Christmas and Beyond

Nathan and Sara looking at the book that Chiska Compiled

Christmas Morning I was surprised that the kids did not get up earlier.  We set out alarm for 7:00 a.m. with instructions to call us if the kids wanted to open their presents.  The alarm went off and when we texted Sara that we were going to breakfast she said that they were already there.  So we all ate breakfast and then we went back to their room and began to open presents.  I thought that Santa had dropped his whole load there.  We played until about 11:00 a.m. and then decided that rather than have Nathan go back to the care center then we would take him home and figure out how to get him in the house.  So we ordered the taxi to take him to the house.

Quilt that Chiska made

One of the things that got opened that morning was a quilt that was made by Chiska Williams from the fabric that was sent to her when she started the Group on Facebook, Nathan and Sara.  They also had a book with pages from people that had contributed fabric with messages to Nathan and Sara.  One of the messages even had cash in it.  There are pictures of Nathan and Sara looking at the book and of them holding up the quilt.

David playing at the hotel.  Maggie in foreground

When we got to the house he rode in his wheel chair through the garage as close as he could get to the door from the garage to the kitchen and Sara carried him on her back as a human walker and then we got him to the rolling desk chair that they have and he sat in that.  He seemed to like rolling around the house and looking at different things.  When he noticed something that was different he would ask about it.  He really seemed to enjoy seeing the dogs again and they seemed to enjoy him.  All though at first Hercules didn't seem to know him.  But, considering that he is about 90 in dog years that was not too unusual.

Isaac playing with his new nook

I thought that Santa had dropped his whole load at the hotel but I was wrong.  The kids had just as many presents to open at home as at the hotel.  We had a good time opening the gifts there and then everyone began playing and watching movies.  BJ and Holly had sent them Despicable Me 2 and Monster's University so we watched those for a while.

We had one scare.  Nathan was trying to watch what Isaac was doing with a game and leaned over the couch arm so far that his body flipped him out of the couch and onto the ground.  He could not get up so Sara and I attempted to pull him up.  I am sure that Sara did most of the lifting because I could hardly lift him.  He was soooo heavy.  We finally got him back in the couch after about two lifts but I felt like a real whimp.

Maggie with her Flashlight Bunny

Sammy trying to charge his nook

Getting Nathan to the bathroom with no handrails was also a job.  We were able to roll him in the chair but it would not go through the door so Sara had to pick him up and act as the human walker again and help him to the toilet.  Once he gets there he cannot pull down his pants himself so I had to go that and then he was able to go.  Getting him back was as complicated as getting him there.  It would be good if Sara could put in some adaptations but if she even puts in a few things here then she loosed her VA money which is $60,000 so she has been hesitant to put in any of the things he needs at this house because she wants to save it for a future house.

Sara fixed a great dinner of Ham and Funeral Potatoes with green beans.  She had also made cookies the day before and we had that and fruit for dessert.  It was a great ham that the Lions Club had got them for part of the sponsorship of their family for Christmas.

I didn't know that they have handicapped accommodated taxis

Nathan with Roxie

After dinner we got Nathan in the Taxi and followed it to the Meridian Care Center, Which is where he is staying right now.  It is a fairly nice care center and has a sign in the front that says it was voted #1 care center in San Antonio in 2013 but it is not like the VA Poly-trauma Center.  It does have a smell to it and Nathan has to go to a common shower to take a shower.  The room is very small and he is not required to share with someone else like most of the other patients because his wheelchair takes up so much room he would not be able to turn around.  The bathroom has the bars he needs but it is old and not very esthetically pleasing and much smaller than the one at the VA.  The Doctor at the center is working with Sara to get him to a place that is a rehabilitation center because this is a skilled nursing facility and they do some rehabilitation with him but he says it is not challenging like at the VA.  They have yet to pick him up and take him to the VA like they said that they would.  We looked around and went with Nathan to dinner and did visit for a while and went home about 8:00 p.m. because he said that was his bedtime.

Thursday we got up at 7:00 a.m.  We got ready and did prayer and scripture and then went to the Golds Gym close to their home with our visitor passes.  Then we went to visit Nathan.  Sara and the kids came about the same time and we all had a good time visiting together.  We went home for part of the afternoon about 3:30 p.m.   We just hung out at the house and ate for awhile and then I realized that I had promised Nathan that we would go back to the care center.  I texted him and asked if it was too late because it was 7:30 p.m. and he said that he was still up and would like us to come so we went over.

Sammy and Isaac playing at home

We had a good talk at the care center.  Nathan is talking so much better but he says it is not easy because he has to articulate so much to be understood.  He has some problem that is common in stroke victims that makes his emotions hard to control so he spent a lot of time explaining how he sometimes gets upset and crys or laughs inappropriately and it is hard for him to control once it starts.  He is trying hard to control it but Sara says that there is a medicine they can give him for it and she thinks that he needs it.  He is quite concerned about it because people are telling him that he is yelling and he does not think he is yelling at people but then once it started it is hard to stop.

We left the care center at about 9:00 p.m.  We thought that we would try to find our way home but we got lost and ended up in Universal City which is just next door to Converse.  We were just turning on our GPS when a policeman pulls Larry over for speeding.  It seems that they have a 30 mph on their mainstreet and we were going 42.  Larry was really upset.  He told the guy that we were lost but of course that drew no sympathy.  We are supposed to go to court on Feb. 12 so that will be interesting.

Sara trying to unwrap the doll ponies

Sara spent the evening dying her hair and doing things with her kids while we were at the care center.

Friday we went through the same rituals as Thursday in the morning because we had promised Sara that we would tend the kids for her in the afternoon so that she could get her hair cut and do a few things that she needed to do.  Larry did help her get her van to the repair shop in the morning so she could get some things repaired before they go to St. Louis to visit her dad on Sunday.  We thought we might get back to the care center that night but it did not turn out that way.

I spent most of the afternoon working on our budget so that we would know where we are.  Larry spent most of the afternoon watching Bones on Netflix.  I watched with him.  The kids spent the afternoon playing on their electronic devises and with their Christmas presents.  It was really cute listening to Maggie and Sammy playing with the Castle that she got for the Christmas to go with some type of standup pony dolls.  It is always fun to listen to their make believe as they talk.

Gingerbread houses the kids made before we came

Sara made some bean soup for dinner with the ham that we had for Christmas dinner and then she went out again.  This time she took Maggie with her and they had a good time running errands together.  They came back about 9:30 p.m.  Larry went to bed but I stayed up looking at the internet about Kathy Reich the inspiration for Bones and then Facebook.  I should have been working on this.  I also tried to connect my active link for Weight Watchers but the website would not work.

This morning I slept in and so did Larry because I turned off my alarm.  We got ready and went to the gym.  Then we went to see Nathan.  He was just finishing up lunch when we got there.  He had not gone to rehabilitation today and his bed was not made but he was in good spirits.  We had a good talk about a lot of topics.  He is still concerned about his lack of control of his emotions.  We stayed for more than an hour but then we needed to go get Larry some lunch.

When we got to the house Sara and the kids had left.  She had activate the alarm and it went off.  Larry did not know what to do so we got the number in late.  Luckily the person who called the house took the fact that I was the mother-in-law and only called Sara.  Sara had really worked hard to get the house clean while we were gone.  She was trying to get it cleaned before she leaves tomorrow.

Terrarium that Larry and Leslie sent the boys when Nathan had his stroke

Sara went to see Nathan so they did not get home until about 3:30 p.m. We ate lunch and watched a Bones.  I think we are addicted to Bones!!  Then we went back to visit with Nathan for a while.  We stayed until 5:45 p.m.  We have been  able to have some good talks with Nathan this time.  He is more there cognitive and less emotional than before and he is trying so hard to figure out how to deal with the problems of the stroke.

Sara wanted to go to a party with some friends tonight so we are babysitting again for her.  Boys are watching a movie.  Maggie is asleep. We are watching Bones.