Liquified Mommy Brains....

You know, they really should tell you.  They should tell you that each time you give birth more brain cells will be lost.  They should tell you that even if once you were one smart chick, that the birthing of three babies in the course of a little over three years will render your brain functioning at about the same level as a doorknob.  They really should tell you.

I mean really.  I have always been quick.  School came easily to me (too easily, actually, I got bored and didn't do my work.  Thus the so-so grades.  A's on tests paired with C's and D's on homework averages you out to a nice flat B.)  I catch on to things easily.  I can multi-task like no other.  I have a great long term memory...so much so that if you give me a few minutes I can usually tell you what I was doing a year ago that day.  I read fast, I remember names, and I can get a lot of things done in a fraction of the time it takes others.

I am not bragging.  I am only saying these things to make very clear that birthing babies does BAD things to you.  Things the doctors don't tell you.  My brains feel liquefied.  I didn't notice the effects with just one.  Even two did little to slow me down or impair my ability to be super-woman.  But three.  Three walking, talking, giggling, demanding, Barney watching, sippy cup obsessed kids have turned my brains to pure mush.  I find myself doing things I despise in others.

Jason will often talk to me.  I respond to him.  Then a few minutes later I realize I have absolutely NO idea what he said.  I didn't hear him when he said it.  So it makes me wonder what in the world I agreed do.  This usually happens when I am on the net or writing an email.  But that is no defense.  Remember my supernatural powers to multi-task?  GONE!

I am also horrible at remembering to do stuff for the kids.  I have always promised myself that I will be true to my word with my kids. If I say I will do something "in a minute" I am determined that I WILL do it.  If my kids can't trust my word in the small things, then there is no way I should expect them to trust my word in the big things.  But lately, Alaina will come to me and say, "Mommy, you forgot my milk."  And I did.  She asked, I said I would do it in a few minutes, and I forget.  Bad mama.  Really, the only way I have been able to avoid this is to literally get up and do it right then.  But I don't like that either.  I don't want my kids to think that I will ALWAYS drop whatever I am doing RIGHT THEN to meet their demands (no matter how politely asked). I think kids need to learn the virtue of patience, and that requires actually having to practice it.  But in my patience teaching methods I forget.  I think Alaina has earned an extra large dose of patience.

Then there are the completely ridiculous things I have done.  Two examples...

Caleb woke up bright and early this morning (well, early for me, it was 6:45).  He was ready to start his day and as I was using the bathroom he barges in carrying the gallon of milk.  You know, just saying, "Milk please" is obviously not nearly as fun as walking around the house looking for mom with a gallon of milk in your hand.  So, he politely waits while I finish up and then I go to get dressed before filling my first of 10,000 sippy cups for the day.  I go into the kitchen, get a sippy cup, put ice in it and then start filling it with water.  Oh darn.  He wanted milk.  What am I doing?  So I pour the water out being very careful not to let the ice fall out.  Just as I am about to pour the milk in I think, "Are you totally crazy or just stupid.  He wants MILK.  Not WATER.  He doesn't take ice in his milk.  So I go to the sink and throw out the ice I was so careful to keep in the cup and pour his milk.  Then I walked over to the bed where Jason was sleeping and politely informed him I was off kid-business for the morning so he better get up. 

Example number two:

The other day I was in the kitchen cooking dinner.  I was thinking that I hadn't heard from Levi for a while.  Odd, but nice.  Lately he has been under-toe almost all day, so to have a  little break and have him playing somewhere quietly was quite the relief.  A few more minutes pass and I am thinking that this is totally unlike my son.  So, I decided I have to go take a peek.  I didn't want to run the risk of him seeing me and then having to figure out how to cook dinner with one hand while holding him with the other.  But, I really couldn't justify NOT checking on him any longer.  So, I go peek in Alaina's room (where the train table is currently set up.) Nope, not there.  Oh no.  Really, our house isn't that big.  Where else could he be? Not in the kitchen, not in my office, not in the living room, not in Alaina's room, he never goes in his room, so as I am starting to get scared I make a last-ditch effort and check the bathroom, all the while thinking I am the WORST mom ever and he has probably swallowed something and is lying unconscious (or worse) somewhere.  So I peek in the bathroom where he often likes to throw things in the toilet and bathtub and unroll all the toilet paper.  Nope, not there.  Oh no.  Maybe Caleb opened the garage door and he is in there.  Or worse, what if I had the big garage door open and he got outside.  I am dying here.  I start to go to the garage and see the door to his room shut.  That's weird I think.  And just as I am about to open the door to see if for the first time ever he decided to play in there, I remember something.  Oh yea.  I put him down for a nap.

See, liquefied mommy brains.

But what I want to know is, do I ever get these brain cells back?  I really, really miss them.

