Angie & Jim

A Dip in the Poolby Jim

I actually wanted to start before 3 PM where Angie left off.  Something very cute happened this morning after breakfast.  Jon and I had just laid Mom down on the couch for a rest (breakfast is pretty exhausting) when Jon grabbed a pillow and said, “Pillow fight!”  Then he very gently “hit” Mom in the stomach with it.  That got Mom to giggle.  He then touched the pillow to her face, which made her laugh even more.

Another sweet moment happened while Mom was resting.  Sometimes when she lies down for a nap it’s difficult for her to relax and close her eyes, even though she’s tired.  We turned on some of her favorite music and and “How Firm a Foundation” from Roger Hoffman’s album came on.  Jon started quietly singing to Mom along with it and to his surprise she began singing as well.  She struggled to form the words and to voice similar notes and rhythm.  Many would not consider it much but in her state it is a precious exertion that she is willing to expend for the hymns she loves so much.

After Mom’s short rest, we put on some YouTube and showed Mom her favorite music video, “Smiles for Life”, by Alex Boye and then one of her favorite Studio C sketches, “Dana’s Dead”.  We had an incident last night where Mom coughed and sputtered a bit while we were getting her water before bed.  It got Dad a little wet, and afterward Mom thought it was pretty funny.  It reminded Dad of “Dana’s Dead” — that really gets her laughing, which is why we watched it today.  You’ll understand when you watch it.  I’ll include a link below.  As she usually does, Mom loved it and laughed out loud as we watched.  The picture of her on the couch with a huge smile is while we were watching it.

After Mom’s sit in the sun, Carol noticed that she was pretty warm.  Angie went to help change her into something cooler and jokingly suggested that Mom go for a swim in their little indoor pool.  Much to Angie’s surprise, Mom’s eyes lit up and she nodded and it was clear she wanted to.  A couple days ago we suggested it, but she was scared to try — but not today.  So, they put her in her swimsuit and we brought her to the pool.  It took all of us helping to get her into the water safely, but once she was in, she loved it.  I think it really helped to loosen her up.  Her arms and legs tend to get stiff during the day and floating in the pool seemed to be relaxing for her.

This evening Mom smiled and laughed along with Jon as they watched Anne of Avonlea.  (Yesterday they watched Anne of Green Gables.)  It really is the perfect thing to watch with Mom right now.  It’s such good wholesome entertainment and an old family favorite.  Since we’ve seen it so many times, it is easy for Mom to follow along and she seems to really enjoy it.

We ended the day again singing Mom to sleep — or at least, singing before she went to sleep.  I think she likes staying awake to listen to us, so we have to stop so we don’t keep her up too late.  We always either start and/or end with the Family Prayer Song Joseph wrote a few years ago that she loves so much.

Thank you all for your love and prayers and support.

Smiles for Life: http://youtu.be/Zz3ZbP0IF7A
Dana’s Dead: http://youtu.be/5BxyeGdCyD4