Dads Christmas adventure.

I wrote this on the 28/12/2021.  Then I managed to lock myself out of the website! So today is 7/01/22. Dad is feeling much better.

Christmas day was celebrated at Wirksworth, mainly because I do not want to cook in my Mums Kitchen! All preparation was done, presents wrapped, lamb shank cooking. Mum and Dad came around 11am. The new travelling game is to count traffic. Surprisingly there were no lorries today. Presents were opened. He likes the kindling, fire is highly important in Dads life. Our fire was lit.

There was a lovely moment while eating dinner that a fraction of the old Dad came back. He talked about travelling up and down to Aberdeen to take me to university. He enjoyed pouring himself some Cote du Rhone. He was relaxed and happy, it was fabulous.

It didn't last long. The looking at his wrist watch started. He made comments about all the things he and Mum had to do at home. We managed to play a game of “save the Eskimo”. It is a hammer game that my sister and I played often as kids, we have lost the Eskimo, so its more of save the igloo. Dad did not want to share the hammer. Christmas cake was eaten happily. Then the question

“When are we going home?!”

He looks anxiously at his watch, and rubs his hands together.  More distraction techniques employed with a jigsaw.  The jigsaw was not important enough to do, and anyway

“we have those at home, lets go home to do the ones there.  You can all come you know.”

A cuppa and watching the fire was tried. The tea drank in double quick time, and checking that Mum was drinking hers too!

“finished can we go home please? Where is my coat?” says Dad

“you don't need it in the house” maybe a bit mean, but it was only 3pm

Mum had her crochet slippers on

“We can't go home, I haven't got my slippers on”

“Thats a  trick, where are your shoes? Can you get my coat please?”

Dad managed to stay until 4pm. Then his anxiety got the better of him and Mum had to just take him home.

Boxing day arrives, Mum still has to get up at 5am, no bank holidays for carers! They are both very tired. The on Monday it is obvious that Dad is sneezing, has a croaky voice and is slightly hot too, Mum isn't feeling to good either. I come over so that Mum can have a sleep. If Mum leaves the room, Dad starts to worry and then look for her, this means an afternoon nap is impossible.

Operation Dad distraction for an hour begins. My husband and I start with dominoes. He is better at this than he lets on. It might not be maltese cross that he taught me, just follow the number of dots, but it was he who won 3 to 2 to the loser husband coming in at just one game won!

Then lets start another jigsaw.

“where is Mum”

She is busy doing boring jobs upstairs”

“we should just make sure with Mum that was can start the jigsaw”

“Of course we can start the jigsaw, thats why its out”

“maybe we should check, she might need help”

Mum being fast asleep, definitely doesn't need help, but if Dad though she was in bed he would then be worried that something was wrong. The jigsaw was started. He got engrossed in finishing the edge bits. When the edges was done, we start again worrying about Mum. This time a different concern.

“is it bed time, maybe I need to go to bed”

Tea was made, the police man pieces on the jigsaw was found and added to the puzzle, Mum was forgotten again for a bit.

A hour hour was managed, then I got a message from above,

“Can I have a cup of tea”

“Dad I am going to take Mum a cup of tea”

“Thank-goodness she is ok”

The relief on his face was visible, I do wonder what he was thinking Mum was up to.

So today they are both still not very well. Dad is sleepy, and Mum knows they have cold symptoms. Lots of tests have been done, all negative. Its a worrying time to have a bit of cold like symptoms. I came over today to help with food, and give Mum a rest. Poor Dad was made to play a game of pairs with some very nice animal cards. The first game was to guess the animal.

A frog was “the wet thing that lives in the pond”

The parrot became a “carrot”

Dad was not sure about all this brain thinking, but we had 2 games, of which he won.

I left them both watching a film.