Ok – so I think I have officially lost my mind! I mean, I consider myself to be a fairly bright and organized person, but lately I cannot seem to remember ANYTHING! I was first “diagnosed” with “mommy brain” over 5 years ago when I got pregnant with my son, and it’s certainly stuck with me through the years. But I think this past Monday was definitely the icing on the cake!!
I was getting ready to leave work and go pick up my kids. I made it as far as my office building lobby when I realized I could not find my keys in my purse. So I trek back up to my office to see if maybe I left them on my desk. Unfortunately, I could not get back on to my floor because I had forgotten my security badge that day at home (item number 1). So I had to wait until someone else was leaving before I could even get past Fort Knox security. I finally get to my desk and my keys are no where to be found. This is when I start to panic! Obviously I had them when I GOT to work, but now I have no way of getting home or more importantly, picking up my kids from daycare!!! So I mentally retraced my steps from the morning and deduce that I must have left them in the coffee shop that morning while I was busy chatting with a fellow co-worker (coffee shop is now closed!) So I call my husband (NOT a call I wanted to make), who I knew would already be on his way home so he could come get his family.
The conversation goes something like this:
“Yes, I’m almost home”
“What do you mean you lost your keys?”
“Have you checked to see if your car is even still there?” (No, I have not checked yet)
“Don’t you have one of those little mini check cards on your key ring?? You better check online-banking right away to make sure nobody’s been charging on it …”
That was when I had to tell him there were no worries there because coincidentally I had just cancelled my card for that account that morning because I somehow LOST my debit card the week prior after getting gas!!! (He was real happy about that one, too!) And to make matters even worse, I then informed him that if he needed to call me back, he wouldn’t be able to because my cell phone battery was completely dead!
About 5 minutes later I ended up finding my keys in some random side pocket of my briefcase but unfortunately by the time I called him back, he had already maneuvered his way through crazy traffic and was almost at the daycare.
All of this coming off the heels of me leaving my i-pod at the YMCA 2 weeks prior (thank goodness someone turned it in) and losing my glasses (still can’t find those)! As well as a trip to the store only to realize I forgot my purse (the mini check card sure came in handy then!) I will say though, I was slightly vindicated the next morning when my husband had to call me after dropping off the kids at daycare to let me know HE had forgotten all of the baby’s bottles for the day at home and could I please drop them off on my way to work! Would that be “Daddy Brain”??
Anyway, Monday for me was like that point when everything comes to a head and you realize you need help – serious help! So I did a quick search online on how to improve your memory. Lots of scientific stuff out there about brain neurons, etc … bottom line – exercise daily, reduce stress, get lots of sleep, and eat right. Problem is, as a mom, those first three can be a major challenge (ahhh … maybe that’s why we get mommy brain to begin with!) I’m looking for a quick fix, so I figured I’d try and incorporate some “brain healthy” foods into my diet. Apparently foods containing antioxidants, Omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins, especially B6, B12, and folic acid appear to promote healthy brain functioning. So eat up on broccoli, blueberries, spinach, asparagus, strawberries, melons, black beans and other legumes, citrus fruits, and soybeans and maybe we can kick this thing!! Oh – and apparently playing memory type games can help too, so get your kids involved!
Join my support group and share your funny “mommy brain” stories as well. (Or at least make me feel better that I’m not alone!)
Don’t forget to register for the “Big Top” giveaway. Our friends at Discovery Place want to give one Smarty family the chance to see Circus! Click here for your chance to win a family 4-pack to this exhibit. This giveaway ends Wednesday, January 14th, at 11pm.
12 comments
Momy Brain really does exist! I was putting on my shoes one day to go to walk. I could not find one of my shoes anywhere. I searched the whole house, high and low. Then, I realized the missing shoe was already on my foot! I was actually feeling a little scared for myself after that.
I too have Mommy brain one morning I am on the way to taking my children to school when my oldest says Mommy I forgot my backpack. Back to the house we go I run into the house and run back out only to realize… I just locked the keys in the house. I have the backpack but no keys to drive them to school. I have to call the locksmith because my husband isn’t in town with the extra key. So, finally I get the keys drop the kids off at school and take my youngest to playgroup. After playgroup we go for lunch with our friends where I hop out and get my little one out of her carseat only to realize I just locked my keys in the car and the car is YES still running. So I guess after having my 3 children I really have Mommy brain!
I love getting my christmas dishes down from the top shelf each Dec. 1st to use. This year a friend was over for dinner on the 12th and saw the Christmas dishes on the top shelf and commented on them. I had not even thought about using them this year!!!! I am 7 months pregnant-maybe that has something to do with it!
I used to think it was just an excuse women made, until I got it too! I saw something on the news one time where doctors talked about it and confirmed it IS REAL. I need to find that article and post it on my refrigerator to remind me daily that I am not crazy!
We were having a party with our family and there are a lot of kids. I had just set my then one year old in his highchair for dinner. I then did a head count of all the kids to make sure where everyone was. I then panicked because I couldn’t find my son!! Everyone looked at me with a smile on their face and said, “Um, he’s in the high chair.” DUH!!!! And to think my whole family witnessed that one.
My daughter has been taking dance class on the same 2 days at the same time since August. Still every Tuesday and Thursday I have to check what time she has to be there.
This morning, as I pulled out of the driveway to take my son to school, his 2 year old sister asked if we were taking her brother to school. Yes, I replied, happy that she knew where we were going and even remembered the name of his school. Then she asked, “But where is his backpack?” As I pulled back into the driveway, I wondered why my 2 year old daughter has a better memory than me. Thanks for reminding me that I have Mommy Brain! (Now, getting my son to remember his backpack is a whole other challenge ….)
I NEVER lost my keys until I had kids. As a matter of fact, I really never lost anything until my kids came along, but I’m getting better. One time…I took my husbands keys for my car b/c mine were no where to be found. I got to my destination (with my son), got out of the car and saw my keys on top of the car up against the roof rack. I drove 7 miles down Prov. Rd with an entire set of keys on the top of my car!!!I do think the remembering problem is mostly chalked up to us packing too much in though. Simplifying has certainly helped my brain power, along with good eatin'(and a little caffeine).
I have too many mommy brain things to count, but a funny Daddy brain was my husband was out of town, could not find the keys to his rental car, figured he had locked them in the car, only to find that not only were they in the car but he had left the car running!!! He discovered this around lunch time so the car had been in the parking lot running for about 4 hours!
Girl, this is a doozie! I don’t think I can top that brain of yours – ha, ha! My best mommy brain episode was when I had taken a day off of carpool due to a meeting. I forgot to tell my carpool bud’s mom this very important tidbit and I got a call from our preschool director that little Christopher was waiting for “Mrs. Primm” to pick him up! I felt like a complete failure as a mother, as a friend and as a carpool driver!
I think my funniest one occured a few months ago while I was still breastfeeding. My husband was unloading the dishwasher and called me into the kitchen with a look of shock on his face… there was one of my nipple shields on top of the plates in the cabinets! I have no clue how it got there! At least it was him that found it and not a guest…
On New Year’s Day my parents invited family and friends over for dinner. My mom asked me to make applesauce and of course I said I would be happy to. We had a great time, and a wonderful dinner, and then put the kids in the car to fall asleep on the way home. While in the car my husband whispered to me, “were you supposed to make applesauce?” Of course I panicked and then realized that I had completely forgotten to make the applesauce. The scariest part is, I would have never realized it had my husband not said anything!