Mommy brain

So I had my first recognizable episode of the dreaded "Mommy Brain" yesterday, and it was a doozy! Here's how it went:

I had spent the better part of an hour gathering and organizing duplicate baby gifts to return to Target, which entailed finding gift receipts and attempting to match them up with the various items (this isn't really part of the story except that it does indicate my ability to perform tasks competently, which is comforting to me). Anyway, I loaded up baby and the returns and we went to the store. The returns went very well, I thought - they took everything back except 2 items. Hooray!

Things started to fall apart after that... Even though I had made a list of things I needed to pick up, I must have re-traced my steps through the grocery section 3 or 4 times. Finally I had everything, and lucked out in that a new checkout stand opened just as I was approaching this looooong line to wait. I made my purchases and headed for the exit. Then I decided to stop at Starbucks at the front of the store and get a treat. Yum! I was halfway to the car when I realized I had left said yummy Starbucks treat on the counter. I turned around and went back inside to retrieve it. The nice barista practically met me at the door. I laughed a "silly me" laugh and headed back to the car. As I unloaded the cart I discovered I only had the things that Target wouldn't take back, meaning I had left my new purchases at the checkout stand. Geez! So I headed back inside; halfway there I realized I might need my receipt, just in case. I had already put my purse in the car. Went back to the car, got the purse. Returned to aisle 7, retrieved my stuff, felt like a total moron, laughed some more "silly me" laughs to mask my concern (and the potential concern of others) that I was not all there, then FINALLY got in the car and left. Miraculously, I managed to successfully navigate home. I mean, I can only imagine what a confused goof I looked like going back and forth, back and forth through the store and the parking lot! Not to mention that I was prolonging my poor child’s exposure to the billion-degree heat, blazing sun, and super-bumpy pavement/thresholds with my lunacy as he lay strapped in his carseat in the cart, powerless to save himself (he slept through the whole thing, thank goodness; if he had been fussing and crying that would have added a whole new lovely element to the story)! I felt like I needed to do some of those mind-strengthening exercises when I got home. Pass the crossword puzzles, please!

The scariest part: I hear it just gets worse!!

p.s. from now on I'll be posting on Tuesdays since for some reason I can't seem to get my posts done on Mondays. Thanks for switching with me, Beth!!