My first mother's day was pretty nice, we stayed up in Midway with the Hagens. My favorite part of the day (besides being a mom to June and Lyla of course) was the Hagen boys making us yummy savory and sweet crepes for dinner and doing the dishes! Mother's day should be everyday! It kind of is if you're a mom, its just more like a special job than a celebration on lots of those days.
My mom is fabulous. She is such a good person, she's way nicer than me. In fact, she's not rude to anyone ever. She likes everyone and everyone likes her. She is down to earth and knows whats important in life. Shes been through a lot of hard things as a mom, things that I think would make me crumble, but shes so strong. Speaking of that, shes freakishly strong. She can carry the heaviest things...it's weird, and cool. She raised 6 kids, at one point 5 kids under 6, 3 in diapers, 2 newborn twins... I have no idea how she did it. And now as a grandma of almost 15- she works, has a demanding church calling, helps with 4 new grandbabies born within a week of each other, and still gives my babies baths more often than I do. Some of the grandkids have called her Grandma Pancake, but I think my girls may call her Grandma Bath. And they love her for it. And I love her for it, for all of it. She raised us all and helps us with raising our own kids now. I appreciate her even more now being a mom myself.
My mother-in-law is also a great mom, she raised 4 boys and had to wait for them to get married to have daughters. All those years... and daughters are the best. :) She is a child play specialist and professionally helps kids from being messed up, what better qualifications could a grandma have? I wish she could play with the girls everyday to ensure their success. She has been incredibly helpful with the twins as well. Couldn't ask for a better mother-in-law.
My cousin said something to me after I had the babies that really rang true to me: "welcome to the world's biggest, most secret club--motherhood! strange how the amazing amount of work and the transformative psychology (emotions, biology, etc) of mothering is such a mystery until you actually experience it, no? the men and childless women will never quite know."
It's so true. You wonder why no one warned you, then realize they did, you just didn't understand. You try to imagine wonderful things and hard things before children come into your life, but it is more wonderful and hard than one could imagine. I feel a special connection to moms of twins, but I feel a connection now to all moms. I appreciate these women more and what they do. I know they understand the things I'm going through so I feel like we're all good friends now. I love blog stalking other's joys and struggles of motherhood. Being a mom really is amazing, I'm so glad I got to join the exclusive club!
Love this post, Katie. And I loved seeing a picture of your mom. I don't remember too many names/people from the 8th ward, but Randy and Melanie Lewis are certainly the exceptions to that statement. Lyla and June are lucky to have such a great mom and grandmas. =)
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