Tuesday, November 25, 2008

I'm Okay!

There are days when I believe that becoming a mother has reduced my brain to mush. I wonder why I'm doing certain things (like things my mother did that I vowed I would NEVER do), or why I just said something so strange (a line out of Curious George or Dr. Seuss). I've always attributed it to the unbelievable pace your life takes on when you become a mother but I see now that I'm wrong...other people do it too! Read this. I now stand with the best- for you see the other day the following happened to me.

One evening last week I was drawing water in my sink to wash bottles so that I could fill them before going to bed. As the water ran into the sink I was putting dishes away and straightening the kitchen when I heard Son #1 yelling that Son #2 was out of bed. Wearily I went up the stairs and gave a kind reminder that once we're in bed, we stay in bed. After comforting him and telling both sons I loved them I walked out of their room and remembered that I hadn't gathered up the garbage to put out on the street for collection in the morning. So I gathered the garbage in the bathroom, schoolroom and my room and put it at the top of the steps so that I could carry it down once I also gathered the dirty laundry to take down and put in the washer so that it would be ready to go early next morning. With dirty laundry load and garbage in hand I walked down the stairs and to the laundry room (which is at the opposite end of the house from the kitchen) and placed the dirty laundry in the washer. While there I notice that the bathroom sink was really dirty from when the boys had washed their hands earlier that day so I cleaned the sink. The toilet paper was also out so I replaced that and remembered that I didn't have any plastic bags upstairs on the changing table for dirty diapers so I gathered them out of the spare room and took them upstairs and put them in place. It was then I remembered that Philip had no shirts ironed for the next day so I took one out of the closet and went to the ironing room where I starched and pressed it and took it back upstairs to hang it with his suits. While I was upstairs there were a few more items I attended to and then saw that there were some tea towels on my bed that I'd folded earlier in the day that needed to be taken to the kitchen so I went back downstairs and re-entered the kitchen I'd left quite some time before (I really can't tell you when I left the kitchen). To my utter horror I realized what this other fine lady realized...you have to turn the faucet off when you leave the room. Bad things happen when you don't.

Now it wouldn't have been a problem if our home was level because then any water in the left sink (that I was filling) would have overflowed into the right sink. But our house isn't level... it has a decided lean southwest and so water from the left sink runs across the counter top and fills up the corner until it overflows and then it travels down the wall and under the cabinets where it disappears to who knows where. I sighed and wondered how long it would be before I'm placed in a little white padded room.

But I'm NORMAL! YES!!! It's not just because I'm a mom....I'm human! There's someone else out there just like me....what peace of mind this gives. Hmmmm....I guess it could be argued that she is a mom to ....whew...how many girls live in that dorm....wow....ughhhh oh.....I feel uncertainty creeping in ....I only have three boys to look after compared to her dozens.... (I wonder if she's ever placed a stack of clean undergarments in her refrigerator...maybe I'm not okay)

14 comments:

Alanna said...

Oh - bless your heart! Sometimes I do stuff like that and I'm not even a mom yet! Hope you have a restful Thanksgiving!

Anonymous said...

Bless you! You truly made my day. I'm still laughing out loud. It's wonderful to find out that one is not alone! =) And I think you're more than OK. I think you're incredible. I do know what it's like to wonder about oneself at times. My older girls just laugh at me as I prove my one-trackness on a daily basis. Oh well, we do our best.

Thanks so much for the laugh. I needed it!

Anonymous said...

Now where did I put that stack of undergarments? =)

Faithe said...

Maybe it's in the genes!! Sounds like the things I do...one thing leads to another and it's quite awhile until I get back to the original job. Or perhaps there's something in that Cincinnati water (since 2 of you have had the same problem within a week). Just a thought!!
No, really, you're both okay. You are so busy that your brains are on overload.

lauralavon said...

Oh, I so enjoyed that story! I can CERTAINLY relate! Yes, I'm sure you're OK. : )

Charity said...

Sounds like something's in your cafeteria water that's driving all the ladies slowly out of their minds! ;o) Bless your hearts! BTW, Chelsea's been raving about your latest gift of yummies... thanks for taking care of her...

Unknown said...

Oh my! If I weren't at work, I would have laughed out loud instead of chuckled to myself. I do the same thing! Go from one job to the next because I get distracted and it takes me awhile till I come full circle and get back to what I was originally doing. Knock on wood, I have never overflowed a sink, but it wouldn't surprise me. I think that with each pregnancy, brain cell die/leak out/or whatever, never to return. The absentmindedness/forgetfulness of pregnancy is still plaguing me! I can relate totally! You made my day.

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Jeanne said...

Take heart...it has happened to me a couple of times. I get a call from my neighbor downstairs about the time I realize something is wrong!

Mary Ellen said...

I've overflowed a sink a few times too - it's definitely not just you and Sonya - I think mine have always been laundry room sinks. There really should be one of those overflow thingys in those big tubs like are in a bathroom sink! "-)

As much I smiled, nodded and enjoyed your story (and boy can I ever relate with the going from one random task to another with no rhyme or reason) your very last line is the one that made me laugh out loud!

A Moment in the Life of a Mother said...

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks they need to be in a padded cell...lol.

Martha C said...

This was a great read! Isn't it amazing how our mushy brains actually produce worthwhile humans?! :-)

Nathan and Laura said...

Oh No... if I already do this sort of thing what will motherhood be like?! I enjoyed the read :)

Angela said...

Thanks for the smile that brought to my face. I am not alone in this world, seems like I do things like that too, just can't put them into words quite like you do...