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So, yesterday was the last day of school for Alaina.  Another bittersweet moment for me.  She seems completely unphased by it all and is ready to pack her suitcase for the summer.  She loves change, loves to travel, isn't too sentimental.  Me, the sentimental one, gets sad to leave a place even if I don't like it.  The first few days of the week hit 90 degrees so a picnic in the park seemed fun.  Um, yea, not so much.  Try 50 degrees and WINDY.  So cold. Worse yet, Jason had the car so I had to take the kids in the trailer.  Normally we LOVE to walk to the park but in the cold wind, pushing with one hand and trying to drink my raspberry mocha in the other, I can't say it was a fun activity.  Then as we get to the park I am starting to get worried.  I see NO ONE there. The class was supposed to get there at 10:30.  It was 10:50 (they told mom's to come at 11:00). There is no one there and I am starting to feel like, once again, I deserve the worst mommy of the year award.  If we had the wrong park I was going to be in a world of trouble.  I didn't have the car and I don't have a cell phone (I know, I know, archaic person that I am...I did have one for two years in Malaysia and rarely carried it).  So if I had the wrong park I had absolutely no way of getting to the right one or of letting anyone know why Alaina's mommy wasn't there to eat with her and take her home.  Luckily, once I got to the pavilion, a car pulled in and it was one of the moms and Alaina was in the car, too.  They were just running late.  Phew!

It was a cold, cold picnic and we didn't stay long.  Caleb had  a death grip on me the whole time Alaina ate her lunch (Caleb and I had just had a date before so he was full from his kiddie chococino and a Krispy Kreme doughnut :)  The wind was blowing everything away and thoughts of a nice hot bath made the kiddos want to come home.  So we did.  All in all, a good last day.  Here are some pix from the day.  And according to one of the other moms, Jason gets the father of the year award for taking her to school and taking pictures of her locker, etc.  Good guy :)

And, here are a few cute ones of the boys.  The first one is Caleb sleeping in the hallway.  He got out of a bed a few nights ago and wanted to sleep with us.  We said no so he grabbed his stuff, laid it out in the hallways, and laid down.  When we got up in the morning we saw that he was still there and that he had put on his backpack (full of cars and trains) and slept like that all night.  Silly guy :)

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Packing yesterday was a success.  I finished both kids rooms AND went through all my clothes (which as I have mentioned, are few in number, so that didn't take long).  Today is the living room and dining room and if I have time, my office.  Feels good to be seeing progress.

Last night I just felt like taking it easy so I turned off the computer and just hung out with Jason.  We just talked, laughed, and then watched some old FRIENDS episodes.  Even though we have seen them all numerous times they still make us laugh. 

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Hope you Wednesday is great!

   

Comments

[Liz]

Hi Janet!! Cute pics! Gosh end of the year already that means Emily will start school in the Fall!! You have some of the cutest kids around I tell ya! Don't wanna take up much of your time so good luck on the rest of the packing!! Have a great day!!

[scrappy]

I was LOL at your liquified mommy brains! Our oldest had just turned 5 when our fourth was born, so, um, yeah, brains all leaked out my ears! Former student extraordinaire, multi-tasking queen, reduced to a drooling ditz. Our oldest will be married in two days and I can tell you, those wonderful brain cells do NOT return. But, they are replaced over time by all the cherished, sweet memories of their growing up years. The kind that soften and sweeten you, and make you realize that, thankfully, you're not perfect, and your kids and husband don't have to be either, and fill you with thanks for God's grace and mercy!

[MandaKay]

ROFL about the stories of losing your brain cells!!! Too too funny and I think we can all relate! I often tell Braelyn "just a minute" and then forget and she does remind me - LOL! And then the looking for Levi thing when he is taking a nap - Oh my word - how hillarious! Oh what it is not like being a mother - LOL!

Glad you are accomplishing the packing bit!!! Keep at it!

BTW - we are moving again b/c my hubby is a builder so it is sort of an investment plan for us. 4-5th house is free and hubby loves the idea of being debt free. Anyway - there is the reason for moving our 3rd time!

[Sarah]

Awesome post! Liquified mommy brains ... that's me. You're right, they really should tell you; then again, I never would have believed it. I wonder exactly what it is about having kids that makes you lose your mind? I keep hoping to find mine some day, but at this point I think it's a lost cause. :)

[Shabby Miss Jenn]

ROFL at your bloggie title! LOL

[lnkmom]

I can totally relate! I had twins and then 13 1/2months later baby #3 arrived, at about the same time my mind vanished! So glad to know it's not just me.

[Erin]

ROTFL!! Liquified mommy brains. I'll have to remember that. I really didn't believe it when people told me you lose brain cells during pregnancy. Then I had a kid, and they were not teasing! I've only had one child, and the diminishment of my capacity is driving me crazy. I think one's good. I don't think I can afford to lose enough gray matter to have three!

[Jen Caputo]

LOL! Those are some priceless stories!!! hehehe

[Laurakaye]

I hear you, I have liquified mommy brains too. They only way I am surviving is by my never ending 'to do' lists. Without them, I would be soo lost! Loved the photos of the kiddos that you shared today. :)

[Rona]

OMGosh...you have described me in your opening paragraphs. You know, I've read that bit about losing brain cells every time we give birth, too. 3 kids in 3 years....yup. that's me. Fast forward to another 4 years later, and out pops #4, lol! So another set of brain cells lost forever, eh?

Yay on the packing! Wow, you are GOOD! :)