Monday With Mom

Tom and I started the week off by visiting Mom. On the way there I kept praying to myself that Mom would be in a happy mood. When we got to the Big House, that's what Mom calls her place, I dropped off a sandwich that I made for Sherry. Sherry loves when I bring her surprise treats. She keeps telling me she feels like a Princess with me pampering her like I do.  I keep telling her I appreciate so much on how she takes care of Mom, and I know how mom can get in her moods. Sherry says she knows my Mom does not know what she is doing most of the time but she has a good loving heart. Sherry explains to me how Mom can ignore her.  I explained to Sherry not to take it so personal because she does the same thing to me and I am her daughter.

After seeing Sherry, Tom and I knocked on Mom's door and she opened it with a big smile. She said she was so glad to see us and that she was tired of having to answer the door to people that know her but she does not know them. I told Mom everyone knows her because she makes everyone feel good with her love, and kindness. She replied that she knew that already.

Tom got all her treats out, a sandwich, fruit salad, corn,  nuts with dried fruit and her favorite drink Coke. Mom got so excited when she saw the nuts and dried fruits. While she was eating her treats I went to look for her dirty clothes. Finding her dirty clothes can be hard to find, except when she puts her dirty underwear and sock back in the her dresser drawer. I told her I got her a bunch more socks, and underwear, and she explained to me that she did not need any underwear. The problem is she does need her underwear because something is happening to them.

 Yes... she is drinking her favorite drink.. COKE!

 She loves when I make a mix of nuts and dried fruit. I think it's an Armenian thing.

She is smiling at the container of nuts and dried fruit. She is just like a little child looking at such a delicious treat just for her.

She loved her sandwich that I made for her. I made it just like she likes it. She was surprised that I made it. I don't think she remembers how I love to cook because of her.

 She told Tom how much she is enjoying her COKE.  She loves her COKE.... she kept saying to him.

She keeps asking Tom about the air-conditioner. She wonders why she can't use the television remote to turn the air-condition on and off.

Now she says we have to talk slowly explaining how to turn on and off the television using the remote. She usually pulls all the wires out to shut the television when she is finished watching it.

 See the red button.... on and off. I drew her a picture trying to explain how to use the remote. She kept asking Tom how to turn on and off the television. Tom kept telling her just push the red button for on and push it again for off. I wrote it on a sheet of paper highlighting the red button. I taped it by the table.

 Here's her air-condition..... she either is too cold or too hot.  When Tom put the temperature up she said to lower it to make it warmer!  She then asked Tom how to turn the air-condition on. Mom explained the higher the number was in degrees the colder it got. She was a little confused. Tom then explained that if she needed to put the air on she should ask one of the aides to help her. Mom then replied she would not need to ask anyone because she was a teacher who taught one hundred years. The only solution was, since it wasn't that hot out was, leave it off!

 

She is saying to Tom that it looks like her daughter wants to take a photo of her , and then she looks right at me. Click... went my camera.

Here she is getting all mushy about her favorite man President Obama. Tom is showing photos of The President's dog, Bo, and The White House on his iPhone.  Mom asked how President Obama was doing. She told us how she is such great friends with him and his family. She also told Tom that at any time he wanted to visit him she would take him. She was very much interested in knowing everything about her favorite man.

We stayed several hours, and then we asked her if she wanted to go downstairs and chat with her friends, and she said no. We gave her some butterfly kisses and she walked us out in the hallway. I kept looking down the long hallway, and she was still waving and throwing me kisses. It made me so sad to have to leave her there. I know this is the best place for her to feel safe and to have some fun with her own peers. I just wish  she was Mom again going shopping with me,  having our great talks, and making Armenian Food. I miss those special times with her, and every time I go and visit her I wonder if she will remember who I am.

This photo makes me sad. Mom likes to say goodbye standing by her apartment door. I kept turning around to see if she was still standing there, and she is throwing me kisses and waving at us. This image makes me feel like my mom is going farther and farther from me.