Furniture Fun

I've been shopping for furniture for my Mom's senior apartment and of course, couldn't help looking for myself.

I am so in love with this set of Ashley furniture.

I'm in a blue mood lately.  It makes me feel calmer in this storm of my life.  I used to have red but it was too dramatic for me.  I'm sure I'll change my mind at some point but right now I love soothing colors.

I also love this look for the dining room.  So clean and fresh looking.

 

I would love to use white in my living room but I have a 13 year old and 11 year old.  They are boys. 

 

Enough said.

 

I have a deep need to make this.  How cute would this look on my mahogany colored front door?!

 

Moms Big Move

 We have finally convinced my Mom, after a horrible summer of illness, that it's better if she moved to an Assisted Living Senior Apartment.  I've been talking to her about it since January and she never would agree to it, saying she was fine and could handle herself living alone. 

Well, take Parkinsons Disease and add in a flooded house and she's had it.  She now knows that she can't handle her house by herself and she's just not safe anymore alone.  My Mom has a form of Parkinsons in which she will never get the tremors but she falls without warning.  She will get up to walk somewhere and for no reason, black out and just slump to the ground.  She's probably fallen no less than 100 times in the last 9 months.  She's suffered very little injury when falling, which has been a blessing but some of the falls required an emergency room visit.

I've learned a lot of things in the past 4 months. 

1.  Having a Power of Attorney does nothing when the adult you are taking care of can tell medical people that they want to live by themselves.  You can only ask someone to move to an assisted living, you can't make anyone do anything.

2. Low Sodium in an older person is the scariest thing I've been through. It makes the person confused, mean, agitated, combative, halucinate, and just say all around crazy things.  My Mom had low sodium and one day out of the blue became extremely agitated, refusing to go to the doctor, take care of herself, listen to anyone, etc.  I couldn't even get her to go to the doctor to see what was going on.  All this was happening in the middle of the flood restoration at her house and she refused to leave. She stayed in the middle of new flooring, painting, cleanup.  She told the restoration guys she wanted her garage painted red (on a grey house), she wanted to charge up her car so she could do donuts in the yard (seriously-how strange is that request), she wasn't eating right at all (she only ate baked sweet potato fries-that's it) and she was generally pissed off at everyone, especially me. 

By the way, there is nothing worse than hearing your parent tell you what a horrible child and person you were and are currently.  I know she's sick and wasn't talking in her right mind but that is a self-esteem killer right there.  If I hadn't had my husband and kids around, I don't know what I would have done.

3.  Parkinsons Disease just sucks.

4.  The guilt of having to move your parent into an Assisted Living is a killer.  It's like sending your child off the kindergarten by themselves.  I just want to make her friends for her and watch her all day and night.  So hard.



I have decided that I'll do whatever it takes to make my Mom happy and feel content about moving.  She's having to leave her furniture behind because it's too big so we bought all new furniture.  Bright cheery furniture!

Her new little kitchenette in her apartment

Her new cottage style headboard

Her cottage style loveseat-you have to be happy when sitting on this.

Big chair and ottoman

Cute drop leaf table

TV stand

Trying times

This past two weeks has been the most trying time of my life.  My Mom has Parkinson's disease and has been rapidly declining since this past summer.  Well, a month ago she started acting very agitated and mean, telling me what an idiot everyone was and how I've done such a bad job taking care of her.

Of course, I took it to heart even though I knew something wasn't right with her.  I instantly thought she had a bladder infection and started begging her to go to the doctor.  She was so confused, agitated and mad at everything and everyone that she refused.  I begged for days and when we finally went, she told the doctor that I beat her and scream at her constantly.  This, after I quit work just to stay home and take care of her and do everything for her.  The doctor said she had a bladder infection, which causes extreme confusion and irritation, making people mean. 

She took her medicine and kept acting stranger and stranger.  She told us that some people come get in bed with her at night and kick her out, she asked a painter to paint the inside of her garage red, she wanted to call the police to file a report of breaking and entering because she found goldfish food at her house.  Weird stuff.  She kept acting more irrational and more irrational as the days went on.  Finally, yesterday morning, she agreed to go to the hospital because she felt so sick. 

Guess why she was acting odd.....because her SODIUM was low.  Apparently, low sodium causes the brain to become agitated, confused, fuzzy and to hallucinate.  Who knew?  I couldn't believe it and when her levels went up she started acting more like herself. 

I still really want her to go to an assisted living and she refuses which absolutely kills me. I'm terrified of her living by herself and falling.  No medical facility will help us place her either because she refuses. 

I honestly don't know what we're going to do to get her in a safe place but this has been the worst time.  So confusing and no answer in sight.  Taking care of an aging parent is more difficult than I every could have imagined.

