Our Princess Jill

Jill and Dad at one of the few slow periods of the evening

The Tuesday before Halloween, when I went over to visit Jill, I asked her if she was going to be a kitty cat again this year and she sat up straight and said "NO! I am going to be a princess!" I was amazed at the fact that she remembered she had a crown and wanted to be princess for Halloween. I went back over to the nursing home on Wednesday with Kecia's old ballet dress that was gold and sparkly blue. Jill got so excited about getting to wear it. I tried it on her to make sure that it would fit - because just a couple of years ago Jill would have been too heavy for it but she has lost so much weight through her upper body. It fit her and fit her nicely




Friday night I showed up just in time to get her changed into the pretty dress and put a little bit of blush on her cheeks. They had put her roommate Betty at the door to their room and had Jill sitting out in the hallway where she likes to sit and see what is going on around her. They had a bucket full of candy sitting by her wheelchair and I thought to myself - we won't need this - dad brought a huge bag full and I brought a plastic pumkin just brimming over with candy.

HAH!! They (the nursing home) refilled us both several times. We had non stop goblins and monsters and Hannah Montana's and all sorts of darling princesses and furry animals. I think Jill enjoyed the evening. She wasn't able to pass out the candy but she enjoyed the pieces of candy that I gave her to eat during the evening.


At one point before the kids started coming I asked her what tonight was. She thought and thought. I pointed out the pumpkin full of candy and asked her what that was...she looked at the black smile on it and said ... "A BAT!" I laughed with her and said no, its a pumpkin. Look at the nurses and look at you...such a pretty princess....why do we dress up in costumes? She was lost. Finally I said - is it Christmas.....she said yes. I said nah! Is it Easter ... she didn't know what to say. I said "is it Halloween?" She grinned and said YES!
By the end of the evening she was tired and ready to rest. But she had a great time and that was what was important. A lot of the nurses and therapists came through with their kids and introduced them to Jill and told the kids what a sweet girl Jill was. It was fun seeing their children and spouses. Putting families together with the people I see in the nursing home helping her all the time. Mauri and Ira came with Adrie and Jerod and Joshua and Caleb. I was glad that some of Jill's family made it over to see her on this fun night.