It’s TLT….Top of the List Tuesday.
The way I see it, lists are important. They keep you focused, help you stay organized, and allow you to maintain a tiny ounce of sanity throughout the day.
At least that’s what you hope…
“MOM BRAIN” can get the best of you:
Car keys. They’re inevitable. I manage to misplace them at least once a day. The worst part is when I am completely oblivious that they are RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I will be holding my car keys IN MY HANDS as I hastily scramble around searching for them in my purse, couch cushions, coat pockets….you name it, I look there.
If it’s not my car keys, then it’s my cell phone. There have been moments when I have been talking to someone on my phone and searching for its whereabouts in the very same instance. I become exasperated, thinking, “Where in the world did I put my phone? I just had it a second ago!” Until a few moments pass by and I realize that I am TALKING on it.
It doesn’t end there. Sunglasses are innocent victims, too. Too many times I have had them sitting on my head as I frantically look around as to where they are hiding. Sometimes, the only way I realize where they are is when I bend down to look under a bed or table and they fall off my head…crashing to the floor.
Yes, these are the things that I spend so much of my valuable time looking for, which results in my lovely morning setback. Hence, nothing crossed off my to-do list.
Among the many thoughts that slip my mind during the course of a day, a reoccurring one is what car I drove to the store and where I parked. There is a running joke between me and my husband that I could get into any random person’s car thinking it is ours. It happens a lot. As in….almost every time I park my car in a crowded area. When I walk out the store exit, all I seem to pay attention to is color. If it’s grey, the first four door car that is grey must be his. Wait, his?! Did I drive my car or his car today? I forgot whose car I took to the store. While this thought process is taking place, I’ve already walked back and forth two aisles in search of “the car”. Eventually I find the car and all is well in the world. But, there have actually been instances (yes, plural) when I have actually opened up the passenger side door of a random car (thinking it was ours) and sat in the seat. It takes a few seconds to realize why I am being laughed at. Naturally.
Hmmm…Could it be that I was sitting in someone else’s car?!?
Needless to say, I can be quite forgetful and totally unaware, more than I ever had been since becoming a mom. My husband gets a huge thrill in seeing how many times I will walk to the wrong car…especially when he is walking directly in front of me leading the way. He sure gets a kick out of watching this humorous event unfold…..to see how long it will take for me to realize.
Every single time I ask him the same question after all is said and done, “Why do you let me do that?”
Every single time he shakes his head in disbelief and responds the same way, “I don’t understand how you continue to do this…..over and over again.”
Yeah….mom brain, once again.
3. You make awkward comments.
Let’s talk about the grocery store and airport. These happen to be two places that I always manage to make awkward conversation. I’m THAT person who gets the odd look and strange stare when I’m simply trying to be nice. Enter grocery store. I’m at the checkout line and just finished paying for my items. It is bright and early in the morning. I should be alert and on my game. I carefully place my bags in the cart and look up to the cashier and say as I’m walking away, “Have a good night!”. Hello, it’s 9 am. Bedtime won’t be here for another 12 hours. Wake up, lady!
This seems to happen more than I would like to admit…
But the comments don’t stop there.
As I head toward the store exit and walk out of the sliding doors, a store employee says, “Thanks for shopping at _____.” Not skipping a beat, I quickly chime back cheerfully with a, “Thanks, you too!” If she did happen to squeeze in some grocery shopping before starting work that day, I do hope she enjoyed her trip too. Odds of that being the case…..slim to none.
I think we become so accustomed to saying, “Thanks you too”….that it remains on auto pilot and becomes our automatic response, even if it doesn’t quite apply to the conversation.
The airport is another place I make awkward comments. Because everything usually feels so rushed, I never really feel on my game. As I approach the counter to check my bags, I hand the lady my ID and suitcase. She hands me my ticket and we quickly make eye contact as she says to me, “Enjoy your trip!” And then it happens….my automatic response, “Thanks, you too!” The poor woman has to finish her day in a dingy airport behind a counter in an ever so comfortable uniform. I’m willing the bet the last thing she wants to hear is someone telling her to enjoy the non-existent trip she will be going on that day, too.
4. You lose focus….very easily.
Throw concentration out the window. As a mom, I attempt to multi-task, but fail miserably. On multiple occassions throughout the day, I’m in the zone or better yet….”out to lunch”.
Hello? Anyone in there? Yes, yes…I’m here….just sorting through the millions of thoughts that are rapidly entering my brain that I’m trying to file and keep organized so I can remember them later.
My thoughts drift to another world, and during this time, I lose focus. In a blink of an eye, I can be thinking about X, Y, Z….all of which are completely unrelated things. As this happens, I completely, totally, utterly lose any sense of focus that I once had. And once focus is gone, embarrassment ensues.
One specific thing I tend to do is address people incorrectly….sometimes, inappropriately.
As stated above, I make awkward comments. But, it’s not always to people who I just met and will never see again. Nope, this time I make them to people I know and will most ceretainly see….again…and again.
I’m in the kitchen at my family’s house as everyone is laughing and chatting away. Although I consider myself very close with both of my brother’s, it is just not okay to walk up to them….rub their back…and say, “Hey babe, can you please hand me the…..”. The only thing I get in return is an odd stare and uncomfortable silence. Remember, HEY BABE should never be used toward anyone other than your significant other.
If talking to your sibling like this isn’t bad enough, let’s try your best friend’s husband. The words “Hey Honey” are best to be left for your own husband. Thankfully, if you have a good sense of humor, you and your friend both can laugh it off and make fun of it later. Just get used to the fact you will be made fun of it for quite some time.
I guess I never realized how often I used the words BABE and HONEY when trying to grab my husband’s attention. Maybe I should reconsider this option and opt for his real name once in awhile.
worth of time.
As a mom, you think you can handle it all. It’s really hard to turn the mom brain off. You try to squeeze in more than you can manage and feel like a failure for not getting everything done. You
Soon, the end of the day approaches and bedtime has magically appeared. You hop into bed. Yawns begin as fatigue set in a long time ago. The right and necessary thing to do is give that mom brain of yours a break and go to sleep. Instead, you choose otherwise.
You find yourself on Pinterest. Then you are looking up your bank account status. Next you are searching for reviews on Amazon. Craigslist browsing comes after that. Scouring deals on your favorite shopping sites gets thrown in the mix…..followed by the inevitable googling. You google signs and symptoms your child is showing to help determine what may be wrong with him/her…..followed by a search of what is wrong with you…..followed by……
