Weekend wrap-up, or, gettin' old's a bitch
So.
Mom took her last big test (well, that included driving to Tampa, at least). All that's left is the (online) final and her dissertation. I'm so proud of her for doing so well, and she's so close now to her doctorate she can taste it.
While she was in Tampa, my aunt and I drove out to Pine Island/Matlacha in search of the Mango Mania festival. Turns out they moved it to a new location this year, so we ended up popping into lots of really cute galleries on Matlacha, enjoying the mango delights of a local smoothie shop, and trying on way too many kinds of Crocs before finding the actual mango festival completely in the opposite direction from where we'd gone. By the time we got there, the clouds had swarmed in, and we got caught under a tent when the monsoon started. Gee, what is it with me and festivals this year?
Today I finally had mom all to myself, and we had girl day with the mani/pedi and massage special at Red in Ft Myers. It's sure nice to have girl feet again, and the pregnancy massage was lovely, albeit my masseuse was too talky. You're nice and all, but I don't care to know your life story, thanks. Just work those magic fingers. :)
My grandfather had some issues with dementia at the nursing home, though, so our mother-daughter day got cut a little short.
While on this subject, I have to vent a little bit.
My brain has been in a hard place this week. I'm visiting my family here in Florida, and EVERYONE (brother, SIL, uncle, his estranged wife, mom, grandparents) has been here until Thursday. Most of us who live away have returned home, except me-- I go back Tuesday.
My grandfather has been in the nursing home since a stroke (and later a broken hip) he had about a year or so ago. Now he's gotten to the point of semi-regular home visits, but is still wheelchair-bound, very hard of hearing (same as before), has gurgly, slurry speech (which means everyone yells to be heard and asks him to repeat himself... which is so incredibly frustrating to be in the same room with everyone). He wears diapers and needs assistance being changed and moving from chair to bed to car, etc. When he's not being entertained, he will either sleep, try to get into something that's dangerous, or start a big commotion because he gets confused.
My uncle is really ready for him to come home full time, though he doesn't live here and doesn't fully appreciate the day-to-day care my grandfather requires from my mom and grandma if he spends time out of the nursing home. This leads us to the list of things that need to do if in fact, he is to come home full time, including major house remodeling, home health care, physical help, housekeeping help, etc. Which basically means, hella expensive, maybe the same, possibly more than nursing home care, for which, for the record, my grandparents have no nursing home- or life insurance, for that matter. Awesome.
Meanwhile, my grandfather hates being in the nursing home, and I don't blame him one bit. I'd hate to find my body and mind disintegrate before my eyes, too.
I swear, being with my family and seeing all this rigmarole with his care is really just reminding me how hard taking care of a needy child will be, but fortunately, lighter to carry around and hopefully easier to distract with something safer than whatever danger baby wants to mess with. But I find myself resenting the routine of picking him up from the nursing home, carting him across town to my grandmother's, entertaining him, then bringing him back. It's stressful on her and my mom, who's been trying to study and work full-time. At the same time I feel guilty for not wanting to deal with him, when I know I'll have to deal with the parent stuff soon enough. Really, between all the attention he needs and my mom's test, I've felt pretty much in the way. Am I a bad granddaughter or what? :/
My time here has given me much to think about, that's for sure. I'm looking forward to getting back home to my Robbie.
Mom took her last big test (well, that included driving to Tampa, at least). All that's left is the (online) final and her dissertation. I'm so proud of her for doing so well, and she's so close now to her doctorate she can taste it.
While she was in Tampa, my aunt and I drove out to Pine Island/Matlacha in search of the Mango Mania festival. Turns out they moved it to a new location this year, so we ended up popping into lots of really cute galleries on Matlacha, enjoying the mango delights of a local smoothie shop, and trying on way too many kinds of Crocs before finding the actual mango festival completely in the opposite direction from where we'd gone. By the time we got there, the clouds had swarmed in, and we got caught under a tent when the monsoon started. Gee, what is it with me and festivals this year?
Today I finally had mom all to myself, and we had girl day with the mani/pedi and massage special at Red in Ft Myers. It's sure nice to have girl feet again, and the pregnancy massage was lovely, albeit my masseuse was too talky. You're nice and all, but I don't care to know your life story, thanks. Just work those magic fingers. :)
My grandfather had some issues with dementia at the nursing home, though, so our mother-daughter day got cut a little short.
While on this subject, I have to vent a little bit.
My brain has been in a hard place this week. I'm visiting my family here in Florida, and EVERYONE (brother, SIL, uncle, his estranged wife, mom, grandparents) has been here until Thursday. Most of us who live away have returned home, except me-- I go back Tuesday.
My grandfather has been in the nursing home since a stroke (and later a broken hip) he had about a year or so ago. Now he's gotten to the point of semi-regular home visits, but is still wheelchair-bound, very hard of hearing (same as before), has gurgly, slurry speech (which means everyone yells to be heard and asks him to repeat himself... which is so incredibly frustrating to be in the same room with everyone). He wears diapers and needs assistance being changed and moving from chair to bed to car, etc. When he's not being entertained, he will either sleep, try to get into something that's dangerous, or start a big commotion because he gets confused.
My uncle is really ready for him to come home full time, though he doesn't live here and doesn't fully appreciate the day-to-day care my grandfather requires from my mom and grandma if he spends time out of the nursing home. This leads us to the list of things that need to do if in fact, he is to come home full time, including major house remodeling, home health care, physical help, housekeeping help, etc. Which basically means, hella expensive, maybe the same, possibly more than nursing home care, for which, for the record, my grandparents have no nursing home- or life insurance, for that matter. Awesome.
Meanwhile, my grandfather hates being in the nursing home, and I don't blame him one bit. I'd hate to find my body and mind disintegrate before my eyes, too.
I swear, being with my family and seeing all this rigmarole with his care is really just reminding me how hard taking care of a needy child will be, but fortunately, lighter to carry around and hopefully easier to distract with something safer than whatever danger baby wants to mess with. But I find myself resenting the routine of picking him up from the nursing home, carting him across town to my grandmother's, entertaining him, then bringing him back. It's stressful on her and my mom, who's been trying to study and work full-time. At the same time I feel guilty for not wanting to deal with him, when I know I'll have to deal with the parent stuff soon enough. Really, between all the attention he needs and my mom's test, I've felt pretty much in the way. Am I a bad granddaughter or what? :/
My time here has given me much to think about, that's for sure. I'm looking forward to getting back home to my Robbie.