Just needed to be heard for a little while

Waves_and_Smiles

Good morning all! I went for a nap at 8pm and suddenly it's 7am! Now I am all confused and missed my medication, argh! WaSp couldn't wake me up because he fell asleep in the chair, I woke him up when I got up. Now I am not quite sure what to do as the next dose is due in 4 hours. I can take the anti-psychotic dose close to the next one but the blood pressure pills and the steroids not so much. But yay for the right sleep pattern for once for both of us.

Now WaSp has gone to bed for another hour or two and I'm bored. I shall watch my jellyfish.

Can you all help me decide what to get MIL for Christmas? Obviously anything depending on sight is out, but she loves bright colours because she can still see those. Something like the jellyfish she gave me with vivid, changing colours could work but not with small bits she needs to see. Also, something like that would need a large button to turn it on that she can feel and it needs not to be fragile in case she knocks it over. Small, glittering colours she can't see, it needs to be bold blocks of colour. Last Christmas we bought her large fairy lights which she has kept up all year because she loves the colours flashing. The year before that we bought her a foot massager which she also loved.

Tactile things are also good that she can touch. I made her a card for her birthday and glued ribbons, feathers and cloth on it and she loved touching the different textures. Her hearing is also quite bad so audio books are out. She has just about every disability aid it is possible to have already and we bought her a bright, flowery dressing gown and blanket at her birthday. In her mind she is still 30 and doesn't like things she believes are for the elderly, she wasn't happy that someone bought her bed socks and draw liners, for example! She still wears jeans and t-shirts and hates what she calls frumpy clothes! When a cousin bought her a string of pearls she promptly gave them to me because they were too old fashioned for her. She is still very young at heart, she loved a scented teddy bear I bought her for her birthday last year and he sits on her bed. She gets drowned in toiletries from the rest of her family every year, it is everyone's go-to gift. Food isn't possible because of her Crohns disease and alcohol is pointless with BIL there. All suggestions welcome please!

whitewing

I really love the idea of her wearing jeans. Could you get creative with a pair of jeans - do some embroidered flowers on some? And maybe a white T shirt that you can decorate with fabric pens.

Waves_and_Smiles

Oooh, now there is an idea. I wonder also if we could also different patches with different materials that she could feel on jeans? A white t-shirt with a bold and colourful pattern also sounds good, something very bright and cheerful! Funnily enough WaSp suggested a blouse, I laughed and said she would never talk to either of us again. When buying for MIL you never consider her physical age, she goes to a day centre once a week where she feels useful because she chats to the "old people". She also wears soft fleece tracksuits so I might be able to decorate those, too. Thank you!

codemonkey

My nephew is visually impaired and we used to get him fibre optic stuff. I think you can get the colour changing lamps quite cheaply now if that's any help. Your mil sounds cool. Or Etsy sell braille jewllery which looks quite good. Also glad you got a good night's sleep. I caved last night and watched a cheesy Christmas film and then Elf.

Waves_and_Smiles

I have never seen Elf and it probably something I could watch without triggers. I might have to hunt it down.

Fibre optic things sound good! Colours are very important to her now and bring her great pleasure. If we can manage to afford it we want to get her a few gifts this year because sadly we are concious that time is running out to do so. We want to spoil her a bit.

whitewing

These T shirts from M and S are £6 and are a lovely shape and fit on the women in my family:

Pure Cotton T-Shirt with StayNEW™
T410802

But you may be able to get cheaper ones if MIL prefers a different style.

Waves_and_Smiles

Perfect, whitewing and just her style. I am going to buy one right now. Thank you!

whitewing

WaS, if you do decide on making or decorating some stuff yourself for MIL, do ask on here before you purchase some crafty bits because someone may have a hoarded stash that they are dying to get rid of.

I am thinking if you decorate a T shirt, you could include sequins. I love sparkles.

I also am thinking if MIL can't see some of the stuff, it doesn't matter as people are bound to comment to her about her beautiful clothes.

My nan was the same - helping out with the 'old ladies' despite being 15/20 years older than them.

codemonkey

whitewing wrote: »

I really love the idea of her wearing jeans. Could you get creative with a pair of jeans - do some embroidered flowers on some? And maybe a white T shirt that you can decorate with fabric pens.

That's a great idea. You could get some wonderweb stuff and iron them on (WaSP could do this part).

Waves_and_Smiles

Aw, I shall ask, whitewing. I am thinking a bright pattern with sequins or similar that she can see sparkle. She loves compliments on her appearance, she has always made a huge effort in that regard and wears things that someone 50 years younger would wear. She is the only person I know of her age that still has shoulder length, layered hair and a fringe! Very few people realise how old she really is. She believes that's why she has lived so long, she simply refuses to acknowledge her age.