Lately

Just wanted to share some photos of what we've been up to lately...

Pretty hair. Supposedly based on Little House on the Prairie (a book and TV series about growing up in the 1800s on the plains of America), but really, just random braids.

Somebunny visited us on Easter, even though we were at the lake house. And he left a trail of jelly beans to the treats.

Exploding Cokes at the lake house, for no reason at all except that it's fun.

This is Anson just "hanging out" in the breakfast nook area. Seriously, he was in that position forever.

A new rose on the deck. The credit goes entirely to Russell.

We ran into Charlotte's new best friend, our 3-year-old neighbor Patrick, at the new Chick-fil-a in Cameron Village (the LARGEST one in the world!).

Anson's fourth grade put on a performance about North Carolina Heritage. We were serenaded with songs, dance, and recorders. Good times. Anson is in the dark blue shirt on the upper right side, just in front of the tallest girl in the fourth grade (pink shirt, top row).

I tried to make Rice Crispy treats, but I failed. That's how bad a cook I am.

The kids and I snuggled up and watched The Lady and the Tramp, a great classic, with pizza and popsicles.

A new bubble blower in the house!

Anson warmed up with some hot chicken noodle soup and apple cider on another random cold day.

Keeping busy with Trivial Pursuit. This game did not last long, as apparently my made-up questions for them were not easy enough (Anson can handle some of the adult ones, but not all). However, he did make me laugh when he offered up an answer to this question: "What carbonated beverage has been called 'the holy water of the south'?"  The correct answer: Coca-Cola. His answer: Bud Light. Charlotte knew this answer to one of Anson's questions, which was something like, "What shocking fashion innovation of the 1940s is still in vogue today?" The bikini.

Russell sat back and watched the Formula One race at the lake, with practically life size closeups!

I ate lunch with Charlotte, and she invited her classmate Evelin to join us. I was so happy she did, as another mom told me Evelin was just telling her last week how she had never been chosen to do that (you get to eat in the hallway instead of the cafeteria when a parent comes to visit).

Anson designed a model of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse (with working light), thanks to help from Mom, Dad, and Grandad Ford.

It's teacher appreciation week, and I couldn't resist taking a pic of these beautiful bouquets for the teachers made up of flowers each child contributed.

The weather has been seesawing between the 40s and 80s this month, literally, from day to day. This morning it was cool and rainy, and I was tired of it!

A Fight to Remember

I've been meaning to post about a million times in the last month or so about things here and there...Anson's first concert, Dad's birthday visit, and so on...but I have not gotten around to it. Today, I must.

Molly has been writing an article about her love for CrossFit, a style of exercise, and how it has been an integral part of her recent life. In particular, she writes about her life as the primary caregiver of our mother, who has Alzheimer's. Most of you know that, but I don't write much about it on the blog. It's difficult, and I don't come here to write about difficult things. I come here to share fun, silly, or exciting things that happen in the Adams/Ford households.

Mom and I outside her Colorado apartment (1999?).

The CrossFit Journal just published Molly's article, "A Fight To Remember," on their web site, Facebook page, Twitter, and so on. Go read it. I am so proud of her. I can't tell you how hard it has been for her to do, but she did it.

Over the past year, she asked me several times to look at the article and provide feedback, "when you are up for it, Morgan." She knows it's not something either of us can think or talk about without getting upset most of the time. I chickened out and avoided it, most of the time. It's been a rough year with Mom. Molly fought through it and delivered this wonderful piece.

Mom holding Charlotte just after she came home
from the hospital (2006).

It's been heartwarming to see such a loving and caring response to Molly's article, because Alzheimer's is a very mysterious, confusing, and painful disease. It's so difficult to explain to most people how it works, and how it has affected our mother and those who love her. It's a disease that most people think they know about from watching a subplot in a movie, or a "very special" sitcom episode, but like many stories, they only offer a blip of what it's like.

Mom and her brother Tom, with me and Molly,
at one of her favorite places, NYC at Christmastime (1976).

The article is not technically up-to-date regarding how Mom is doing right now, but for the article, that wasn't important. Although I don't like to dwell on it, I thought my closest friends and family should know a little more information about where things do stand.

Mom and I in her assisted living apartment (2010).

Mom has recently moved to nursing home level care. She doesn't know me and my family anymore, and is having difficulty recognizing Molly and who she is. She can't bathe or dress herself, and most times has difficulty feeding herself. Despite this, she is the youngest, most stylish, and most beautiful woman at her care center. So much so, that the patients and residents, and even the staff that don't work with her regularly, often mistake her for a visitor.

Mom, Molly, and I at the beach in North Carolina, a place
that always put peace in Mom's heart (2009).

She still loves to go on long walks around the facility or grounds (she is allowed this with supervision). One of her favorite things to do is to look through coffee table books about art and gardens, since she lost her ability to read years ago. Music and children make her smile, as does just about any flavor of ice cream! She can appreciate a loving touch, a friendly voice, and a happy face, even if she's not sure who it's from.

Anson, Charlotte, and Mom exploring the wooded trail
on the grounds of Mom's nursing home facility in Indianapolis (2011).

That's just snapshot, really, but I thought you should know. We love you, Mom.

