The Hannah Family

This blog is all about us

Who are we?  A family of 14 -- 7 people and 7 pets:  G. Pat is 74, Mark is 54, I'm 51, Matt is 25, Katie is 23, Claire is 15, and Dave is 13.

Katie's pups are Maci and Cage. Our 3 sweet cats are Oreo, Jack and Jill. Chloe is our 1-year-old lab-shepherd-husky mix. Claire's Winter White Dwarf hamster is Ozzie. Never a dull moment around here!

Betrayal

I’m at work. Claire called in a panic because Mark had a company come out today to cut down my pear tree. He knew I didn’t want it to happen, but he snuck around and did it behind my back. 

He told Dave it was diseased and had to go, but he should have gotten my permission. There is no way he can make this right.

Got to spend more than an hour with Mom today

I told her we all love her and played music for her through the speaker; it was obvious she liked it.

Work is nuts

It’s end of quarter push and pull, begging for late work - then having to grade all of it before finalizing report cards. I’m dead. 

Meanwhile, our 3 cats were completely out of food/empty dispenser. When Mark came home from softball, Claire insisted they go to the store. I can now sleep 4.5 hours (I hope!) knowing the cats aren’t going to turn on us in desperation.

Sorry for not posting

So much work!

We saw Mom!

I told Mark on the way there she’d probably have her eyes closed, but I hoped she would open them. I also wondered how to fill the 30 minutes, but it flew by. I told Mom we all love and miss her, played music, and she kept her eyes open the entire time!

Visiting Mom tomorrow

So many rules and regulations. Only two people. No switching out of family members. No pets. Only 30 minutes. Only every two weeks or more. Only after temp checks. Only in the designated room. No visiting new patients. No counting on this to last (well that one is mine based on 2020 experience).

Mom would roll her eyes if she knew the half of it, but I hope she feels the love through the partition they’ve constructed. When she lived with us during the spring of 2016, Mom thought Mark was my dad (because she heard the children calling him Dad every day), and she told strangers that she and I “went to school together.” She couldn’t always remember our relationship, but she was able to recognize me as someone familiar, “someone with curls.” I hope our time apart didn’t feel as long to her as it did to me.

Mom

No change in her condition. She remains comfortable, sleeps well, and is eating 25% - 75% of her meals. The facility is covid-free and everyone is tested routinely. I’m finally going to be able to see her Saturday if nothing comes up to interfere!

My first week of teaching at Carnage is in the bag!

Lots of hours, lots of confusion, lots of happiness - you name it. I can’t recommend embarking on a new career during a pandemic, but I’m going to make it work.

Meanwhile, Dave sent a video from his room of Chloe HOWLING when she thought she was home alone and it was so sad. This is her now in a very messy bed sleeping with “prayer paws,” probably hoping I stay with her full time for another 7 months.

PS My sweet FIL would have written immediately to say “clip her nails.” I’d answer: You’re right. I miss you very, very much and it’s on the list. 

Grandma Pat visit?

Strictly 2 people only, 2 weeks between visits, all contingent on the facility being virus free. That said, I have an appointment to se Mom (through glass I believe they said?) in October 10 at 2 pm. 9 days to go.

Happy hump day

Claire and Mark separately texted me this evening at school to say Chloe was pouting because I was gone for so long. We were together constantly for the past 7 months so of course it’s an adjustment for us!