This perhaps should have gone on Todds thread but I just wanted to share these precious precious moments with you. *Todd if you can use this for your study then feel free to copy and paste it.

Just to put you in the picture I have to report what a wonderful day I had yesterday...digging the garden,incredibly wonderful and stimulating conversation with a friend and an attempt at being creative in the evening.So...when bedtime came...for once I was physically,mentally and spiritually ready to sleep.Contentedly I climbed the stairs,slipped between freshly laundered sheets and ....THEN my daughter came in,sore throat,head heavy with a cold and saying her mouth w as dry so I offered to fetch her a drink.She followed me downstairs and suddenly sprang into life saying that she didn`t want to sleep and could we stay up talking.
Decisions decisions? Well I am glad to say I chose to stay up and chat...and had I have followed my desire to go back to bed...I would have missed the most delightful,entertaining,humorous intellect...that IS my daughter.
We lit candles,made comfort coffee...and we spent much of the evening behaving like college students. It was a simply lovely precious time which was meant to be and I wouldn`t have missed it for the world.

You know,before I was diagnosed I was convinced I had a brain tumour and vowed to make memories for my children.
Well...I know this sounds crazy but when I was told it was pd instead I felt I had been given a second chance at life...and vowed I would STILL make memories.I guess that is why I look at my cup always being half full,rather than half empty.
And last night was one heck of a memorable occassion.Our relationship has moved up a notch...no ...a few notches and I want to hold and capture those few hours for always.

So...I have not been to sleep and yet my brain is on fire and I am one happy happy mum.I have learned a little more about my daughter who for many months has been quite elusive,spending time in her room,emerging only for meals and being quite insular.What a joy to know that they do come round,go through stages, and that they can still enjoy your company.We laughed,cried,hugged,told rude jokes,exchanged fears and hopes and dreams.

And we roared with laughter at reading my 12 year old son`s homework for citizenship;

He loathes writing and applies HIS logic to the answers he gives.
This one had both of us wetting ourselves;

QUESTION;
What kind of problems might you expect from having an old person live with you?
ANSWER;
Well for a start they might die.

Sure son...that would solve your problems in one.

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT AGEISM;

ANSWER;
They are not with the times so they don`t know what machines do.Old people won`t be able to last long on tv.When old....wrinkles appear so they can`t be in any modelling ads.

Well HE knows what he meant.

And once,when presented with the task of writing a 4 page essay,the first sentence having been given by the teacher...
I was walking down a lane with my dog and....[the children carry on ]

My son`s logic;
"I haven`t got a dog so I wouldn`t be walking down a country lane with one."

END OF ESSAY.

Oh moments like these are like finding gold in sand.

It is so easy with an illness like this to ponder at length on the gloomy side,and of course that is our luxury.But when you hold...and I mean HOLD AND RETAIN little things like this we are richer for it despite the pain and misery of parkinson`s.
I am sure we could all make a wonderful collection of magical precious memories if we stepped out of the parkinsons circle for a few minutes.

I feel knackered...but positively YUMMY at this moment in time.

Well..it is 7.00am UK time and I have to go do my morning chores...and wake my two beautiful beautiful children.

And before I do..I am going to spend a few moments just taking in their sleepy little faces,and make some more precious memories.

x