Eileen and Larry Somers

I can't believe it's been over a year since I've written anything about my mom. In some ways, it's "same old, same old" with my parents. And yet, I have seen my mom getting weaker and weaker. I took her to two doctor appointments yesterday. She's down to 118 pounds. She struggles with so many things. I am going to focus on the positives. She loves being kissed. Louise and I especially give her lots of little kisses on her forehead. She keeps saying "I love my family. All my children are wonderful." She loves to hear, "I love you." She sings with me - the "I love you forever" song from the Robert Munsch book and "Jesus Loves Me." She likes sweets still and is happy when people bring her treats. I don't know how long we'll have my mom around, so I'm trying to enjoy the time I have with her while I can.

So it's been hard to see my mom's memory fading. She often mixes true events of the past with things she's heard on the radio or on tv or in conversations. She gets upset with anything even remotely negative and seems to have a lot of fears. When I came in this morning, she told me about a nightmare she had had. (Written below as closely as I can remember it.) "I had a nightmare that Mary Lou Jargens / Mejari (?) called me and said that if I told anyone that she and I had worked together at the Childcare Center, she would get her husband and sue me for defamation." Later, she told it as NANCY Lou saying, "If you don't stop calling me . . . we'll sue you for harassment." "I hung up on her." It makes me sad that my mom's thoughts so often turn to negative things . . . she gets very upset about any meanness, violence, illness, etc. But it also makes me wonder about this person. And is this from when she worked at the daycare cent...

We had something of a battle today, with Eileen insisting that she did not want or need to take a bath today. Last week, she called me a "clean freak" and I told her that getting clean and shampooing her hair once a week did NOT qualify for clean freak status. She also told me today that Araceli will give her a bath as soon as she gets back to Minnesota . . . Thursday. I asked if she had told Araceli that I've been giving her a bath each week while Araceli has been gone. My mother didn't remember that I have been doing this. So I told her that if she can't remember it, the baths can't have traumatized her very much. Still, she ranted and raved against me making her do this. I think her real issue is having someone else tell her what to do. At least now, she is clean and I've clipped her toenails. Fun.

My mother does NOT like to have her photo taken, but sometimes she'll be a good sport about it. Here are a few of the more recent pics of her. (e.g. Last five years)

I love my mom. She has been going through a lot of physical and mental challenges over the last nine months. I have enjoyed spending more time with her, but it is hard to see her struggling. I decided to blog about her - stories, memories, photos, etc. I hope she lives for many more years!