Mom update, October 10, 2010, Sunday

Mom had an amazing day!! From 10:00 a.m. through 3:30 p.m., mom was alert and interactive! Claudia and Ava arrived first. Ava was in the middle of telling mom a story about George Washington from her Art History class at college and Claudia laughed at part of the story (like laughing at what Ava said) and mom gave Claudia the angriest look!!! As if to say, "Don't you laugh at Ava!!" Mom also mouthed some of the words to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" as Ava sang the song to her.

Anthony, my brother, continues to make mom laugh uncontrollably!!! She just looks at him and laughs!! He and Anthony Michael were dancing and she became hysterical!! Ava played the guitar and we all sang "What a Wonderful World" and mom mouthed some of the words. She clapped her hands several times independently. She smiled really big smiles!

The most amazing thing Mom did today was READ!!!!! We began by writing our names on the dry erase board, then showing mom and asking, "What does this say?" and she read everything we showed her!!! She either whispered or mouthed the words!!! Here's some of what she read:

-All our names (Kathy, Claudia, Anthony, Anthony Michael, Con, Jean, Ava, John, Terry, Lenny...)
'Gilman'
"Dorothy"
"The Gilman Family"
"I am Dorothy"
"I have 4 children"
"Belmont Avenue"
"West Babylon"
"Yankees Win"
"Mets Losers"
"Carol"
"Flo" (sounded out the F sound first)
"Maureen" (sounded out the first syllable over and over first)
"Dotty and Jean"
"Anthony has a big head"
"I love you"
"I like music"
"Anthony is my-my-my-...." (we read 'sweetheart')
"Laugh at Anthony"
"I am happy"
"I was born in Brooklyn"
"I love Samantha and Anthony"

She combed her own hair...and Anthony and Dad's too.

Anthony told her that he would bring her organ to the center and play it while Con sings and mom laughed sooooo hard!!!! We just laughed with her all morning...it was a fun day. She slept from 3:30 on until I left at 8:30 p.m.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him" 2 Corinthians 2:14