It's over.

My mom has gone to heaven today.  Continued prayers please.

Not going well.

Things are not going well for us at the nursing home.  We have more bad news each day and we've had to call and speak with mom's brothers and sisters and tell them how bad it is now.  Each day this week, mom has lost ground and gotten weaker, despite excellent nursing care and the doctor seeing her every day.  Prayers please.

Crazy roller coaster.

We're on one of the parts of the roller coaster of life, where you just feel like you may lose your lunch, or worse.  Mom is in the nursing home but is not doing well.  The doctor calls me pretty much every night with bad reports.  She doesn't want to eat or drink, she's agitated, she's upset.  I knew that she would be agitated and upset with this move, as with any move, because she doesn't know the people and the building is unfamiliar.  I hope that will resolve and she will settle in.  The eating and drinking has been an ongoing thing and apparently is characteristic of the end-stages of Alzheimer's disease.  My husband and I were talking last night and I realized that I've known she's had this at least since 2003, so 13 years.  That's longer than most people live with the disease.  So, needless to say, we are having some really hard times here and would appreciate prayers and warm thoughts.

On the other hand, we have kids who are thriving and growing and doing things and we are happy about all of those things.  My daughter is doing very well with the little store we are selling art in and in orders that we get from posts on Facebook about our booth at the store.  She is doing well with the job duties at the store and the cash register/computer tasks and it is awesome.  I'm very happy she's doing so well   Youngest son graduated last weekend, and this past weekend, turned 18 and yesterday, got his driver's permit and drove for the first time.  Milestones, good things all.

I am up, down, up, down throughout the day, but I think I am calmer with mom at the new place.  There is a little bit of peace knowing that she is getting the best care possible and that we personally don't need to drive there to make sure that she eats.  So that's something.  I guess.  Requesting continued warm thoughts and prayers as we try to navigate the end stages of this horrible (beyond words) disease and at the same time try to celebrate milestones with our kids.   I'm also sad about the recent bad news from Orlando, but the truth is, other than a few prayers here and there for the families, I haven't spared them a lot of my thoughts.  :-(

Reba McIntire said it best when she said "I guess the world didn't stop for my broken heart."  It doesn't. The world just goes right on around you.  It's kind of a shock that it does.

Trying to take a mental health day.

We have found a nursing home for my mom.  I know that this is what we have to do, but it is hard.  I am worried about how she will do here, but she's not doing well where she is, so maybe this will be better.  I am trying to be hopeful.  The last 5 or 6 days have been taken up with mom's care, with her falling several times this week at assisted living and every time it happens, either she has to go to the emergency room or we have to go up there and sign a paper declining an emergency room visit.  It's made for a crazy week.  Tomorrow, if things go well and all the paperwork is in order, we will move her.  I looked at my two kids who live here last night and said "We may have to move grandma again on Friday and it might just be the three of us" and what did my wonderful kids say?  "Ok."  They didn't even say it with dread or whining.  They are better people than I was when I was their age.  I kind of hate that all this is happening right when my son is graduating from high school (last weekend) and turning 18 (this weekend) and he might actually have to be moving mom on Saturday, which is his birthday, but what can I do?  Life is hard and adulthood, which he is on the verge of, is made up of things like this.

So today, I am trying to take a mental health day, to get over the past few days and to try and prepare myself for the next few days.

Recognized.

They had graduate recognition at our church yesterday and each graduate came up to the front, had a small bio about their high school career and their plans for the future read aloud and received a bible.  We don't have any kind of formal ceremony around here, so that's the only recognition that my graduates get.  I think they enjoy it a little bit.  They are shy but sometimes having a little positive attention is a good thing.  Youngest son got his  bible and also got some monetary gifts from members of the congregation, which he wasn't expecting but really appreciated.  :-)

So now it's officially over.  :-P

I do need to write his transcript.  Next week he turns 18 and will get his driver's permit and start learning to drive.  That's going to be interesting.  

Pushing academics.

These are the kinds of things I annoy my friends and acquaintances with on Facebook, the things I am passionate about.  I feel like there are a few of us speaking out against pushing children so hard, but our voices are being overwhelmed by the compulsory schooling/testing mentality.  Individually, moms and dads, save your kids from this and let them play when they are little.

Sky candy.

Early academic training causes long term harm.

"Early academic training somewhat increases children’s immediate scores on the specific tests that the training is aimed at (no surprise), but these initial gains wash out within 1 to 3 years and, at least in some studies, are eventually reversed.  Perhaps more tragic than the lack of long-term academic advantage of early academic instruction is evidence that such instruction can produce long-term harm, especially in the realms of social and emotional development."

There's a deer in this picture, taken from inside my car on the driveway.

Educating too early
"Recent studies with four-year-olds showed that, “Direct instruction really can limit young children’s learning.” Direct instruction also limits a child’s creativity, problem solving, and openness to ideas beyond the situation at hand. This is true when the instruction comes from parents as well as teachers."