weekend with grandma

My maternal grandma, who also happens to have Alzheimer's, spent the last few days with us. She left behind a few kleenexes, (in both our top dresser drawer & a pen holder) a newly arranged guest room, (she kept rearranging all our pictures, figurines & books) and a lovely little note (addressed to no one in particular and signed with her first & last name) which accompanied a little gift of rose scented soap (it smells just like her.) She also left us with some chocolate milk in our fridge (she picked it out at the grocery store and every time we got her a glass she said verbatim "mmmm, that's so good! {with shock} did you make this?") and a whole slew of funny memories. And even though it was an extremely long 3 days (see exhausting!) we're so grateful to have had them with her. Because, for all we know, those could have been her best 3 days. Most likely she will only be getting worse from here on out. Harder to handle and more confusing to speak with. So we're happy. Happy she was able to come see our home and tour around Logan with us. And happy that she was so pleasant and cheerful.

While she was here we enjoyed a lovely picnic up in the mountains. We rented and watched The Young Victoria (basically on repeat. she got through the movie and all the extra features twice.) and went out to dinner a couple times. She went grocery shopping with me and thoroughly enjoyed pushing the cart. And she absolutely loved washing our dishes. We didn't mind either (despite the fact they all had to be rewashed) because it kept her busy and made her feel useful. These were the successful activities. The library however was NOT a success. Nor was the scenic drive up the canyon. And taking pictures only lasted about 5 minutes before that was out. Cooking was a big fat impossible, except for the pre-packaged caesar salad we put together the one night we ate in. That was the same night ryan found a package of parmesan cheese in his salad. (In theory cooking sounds like a perfect diversion, but grandma has no patience for chopping and dicing and sautéing and waiting.) But grandma & I both loved when 4:30 rolled around and ryan came home. This was the much anticipated time of day. Grandma would ask throughout the day "how long does he have to work?" (I have to admit, I sometimes felt like asking that very same question!)

But then there are moments like these that make it all worthwhile and extremely difficult to not laugh right out loud.

• while watching Julie & Julia: "I've seen this once, oh it must have been at least 10 years ago."
• in response to a line in the above mentioned movie: "What's a B*tch? What is a b*tch??"
• an older park worker was joking round with grandma and mentioned that his "bendover was broken" and with concern grandma responds: "Oh dear! I hope that's not too serious."
• while looking through my mission albums grandma mentions: "oh, i've been on 2 or 3 missions at least. To England, Taiwan, Japan... oh, and that other place." ryan: "the phillipians?" (i don't know why he offered that one.) "Oh yes, there too. And holland, New Zealand. Yes, I've been on quite a few missions." (she has in fact been on one - to Arizona)
• while gazing at the silhouettes I made of ryan & I and a small print I found at D.I. a couple weeks ago she says: "Now, I had these same two pictures in my house down in the basement. Someone took them without even asking. My kids are always doing that. Was that you?" (This accusation was repeated at least half a dozen times over the weekend.)
• after grandmas bath on friday I inquired: "How was your bath grandma?" she responded with: "Oh, not great. It was a bath! There's nothing enjoyable about a bath."
• and then the time when she actually walked into our neighbors house while I was standing with the door open to ours asking her to come get her purse. I still don't know how that mixup actually happened.