A yes, a lovely visit from the endearing grandma.  The occasion will include delightful insights into her life, and we'll laugh the nights away with her grand sense of humor...wait I think that was a TV show I watched the other day.  That's not how it's going at all!

It started off well enough.  Aunt Kathy and Grandma rolled into to pretty smoothly at 9AM on Sunday.  We got some hugs in (what's that smell?), showed them the house, the kids, and got around to talking.  Went great for a few minutes.  Hours later Aunt and Jackie are already gossiping about the family, what everyone's doing, or not doing rather.  Seems they went back to right where they left off last time.

We decided we wanted to get the kids out of the house, so after gma decided she isn't going to take a nap after the plane ride we head to the park.  Gma walks about 40 ft and then just sits around while the kids are playing.  Cool enough.  Ok, time for the beach.

Gma has to walk the 40 feet back to the car.  Whew, what a workout!  We get to the beach, after driving two cars 20 minutes to get there, get out of the car and...it's too cold for gma.  Time to go home...whatever.  I guess the real story is that she's pooped.

She never does anything besides sit around at her own home, so walking the 80 ft has completely wiped her out.  Got a walker?  Yeah, but she doesn't use it.  Wheelchair?  "Where would you get one of those?"  Vacation plans seem pretty slim.  You gotta pick something that's within 40 ft to the car.

I guess she has dementia too.  Funny thing is it seems to me that it comes and goes, like her hearing.  She lights up a cigarette inside after we tell her to smoke outside.  She leaves her medication pills on the counter, and after Ian sneaks down (which she see's and doesn't tell anyone) after a nap and gets into them, we're off to the ER (he's fine, didn't get eat any of them, just played with them for a minute).  She won't wear a hearing aid, so a lot of times you find yourself yelling at her.  She won't stop smoking so that doesn't help her walking either. 

The funniest thing is she likes to throw pity parties.  No one here feels sorry for her though.  We all figured this is the way she wanted it to turn out.  Never stopped smoking, drank high amounts of coffee, didn't drink water, sits on her ass all day long, never goes anywhere.  If anything I feel, it's no respect.  And when I don't respect someone, it's hard to talk with them.  I do my best, but...well things will be better when she's gone I think.

Sucks to say that.  It's just like having a 3rd kid that's 9 months old around.  You have to keep objects out of her path, watch her constantly, and even change her diapers [well I don't...] (even after big ass leaks on the guest bed....sigh).  We got our own two kids to worry about, which coinsidently she doesn't like how I parent.  The third adopted kid we seem to have inherited for the week handicapped herself, and my kids are just developing.  I'll just concentrate on them till Sunday.