Hello to All!
I was the single-handed visitor during the day today---John and Claud away together (much deserved!), Anthony appointment, Dad with Anthony...so all who was left was me! I say that to say--- MOM SLEPT ALL DAY!!!! Exasperating! Here I thought I'd have her all to myself and that we could "play" all day---but no... she slept. When I first arrived mid morning, mom was asleep. I called to her, gently nudged her...then just did her physical therapy...at which time, she opened her eyes a crack, but then saw it was me and opened them widely and excitedly (in her facial expression) and smiled slightly with her mouth and much with her face and eyes...then, with the smile on her face, along with a look of contentment, she went to sleep. This continued throughout the day up until the end of my last visit at 4. Disappointing for me, to say the least. And of course, even though I know sleep is medicinal and necessary in healing, I always fear she is slipping backward at these times and not remaining where she is. Dad arrived as I left.
Lenny and I went on a Rosh Hashanna (I probably just slaughtered the spelling here! LOL) dinner cruise on the Great South Bay this evening. It was wonderful. After the cruise, we returned to see mom and tuck her in and kiss her good night---around 10:45 p.m. WELL...GUESS WHO WAS UP WATCHING TV??!!! From the data sheets and charts, Dad, Anthony and Con (all came in the late afternoon into the evening) reported that mom was wide awake when they came to visit. Thank God. While Anthony and Con were there, mom took her glasses off, rubbed her eye and put them back on!. She said, "What" out loud while they were there, she watched TV and they talked to her and did her physical therapy. When Lenny and I were there, she watched TV as well, but then we tried something JoAnn suggested; we gave her a small dry erase board and some markers and watched what she'd do (Ant and Con tried it too). She remembered how to hold a marker!!! She made marks on the board and then Lenny made an upper and lower case D and asked her to do it---she did try to and made something similar!! Then she just made marks on the board but not randomly, as though she was trying hard to write something. She didn't like the activity though because she began to look away from the board and at the TV when Lenny asked her to write and then she held the marker upside down in her hand and wouldn't write anymore. Too funny!! Lenny, however, the new ABA Behavior Therapist, went to the TV, shut it off, then told her, "Look at me" while touching his finger first to his nose then to hers. He then modeled writing on the board and said, "First write, then TV. Do you want to earn TV? Then write." It was too precious to watch!!! She made a mark on the board disgustedly then turned away from it all!! He applauded her and put the TV back on---her reward. We prayed with her and left the TV on (Lenny complained she would have nothing to do if we shut it---I want to teach her night from day). The struggles of 2 teachers (and strong personalities!!). Praise God.
"Show me your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths." Psalm 25:4
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