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Also, when Ellie does something stupid, (like losing her balance and falling over), Mom laughs. Thankfully, Ellie does a lot of stupid things and Mom enjoys each one. Of course, hearing Mom laugh makes me laugh. It's great!

writing

Dad and I were trying to get Mom to write something yesterday. I said, "Write what you are thinking." And she did:
what you are thinking
what you are thinking
what you are thinking
and she handed the paper back to me.

So Dad gave it a try and told her to write something about me. She wrote three words again and again. It said, "I'm (a three syllable unintelligible word), butt"
We tried to decifer the middle word with no luck. It was spelled differently each time, but always had three syllables. She had "greet" in there and "fur" and "gat" and I couldn't make heads or tails of it. So I said, "Ok, let me watch you write....do it slowly." So she wrote carefully and slowly while I read aloud.

"I'm gettfull, ....t ....butt."

I turned ashen and said, "She's writing,'I'm forgetful, but." She nodded yes. I just smiled at her and said, "Yes, you're forgetful, but that's ok." and Dad said, "It sure is." The blood drained from my face and Dad was stunned. It would be better if we thought she had no clue what was going on, but now I think she does at least a very little bit and it makes me sad for her. But I don't know what to do.

checkup

Mom's blood pressure, pulse, and all that stuff are great. She lost 1.5 pounds since last visit, but she could probably drink that much weight in water.

"Ellie"

That's the name for Dad's new bundle of joy. Eric and I took her to Dad on Saturday in a pink bandana and matching collar and lead. He loves her. Christine said he was down on his knees in the living room playing with her today and said, "Everybody should have a puppy." When Mom saw Ellie she chuckled to herself. She's a nice quiet puppy--enjoys rolling around in the floor and taking long naps. She's soft and likes to snuggle and play. Dad likes to walk around behind when she goes through the house just to see what she will do next. Pictures will be forthcoming. My camera bit the dust, so I have to rely on Chris to take the photos and e-mail them to me when she has time. Since it's finals week, it's not really a priority.

Christine brought Mom up tonight to listen to Devri sing in a Christmas concert for the vocal studio. Dad stayed home. He needed a break and this was a good time for it. Again, Mom clapped appropriately and smiled a lot. She nodded that she enjoyed it and was very attentive. Christine had her all decked out with earrings, make-up, and the whole deal. She looked very pretty. She says Mom's losing a lot of hair lately. I don't know what that's about. Christine also reports that she has to all but get in the shower with Mom to get her to wash her hair. She doesn't like water on her ears, so Christine has to go after her with the hand-held. When Christine told me this, Mom chuckled.

Christine has finals tomorrow and then will be off for the holidays, basically. She looks forward to not having to drive to school every day and says she will enjoy her time at home. She enjoys the farm and likes to read in the stove room where it is always nice and toasty. Her presence will give Dad extra support, which is great. She has been a godsend for Allen and I to take on this responsibility---and she really wants to do it. I get off work on the 19th and will be able to stay with them after that, so Christine can have a break, too.

Oh, Eric turned 14 this week. Christine provided a cake for Grandma and Grandpa's house so we sang and ate cake there on Saturday. Mom was doing fine....nothing unusual....appears content and comfortable.

Thanksgiving

(Mom making a fruit salad.) For the last few years my Mom and Dad have had Thanksgiving together with Chad's parents. This year, Chad's dad (Wayne) and wife (Mary) were hosting the dinner, but I gave Dad my blessing to bow out. It stresses him so much to get Mom ready to go somewhere, that it's not worth it sometimes. After dinner, Mary and I packed up plates of food and cobbler and I took them down for Mom and Dad to eat. Then Sunday evening, Chad and my kids and I made dinner for Mom and Dad at their house. There were a couple of things Mom was not able to do when I asked her to. First, she could not "bring me seven plates." She brought five. And she could not, "Put a knife, fork, and spoon by each plate." Some plates had all spoons and some two forks and a knife, but she did have three utensils by each plate, so that's something. No big deal. We all just sat down and traded back and forth until we got what we needed:) I must say she did make a mean fruit salad. She followed the two step direction of "open the can and drain the juice" followed by "pour it in the bowl." She also "put 1/2 of the whipped topping in the bowl." I thought that was pretty good, really. I wondered if she'd catch the "1/2" part and she did. She also had to take all the stems off the marachino cherries, because I wasn't paying attention when I bought them and got the cherries with stems, rather than without. Everybody is alive and physically healthy, and able to get together for Thanksgiving for hugs, kisses, and two kinds of pie. That is something I really thank God for!! (Eric, Christine, Devri, and Mom enjoying dinner.)

status on the dog

We have found a border collie for Dad, a six-week-old female from a Mennonite family east of Carthage. The Mennonites are known for being hard workers, as Allen said, so hopefully this character trait will have passed down to the dog! She comes from working parents--the father is a short-haired version and the mother a long-haired one. I didn't know they came in the short-haired variety, but I hope that this pup will have that trait! Cuckle burs and stick-tights are a real problem for Sadie. So far, this pup is just a bundle of fuzz, so who knows. We'll pick her up in two weeks and then Dad will have company in the truck when he goes to check the cows, and probably she will find a warm, snuggley place in his coveralls when the weather gets colder. Hopefully in the spring she will be old enough for Sadie to show her the ropes. Dad is looking forward to the new addition and I hope it will be a diversion of some sort for him. As he says, he's knitting booties.

the Nutcracker

Tis the season for "The Nutcracker." Devri played a parent at the party, a devious mouse, a lovely dancing snowflake, and was also a very pouffy pink carnation or something like it in "Dance of the Flowers." Mom and Dad came up for her performance in Pittsburg and again, Mom did ok. She was attentive during the entire performance, clapped appropriately, and leaned over to ask, "Is that Devri?" and "Is that Patrick?" (Anytime she speaks, it's a golden day.) Afterwards, however, when it was time to meet and greet, I had a dickens of a time keeping her under my wing. In times past she would stand where you asked her to and stay there---not anymore. She doesn't come to you when told always, either. She took off multiple times when I would let loose of her arm for a second to take a photo. Then I'd have to say, "Hold that pose" and run and get her by the arm and bring her back. Chad took her on out to the car, so I could keep taking photos, and said she had a bit of trouble on the many steps down from the auditorium. He said she almost fell once, which made him very nervous, but he kept a good hold and got her out to the car in fine shape. The main point was that she attentively watched the performance, looked and found Devri, and followed her around the stage with her eyes. That was good. Devri really wanted Mom and Dad both there, so it meant a lot to her to see them. Photos also forthcoming for this entry.