Leatherby's for dinner and ice cream on Friday night!
Grandma was so excited when I told her the news that she had a special surprise coming. She wasn't to sure about the surprise at first because she likes to know about what's going on instead of being surprised. When I told her more about the surprise she was really excited that Jon and his family would be picking her up in their big vehicle.
Grandma chose to have her favorite mint ice cream, while Paxton had chocolate, and Macy had her "Frozen" kind, flavored like bubblegum.
Mom also had another surprise from Jon and Jamie. She was given the movie "Grease" and Jon helped set it up at her home so she could watch it right after she was dropped off. She was given some white chocolate Kit-Kat treats that she was happy about too.
My mom told me "That was so nice of them" in an excited and happy voice. Jon and Jamie treated my mom to dinner, ice cream, and a movie at home. She loved it!
Thank you, Jon and Jamie for making mom's night! She was spoiled!
I enjoyed having the day off from my daughter duties! ;)
Nate received some free Jazz tickets from his work. He invited us to have his tickets and go to the game with Grandma Cindy and Sammy on Monday, this week. Paul and I were able to get off of work early to go to the game with these two fun girls!
We were able to see Nate in action working. Jon also received some free Jazz tickets from his work so we were able to see Jon and the kids at the game. Sammy was able to play with Paxton and Macy for a few minutes. It was a fun family event!
My mom has a hard time getting around the Energy Solutions Center now and walks slow, runs out of breath, and has to sit down to take breaks while walking. I believe this was the last time that Paul and I will take her there, because it was quite the adventure.
The Jazz lost the game, but they had a good come back. The ending was very close.
We had a great time spending time with Sammy at the game & seeing family there!
Family time is always the greatest!
I wish I could be a perfect caregiver, but there is so much to do. I have to remember that none of us are perfect, therefore it's okay not to be perfect. I am far from perfect anyways. I do the best I can do, and that is okay!
My mom rarely will tell me what happens at her home, at the times I am not there. Lately, I have been told two things that have happened on her own time away from me. I am so used to her rare and crazy stories that it doesn't surprise me anymore. I'm sure to others it can be an eye opener. I will tell one story now and write the other separately.
One night this week, we were talking about the pink soft throw blanket that she uses to sleep on the couch downstairs in the basement. Yes, that is right! She sleeps on a couch in the basement and prefers that over a bed. She uses a pink throw blanket and that is it, and couch pillows for her head. I have tried to get her to sleep comfortably on a bed, but to no avail, she always ends up back on the couch downstairs.
The point of my story is that she told me that one morning it was freezing cold and Tiger's ears were really cold when she woke up. She shook herself like it was really cold. I had to ask her if she turns her heater off at night. She told me that she turns her heater off at night to go to sleep. I asked her why she does that. She pointed downstairs to the furnace and said because that is so loud and acted like I was crazy for not knowing that. I asked her "don't you wear ear plugs at night". (She always wears her ear plugs at night) She told me "yes".
I explained to her how important, in this cold weather, it is to keep the heater on. That night the temperature was going to be 10 degrees. I knew and could tell when I was talking to her it was going in and out of her head as fast as I was talking. I got in the car to go home with Paul and told Paul this new information I learned. We turned around while driving home to go back to my mom's house. She had already turned the heat off and had gone to bed on the couch. We contemplated on what to do and how to confront her without making her upset.
It usually takes at least two people for her to listen. We told her to keep the heat on so she doesn't get sick. She agreed that she didn't want to get sick. We also told her so her pipes don't freeze. She agreed to leave the furnace on that night.
We hope and pray we have got it through her mind that the heater is important to have on in the winter time. I have been reminding her to leave her furnace on every night.
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