How forgetful are you?

I'm starting to wonder about the whole "memory going bad the older you get" thing. Perhaps it's because I seem to be forgetting things that I would normally remember. You know, little things like, say, forgetting to pick up your child...for instance. Not just once. Actually it was two different days and each day was a different child. Does that count in the same way?

Now in my defense, both children were perfectly safe so don't go calling CPS on me. Of course some of you don't even know my real name so I feel a bit safer.

It really is due to distraction. The problem is, I seem to be more distracted the older I get. For example, that weekend of the California Achievement Testing and the non-test assessments that I coordinated. It took some effort to pull that off. There were a few little glitches that I didn't anticipate. Over all, it turned out pretty well. Lucy's assessment was the first one of Saturday. After that, I ran her over to a friend's house so that she didn't have to sit around being bored for several hours. That was the last day of testing so once we were done, it felt like it was time to cel.e.brate. Oh yeh, oh yeh! So that being said, I was 3/4ths the way home before I realized that Lucy was not in the car with us. I felt really bad because I had told my friend I would be done at a certain time which of course was long past. I immediately called her on my cell. Don't worry Washingtonians, I was using my bluetooth and the new law had not gone into effect yet anyway. As I apologized profusely for forgetting my child and thus being really late, my friend just cracked up. I'm thankful she found it funny and wasn't mad that I was such a delinquent.

Then there was the day that Susan had something going on at the library. It was last month so I don't remember all the details. I just remember that I was well past the library before remember it was MY job to pick her up. Lucky for me, the library is a safe place, the librarians know us and Susan loves to read. If not for those things, I would have been in deep doo doo. I'm talking about picking her up about 2 hours later than originally planned. Oh yeh, I remember, it was a shopping and latte date with a friend that I hadn't seen in awhile. Who would have known we would be gone that long? Perhaps I shouldn't admit that. The shopping was at a thrift store so you know that takes longer, right? As long as Susan and the librarians were not unhappy, I'm okay right?

I'm hoping it's not like early Alzheimer's or something. If it is, I'll have to get my act together and go back to being an 85% raw foodist. Not sure I'm ready for that again. That lack of self discipline thing.

Anyone else dealing with memory issues?

Punishment

I thought I had made myself clear. At the beginning of the term, I gave Susan the ol' "you have to take ownership of your education" lecture. After all she is in high school now. As a matter of fact, I think I gave it to her on two different occasions. No, no don't remind me how I never listened to my parents' lectures at this age either. I'm sure I did because I was scared of them...or at least scared of what they might do if I didn't listen. I was the compliant child. My siblings, now they were the problem children. Sure, just ask them.

Now, just so you don't think I've won that "Mother of the Year" award again (and no, I'm not talking about the good "Mother of the Year award"), it's not my fault. Isn't that what they always say? It's never their fault. Whoever "they" are. But seriously, it's not. That girl has been on the computer a lot. She would be on her chat (her class) and then afterwards, she was typing furiously. I wrongly assumed she was doing her assignments. Well, you know what they say about the word "assume". If you don't know that little ol' saying, just break up the word. (It makes an) ASS (out of) U (and) ME. In this case, it has proven true. Now I just have to hope my mom doesn't read this because A. She will know what a slacker my daughter and I have been and B. She will see the word ASS on my blog. I didn't really say it Mom. It is just the word ASSUME divided up, okay?

It's really a bummer when you find out your daughter has NOT been keeping up with her school work and then HAS to be on the computer all the time. HOW am I supposed to blog??? This is what has happened though. My daughter is now learning the fine art of cramming 15 weeks worth of quizzes and tests into 2 weeks. Yep. You read that right. Two weeks of pain and toil. This is one reason I have not been blogging regularly. This will be a lesson learned...if not for her, at least for me. I was livid when I first figured it out. Now I am amazed at how well Susan is able to focus in such a tense situation. I would just laugh at the whole thing but I paid hundreds of dollars for her to take this online class.

So the clever solution to not being able to access my blog is to type it up in a Word Document on my antiquated desktop, email it to my newer laptop (which daughter is using) and wait until daughter is in bed so that I can access my laptop. We'll see how this works.

For now, Susan has to knuckle down and not see any friends, at least until May 30th when the regular assignments are all due. And me, I just wait for the little breaks she gets so I can be on my laptop.

I have to go now. She needs the laptop.

Distracted - again.

Distracted...did I tell you about how I forgot all about my 3yo on co-op day? The day starts out with everyone in the main room for announcements, a song and basically time for all of the late mommies to show up...which I am often very thankful for. For the record, I was on time in May. I did have some class fees to pay...I thought I paid them but I really didn't. Sigh. So Edmund, being a 3 yo, keeps asking, "Can I sit with L? Can I Mom? Can I play with L? And on and on until I realize that the easy solution is to ask L's mom if he can join them. Now I can focus and take care of some stuff. Anyhow, after this "beginning time", we go to our first classes. Some child didn't know where to go so I help her, then I see someone who I had to give something too and then someone asks me a Homeschool Law question and so we wander out to the Fire Engine that was there for Science class. It's all good because I have first period free so I can answer questions, listen to the fire fighters and continue to sip on the latte my best buddy brought me. My dh turns up because he is a fire fighter and in case the guys on duty get a call, there will still be some fire fighters I guess. The bell rings and we move on to second period. Normally I have that period free too but another mom had to be gone so I'm subbing in the nursery. Not too bad of a job because you sit around holding babies and talking with the other mommies in there. We're all having a good time until the light bulb goes off and I realize that my 3yo would normally be in this room with me. I don't know what my problem was...well, other than how easily distracted I can be. Edmund gets bored in that room so he never goes there unless I'm there. He always tags along with me and "helps" me teach class when necessary. And now I'm here and he is not. Panic ensues (in my head) although I act like it's no big deal. I cruise on downstairs to find L's mom in hopes that she still has him. Someone stops me in the hall to discuss something important (I'm sure) and I have to inform them I'm a terrible mom and have no idea where my son is and therefore can not take the time to talk just then. Okay, this is getting long winded and even I am getting bored so the short end of the story is that Edmund was in fact with L's mom. The funny thing is, about the time I show up a little light bulb goes off in L's mom's head. Apparently she was beginning to worry about the fact she just brought my kid along with her's without consulting me. YEH! HEY! I can't believe she would DO such a thing! Oh wait, I'm thankful she did that. I hope she does it again when I'm brainless. It's moms like her who save moms like me. Thanks L's mom!

Are you busy?

So Mrs. March calls and asks, "Are you busy?" What kind of questions is that? I'm always busy! I was busy reading someone else's blog. Then I proceed to confess that my children are watching a preschool video...all of them. Mrs. March makes me feel better by telling me how important it is to make sure skills are reinforced so it's okay. Hey, I think she is right. Think about the things we learn as a preschooler that we use for the rest of our lives. Okay, maybe I don't have to win the "Mother of the Year" award again today...even though 14yo is probably a bit extreme on the scale for watching preschool videos. We can just blame it on the youngest since he really likes someone to watch with him. Apparently the more the merrier. After all, mom was distracted again.