When things turn pear-shaped

Well, once again, our own nuclear family is perfectly fine and normal - no major dramas within these four walls. However, my very oldest friend AB (we were first friends when we were in the same ballet class as 5 year olds) has had a bad day.

AB is pregnant with her 3rd baby, and it has been a very painful deal so far - she's had symphysis pubis dysfunction and is finding it excruciating just being upright for the day (okay in the mornings, but agony by the evenings). But yesterday it was discovered that she has a total placenta praevia as well. So now she is in hospital on complete bed-rest - probably until the baby is born, which could be 2 months away.

And she has 2 preschool boys. And her husband S has a major work deadline all coming to a head in the next 4 weeks, for which he is the lead programmer.

So, we are of course all rallying around. I had the boys here this morning and they all played very well together. This is not usual. Usually there is fighting and tears and sulking when the 4 kids get together (well, not really counting the littlest who is too small to be a problem). But today they were great. yay.

Fortunately kindy starts back tomorrow so her oldest and my oldest will be off there for each morning of the week, which will make things easier. And her #2 is on the waiting list to start.

So, I've put my hand up to look after her #2 for three mornings a week for as long as needed. It's tricky - I felt like I should offer to do more, but I can't really justify (for example) going and cleaning their bathroom when ours is so badly in need of a scrub.

But right now the most helpful thing I can do is go to bed and get some sleep I think. I just re-read this post several times and it is no longer making sense to me - a sure sign that I'm not only too tired to be reading, I am definitely too tired to be writing.