President's Day Visit to my FIL at Gables Care Center

Our  children and my husband were all  off  on President's day so we all went  to Gables Care Center where my father-in-law is being taken care of.  The old folks have just got done  eating lunch when we got there so  we were  glad to  see  my FIL awake, however, he was already dozing off.  I think he was given   his medicine  after he ate so  he was falling asleep as we were talking to him.  He didn't talk very much, we let him take  a nap.

 We noticed that Dad lost some weight since our last visit.   I feel bad  for my father-in-law.  I know that he is well taken care of in that facility but it's hard that we  only get to see him once in a while. I don't know why but I feel  this overwhelming  feeling of depression whenever we are  at a seniors' facility.  Looking at  the old people  that seem miserable makes me depressed.  I can't help but think of  a future  scenario for me and my husband.  I hope that when it is time for us to go,  we can go peacefully so  we won't be a burden to anybody.  

Before we left, my daughter played some songs  at the piano for  some of the old people in the lobby.  One of the nurses there gave us a picture of Dad  and his valentine date on Valentine's day.  Another nurse approached me and asked if I am a Filipino.  She wanted to know because  she is half Filipino  and she said that she seldom see Filipino at that facility.  She  talked to us for a little while and she told us that she knows  my  FIL.  They all call him Pap.  

It was a short visit with Dad but glad to see him again.   We didn't get to talk to him a lot  but  just to see him is enough.  We  will have to go back there again  when we get a chance.  I just wish he is near  us so we can visit often.

UPDATE:
That was the last time we visited him at Gables.  He was rushed to the hospital on March 1st.  The doctor said that  he  had a flu then it became a sepsis.  He was treated at Trinity for it and he got better.  He was supposed to go back to Gables last week but  the doctor found out that his  internal organs were shutting down.  We all went at the hospital   last Friday because the doctor said that he won't last  very long.  He got transferred to the hospice that night and then he died  last Saturday.  I know that we have anticipated it is going to happen but it is  a tough situation.  Losing someone who touched so many lives is hard.  We will forever cherished all the great memories we had with him.  Rest in peace now Dad.

Ways to Deal with Adversities

  My children are very observant and they listen to every little thing that   we say at home.   They can feel the energy that my husband and I have everyday so we try our very best to be  of good energy so we can transfer it to them.  At home we can influence   their mood but when they go out, we can't control what is going on so it is  a hard thing to deal with, however, there are ways we can help our children to cope up and deal with adversities.

 FIND  CREATIVE ACTIVITIES for THEM TO DO - this will take their mind off  the things that are bothering them.  My kids love to  do  any outdoor  activities so even during  winter, they would insist to  do things  outside.  I was a little hesitant to let  them  play in the snow when we had that  frigid  temperature but something was bothering them especially my  daughter  who is very  sensitive so I let them  play outside.  They told me about  a tension that is  going on in the school  and I feel bad that they have to go through that but I guess it is part of the learning process.

FIND  GROUP ACTIVITIES - we are so lucky that most of the parents in our children's classes are  close to us.  Being in a small community is advantageous because  everyone seems to know everybody so when there are events, we always get notified and  we attend  every chance we  get.  One of the Moms organized a bowling night after a tension-filled week at the school to give the students some breather.  It was also a fun night for us parents.

MUSIC  -  a lot of people can connect to music.  Music is  one big part of my children's coping mechanism.  My daughter plays piano when she is bored or  stressed.  Another best way to deal with  adversity is through arts and crafts, there are so many  arts and crafts project that you can do with your children  at home.  These are just some of the ways that works best for my kids.

Steps for Remodeling Your Home

Do you have plans to have your home remodeled at some point in the near future? If you do, it is critical that you educate yourself regarding what is involved in this sort of undertaking. There are big and small remodeling jobs. However, there are certain things that you will need to do regardless of the size of the project. Knowing what you need to do will help your remodeling job go much more smoothly with less of a chance that something will go wrong. Here are the steps you should follow when you are going to have your home remodeled.

Living Room

1. Decide the exact specifications of the remodeling project that you want to have completed.

It is important that you know exactly what you want to have done before you hire a contractor to remodel your home. A contractor will need to order materials and possibly rent equipment based on the project that he will be overseeing. Therefore, you must be decisive on this matter. It will be very difficult if you start changing your mind about certain aspects of the project when the contractor and his crew have already started working.

2. Hire a contractor who has experience doing the specific type of remodeling work that you need.

Not all contractors are knowledgeable about all areas of remodeling a home. Therefore, it will be necessary for you to hire kitchen remodelers  if you want to have work done on your kitchen. Make sure you determine how much experience the contractor has. You should not hire anyone who has under three years of experience doing the type of remodeling that you require.

3. Schedule appointments with contractors to get price quotes.

Contact the contractors who have the necessary qualifications to do the job. Schedule appointments with all of them. These people will come to your home and take a look at the areas that you want to have remodeled. They will quote you a price for the total project. You can then compare the prices of the contractors to see which ones are the most affordable.

4. Prepare your home for renovation.

Block off the area of your home that will be remodeled. Put up barriers to prevent small children from wandering into the area by accident. Post signs so visitors to your home know that construction is going to be taking place in that area.