Jesse and the twins arrived from Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, June 11. The next day we all went to Nashville where we spent the night at Wilderness at the Smokies, an indoor water park. It was a great time for all. The boys, as usual, got along quite well, and they loved all the things to do involving water. Kate was especially getting to watch her three grandsons having such a wonderful time.
I did not get to talk extensively with Jesse regarding her impressions of Kate. This would be the first time she has been with Kate since I informed her of Kate’s Alzheimer’s earlier this year. A couple of things happened that illustrate how she is doing at this time. First of all, the first night Jesse was with us in Knoxville she had been playing Battle with the boys when she asked me to take her hand while she went to the bathroom. She never came back. When I checked on her, she had gone to bed. She told me she was all right, just tired. I feel sure that in the past she would have excused herself and said good night.
At Wilderness the first day, we were all together when the 3 boys and I went to ride a raft that runs through a long tube. In retrospect I believe she didn’t realize what we were doing. When I got back, Jesse told me she was walking around. I went to where Jesse said she was. When I reached her, she was in a mild panic. She didn’t know where I was and had been looking all over for me. This is another example of her being so normal in many respects that I treat her as normal. I should have made it clear where I was going and that I would come back to her when we finished.
The next day (yesterday) Jesse, Kate and I had left the table at which we had been sitting to watch the twins on one of the water attractions. After a while, Kate started to ask me if I would get her cup of water from our table. Then she said she would do it. I let her do so although I was concerned that she might not remember where it was. After a few minutes I started walking to the table when I saw that she was walking back in our direction without the cup. I offered to get the cup for her.
Despite incidents like these, I am still encouraged that she and I are able to enjoy these times together and that the problems so far are ones that don’t significantly diminish the joy we have always had. At the same time, I am not naïve to the fact that the time is coming when the problems will come to be a bigger issue for us.
Looking ahead I can’t help wondering about next summer when it would be the twins turn to travel to New York with us. I have already decided that if we make the trip at all, I will want Jesse to join us. Seeing Ron and Randy with Taylor this week has raised another possibility. Taylor would be scheduled to make the NYC trip the following summer (2016). Because I am doubtful about Kate’s condition at that time, I think it might be good to take the three of them to NYC, with Jesse, of course, and perhaps with Rachel or Kevin. I intend to broach this subject with Jesse soon. I may also bring it up to Kevin.
