Day After

Our July 4th celebration was very low key. We cooked out at my parents with my sister and her friend. Dad's meals have to be pureed and he can't have everything so he had a variation of what we had, traditional grill food, corn on the cob, potato salad and regular salad. All of us are so tired. My mother, sister and I are all waking anywhere from 4 to 5 a.m. It annoys me so that the few days I could sleep in, I just can't do it. Yesterday I crased at 11 a.m. and slept until 1 p.m. I was recharged a bit. We came home around 9, spent some time on the computer and again crashed early. It just doesn't seem like July 4th when there are no fireworks and my sister almost always goes to see them. Everything seems to be off kilter these days. My sister has been here for two weeks. She has used her time off. Not sure if she can, but she is hoping to stay a few more days. I cannot see how my mother can handle this. My sister had hoped to be supportive and show her what needed doing. My mother wants to take a backseat and just have her do it all. This has been frustrating for us. There is one paid caregiver and if she has to hire another it will be so very expensive. All of this gets paid "out of pocket" as it is care, not rehabilitative therapy.
I was so thrilled that my husband got in some overtime on his new job. I was able to make a big payment on a credit card balance. Hoping to have that paid off by summer's end. I hate carrying a balance but sometimes life hits you with things that lower your income and raise your expenses and it's just a necessity.
I need to run back to the grocery store again today. I make a list, take the list (well most of the time anyway) and then get home and when putting somethings away have to hit myself and say "OH I needed THIS." With two adults and two pets we always need something. Might I say our pets are spoiled. The cat has rejected some treats that look like grass when at every opportunity he grazes like a cow. The dog will eat any treat we buy him but has allergies so we tend to get him the same things all the time. He will "dance" for a treat. We could never teach him out to sit. He flatly refuses but he'll dance. Go figure.
I am so enjoying three days off work. It's been a mini vacation almost. I wish I could slow the days down. I feel like I am fighting off a cold. It's in my chest too and this morning I had to use my inhaler. I cannot afford to be sick and miss work.
Oh and on an interesting note. This year my mother decided my birthday is July 7th. For all the previous fifty years it has been July 8th. My sister and I also came across a book my mother got before she was married (58 yrs ago). In it she recorded all of her son's birthdays but neither my sister's or mine. Ouch.