Thursday - A Visit to Great Grandma

Gracie had a great night and slept in til about 6:45 a.m. We got her dressed in a pretty pink and black dress and black leggings, put a barrette in her hair and put her in her car seat for a 3 hour ride to visit Great Grandma K. Great Grandma just moved to a nursing home as she has cancer in her bones and hip and cannot walk on her own. Gracie did good in the car on the way there til about the last hour -- then she got pretty ancy.

Gracie was in a very social mood today and enjoyed seeing Great Grandma, Great Aunt Ann and Great Uncle Denny. She also made lots of new friends with the residents at the nursing home. She helped push wheelchairs with people in them down the hall (for a while I thought they might put her on the payroll). She enjoyed visiting the fish (two aquariums full), the birds, and made friends with the resident cat, Sam. Sam was truly delightful and gentle. He rubbed up against Gracie's shoes. She thought that was great fun and then as he walked away, Gracie felt it was her mission to follow him. Gracie held some of the resident's hands. Some appreciated it, some did not. Gracie especially liked Mabel, Great Grandma K's roommate.

We all had lunch with Great Grandma at a private lounge area. My goodness did Gracie eat. She ate peas, potatoes, and all the meatballs from my plate. When she was done with those she started in on the meatballs that Great Grandma was too full to eat.

Gracie took a 30 minute nap on my shoulder while daddy did a magic show for the nursing home residents and staff. Gracie gave hugs to Great Grandma, Ann and Denny before we left. She also said goodbye to Mabel. I was so scared that Gracie would step on Great Grandma's feet with her big braces and shoes. Great Grandma is so fragile and thin, but enjoyed the visit with Gracie.

Gracie was so good on the way home until the last 40 miles. She screamed, cried, and hit herself in the face in frustration for the last 15 minutes. Nothing I did would console her. When we got home, I took her out of her car seat and just hugged and consoled her. After I got her calmed down I layed her on the bed to change her diaper and I said "Gracie, we're home!". She looked up at me with her big wet teary eyes and gave me a beautiful smile. She was happy to be home and move about. Of the six hours in the car, Gracie slept NONE of them. She was a tired girl tonight.

I'm a tired mommy too.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie.