A lesson learned

SMILE!
My dad is home.

The transition to Village Oaks was difficult for him. But I'm happy to say, his transition home was a lot easier. He was quite scruffy looking when we went to get him on Tuesday, and he was confused too (more about that later). I believe he knew who I was, but didn't act overly thrilled to see me. He went cooperatively with me, after snacktime of course. But after the ride home, a few hours of sitting around and some talking, and dinner, he was back to himself. He enjoyed watching the Diamondbacks ball game with Tom and me. I don't usually watch more than 5 minutes at a time, but I couldn't leave the room. I had to do my watching, listening, assessing...and enjoying my dad.

Now about the confusion...
This has not happened at our house. Not that he doesn't watch TV. He does. But for some reason, when we went to get him, he was IN the movie. The first thing he said to me was something about how he had fooled everyone. When I asked him whom he had fooled, he beckoned me closer with his finger and whispered, "my mother". Huh? Then on the way home in the car, he said that place was really fun and that he had fooled them all. He said no body knew for sure whether he was a man or a woman, except for that one lady. When I asked who, he said, "Harriet". Another huh? That was the end of that. But the next morning, Tom figured it out. My dad had been watching Mrs. Doubtfire when we arrived. If you haven't seen it, Robin Williams plays a father (also an actor) who misses his children so much after a divorce that he disguises himself as a kindly babysitter and gets hired by his ex to care for the children.

Lesson learned: Be careful about what he watches on TV. Make idle chit chat during the program to keep him with us!

Welcome home, dad!