All summer I've been promising my Aunt Susie a week in the Northwoods with the family and this worked out to be the week. Ellen and I made the drive to her group home in Minneapolis on Saturday, returning with a very excited Susie to be sure! I was determined to make Susie's week fun and memorable, while keeping up with her weight watcher diet, my housework, my family, and yard projects. Um,.....what's that line?....."best made plans of mice and men and mothers in rose colored glasses"?
We got home mid-afternoon on Saturday after stopping at Subway for a low calorie wrap, hold the dressing. Of course, Susie was inquiring about lunch only fifteen minutes after leaving her place, at 10 AM. She has yet to leave the table from one meal before asking what's on the menu for the next. I don't wonder why this little 4'7" eating machine weighs in at 170 pounds! (Note to myself-- establish a menu, count calories, and develop specific instructions for her group home!)
Back to Saturday. First I set up a lawn chair so Susie could sit in the shade and watch me plant a dozen annuals and one of my new perennial shrubs for the sidewalk landscaping project. She got bored, needed my attention elsewhere, and, well, one shrub in the ground nine still to go. Fine, time for a walk. She "excercises" (a very broad interpretation of the word) 30 minutes a day. I thought she might enjoy pushing Gabe in his stroller--she LOVES Gabe. I think I pulled more than she pushed. We walked 1/4 mile in almost 20 minutes. A blistering pace to be sure. Kari did the Buddy Walk with Sue a few years ago, she renamed it the "Buddy Drag".
Back home, supper with meds, shower (with help setting the water temp), hair cut, evening meds, lights out. Whew! Great day, however, Gabe just wasn't happy after his walk, diaper was a mess, and he didn't want to eat. Sure enough, Sunday morning we awoke to Owen complaining of a stomach ache and Gabe looking sick. Of course it was a "fellowship Sunday" with a potluck meal--third one I've missed this year. Ellen promised to look after Susie and ended up diving in to the rescue just as she overheard a well-meaning church member query, "Would you like some more bread? And butter on that, too?" We need a sign, "Do Not Feed the Aunt".
On goes our week, fevers of 100-104, "Cindy, so what are we doing today?", diarrhea, "Cindy,
could you help me hook my bra?", vomiting grape juice down my front, "Cindy, you know that special coffee that Dana bought for you? I'd like a cup please.", up with Gabe during the night, "Cindy, could I please have a second cup of coffee? I'm used to it.", two tubs of sour cream and a container of cottage cheese and a bowl of blueberries falling upside down (spilling of course) out of the refrigerator at different times all in ONE DAY, "Do you have any cheese?" "Yes" "Great, 'cause I love cheese and crackers", Shane and Bryce's week for daily football camp, "Cindy, you're out of toilet paper", etc, etc.
In answer to Susie's, "What are we doing today?" I now ask, "What did I tell you?" and she sighs, "I know, Lord willing." She's learning the life of a mom, take no plans for granted! We did get out to the landfill for compost and woodchips (getting a little done on the lawn project front) and swung by the Windmill Ice Cream shop (Owen insisted he was better. At least he didn't throw up until after we got home.) We are making plans, as well, "Lord willing", to celebrate her 54th birthday tomorrow. Dana will man the fort while I take Susie out for lunch and shopping. All I have to do now is bake a cake and whip up a lasagna!
The happy queen on her throne!
