To the Pool

We use the chair lift to get Mom in the water.
It is a nice gadget, but she always seems nervous that it won't work.
She does enjoy the water.

Lunch at Grandma's house.

We managed to make the trek to the Condell Centre Club in Gurnee so that Mom could get some therapy pool time. The boys really love the child care area because they get to interact with other kids. Anna is less thrilled but seems to tolerate the playroom. She usually picks out a favorite child care worker and stays by that person during her visit.

It is hard to get Grandma motivated to go. She likes to go around noon, when there are few people there, but then she must miss her soap operas (horrors!) I would be more sympathetic if she 1) managed to stay awake through the programs 2) didn't read online recaps 3) did not have access to the replay on the all soap cable channel.

It is worth the hassle of Mom being annoyed with me because the warm water of the therapy pool gives her pain relief, allows her to exercise, plus improves both her balance and range of motion. They offer a fantastic Arthritis Aquatic program, but sadly Mom can't participate because she can't hear the instructor.

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability among seniors. So many people suffer from it and only treat it with medication. Exercise really is the key to maintaining functioning. The tough thing about exercise is that when one has arthritis is hurts to move. The Arthritis Foundation has created wonderful exercise programs and guidelines. I have seen the exercise programs really change the quality of life significantly for older clients and I urge anyone who has or is caring for someone with arthritis to find a program in their area.

I am delighted to see Mom in the water again, and aghast at how much functional decline she has suffered over the winter. The multiple bouts of bronchitis kept her in the house, and worse, in her chair far too much. With arthritis immobility is the enemy. Part of me feels terrible, guilty and responsible for the decline. The rational part of me knows I am not all-powerful and could not have prevented the entire decline. I still wish I had been able to get her moving more. The good news is that we can improve her functionality as long as we can keep her other health issues under control, and keep her moving.

Afterwards we picked up lunch and headed over to her home in Gurnee to enjoy it on her back porch. It was a fun day.

At the beach!

JJ finds driftwood and thinks it is from a sunken pirate ship.

Fun at the Lake

The Ham brothers

Anna takes in the view

Eddie and Anna
In true form, Ben stripped off his shorts and dove right in. He is fearless and nearly unstoppable. I did manage to keep him from 'going commando' as Eddie would say when he started to strip off his underwear.

We took advantage of the great weather to get down to the Waukegan Municipal Beach and have some fun. I am delighted that the kids are now old enough that I think we can visit there often. Today we were lucky to have Eddie, one of my 16 year old nephews join us.

We often take Sunday drives down to the harbor and the beach. Mom likes to look for the giant ships that come to the harbor to offload the materials for cement and drywall. Of course the lovely ice cream shop at the Harbor is always a draw for Grandma and the kids.

My Dad spent 44 years working just blocks from this beach at Johnson Motors, which later became OMC, and later still went bankrupt. Some of the buildings still remain, but the Tool & Dye building was the first to be torn down. It is nice to see the area being revitalized, but it makes me a bit sad, like somehow there is less and less of my Dad around.

Another slice

Brooke in her First Communion dress.

Brittany the graduate was very elusive. This is the only picture I got with her in it.
Brooke with the sign for her big sister.

Anna with Oma

Everyone loves Aunt Bert!

We spent yesterday at a graduation/ First Communion Party for my nieces Brittany and Brooke. It was a beautiful day and a great chance to see my husband's family.

His mom Theresa (Oma) just had a knee replacement last month. Oma is a trooper- not just because she was a good sport with the surgery, she really is quite a wonderful person. Oma lives with my sister-in-law Bert who does a great job looking after Oma. Oma spent a couple of weeks in a rehab unit of a nursing home recovering her strength. We used this great nursing home rating site, Member of the Family, to research facilities in the area.

I adore my sister-in-law Bert. I appreciate all of the things she does to care for Oma. Cheers Bert!

People say odd things

I went grocery shopping the other day, to take advantage of my last pre summer break opportunity to shop with just two kids. We were cruising in our fire truck cart, Anna at the wheel and JJ as the scout, and this man shook his head, nodded toward the cart and said "I'm sure glad I am not you!" I just sort of chuckled politely.

Initially I thought Mr. Sucks-To-Be-You was referring to my boisterous children. Then I glanced down at my cart and realized that the items on top were two large, brightly colored, packs of Depend® undergarments.

Was Mr. Sucks-To-Be-You assuming I pee myself? Is that why he was glad he wasn't me?

Speaking of Depends®, I am so grateful for this product and Mom's willingness to wear them. It is an undignified thing to endure having incontinence and some people react by refusing to deal with any sort of therapy or products. Mom is a trooper- she knows that she just can't always move fast enough to make the bathroom and would rather not "make a mess."

It really does help that Depend® makes a good comfortable underwear like product. We have tried cheaper generics and other brands, but these just feel better to her and seem to fit better. I remember the early versions of these, they were awful. They had plastic like covers, needed awkward belts and made a conspicuous swishing noise when someone walked. This version seems to be designed much better. Manufacturer coupons off-set the price, and you can download them online.

I am also too excited that this company gets Panini's and participates in the Box Tops for Education Program that benefits my kids' schools.

So buzz off Mr. Sucks-To-Be-You. I am grateful for my children and the Depends®. Plus, don't make me laugh too hard at your witty observations, I just might loose control....

Kindergarten Graduation

The school year went quickly. My kindergartner is now a first grader.


After the church 'ceremony' we had punch and cookies in the vestibule. We headed outside to enjoy the treats, but they had to wait for some photos. Ben was not too thrilled about his tie on his neck, but enjoyed admiring it on his pocket. Anna was all about the cookie and wouldn't look at the camera.
Ben is clearly not big on ceremony.
Matthew seemed to have a good time.

Today we are heading to the therapy pool with Grandma for the first time in months. I expect lots of protests along the way. I know she will feel better but tired when she is finished. I am hoping that the boys will be able to keep Anna happy in the day care center.

I am hoping to get posting in a more timely way. I enjoy reading so many peoples blogs and feel a bit guilty for not keeping up.