Forgetful Jones

Remember the absent minded character, Forgetful Jones from Sesame Street? I remember watching him as a kid. I found him terribly irritating. I mean really, how could anyone be so forgetful? The whole idea was just too much... until now. I realized recently that I identify completely with poor silly Jones. I'm thinking that behind the scenes, he was a parent of young children.

Back in the day, I never needed a calendar; I rarely wrote a grocery list. Now, I'm doing well to remember to grab the grocery list. Before I had kids, my memory was great. Now, my short term memory is, well, about as sharp as the safety scissors I let my daughter use. Unloading the dishwasher the other day, I attempted to place cereal bowls in the refrigerator. While cleaning up after dinner, I repeatedly tried to put the left overs in the cupboard. I begin a sentence, and my mind goes blank before my thought is complete; quite the conversationalist I've turned into.

I hear that other people's children sleep. I only part way believe them. My 3 year old sleeps through the night sometimes; we celebrate when she does. If the 6 month old sleeps for a 2 hour stretch, my husband and I feel giddy with excitement. Between bad dreams and reflux, our little one's are awake a lot. We are awake a lot. And with the exhaustion, comes failing memory. I am Forgetful Jones... that's O.K. though, they are totally worth it.