Last post of 2009 (a long one)
I am currently in flight back to Seattle as I write this. I am very happy that it didn't take me 3 days to get to PA like last Christmas. I was actually surprised how easy this trip went and on dates closer to the holiday. Sea-Tac was empty when I arrived on Dec. 23rd at 2pm. I was checked in and through security in 15 minutes. Trip home was really nice but the 6 1/2 days went very quick.
The highlights-
1 • Christmas at Woodriver Village
2 • Jacob and Marissa's silliness
3 • getting quality catch-up time with Carrie and finally meeting her kids
4 • Knowing my grandparents are not in pain
5 • my mom and her magic
1. We spent several hours Christmas Eve and Christmas day at Woodriver Village, where my grandparents reside in the intensive care area. My mom had chapstick (for all the old people's crusty mouths), homemade chocolate covered treats and hot cocoa to be handed to the residents. Cousin Danny came dressed as Santa, Cousin Peggy was his helper. My great-aunt Estelle played piano for a little bit while my mom and cousin Peggy danced, acted goofy and tried their best to get the very tired Santa to shake it up a little. I took photos and socialized with all the old peeps. It was really great. Besides decorations, the center had nothing planned so this was really awesome of my mom to do. My mom stops in 3x's a week and has gotten to know a lot of the residents. Others don't as many visitors as my grandparents Fran & Kate so it's become hard for my mom to see these people sitting around as if a holiday is just any other day. She didn't even ask the staff. We showed up and gave the residents a party. Residents from other areas were riding their motorized chairs to that ICU area because they heard there was a party or Santa was there. It was a huge hit and my mom plans on doing it every year going forth. If I'm home, I'm definitely taking part. It was a great way to spend the holiday. Especially since we still had the evening to enjoy dinner and the company of family and friends.
2. Most mornings I was a lazy bum sleeping in, therefore a slacker aunt to the kids. The sore throat I had for 3 days didn't help but the kids would come in and climb on the bed to wake me up and show me things. On the days that I wouldn't follow their lead, Marissa started giving me different dolls. She would say "here aunt Aimee, you can sleep with so and so" Jake is a riot! The kid's little tough voice is funny, especially since he sounds a little southern. He is always starting his sentences off "hey Aunt Aimee..." in this little deep voice. He loves to attack while Marissa loves acting proper like a little princess. They love playing pretend. Marissa opened her little play laptop and told my mom "I'm going to skype my boyfriend." It was very nice of Marissa to let me have her bed for the week. I called the room "princess central." We had a funny moment with Jake. My friend Casey came to visit me and the family one night. While he was using the bathroom, without anyone noticing Jake walked in and in his little deep voice said he had to go too! We felt bad for Casey but he was a good sport about it. He yelled for assistance as he is like me, never dealt with a kid in potty-training. I helped Jake do his business as my mom (who never had boys) and Casey stood by laughing and hoping he knows what he's doing. He's a funny 2 yr old who probably tried to push Casey put of his way.
3. Oh Carrie. Best friend from high school. After graduation, I went off to college and she joined the coast guard. For ten years we managed to see each other frequently as she resided in Boston and I in Philly. With me relocating to Seattle, my grandparents roller coaster health and the birth of my niece and nephew, it's been impossible to visit Carrie so the last time I saw her was over 4 years ago when he got married in Boston. She now has 2 little ones and just relocated back to PA. It was GREAT catching up and finally seeing Liam and Cian in person. Time does not past with true friendships. It's like we haven't missed a moment. We laughed a lot. We also discovered a great little pub near her house. We both are clueless when it comes to what's new or good in our old stomping grounds.
