Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2004. Mattie was two years old and that day we took him to the National Zoo. It was a beautiful day and Mattie enjoyed being outside and exploring the terrain and the animal life. This was the incredible life I had with my "Mattie Moo." Now as I look at this, it seems like another life, NOT mine, as happiness and a future are just not attainable for me.
Quote of the day: To call him a dog hardly seems to do him justice, though inasmuch as he had four legs, a tail, and barked, I admit he was, to all outward appearances. But to those who knew him well, he was a perfect gentleman. ~ Hermione Gingold
The sad part is even just after opening all of these things, he had NO memory within minutes of any of these items. Alzheimer's is truly a horrific disease.
Guess what caught my dad's attention first!? If you guessed the cookies, you are correct. He desperately wanted one, so after he had his breakfast, he ate a big chocolate covered chocolate chip cookie!
We went out for lunch today to celebrate my dad. Cheryl, our server, who we visit with each Sunday, decorated the table, got my dad a head band, balloons, and gifts. Cheryl made it special. I truly feel like I am falling apart from stress, so having Cheryl's kindness and her willingness to decorate and make today special are indescribable gifts to me.
All the restaurant managers came over to wish my dad a happy birthday. By the time they finished, each manager comped different parts of our lunch. I was deeply touched. The funny part is they said to me.... I deserve it, and it wasn't my birthday!
A close up of the birthday boy!
I tried to make it a special day for my dad, but my mom was a bundle today. She got fixated on taxes that are due on Monday. My parent's accountant and I have VERY different personality styles. I am tightly wound, a solid type A, and he is on the other end of the spectrum. I alerted the accountant two months ago that I wanted the information, so I could start working with my mom on her taxes. My parents pay taxes quarterly. So I don't deal with this fire drill once a year, but FOUR times a year.
I have gone from a being a wife who never worried about check books, managing a household financially, or dealing with taxes, to a woman who now deals with everything all at once. When I tell you that some days I dread getting out of bed, I am not kidding. I am a figurative firefighter. Each day is a different crisis, another fire to put out. My mom couldn't focus on anything else at this birthday lunch other than taxes. She called the accountant at the table on the half an hour. Finally I told her to just STOP. He clearly wasn't answering her calls.
When I got home, I made my way to my mom's computer and navigated on the web to establish on-line tax accounts so that we could pay electronically. This will be easier for me to monitor what has been paid out and how. I have no idea if I estimated correctly, but frankly I wanted to address this ASAP because I couldn't handle my mom's anxiety, fear, and hysteria one more minute.
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