Some people say there is a curious thing that happens to a woman’s brain when she becomes a mother.  Something to do with changing hormones that causes her brain to function differently.  She becomes a bit forgetful and confused, prone to illogical outbursts of emotions.  I don’t know if I believe that, but I sure have experienced “Mommy Brain.” For me it is a simple case of constant overstimulation.  At any given moment of any day, there are several children tearing through the house in different directions, bent on accomplishing some sort of important mission (all of which seem rather suspect to me, requiring my intervention). Many different conversations are being carried on simultaneously, and there is usually louder -than- I- would- like teen music playing and the abrasive sounds of disagreements occurring somewhere in the house.  All the while I am trying to stay on task to accomplish my to-do list for the day.  My job is very important and if it doesn’t get done, my children remain hungry, dirty, and uneducated.  Yet, I am always aware of my greatest responsibility to love and love and love some more.

All of this occurring at one time can jumble my thoughts quite a bit.  One morning I entered the kitchen to a cacophony of noise, many idle teens and preteens debating some” important” topic, and no breakfast being made.  Earlier I had asked Cadin to bring the oats up from the basement so Areli could make oatmeal.  This had not yet happened.  This distressed me quite a bit as I was going through the homeschool schedule in my mind while worrying about my children being too hungry to do any school that day.

Obviously irritated, I said to Cadin, “I told you to go down there and get the ice cream!”

All conversation stopped.  All eyes turned towards me.  Cadin’s mouth opened but he said nothing.  Shock and amazement crossed his face and I could read his thoughts.

“Has mom lost it?  She wants us to eat ice cream for breakfast?  She hardly even lets us eat dessert on the weekend.  What is she talking about?”

When I realized that I had inadvertently said “ice cream”  instead of “oats.”  I began to laugh and laugh and laugh.  Mommy brain!

Just a few weeks ago it was another crazy morning.  It was late and Courage was still in his pajamas.  I finally changed his diaper and took off his fuzzy sleeper.  Yet I didn’t want him running around the house without any pants in the middle of winter.  So I asked Cadin to put some pants on him.

I sat down on the couch to read to Ashlyn.  After what had seemed to be a very long time, Cadin returned holding a little pair of pants in his hands.  He held them out to me.

I said to him,”Cadin what have you been doing?  And where is Courage?  Why haven’t you put his pants on him yet?!”

Cadin gave me that shell shocked look again and said nothing.  Then I realized what the problem was.  I was holding Courage on my lap and he had been perched there the entire time!

I couldn’t contain my laughter at such a ridiculous scene!  The laughter broke the tension and cleared the air…and confirmed to all of my children that I had truly lost my mind!  But we were all having fun and that is what matters, right?

I am thankful for these humorous brain lapses.  They remind me that often times mommies are very silly and irritable for no good reason.  Bless all the sweet little angels who have to put up with those mommies day in and day out!   And thank God for the laughter that brings back the joy!