School's Started Already-8th & 6th Grade

Today was the first day of school for the not so little guys.  T started 8th grade (he's now the oldest grade in his building) and H started 6th grade (he's now the youngest grade in his building but with an 8th grade brother). 

When they got home, H said he ran into his big brother five times in the hallway.  That makes me feel better knowing that he'll have someone watching out for him.  They both loved their classes and had a great time seeing their friends again.  I really hope this year turns out to be a great one!

 T - The 8th grader doing what he does best-playing XBox Live with his buddies on the internet.  I couldn't take his pic this morning because he had to leave at 6:30 am for football.

H - The 6th grader who hates that I ask him to pose for pictures before the first day of school - ha!
I was terrified and he was completely non-chalant as always about starting school.  Typical!

H and I sat outside last night enjoying the last sunset of summer. 

We also spent all last night worrying about our puppy Boomer.  We let him outside yesterday morning to play for just a little bit and noticed after about 30 minutes that he was laying on the ground not moving.  He was panting horribly and wouldn't even walk.  We were so scared.  We ran him to the vet and he was suffering from heatstroke.  His internal temperature was 107 degrees.  We felt so bad but the vet said we did nothing wrong.  It's that scary to have a dog outside when the temperature is close to 100.  Boomer spent the night at the vet getting fluids and we just picked him up.  Seven hundred dollars later and he's doing ok but we will be so careful when he's outside from now on.

I'm Detoxing

My hubby and I just spent last weekend at a Masonic function.  It's a group that we get together with every four months or so.  We have a group of about eight that we really enjoy spending time with while at these events.  I got to wear a nice dress and the hubs wore a tuxedo so it was fun just seeing ourselves all spiffied up for once!

We ate and drank a lot of good stuff so I thought I'd try a detox that I'd read about on It Sux To Be Fat.  I love that blog and she has great recipes for sweets, which call me like crazy!

Here's the recipe she had on her site.  I just went to Wal-mart and bought the ingredients, which were super inexpensive and easy to find. 

Arden’s Garden 2 Day Detox

Yield: 2 Gallons

Serving Size: 8 oz

Ingredients

• 48 oz fresh grapefruit juice
• 32 oz fresh orange juice
• 16 oz fresh lemon juice
• 160 oz quality steam-distilled water
• Empty 1 gal. jug for mixing
• Funnel (optional)

Directions

1. Mix together for each gallon (128 oz): 24 oz. fresh grapefruit juice, 16 oz. fresh orange juice, 8 oz. fresh lemon juice and 80 oz. distilled water.
2. Drink 8 oz. every hour until the total 128 oz. have been consumed – and that is it! No food.

I'm on Hour 5 - It's 1pm right now and I started at about 8:30am.  My stomach has been growling quite a bit in the last hour but it's really not unbearable.  I actually like the juice.  It's not very sweet and pretty tart, but tasty. 

We'll see how I do tonight, which is my snacking time.  Night time boredom kills me! 

A friend of mine told me to also get the book, The Healing Code.  She's lost about 30 pounds just going through the mediations in the book.  I'm thinking about downloading it on my phone, but I'm cheap and it's $12.  I'll be ticked if I don't read it and could have bought something with that money instead.

I must really need to lose weight because I'm passing up a Masonic dinner tonight with Italian Beef sandwiches shipped from Chicago.  I love those things. 

Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole and A 3 Year Anniversary

Yesterday I tried the best recipe.
 I mean awesome, finger licking good recipe. It's the ultimate in comfort food - I found it on the Tastebook website from a lady named Kristin. http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1881796-Chicken-Crescent-Roll-Casserole

It's super rich and filling and would be perfect on a cold winter day!  But summer works too! Trust me!

Cheesy Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole
2 (8 ounce) cans Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese or swiss cheese (or any cheese of choice)
1/2 cup 18% table cream (or use whipping cream)

FILLING 4 ounces cream cheese (very soft)
4 tablespoons butter (very soft but not melted)
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped (can use green onions)
2 large cooked chicken breasts, finely chopped (or use about 2 cups, can use cooked turkey)
1/2-3/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (or use 1/2 teaspoon white salt or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
2-4 tablespoons mayonnaise or whipping cream
1-2 cup grated cheddar cheese (for topping)

directions

1. Set oven to 350°F.
2. Butter a casserole dish (any size to hold crescent rolls).
3. In a saucepan, mix half and half cream, 3/4 cup grated cheese (can use more cheese if desired) and undiluted chicken soup (can season with black pepper if desired).
4. Heat just until the cheese melts (do not boil).
5. For the filling --- (make certain that the cream cheese and butter are very soft) in a bowl, mix the soft cream cheese with butter until very smooth, then add in garlic powder (if using).
6. Add in the chopped chicken, onion and cheddar cheese; mix well until combined.
7. Add in 2 tablespoons whipping cream or mayonnaise; mix to combine (add in a little more if the mixture seems too dry).
8. Season with seasoned salt or white and black pepper to taste.
9. Unroll the crescent rolls.
10. Place 1 heaping tablespoon chicken mixture (or a little more) on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end.
11. Drizzle a small amount of soup mixture on the bottom of the dish.
12. Then place the crescent rolls seam-side down on top of the creamed mixture in the casserole.
13. Drizzle the remaining sauce on top (you don’t have to use the full amount of cream sauce, just use as much as desired) and sprinkle with 1 cup (or more) grated cheese, or amount desired.
14. Bake for about 30 minutes.


