a month with Grandma day 2

I do not intent to learn "lessons in living with grandma" from day 1 more than once! Today, was a low key day which was already plenty of stimulus. She loves loves the cats! One of oft repeated comments: "I always wanted cats, but Jim (my grandpa) couldn't stand them so we never had one."

Very luckily there is a very strong trust in me, so I can explain things and even if she does not remember, she will know that I am speaking the truth - and acting within her best interest.  Something that gets repeated and repeated is how much she is so lucky to be spending time with family and with the kids. This is the part that keeps me level and patient with all the complications and aggravations of her lack of memory and confusion.

Today I found out that she had many jobs when she was young from a junior highschool teacher to a store clerk. She made $15/week working 7 days a week, 8 hours a day at a department store during the depression.

I guess with about anything my grandma says, you dear reader can assume it has been "repeated and repeated."

a month with Grandma day 1

Mary Jane is the same grandma I've known and spent so much time with my whole life: sweet but then fiercely well - mean kind of. Her memory and overall confusion at times mean that her mean thoughts come out more...sometimes.  She said at dinner: the carrots are disgusting, the food is terrible at this place, I need to move!  Thinking she was at the Regency where she lives :).  She got really really confused at one point.  I could see it in her face and she went angry asking what this asinine lady was doing..it was Julian sitting in a chair doing something like playing with a truck...anyway...Julian said later we should dilute her vodka. Hahaha. Exactly our plan!Also though, she constantly says how great it is to be with a real family in a house...and how great it is to be around the kids etc etc. She got panicked tonight after I went upstairs to put Gus to bed. She did not know where anyone was. She repeats herself on certain things over and over ad infinitum, though I don't really mind that except when she is obsessing about something like Augustin's haircut or my pyjamas that she doesn't like....the same no holes barred opinions as she had her whole life (and what pushed people away from her ) but repeated quite a few times....so it goes Our tv sound did not work tonight. Trying to explain why calling a tv repair man was not the answer did got get through. Hard for her to understand.I think I will use a whiteboard to leave big reminder messages for her in plain sight.Carlo and the boys have a great attitude. We shall see how we all feel come Thanksgiving timeThat's day #1!!!!