Scatterbrained

It has finally happened. I've become my Mother in yet another aspect of my life. In many ways this is a wonderful thing. Anyone who has met her could expound on this for hours. But, perfect she ain't.
For example, she was almost always late to pick me and my sisters up from school, church, friends' homes, you name it. Plus, and I have a complex about this to this day, she frequently sent me to find something in another aisle while shopping at the grocery store, and then she would disappear!! I was onto her after a while.



Me: You promise you'll be right here?

Mom: Yes, Natalie, just go get the spaghetti.

Me: Promise!?

Mom: Hurry up, and get the spaghetti! Erin, get that out of your mouth! Betsy, stop teasing your sister!

Me: Cross your heart?

Mom: Just go!



So off I would go, quickly as I could so she couldn't move too far. Running back to the place I left her, I would be frantic. She's not here! Spaghetti in hand I would quickly pace the length of the entire store, checking each and every aisle. Sometimes, I would run into one of my sisters who had been sent on a similar errand. I often wondered if she was tired of caring for five girls and was maybe trying to "thin the herd". I haven't yet resorted to this particular method of alone time but I'm not ruling it out entirely.



Back to how I have become like her. This morning I sent poor Linus to school out of uniform. According to the calendar sent out at the beginning of the year it was a no uniform day. I mean, I had it written in my agenda book and everything! To have had it written down... really, this is a big step forward for me.
Apparently, it was changed somewhere along the way. Thankfully, he doesn't appear to be as anxious as I was as a kid, so he'll probably survive this mishap with minimal psychological scarring, but still.
I try, as God is my witness I try, but things just get away from me.



At least my Mom had a few excuses. Like 5 kids, and working night shift for a while, then going back to school for a time, then 12 hour shifts, and did I mention 5 kids.

The good news is, I haven't lost anyone in the grocery store yet.