Child Activated Attention Deficit Disorder

This morning at my Mom-to-Mom meeting the speaker started off by reading the following about child activated attention deficit disorder:

“I decide to do the laundry. As I start toward the basement, I notice that there are cheerios all over the floor and my house keys are in the cereal bowl. I decide to pick up the cheerios before I do the laundry. I lay my keys down on the counter, put the cheerios in the trash can under the counter, and notice that the trash can is full. So, I decide to take out the trash.

But then I think, since I’m going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash I may as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left, my extra checks are in my desk in the office, so I go to my desk where I find a sippy cup full of juice. I’m going to look for my checks, but first I decide I should put the sippy cup in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the sippy cup a plant on the counter catches my eye–it needs to be watered. I set the sippy cup on the counter, and I discover baby wipes that I’ve been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back in the bathroom, but first I’m going to water the plants. I set the wipes back down, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote, left on the kitchen table.

I realize that when I go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won’t remember that it’s on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I’ll water the plants. I splash some water on the plant, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down, get some paper towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day: the laundry isn’t washed, the bills aren’t paid, there is a warm cup of juice sitting on the counter, the plants aren’t watered, there is still only one check in my check book, I can’t find the remote, I can’t find the wipes, and I don’t remember what I did with my keys.

Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I’m really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I’m really tired.”

Does this hit really close to home for anybody else?!?! This is exactly how my brain functions--- and I only have one child!!! Is there any hope? :) Anyone who knows me very well knows that I am a planner, that I like to have my house clean complete with the laundry being done and several lists of "things to do" going at any given time. This world of mine has COMPLETELY changed since Bryson arrived. My house is a mess, the laundry is not done, we don't have groceries, and the dog hasn't been fed. I have learned in all of this chaos though, that the most important thing is not my "To Do" list. It is not what I accomplish on paper in one day. All of this definitely has a place, but it is definitely not highest on my priority list anymore. I have a beautiful baby boy that needs me to take time out of my day to just be his mom. To hold him, and love on him, and to quiet that voice in my head that says I have other things to be doing. He is my first priority, and the only job I have of any importance at this time is being his Mom.

Mom to Mom was great this morning. It was great just to be with other moms, facing the same struggles and celebrating the same triumphs as I am. The main focus of today's lesson was living a legacy. What kind of legacy do we want to leave behind for our children? What do we want them to know about us and what will be their response when asked what life was like when they were children?

I know that I want my children to know how much I love them, and I want to live that love everyday in order to show them that. I want them to love Jesus. In order for this to happen, I have to love Jesus and live out that relationship with Him daily in a literal sense. I can't give away what I don't have. So, my goal is to be a "missional mom." I am going to work on choosing each day to have a positive attitude, to show love and compassion even when it is not necessarily deserved or I don't feel like giving it, and to really live what I want my legacy to be.

Just a few thoughts from my morning! I also wanted to share that Bryson went to the church nursery for the first time this morning. I think I was much more traumatized than he was. We walked up to the infant check-in desk, they asked for his name, then a young college girl came from no where and took him away to nursery land! I finished checking him in, then said I wanted to see where he went. The girl looked at me like I was slightly crazy, but took me to where he was. He was already out of his carseat, being held by a fellow mom volunteering for the day. He looked very comfortable, and they assured me he would be fine. They said they would come get me if he needed anything. I left and headed to my Bible study, walking down the hall praying for strength to leave him. It was crazy! I did not want to leave him, but knew he would be well taken care of. When we broke up to go to our small groups I slipped down to the nursery to peek in on him. He was taking his bottle and perfectly content! Again they looked at me like I was slightly crazy. Surely I'm not the only mom to have ever done this! Anyways, he made it through the morning and they said he did great! He even took a thirty minute nap! He is exhausted this afternoon and napping now. Here is a picture of him in his long-sleeved outfit (thank you Lexi!) before we left this morning (it was in the lower 60s). We are loving this weather!

Snug as a bug!