Already dreading the Fourth!

Whitney, sounds very familiar!

The "holiday day" is July 1st here, Canada Day. I have no family and my mother, in a NH, is pretty much out of it and sleeping 24/7 so it will be just another day. Living in the middle of nowhere there won't be any fireworks which is a good thing as, if there's a thunder storm, I have a dog firmly attached to each leg :)

Yes, holidays can be especially difficult, and it is terribly unfair that some
siblings will not help with caregiving. This past winter, I acquired a bad cold, and neither one of my sisters would fill in for me with caregiving for my parents(they both live locally), and unfortunately my father did catch my cold, but luckily he recovered within about a week. I have reached the point where probably at some point I will not be on speaking terms with my sisters, as I view them as adult spoiled brats.

Oh Jeanne he'll be with you in spirit... Hugs..

Dread is too strong, but I'm a little apprehensive about the 4th, too, for a different reason. I watched fireworks for 40 years with Coy, including the 10 he had dementia, and I'll miss him this week.

Glad and Jeanette I'm crying with ya!

I don't have any pets but you can be sure my Mom will freak out if my neighbors set of fireworks! (Funny they are illegal in MA but some how my cop neighbor never seems to have a problem with the local PD)..

My 2 sisters are heading to Aruba on the 5th and my brothers going to his house in the mountains!! I'm not sure what the other 3 are doing!! What with being retired and all I figure "the world is their oyster"..

I had to ask my SIL to have my own son and his girlfriend and her visiting mother over her house for a BBQ, because my Mom would freak out with all of them here.. I love my SIL (husbands side) she is so good to us and my Mom...We will go to the BBQ for a little while..

I'm not jealous of my siblings going on vacation, it's envy that they are able to make plans and just go!!!

PS I get information thru the grapevine. Only 1 of them sees Mom..

I'd love to go to daycare everyday!!

Great idea about the Benadryl!!.... My bed isn't big enough to 2 80 lbs cowering dogs...hehe big babies.

It will just be mom and I for the 4th. My brothers are taking their horses and packing into the high lakes. Man, why does that make me want to cry?

Well, I always said if she wouldn't go to the ALF for a month, I would. LOL. Yup, disconnect and pretend I was on a cruise.

Actually, my family drives me absolutely NUTTY!

I would love to check them into respite for a month, I sure need it! Still working through family issues so need to try to hold off.

Don't you just love family. I wonder if you could check them into respite for a month. Then go on vacation yourself.
As for the dog, give him a Benadryl at sunset on the 4th and keep him inside if you can. The noise is very disorienting. My girlfriend's dachshund ran into traffic on the 4th and that was the end of him.