As a busy mom, I have to constantly keep track of many, many things for three other people (and sometimes four), plus myself.  At any given moment, I need to know who needs to be where, what appointments need scheduled (or cancelled…and rescheduled), what products need purchased at the grocery store/drug store/Target/department store, whose friend has a birthday coming up and do they need a card/gift, which articles of clothing are needed for tomorrow (because you can bet they haven’t been laundered until the night before they’re needed!), which homework assignments are due (or were due, oops), when camp/soccer/dance/Special Olympics registrations open/close, when the library books are due…and for the love of everything pure and good, does the dog need to be let out?!?

This is not even a complete list, I assure you.

Just this afternoon, I found myself with a moment alone in the car as I made my way home from work.  Was I enjoying the music on the radio or pondering the chances of rain for tonight?  Nope.  Here’s a little peek into my FMB…or, “Frazzled Mom Brain”:

“Gotta find Al’s uniform shirt for tomorrow.  I wonder if Mark found his other shoe?  Eh, he can wear the mismatched shoes again.  He’ll hate that.  If it rains tomorrow we’re screwed.  Stuck outside at a track meet with a kid who doesn’t like rain?  Swell.  I hope they run on time.  I can’t be late for my meeting tomorrow.  I need to call that lady back.  I’ll have to find her number on my desk.  I really need to clean my desk off.  The whole house needs scrubbed.  Does anyone really do ‘Spring Cleaning’ anymore?  Maybe I’ll do it on Sunday.  Wait, that’s Mother’s Day.  No way.  What else can I get Mom?  Not a plant; it might die while they are on vacation and I won’t have time to water it.  I don’t have time to water my plants.  I should put that on the kids’ chore lists.  I bet they would flood the plants and make a huge mess and then the dog would track it all over the house.  The dog!  The dog needs to be let out before I leave the house again!”

And, thanks to my Java Chip Frappuccino Light, this entire train of thought occurred in about 8.3 seconds.

I think it’s well past time for me to crash for the night.  We’re up and at ’em early tomorrow morning for another track meet!