Scatterbrained

So, my blogging friend Stacy posted about her scatterbrained adventures recently, and after I read her post, I was reminded about what I had intended to post a couple of weeks ago but became too scattered to sit and organize. :-)

My summer has kicked into full gear; it started before my work ended, which was a bit challenging but usually not impossible. I am finding that the older I get, the shorter my brain cells last before fizzling out (really...I used to be much more fluent at juggling information in my mind). I used to not be scatterbrained as a general rule (unless I was desperately trying to impress somebody as a teenager, and couldn't keep my brain wrapped around "normal" because of it *grin*), but as I have entered perimenopause, extra kids, blended families, multi-tasks, etc. I have become more mentally absent at times.

So, two weeks ago or so, I had a series of misfits that were so laughable, yet almost made me cry in observing my obvious mental overload. My dawning awareness of my fragile mental abilities began when intending to return a movie to redbox. As I got the kids in the car (for an errand related to a previous mistake), I was thinking about time needs and why we were going at that moment versus later when it would have been easier. We were going at that specific moment to assure the movie be returned on time. As I was nearing the grocery store (where the box is located), I realized that the movie was still sitting home on our kitchen counter. At that point, I was disappointed but figured "No biggie, just one more unplanned trip to the grocery store" (I usually only go once per week). The plan for that trip was to go buy a printer/scanner for our new computer and then get the groceries I had forgotten on my previous trip, in addition to returning the movie. Anyone who knows me well, knows I usually don't return to the store for missed groceries, either, because I can't budget as well that way and I usually have a really good idea about what I need when I am walking through the store ~ but that week I had not gotten three of the things on my list (one of which was quite important). I had even written them down but somehow missed them while checking the list while in the store (??!)

Okay, so we had to return to the grocery yet again. No biggie, gas prices aren't that bad yet.
Well, later that evening as I was organizing things for the evening and closing down the day's events in my head, I thought to myself ~ "where is that bag of paper and ink I bought when I bought the printer?? Did I leave it at the store?! No, I couldn't have...didn't I give it to one of the kids when I picked up the printer box? Gosh, I had all five with me surely I didn't leave it on the counter!... "

Never found the bag. The next day my hubby and I discussed his desire for a fax capacity with the printer/scanner. We decided to go ahead and exchange the one I bought for the other since he had worked so much overtime this month as it wouldn't interfere with our budget. I figured I could also then ask the store if perhaps they had a bag of paper and ink there that had been left by somebody...:-)

Got the kids ready to go back to get the new printer the next day, as well as run an errand for a birthday party need. When we got to the store, I was tickled to find the bag (it was sitting tidily behind the customer service desk) and then went to exchange the printer. As I was opening my purse to get my bank card out to pay I realized that my wallet was home sitting on the table next to the computer as I had it out earlier that day. Praise God I had my checkbook!
My next stop at the store for the birthday stuff, I looked in my checkbook again and realized I had only one more check (we had two stops) ~ so, we did what we could and went home.

Now, I cannot recall the "last thing" that tipped this little girls' apple cart that week, but something else equally out to lunch happened the very next evening in my usually well administered world, and when Bo started teasing me about it I started to well up with tears. He was baffled, until I explained the series of events that were prior to that moment ~ he gave me a hug, reminded me that I had not been sleeping much the past week or so, and encouraged me to go to bed early. Which I did ~

Haven't had quite a continuous week of confusion since, praise God...but I don't know that it doesn't mean it won't happen. Today at swim team practice, followed by swim lessons for three of the kids, I forgot to bring the bag of things I "always" have at the pool (suntan lotion, etc.). This stuff has been more and more insidious over the past two or three years ~ I am learning to embrace the "new me" :0) Glad none of it surprises our great Author of life ~

Be blessed this week.