4. Many know that my grandparents are living well past their expectancy. 3yrs ago this upcoming February, my grandpop was diagnosed with stomach cancer. We were told his heart would go before the cancer killed him. The cancer has gone to my grandpop's brain so he is repeating words and phrases nonstop. BUT he is "with it" and coherent most the time and not in pain since he is on morphine. He even ask if he's repeating himself. He's funny yet tough like I always knew him to be. Grandmom stopped eating and things went downhill in February of 2008 and they didn't expect her to live past July that year. I flew home around that time to bid farewell. She's a tough cookie because now it's almost 2 years later and she is eating but in this weird waiting time. She hasn't been with it in years but that Xmas day we think she thought it was a family party, seeing one of her sisters playing the piano with the other one at her side. She asked someone to wheel her around to say hi to everyone. That's something she would had done 8 years ago so that was special. She always loved the piano so hearing her sister brought tears to her eyes. I have had some really emotional visits with them but this trip was different because though I never know if its the last goodbye I will say to them, at least now I know that when the time comes, they will go in peace. Plus, until then they aren't complaining and miserable as much as they use to be.
5. Many people tell me I'm like my mom but I don't take that lightly as that's A LOT to live up to. Maybe we have the same quirky personality and things can go over our heads sometimes but there are things my mom does that I can only hope I can follow in the same footsteps. For the last 10 years she has bent over backwards for my grandparents. She works full time, visits my grandparents three times a week, now spends time chatting with the other residents, cooks and cleans for her and my dad (I'm sure he helps now and then) and then is the rock for all her friends and extended family members. People count on my mom and yet if you asked her what she has done for herself... She probably doesn't know what to say or maybe said she found a new set of bowls on sale at Kohls that she bought for their new place. (that woman is addicted to plates and bowl sets!) I wish I could say I'm truly like her but I'm not... I live 3,000 away from my loved ones and even if she found a place she loved that far away- no way she would do that. I use to volunteer a lot, especially when in my first 2 years in Seattle. Seems like work and life events has kicked me off balance and I don't make the time to do it as much. I'm sticking to her plan of spending time at woodriver village on Christmas and going to try to find ways to helping others more often as I really always loved assisting others whether it's for advice, problem solving or putting a smile on someones face. I want to make my mom proud. I should use the caring, social traits she has passed down to me for the good.
Aside from those highlights, the trip was a busy one with many other things I could
mention. I didn't get to spend as much time in other areas as I had hoped but there is always next time. It was all about being with the people I loved this trip and I achieved that.
The highlights-
1 • Christmas at Woodriver Village
2 • Jacob and Marissa's silliness
3 • getting quality catch-up time with Carrie and finally meeting her kids
4 • Knowing my grandparents are not in pain
5 • my mom and her magic
1. We spent several hours Christmas Eve and Christmas day at Woodriver Village, where my grandparents reside in the intensive care area. My mom had chapstick (for all the old people's crusty mouths), homemade chocolate covered treats and hot cocoa to be handed to the residents. Cousin Danny came dressed as Santa, Cousin Peggy was his helper. My great-aunt Estelle played piano for a little bit while my mom and cousin Peggy danced, acted goofy and tried their best to get the very tired Santa to shake it up a little. I took photos and socialized with all the old peeps. It was really great. Besides decorations, the center had nothing planned so this was really awesome of my mom to do. My mom stops in 3x's a week and has gotten to know a lot of the residents. Others don't as many visitors as my grandparents Fran & Kate so it's become hard for my mom to see these people sitting around as if a holiday is just any other day. She didn't even ask the staff. We showed up and gave the residents a party. Residents from other areas were riding their motorized chairs to that ICU area because they heard there was a party or Santa was there. It was a huge hit and my mom plans on doing it every year going forth. If I'm home, I'm definitely taking part. It was a great way to spend the holiday. Especially since we still had the evening to enjoy dinner and the company of family and friends.
