When Mom is down and out...

When mom is down and out what are you going to do? Well when your a member of the Aerni home you suck it up, and call in reinforcements!

This last week we have been forced to do just that. A few weeks ago a Dr. visit gave me the news that I knew was coming. I was going to have to have a hysterectomy.. I am not one who likes to be taken care of ~ I am the one to take care of everyone else. But I know that this is something that I need to do, and it will be better off in the long run. So when I know I am going to be down, I call in the reinforcements. Who would I call? Well Grandma of course!

Grandma T is the lucky one who was able to come this time around. She lives in Texas but we are fortunate enough that she works for Southwest Airlines so getting up here to visit and help out isnt that big of a deal. All of the children love their Grandma T. They get to do fun things with grandma that mommy would never allow. Like banana splits, with chocolate, strawberries AND all three  flavors of ice cream. Grandma T has a love of shoes ~ one shared by K. So shoe shopping is almost always on the list of things to do. But Grandma T's main job while she is here is to force me to take care of myself. Yes I tend to be stubborn ~ I try and do too much too quick. But who can blame me? I have to make sure my family is cared for, thats my "job"' and I am not one to be a slacker. Grandma T is a huge help ~ she does everything that I would. So that really helps me. I dont feel the need to try and do it myself, a big help when you are trying to keep me down. Its  always helpful to have someone who can dive right in, and at least manage to tred water when it comes to keeping my family afloat. Not that I am one to gloat, but really having a large family is a different beast then most people are used to. It can be very over whelming to people. Most people have a  hard time balancing the needs of one or two people. But when you are having to balance the needs of 5 children, over whelming seems like a insignificant word to use.

Thankfully I get my love of large family from my mom. While my mom only had two children, our house was always filled with "extras". It was not uncommon for us to have a large number of people sitting around the dinner table nearly every night. I learned to cook to "feed an army" as the general rule of thumb was there better be enough for all who showed up. While the faces around the dinner table often changed, the fact that the seats around the table where almost always full always left an impression on me. Now in  my adult life, I am proud to say that I have done the same thing ~ my table while full with my own children. Is frequented by several others who refer to this as home too. No matter how full our table may be, there is always room for one more. =}

But even with being used to a full crew,  my 5 can be a handful for even Grandma T. The biggest difference is the twins. Having 2 babies who are still very much  dependent on you for everything is daunting. When people think of feeding time for a baby most figure 15-20 minutes tops. With twins? Try an hour at least from start to finish. You figure the twins get fed 3 meals a day, that's 3 hours a  day solely to prepare, feed, and clean up meal times, just for the twins. Doesn't count the older three kids or my hubby and myself! That's just feeding ~ add diapers, bottles, and of course keeping them entertained and out of trouble and most people are more then exhausted at the end of the day. There really  is a major diffrence with twins. Its not just "two babies" its so much more tiring then just "double everything". Its like running a marathon that never ends.

You do get used to it eventually, but it does take time. I am sure my mom is very thankful she is back at home now with her "kids" who are  still at home. (My mom is raising my cousins, and has been for the last eight years). Thankfully they are all older now and pretty much can care for themselves. I am sure of one thing, my mom will be very thankful for the sleep! I think she had forgotten what it was like to get up several times a night. =)