This year's Badgerie Menagerie Advent had a wrench throw into the works.
Late November, my dad had a stroke, so I packed up the youngest one, flew out to Seattle to help out with Dad and his house, and attempted to continue schooling and Advent events!
We were in Seattle for what ended up being 2+weeks, because I extended my stay.
As much as we could we met every morning, and did homeschool and shared our advent activity over the video chat.
Off to a normal start: out come the drawers for the Advent calendar...
The empty ones are turned upside-down.
Advent activity: paper snowflakes!
Ahhhh!
*****
Off to Seattle we go!
Even the cheapest flight is rather expensive, when bought last minute.
I do not recommend Frontier Airlines, if you can manage to get anything else.
Super early flight.
Off to Colorado.
Multi-hour layover.
Next leg of our flight.
Planes!
Trains!
(SeaTac terminal transport)
And...
Automobiles.
Picked up my dad's car from the repair shop.
There was a whole store with his stroke, and this car had a part in it.
Anyways, it drove well.
My first time driving a modern car!
Dad (AKA: Gong-gong) in the Accute Rehabilitation Unit, at Evergreen.
In between time, shopping for what we forgot to pack...
And getting silly.
Gong-gong's house.
The task at hand: prepare Gong-gong's house for his new significantly different life, upon returning home. So much is still unknown about his future.
Cleaning out a bedroom, for a 24hour care provider to come stay.
Making room, emptying out bureau drawers.
More visits.
So grateful to be staying with my dear friend.
***
Another day at Gong-gong's
Clearing out kitchen cabinet clutter.
In anticipation of alternations that we will be making (ramps, wheelchair, rails, ect.),
we take a ton of measurements.
***
Back to the hospital/ARU.
Readying to do physical therapy.
***
Back at Gong-gong's house.
Homeschooling on the road.
For part of our Advent, we had a "Reuse, Recycle, Retell" day.
Didn't have much energy to upcycle, so we reused this juice bottle as a water bottle - multiple-multiple days. So that was a small win.
On Wednesdays, coffee at Starbucks.
***
Back at the hospital.
Physical therapy was not going super,
by in large because he wasn't getting much sleep and other reasons.
Warmed to see a constant flow of his friends visiting, bringing food and encouragement.
Stopped to enjoy some hospital art.
***
Gong-gong's house.
I'm working on reducing the enormous pile of too-many-dishes clutter.
And she works on her math homework.
Dinner!
<3
***
Off to visit Gong-gong at the ARU/hospital
Are we getting loopy yet?
PT is doing some electro-stimulation therapy.
A reflection photo.
Hospital cafeteria...
***
More time at Gong-gong's place...
More decluttering and homework.
And general nuttiness.
***
Crossroad food court!
Their bamboo is nicer than mine.
Dinner out.
***
Back at at my friend's house.
Advent activity for the day (evening):
Gingerbread house village!
Our neighborhood is complete.
Partook of a cool new find that my friend introduced us to: Mochi-donuts!
***
As the days blend into one, after a visit with Gong-gong.
We again find ourselves in the hospital cafeteria.
***
Filling up at a local gas station...
And the trees just next to the gas station are so tall - PNW!
***
Back at Gong-gong's house.
More kitchen organizational work.
And some gummy bears.
And homework, and silliness.
***
Evening visit with Gong-gong.
Things are not going as well as one hoped.
He is spending more time in the hospital bed.
Hospital bed art.
***
The next morning, we arrived at the ARU wing of the hospital.
And it's as I feared - he was no longer fit enough to stay in the ARU.
They had just moved him.
He was readmitted to into general hospital care.
In the family waiting room.
Getting the latest information and passing it onto the communication tree.
Cafeteria.
Hichew, brings a moment of enjoyment.
***
Next morning.
Fog.
***
Off to Gong-gong's house again.
Cleaning out cabinets.
I ran into a couple of gems, old jars with old food labels that take me back.
My parents always had Marmalade jam with toast in the mornings.
I'm not sure that Sanka even exists, anymore.
An old mug more my mom's from Japan
Another reflection photo from the Silver Wing of the hospital.