2. Most mornings I was a lazy bum sleeping in, therefore a slacker aunt to the kids. The sore throat I had for 3 days didn't help but the kids would come in and climb on the bed to wake me up and show me things. On the days that I wouldn't follow their lead, Marissa started giving me different dolls. She would say "here aunt Aimee, you can sleep with so and so" Jake is a riot! The kid's little tough voice is funny, especially since he sounds a little southern. He is always starting his sentences off "hey Aunt Aimee..." in this little deep voice. He loves to attack while Marissa loves acting proper like a little princess. They love playing pretend. Marissa opened her little play laptop and told my mom "I'm going to skype my boyfriend." It was very nice of Marissa to let me have her bed for the week. I called the room "princess central." We had a funny moment with Jake. My friend Casey came to visit me and the family one night. While he was using the bathroom, without anyone noticing Jake walked in and in his little deep voice said he had to go too! We felt bad for Casey but he was a good sport about it. He yelled for assistance as he is like me, never dealt with a kid in potty-training. I helped Jake do his business as my mom (who never had boys) and Casey stood by laughing and hoping he knows what he's doing. He's a funny 2 yr old who probably tried to push Casey put of his way.
3. Oh Carrie. Best friend from high school. After graduation, I went off to college and she joined the coast guard. For ten years we managed to see each other frequently as she resided in Boston and I in Philly. With me relocating to Seattle, my grandparents roller coaster health and the birth of my niece and nephew, it's been impossible to visit Carrie so the last time I saw her was over 4 years ago when he got married in Boston. She now has 2 little ones and just relocated back to PA. It was GREAT catching up and finally seeing Liam and Cian in person. Time does not past with true friendships. It's like we haven't missed a moment. We laughed a lot. We also discovered a great little pub near her house. We both are clueless when it comes to what's new or good in our old stomping grounds.
4. Many know that my grandparents are living well past their expectancy. 3yrs ago this upcoming February, my grandpop was diagnosed with stomach cancer. We were told his heart would go before the cancer killed him. The cancer has gone to my grandpop's brain so he is repeating words and phrases nonstop. BUT he is "with it" and coherent most the time and not in pain since he is on morphine. He even ask if he's repeating himself. He's funny yet tough like I always knew him to be. Grandmom stopped eating and things went downhill in February of 2008 and they didn't expect her to live past July that year. I flew home around that time to bid farewell. She's a tough cookie because now it's almost 2 years later and she is eating but in this weird waiting time. She hasn't been with it in years but that Xmas day we think she thought it was a family party, seeing one of her sisters playing the piano with the other one at her side. She asked someone to wheel her around to say hi to everyone. That's something she would had done 8 years ago so that was special. She always loved the piano so hearing her sister brought tears to her eyes. I have had some really emotional visits with them but this trip was different because though I never know if its the last goodbye I will say to them, at least now I know that when the time comes, they will go in peace. Plus, until then they aren't complaining and miserable as much as they use to be.
5. Many people tell me I'm like my mom but I don't take that lightly as that's A LOT to live up to. Maybe we have the same quirky personality and things can go over our heads sometimes but there are things my mom does that I can only hope I can follow in the same footsteps. For the last 10 years she has bent over backwards for my grandparents. She works full time, visits my grandparents three times a week, now spends time chatting with the other residents, cooks and cleans for her and my dad (I'm sure he helps now and then) and then is the rock for all her friends and extended family members. People count on my mom and yet if you asked her what she has done for herself... She probably doesn't know what to say or maybe said she found a new set of bowls on sale at Kohls that she bought for their new place. (that woman is addicted to plates and bowl sets!) I wish I could say I'm truly like her but I'm not... I live 3,000 away from my loved ones and even if she found a place she loved that far away- no way she would do that. I use to volunteer a lot, especially when in my first 2 years in Seattle. Seems like work and life events has kicked me off balance and I don't make the time to do it as much. I'm sticking to her plan of spending time at woodriver village on Christmas and going to try to find ways to helping others more often as I really always loved assisting others whether it's for advice, problem solving or putting a smile on someones face. I want to make my mom proud. I should use the caring, social traits she has passed down to me for the good.
Aside from those highlights, the trip was a busy one with many other things I could
mention. I didn't get to spend as much time in other areas as I had hoped but there is always next time. It was all about being with the people I loved this trip and I achieved that.
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