If You Give a Mom a Minute

I’m sort of tired.

I’m a little confused.

I wish I could stop thinking.

I need to power down.

I move from one thing to another to another.

I’m like the pig…you know, the one they gave a pancake to.   Then he needed syrup. You know how the story goes.

For me, it’s like this. I wake up and check my email. Then I hear a text “ding” on my phone. I check it. When I’m checking it, my son wants cereal.

I put the phone down, go to get him cereal and then he needs milk. On the way to getting milk, I decide I’m sort of hungry. I start to get some fruit. Then I remember the text and start to answer it.

My son then reminds me about the milk, “Mom, you forgot my milk”. I put the phone down, get the milk. Remember I want some fruit, go to the refrigerator and realize I haven’t made lunches.

My daughter asks if her lunch is ready. I say, “I’m making it now” as I take out the turkey and mustard. I start to make the sandwich and the doorbell rings. As I go to get the doorbell, I see the wall looks really dirty. I answer the door and then proceed to get the magic eraser to clean the wall.

My daughter says, “Bye mom, we are leaving…where’s my lunch?” I look up from the scrubbing of the wall and remember the sandwich. I hurry to finish her lunch and push her out the door (I mean, I gently tell her to have a beautiful day!)

Then my son asks where his shoes are and they are in the car. (Why, I don’t know) We find them in the car but when I see the car is a mess, I start to clean it.

As I’m throwing away garbage, I find an old magazine. I start to leaf through it. I see a picture of a room I think is beautiful. I remember I want to paint the living room walls. I start to daydream. I go inside and start searching the internet for the Benjamin Moore color that is listed in the article. I sit down to daydream. I plan a new furniture arrangement. I actually start MOVING the furniture.

My son says, “Mom, I have to leave…where’s my lunch?” I head back to the kitchen, make his lunch and push him out the door. (Again, I mean I gently send him on his way with heartfelt wishes for a beautiful day.)

As I return to the kitchen, I see the milk is still out. I put it back and see the fruit I wanted for breakfast. My phone “dings” again. I check it. Then I sit down to check my email again.

Now, either you are laughing and relating to this wholeheartedly or you are ready to send me to the looney bin ( or as my daughter calls it, “The Wacky Shack”). Either way, it’s not good.

I met Laura Numeroff one day. She is the author of the book If You Give a Pig a Pancake and If You Give a Moose a Muffin and the entire series. They are great books for kids. She seemed really nice. We were both waiting outside the backstage door to meet the cast of “Wicked”. It was pretty random to meet her there but I was sufficiently star struck. I went on and on about how I love her books and how all my kids love her books. I dragged my daughter over to meet her. We even asked for her autograph. I don’t know many people who have their “Wicked” program signed by Laura Numeroff!

Maybe her books are really about how we are all distracted and easily derailed. Hmmm…social commentary? I don’t know but honestly, now I’m really in the mood for a pancake. And you know if I get a pancake, I’m going to need some syrup to go with it…