His friend find his again.
<3
***
Something that I find remarkable...
Is that all of the older-but-upgraded grocery stores in downtown Redmond share one similar flaw - incomplete upgrades. You don't even have to look that hard to see some rather ratty looking back rooms, uneven-poorly-put-together floors that slant in all the wrong directions. It's rather funny, when you find the rather substantial imperfections, its like looking into the gifted-horse's mouth.
***
Back at the hospital.
He is improving.
Hospital cafeteria is getting really OLD.
***
After a long day.
Today's Advent:
Paint by numbers!
***
Another day, another Advent activity.
Today's advent activity:
3 upgraded/adapted holiday carols, as performed by Miss 3 and me - complete with puppets...
Puppets!
You'd never guess the original carol that inspired this adaptation.
***
Finished paint by numbers!
Mine is still in the works.
***
A visit with Gong-gong at the hospital.
***
Wednesday, at Starbucks.
Afterwards, stopped by Staples to buy a few water bottles.
Gong-gong was going on and off and on again the IV's because he simply wasn't getting the message about drinking enough...
So we decided that he needed some water bottles!
***
Peeking at those gingerbread houses...
***
Another day!
My sister brought her kids.
Cousins are in the mix.
Coloring some handkerchiefs for Gong-gong to use when eating.
Much cousin time.
Meanwhile two of these stair ramps were installed, by my brother-in-law.
***
Then it was off to see Gong-gong.
He finally was able to stay hydrated well enough to be discharged!
Here he is in his new digs:
rehabilitation facility.
Decorating his new digs.
He likes the new T.V.
***
Back and unwinding.
Dinner!
Twinsies!
***
Next morning.
Loves to draw on the window condensation.
***
Advent activity for the day:
airdry snow people clay!
Fun was had!
Mine.
She went nuts!
And back at home the two olders did also!
A whole village of snow-entities!
***
This trip is getting long.
Gong-gong is looking improved.
I think that the water bottles worked!
Doing his therapy exercise homework.
***
Back at Gong-gong's house.
lunch, in between de-cluttering and homework...
***
Another morning...
Advent activity: Unstable unicorns, played with two stacks, one in Seattle and one in SLC.
Played with the over-powered cards removed.
***
Paint is therapy.
Paint-by-numbers is like puzzling for painters.
So therapeutic.
***
Took time to visit an old family friend!
***
Parked a ways away to visit Gong-gong at the rehab center.
It was raining, a bit.
He has great friends!
***
Mini-building brick stack!
***
Math homework.
Dinner.
***
More video chat mornings.
***
Parked at walking to visit Gong-gong.
The sun is out.
And the trees are tall.
Physical therapy.
***
On the home stretch.
Picking up some of these donuts to take home.
Back of the car lunch.
Sushi.
Dinner.
Last Advent activity:
aqua-painting marbled paper.
Voila!
It was a huge success, both in Seattle and also in SLC.
Miss 3 went nuts!
***
SeaTac.
The fish at the very beginning, with luggage.
Admiring the mommy lactation pod.
Inside atmosphere was okay, not thrilling.
***
What started out as a typical wait at the airport...
Stretched...
And stretched...
A moment of interest...
A popped tire.
Finally seated.
Direct flight this time!
She was to be seated directly behind me, but the nice gentleman with the window seat, offered her his seat. So she accepted. And he also offered to change seats with me, but I declined. I didn't want to be that kind of parent. Besides, my kid is smart and assertive enough, she can communicate.
Everything was going smoothly.
Until...
We had to de-board the plane.
They weren't going to get the part for repairing said plane in time.
Everyone de-boarded and then boarded a new plane.
It was holiday travel, so everyone put on their best attitude and all the transitions went smoothly.
Finally back in SLC.
All-in all we ended up with an added 4 hours to our trip.
*****
The rest of Advent flew by!
Puzzling
Story time.
Our very own private showing of a play.
I even got a new hat!
Can't wait to wear this with a pale pink dress.
It will offset the mud just right!
***
Xmas dinner with some dear friends!
All-in-all I think we made the very best of a challenging year.
Thank you for your friendship!
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