Royal Tyrell Museum

It's been quite the day today, a day of highs and lows, joy and sadness. I couldn't write this morning; we were pushing hard to get out to Drumheller and the Royal Tyrell Museum. Home Care came late, and so did our drive, Isaiah. He is Phil's son. Phil is now officially my daughter, Kate's, fiance. The engagement lunch is tomorrow but the news is out. So we were in a hurry.

I want to say that I took my daughter, Mary, any my grandchilren, Rose and Quinn, to the Royal Tyrell Museum. That would only be partly true. Certainly I was the orchestrator of the event. Certainly I treated them all, including Isiah, to the museum. Alas, I did not do the driving. I am now certain; I am no longer able to drive at all. My arm strength has fallen enough in the last six weeks such that I can no longer safely drive any distance at all.

As a part of that general weakness in my arms, I can no longer consistently raise my arms above my shoulders. I can do it now and again, but there are enough times when I cannot that I will not put my trust in my own strength. The exhaustion has increased as well, so driving for two hours there and two hours back is just too much risk.

Thankfully Isiah is young and strong. He made the two hour trek from Eckville down to Calgary, then drove the two hours to Drumheller. He helped load and unload my power wheelchair, spent time with the kids, and was kind beyond measure. When Kate called to see how it went today, I told her she should tell Phil to be proud of Isaiah. He was terrific.

With his help, the day with the kids was terrific too. Alas we have worn out poor Quinn. He is so tired now he is crying himself to sleep. But what can you expect with such a full day for such a little boy. He's only three. While most times he is fun and happy, right now he has had enough.

I mean the fun and happy part. We had so much fun at the dinosaur museum, with the kids happily running from exhibit to exhibit, Mary taking dozens of photographs, and me tooling around in my power wheelchair. Actually, thanks to Isaiah driving, I maintained a good energy level for almost the whole day. Still, after the day, and after cooking dinner, I kind of feel like Quinn. I won't cry, but I am getting pretty tired.

Having the kids here is great fun. I am so grateful for them, and for Mary for bringing them out to visit, taking the time and trouble to make sure they are looked after and having fun. I confess that she is better with them than I was with her when she was that age. She has a lot of patience with them, at the same time keeping discipline, all the while managing both their needs and hers. I am proud of her, and her kids too.