Tuesday Morning at Mom & Dad's

We got mom & Dad's before 10:30 yesterday. Abbey was sleeping and I tried to get her into the house quietly so she'd sleep. Yeah, right. Jeff was cooking breakfast (he's in restaurant business) to include biscuits and gravy of course. He is TRUE southern right down to the accent and his boots. Adam was promptly put into a chair and everyone tried to get him some breakfast. He basically would only eat the cinnamon rolls. As Adam was getting all that attention, I held sleep-deprived Abigail. My Dad leaned in and started talking to her. Her 1,000 watt smile came on. She was just loving her grandpa...! Glad he got some positive response as she's been kind of picky and fussy lately....

Sarah has been training at beauty school so she cut my Dad's hair. Adam at first wanted to grab the clippers of course. And then he wanted to climb in Grandpa's lap. Sarah was like Chrissa can you get him? But I was feeding her new son Jamison and Jeff had lulled Abbey into a catnap on his chest after she had started to get overtired and fussy again. The first pic is Abbey with her new boyfriend! I said sorry!! She's in for it in a year or two with Jamison, for sure!
At one point I asked my Dad if he minded if I had a photographer come to the house and do portraits with my kids. He said whatever you want. Like he was saying if that's what I need. I kind of do. Then we were talking about military portraits. I have one that my dad had taken...he said it was on a carrier ship. He's in a Navy bomber jacket, but he didn't fly. He said they just let you grab whatever as they hadn't been issued dress uniforms. I put this picture up in my bedroom as a teen and have displayed it ever sense, getting it professionally framed a couple of years ago to preserve it. He looks like a movie store...some people say it looks like Elvis. Especially with the way they would hand color pictures like that in the 60's. Then my Dad said he thought he was on the U.S.S. Enterprise at the time. But he wasn't sure. Jeff was like I think you're confused buddy! Which clearly he was as that was the Star Trek ship. He looked embarrassed that he was wrong...but did not make the Star Trek connection so I changed the subject.
As Sarah was cutting his hair, our cousin Jenny Lynn called. She is a lesbian. Dad heard us talking about her and he said Jenny? Oh Yeah I guess she's all over facebook making out with her girlfriend and we were like Dad shhh she's on the phone!! And he was like really? Your Uncle Ken calls her Jimmy. And I got to eye level and said Dad she's on the phone and he was like oh sorry I guess I screwed that up. We assured him she didn't hear. My Dad doesn't care she's a lesbian...he's not judgemental. But, you know, that generation still has their jokes... And I could see his ability to register what we were saying has slowed. I already knew it..I just really saw it there.

The haircut made him look younger and healthier. As we put the kids in the car he told Adam he wanted to come see him, so I talked to my mom this morning and she is going to drop him off here while she visits her mom at Pontiac tomorrow. I told him I'd take him to Rudy's if he liked. He wanted to say hi to Abbey on the phone so I put her on. She immediately smiled when she heard her grandpa's voice.

The night I had visited him in the hospital when he was out of it, he told me that Abbey put a sparkle in his eye like when he had his own daughter...me. So it's nice she's happy to see him!

The panic isn't all controlling anymore, though I still have my moments.. I am starting to be able to live with this. I am so happy to have some time with him...and want to focus on those times. When I got off the phone with him today, he thanked me for calling. That's my Dad. He expects very little from anyone and is always happy when someone does anything for him.

Both Carolyn and Sarah are coming to their peace. I think karma moved him back here with me and Bobby as I think we are the types who are going to need to spend as much time with him as possible to deal with this. There is no wrong way.

Sarah left today and Carolyn and her family are arriving super early Saturday.

I ordered True Blood Season 2 and Dexter Season 3 for my Dad for Father's Day. Both shows he got me into. After Chris left, I told my dad I was looking for mindless television to fill the hours...that's when he turned me onto Dexter. This past winter, he told Todd and I several times to try True Blood...we ended up watching two seasons in two weeks....Todd telling me we are all sick people for watching this stuff! Dexter season 4 doesn't come out until August and I had a bitter moment when I realized that pre-ordering that for him was not wise.

ps The last picture is mine & Sarah's attempt to get all three kids in one pic!