Anson Loves Pi

Anson is learning about Pi at school in math class. I think we have a genius on our hands (I'm allowed to say that since I'm his mom and this is among family and friends!). He has memorized it to 80-something places. I was checking him against a piece of paper I had with the correct numbers so I know he was doing it correctly.

That lovely piano playing is Charlotte in the background.

Sweet Georgia Brown

Last weekend we didn't just go to the museum to meet my "let's do something" expectations, we also saw the Harlem Globetrotters. Cue Sweet Georgia Brown...

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this team, they are a "fake" basketball team made up of former college and NBA players. They play an "international championship game" against the International Elite (fake team), and of course win. In the course of play, there are lots of choreographed dancing moves, ball tricks, interaction with the audience, and comedy sketches. Think Laurel and Hardy or the Three Stooges meets High School Musical.

Our seats made it a bit tricky to get any decent photos, but you can see a dunk here. The kids were excited to see so many! Although the game wasn't very fast-paced, it was neat to see really good basketball players live. There was even one player who was 7'8", and one who was 5'2", and they were fun to see playing in tandem.

A special treat was to see one of our favorite Amazing Race contestants live, Flight Time. (Every player had a nickname like that.) You can see him below in the bottom left corner. I'd say he's the bald one with the headband, but that wouldn't be too helpful, would it? During one of the warmups, he even walked into the stands and made a swish basket from there. Awesome!

We liked Flight Time and Big Easy so much because they worked so well as a team, always encouraging each other and having fun, even in the face of difficult challenges. Great examples for the kids.

I tried to get some video of the team in action. Below you can see them passing the ball back and forth to one another in a circular fashion. Some of the best moves I didn't get on camera, because they were so great about just suddenly and surprisingly breaking into synchronized dance moves or distracting you while one player climbed the basket for a special alley oop.

(Sorry the video is so small; I'm not sure how to make it bigger without distorting the quality.)

If you ever get the chance to see them, take it! It was a night of laughs and entertainment for the whole family. I remember seeing them as a kid in Charlottesville myself, and I'm sure my kids will remember this night, too. Hopefully not because Anson threw up in the lobby (yes, he did), and Charlotte got separated from us, and they had to page me multiple times to come get her (embarrassing).

Wacky Wednesday

Charlotte's class earned a "Wacky Wednesday" today for behaving well. She has been planning her outfit for days. We had to make a few adjustments (cleats just weren't appropriate for inside school buildings and I wasn't about to write on her face with marker), but she was pleased with the outcome: shin guards, one sneaker and one boot, sport shorts, a shirt and sweater backwards, and one ponytail and one braid with a zig zag part.

Today I was scheduled to help in her class with centers, so I was mentally planning my own outfit. Alas, the teacher told me they didn't need me today, since they are going to have a non-regular "wacky" schedule. So if you see me out and about, and think my outfit is weird, it's just me.

Hope you have a fun hump day!

Just a Day at the Museum

I decided last weekend that we were DOING something. Not letting the kids run wild while I organized my office, or going to a movie. We were going to the museum! This was not met with shouts of joy, but when we got there, boy, they were glad we'd gone!

We started out in the section that focused on perspectives, weights, and balances.

Then on to origami. (Jake, this one's for you!) Jake and I attempted some origami from a book he got at the library called, of all things, Difficult Origami, and it was a big FAIL. Luckily, here they had animated instructions and we were able to successfully complete a small pouch, bat, and a frog.

On to the space center, where the kids entered an actual test rocket capsule and directed a satellite at specific spots to pick up voices in space.

(I had to laugh at how the parts of this rocket were labeled...very "old school." Remember those plastic punch labelers were thought were SO advanced?)

Anson then composed his own musical beat based on a pattern he created.

There were several stations set up to show you how well (or terribly, may the case be) you are washing your hands or applying sunscreen. Charlotte didn't do TOO badly, but then again, she knew she was going to be graded!

We did a number of other things, but by far, the biggest hit of the day was the architecture play area.

I couldn't resist buying a box of the small blocks for home, and they have been on our dining room table in constant use.

Success.

In the Heartland

Charlotte and I jetted to Indiana last week to see my Mom, and for Molly and I to make some decisions about her future care.

Since Charlotte would be missing a full week of school, Molly arranged for her to go to school every day with her cousin Reese, since they are both in kindergarten. Reese's sweet teachers welcomed Charlotte with open arms, creating a cubby, desk, and special supplies for her. That also meant she had the same schoolwork and homework as the other kids!

Since we usually have to be at our bus stop at 7:45 am, and in Indiana we didn't have to leave the house until 8:55 am, we had lots of time for early morning extra activities.

Like playing in the snow...

Curling hair in ringlets...

And making treats for the class Valentine's Day party...

Of course we spent every day with Mom, visiting in her room, eating at the dining hall, and going out for muffins and coffee at Panera. Molly and I also spent quite a bit of time at her facility meeting with her caretakers and the financial office to plan for her future, as well.

Molly managed to sneak in a CrossFit workout or two while the kids were in school.

Lastly, we were visited by the Paleo Princess one morning, sparkles on the face and all. Molly decided to put on her wedding dress, which she is about to pay forward, and pretend to be a princess for the girls. They were duly impressed!!

The trip was equally wonderful and challenging. Wonderful to spend more time with beloved family, but difficult to see my Mom suffering from Alzheimer's.