I made some ratatouille also.  My neighbor brought by some zucchini, yellow squash, onions and a bunch of tomatoes.  I just sauteed it all together with some olive oil and italian spices and ate it for lunch everyday last week.  You can't get healthier than sauteed veggies for lunch!

Notice my beautiful Paula Deen saute pan has been bent.  That's what happens when you drop it on the tile floor after hand washing it.  Ugh.   I could have died!  I just got that pan for Christmas too.

It still works, it's just not pretty anymore.

July 11th was our 3 year wedding anniversary.  We all went to Lone Star steakhouse, our favorite.  The boys went with us because, as they said, they got married that day too!  Ha!  They just didn't want to miss out on some yummy steak to eat!

We don't do huge things for our anniversary typically.  We're the type that we tend to celebrate everyday so we don't really feel the need to make a big to-do about it.  Maybe on a big year like 5, we'll go on a honeymoon finally-haha!

4th of July Fun

We had the best fourth of July this year. We invited a bunch of friends over and had a lot of family over, including my mom, who needed to get of the house. She had a terrific time watching the boys shoot their fireworks.

We kept the menu simple this year, only grilling hot dogs and hamburgers. I also made shish-k-bobs with a white wine and herb marinade that were out of this world. We has two kinds of potato salad, coleslaw, chips and six different pies. Our friend Marilyn made sangria that was so good. I'm becoming a big fan of sangria. It's so refreshing but can also be very dangerous since I can't taste the alcohol in it.

We live in the best spot for our towns fireworks display. We live right next to the airport where they shoot off fireworks, our house is literally 400 yards from the airport and the fireworks go off right over our house. It's the best seat in town and our front yard is facing the perfect way to see them. We set up canopies so it's not too hot when we first go outside and the suns still up. It's perfect!

We always have such a fun time when we have all of our family and friends over. It's still funny to me that we live in such a small town that every parent and sibling my husband has lives within three miles of us. Isn't that the cutest thing?!

The boys loved their fireworks this year. They've finally reached the age that I let them light their own fireworks. They are very safe when doing it. They know I'm a complete freak about safety and fire. They actually had one firework that their uncle bought them and I swear it was like an atomic bomb went off in front of the house. So loud!

My youngest thought it was funny to punt the sparkler and watch it fly across the street. I guess boys will be boys!

Summer Pride

Summer conditioning has started for the 8th grader, which means I have to get up every morning and take him at 6:30 so he can go practice running and working on his agility. I don't mind it that much but isn't this supposed to be summer? Aren't I supposed to be able to sleep in now that I'm not working. The funny thing is the high schoolers get to practice at night why can't we just practice at night why do they make the middle school moms have to get up at 6 o'clock in the morning in the summer to take the kids to practice I think it's pretty silly.

The amazing thing is my son really loves it. He loves running and conditioning and loves trying to beat the last record in the 40 meters. I'm hoping the football coaches are noticing how fast he is and he'll get to play more in football.

I've also got a cold and that's no good since the LMFAO concert is tomorrow night. I'm not missing it for anything!

I Write The Songs...

Last night we saw my favorite artist in concert...Barry Manilow.
I know, I know. Not very hip or cool of me but I can't help it, I'm a diehard Fanilow!

We took the hubby's parents and ate at a yummy Mexican restaurant downtown. Everyone in the restaurant was at least 35 years old so we knew they were all going to see my man.

This was probably the 9th time I'd seen him in concert and he didn't disappoint. He is a true talent and has the most incredible voice.

I Need A Vacation

Restoration is still in the process at my Moms. We are waiting on the FEMA Adjuster to show up tomorrow to let us know what they will cover. I really hope they will cover the work that the restoration company has already done or my Mom will freak out. She can't handle stress now that she has Parkinsons and any type of situation makes her cry. It's really sad but it's the reality of Parkinsons. I forgot to mention that we have a new member of our family. A Boston Terrier. We named him Boomer. I know, really original for Sooner fans. He was dumped by a horrible man right outside of our house. My husband was sitting in the office working and watched the man do it, then the dog run after the truck all the way down the street. My hubby was horrified and brought the dog into our house and he's been a member of the family ever since. After I posted a picture of him on Facebook, a 7th grader in my sons school actually told my son that it was her dog but we could have it. Her Dad didn't like him so he dumped him. WHO DOES THAT????!!!! The vet said he's around 5 years old and he's so sweet and perfectly trained. That's the strange part. We haven't had to teach him anything. He already knows it. I'm just glad he found a good home!

