"Sometimes you never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."
My kids find it quite advantageous; I'll give them some arbitrary consequence and then forget what they were in trouble for 5 minutes later ... CONSEQUENCE OVER!
Mah Brain
Most people would classify this as "mommy brain," and I would be inclined to agree, if my short memory wasn't accompanied with a plethora of other fun stuff on a day to day basis. My version of "mommy brain" includes the aforementioned memory problems, dizziness, migraines, walking into walls, and disorientation (just to name a few, Lord knows there's several more).
For Reference ... A Normal Brain
I couldn't see it after looking at the MRI imaging (and believe me, I scoured that CD over trying to look for my cerebellar tonsils) but apparently the tech could. I was told in November, 2014 after almost 3 years of coping with my symptoms that I had a Chiari Malformation in my brain. Basically, my brain has moments (a lot of moments) where it does this ... lklk08&790908^%&)*N937408q09e8@^@$(*)*> ... and then I feel hungover for a few days after each episode.
Parenting with CM
Parenting with Chiari Malformation is challenging on good days, and darn near impossible on the bad ones (thank God for my husband). I've learned several tricks since my symptoms showed up to help me deal with daily life. First and foremost, stare REALLY hard at the road when I'm driving ... if I stare REALLY hard it tends to stay in one place! (You might not want to drive near me most days, ha) Secondly, I have several planners that I work out of to ensure that I don't forget important dates and appointments. Third, I set reminders (much to my childrens' agony) in my phone, to help me remember those pesky consequences that I so easily forget. Forgotten early bedtimes are a thing of the past! Apart from those three things, I make sure to take my migraine meds, I tell my family when the noise level is getting too overwhelming for my poor overdeveloped brain (ha, again!), and I take the time to rest when I need it.
Chiari Malformation is an obstacle, but it is not something that I have to lay down my life to. I don't have to wave the white flag of surrender to my headaches or memory issues; I can still enjoy time with my kids and drive like a normal person (most of the time). I just find different ways to do it and I'm more intentional about the way I do it than I used to be.
What obstacles have you overcome in your daily parenting? What cool techniques do you use to help you overcome those obstacles? Tell us about it in the comments below! I look forward to gleaning some encouragement from them.
I just wanted to leave you with a photo of Mingo Falls in Cherokee, NC. It's one of the many places that I have hiked to since finding out about my Chiari. I didn't hike before ...
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