My day began at five. I woke partway to something heavy falling across my legs. Jack’s yell of surprise woke me fully. I sat up to see our legs buried under his clothes bins. He had kicked them in his sleep and knocked them over.

“Help! I can’t move!” Jack hollered, flinging an arm out and hitting me in the nose. “Get me out of here!”

“Hang on a sec, dear. It’s okay.” I yanked my legs free and got up to restack the bins, grateful they hadn’t spilled. As I knelt on the edge of the bed to grab the back bins, I realized there was no edge. It was just blankets. I slid and tried to catch myself, and my foot got caught in the milk crate by the door. I felt my toe crunch and pop as I hit the floor. Fortunately it was the nerve damaged foot so it didn’t really hurt.

“What are you doing down there? I need help!” Jack said, trying to sit up in bed. “Can’t you see I’m stuck?”

“I’ll fix it, dear; just give me a second.” I said. I pulled myself up, sat on the edge of the bed, propped my foot on my knee, and put my toe back where it was supposed to be. Then I picked up the clothes bins and put them back in place.

“What was all that?” Jack asked. He was propped up on his elbows, watching me work. “How did that happen?”

“You kicked the bins in your sleep and they fell over. It’s not a big deal.” I answered, putting the last bin back in place. Then I crawled back under the blankets, hoping to get a little more sleep. Just as I was starting to doze off, Jack nudged me with his elbow.

“I have to get up.” he said. I confess I grumbled a bit as I got up to let him out of bed. Jack went to the bathroom, came back, plopped himself down on my legs (I was back under the covers) and started to look for clothes.

“What are you doing, dear?” I asked, worming out from under him. “It’s only six-o-clock. You don’t have to get up yet.”

“I have to find my clothes.” Jack answered, pulling a bin out and starting to unpack it. I gave up on sleeping and got out of bed myself.

Now we are having breakfast. Jack is in full uniform, keys around his neck, looking like he’s raring to go. I have one eye partway open and am slurping coffee as fast as I can get it down, hoping it will get me going. I have a busy day ahead.

“Are you going to help me today?” I asked Jack, as he wolfed his Special K. Jack looked up, chin dripping, and shook his head.

“Nope.” he answered promptly. “I QUIT!”

The joys of dementia…SIGH. Think I’ll have another cup of coffee!