Great Flood of 2012

Sunday night the weathermen mentioned that storms might form and we were under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. The chances of rain were 30%. I went to bed about 11pm when I heard it starting to rain pretty heavy outside. I was excited because it was good sleeping weather. I ended up not going to sleep so I looked at the radar on my phone and Pinterest. I noticed that the storms weren't moving away from our area and just seemed to be back building on top of themselves. The lightening and thunder were very intense. I finally fell asleep about 12:30 and slept for a while until the phone rang at 2:15am. It was my Mom and she told my hubby that she woke up and smelled something sulphur smelling in her house. She said she walked into the kitchen and there was water on the floor. We immediately jumped up and drove to her house, or attempted to at least. The roads were all flooding and had rushing water on them. This was one of the worst rainstorms I'd ever seen. When we got to her house, I wasn't sure if we could pull into her driveway, the rain was making a river in her yard. My Mom has a small creek beside her house that has never, in 17 years, come close to the house. We couldn't see grass in her yard, only water. We walked in the house and this is what we saw. We were stunned and the sulphur smell was horrible. It smelled almost like sewer and a burning smell combined. We called the fire department and asked them to come make sure we didn't have a fire in the house. They got there and checked everything out. When the fire chief arrived, he told me, "If the house isn't burning, we have to go. We are so busy." Luckily, everything was ok, just flooded. They turned off the breaker, which I would never have thought to do. The kitchen, laundry room, garage, dining room, and the back part of the living room were all flooded. It was so sad for my Mom, who has Parkinsons Disease and doesn't handle stress very well at all. We just locked up the house and took her to ours to sleep for the rest of the night. The restoration company we called came out the next morning early and started pulling everything up. I guess now my Mom will get new carpet, tile, paint and baseboards. It will seem like a new home. That's the only thing I can think of to make this seem ok. Thank God for FEMA Flood Insurance.

Sunday full of nothing

I feel like I've done nothing today. I've done laundry and that's about the most I've accomplished. See what happens when they have a Real Housewives reunion?!

I washed the comforters on our bed and that's been on my to-do list for a while. There's nothing like sleeping on a completely clean bed, especially when we have a Boxer and a Beagle that sleep on our feet every night.

I called and checked on my Mom this morning, as usual. I told her I'd spent the night before on the computer researching more Parkinson's Disease websites. I try to explain to my Mom about what's going on with her since this is a new diagnosis. She's having a very hard time understanding the disease and what's going on with her. I feel bad that she just can't understand what's going on. She constantly tells me that her brain isn't talking to her body for some reason.

I have a day filled with taking her to another doctor tomorrow. Those days always wear her out so much. I hope it's an easy day for us.

We need to have her feeling good next Friday because we have Barry Manilow tickets. We're so excited!!! I've seen him a ton of times and he's awesome!!!

Summertime, Summertime!

School let out a week ago and the boys have been loving it! Well, to be honest, I've heard a few "I'm bored!" comments.

H is upset because his buddy Seth is moving 2 hours away in July. I've tried to get them together as many times as possible before he loves.

We went to Bass Pro Shop in Broken Arrow last Wednesday. Seth had given H a gift certificate for his birthday and H wanted to use it. We had fun walking around looking at H's favorite things, anything fishing, and the boats were fun to walk around in.

We plan on getting together a couple more times before Seth moves, I hope they keep in touch with us. H would like that.

Other than shopping, T has spent his time hanging out with friends playing Playstation and H has gone to the pond near our house and fished every chance he's gotten.

Happy Memorial Day

I always think of my brother and his sacrifices on Memorial Day. He's a Retired Army Colonel and I've always admired his commitment to this country and protecting our freedom. Think of the thousands who have sacrificed so that we may enjoy our freedom each and everyday.

Conference Track Meet

Yesterday we went to the Metro Lakes Conference track meet in Tahlequah. T (my 7th grader) qualified for conference in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 4 x 1 relay and 4 x 4 relay. This is our first year in track and T loves it. More than loves it, he's obsessed. It's all he thinks about day and night. I actually never thought track would be a sport he liked. I never hung out with track people and I sure didn't run track. The amazing thing is, it's funny how much you start to like a sport when you have a child that does well in it. T did great in the conference meet. He didn't win any metals but he and his relay team came in 5th or 6th. T really enjoys watching all of the older guys and how fast they run. Some of those boys are simply amazing! I love watching them! They run like a jaguar or something. We had fun at the meet also because we got to sit with a bunch of friends that were there. That always makes a 12 hour track meet a little more bearable!