Saturday, June 6

We've made it through the first week and things seem to be getting a little better. Leola has slept through the night the last couple of nights. She still tries to leave during the day sometimes, but get confused once she's outside and realizes she doesn't know where she's going or how she would get there. The last couple of days, however, she's had a new fixation - a car she thinks she just bought. "I can't find the keys to my car! I just bought a new car and now I've lost it," she says every minute or so. We've discovered it's better to distract her with another topic rather than try to convince her she doesn't have a car any longer. Otherwise the conversation goes like this:

"Did you see my car outside? I think I'm going to go home now and I can't find my car," she says.

"You sold your car to Caleb 5 years ago. Don't you remember?" we will say. (Stupid thing to say, of course she doesn't remember!)

"I did? No, then how did I get here?" she replies. "How am I going to get home?"

"We drove you here in our car."

"But, I know I have a new car. I just bought it."

And on and on. So now we have learned that when she says, "I can't find my car", we just reply, "Caleb has your car and he's taking care of it."

These conversation are tediously exhausting for both Jon and me. However, I'm in awe at his patience and devotion to his mother and he seems to be in awe of me for my patience and willingness to welcome her in to our home. It is a new journey for us together and it has just begun.