Memory Loss

As you read this title, you may be thinking, “There’s no way she’s going to make this remotely amusing…how can something so serious be funny?”  Stick with me…I’m fairly certain you’ll be laughing at me by the end (and possibly even before).

Yes, I am about to admit one of my prideful areas: I don’t generally forget things. If my husband and I are in an argument/discussion about something, I can recall previous conversations and events verbatim and prove my point (or really just disprove his…either one works).

I can remember the 25 things each of my children have to do, get or find each day; they can’t remember it but I can.

I can remember the 25 things I have to do, get or find in the first 30 minutes after my feet hit the floor…no one’s reminding me of much there. This is in addition to everything else I have to remember during the course of the day.

And if I think there is a remote possibility that I will forget something, I remember to at least write it down (blog ideas, for example…I write them down as they come because they tend to be like gossamer and often will float away if not nailed down).

As you may know, I work part-time at a preschool. There are PLENTY of opportunities for me to forget things there, which is why my desk is covered in notes: reminder lists of things to do, thank you notes to write, phone calls to make, and Post-It notes stuck on stacks of papers, explaining what to do with each item when. I say that my system as this way just in case I die in a fiery crash overnight or over the week-end, and the director needs to know what needs to be done next (because if I did die, I’m sure that sending out the newsletter the next day would be first priority to her); it would be business as usual for the preschool…she’s like that.

In reality, I know that in the craziness which preschool can be, I MAY forget what I’m doing and need that visual queue. I submit for your examination Example A: Today, par example, we had one child vomit twice, on the carpet both times…and partially in the trash can but kind down the side of it too. And on his shirt, pants and shoes. And then he stepped in it. And he had it on his hands and wiped it on his face. So the director and I cleaned him up. And then cleaned him up again.

Immediately after that, I went into the restroom only to discover that someone had not quite been all the way back on the seat and there was a substantial puddle on the bathroom floor. Which I had the opportunity to clean up (Example B). This was all before noon. Oh yeah. Got to love preschool!

So as you can see by examples A & B, I MAY forget things because of the rapidity with which the day can change. It never goes as intended. You can just check your preconceived notions of the day at the door, my friends.

Another case in point: Yesterday I had the opportunity to be in one of the classrooms for the afternoon. I love the chance to interact with the kiddos, especially in one-on-one time. This particular day, the teacher gave me a game and had me call the children over one at a time to play. I was over the moon, because I had really been working on memorizing all the students names (when you aren’t with them all the time, it can be a challenge to keep them all straight in your head), but I felt up to the challenge (see, I’d been working on memorizing them all…that pride thing again).

When I sat down, one child already had the game set up and was ready for me. He’d clearly played this game before and easily won the first round. And then he won the second round as well. I figured I’d take it easy on him…he was the first one up. Didn’t want to make the first one cry otherwise no one would want to play with me.

Next! I called the second child over. She didn’t understand the rules at first (a rookie), but quickly caught on.  And she beat me. I’m sure I inadvertently gave her clues…my tell must be obvious; I should really work on that.

Next! Child number 3 joined me at the table. She also won, but I’m fairly certain I gave her some help.  I can’t actually remember. Things were starting to become a blur for me at that point.

Next! Child number 4. I didn’t do it intentionally but this child was one who does not speak English as a first language. She is picking up new English words each day (it is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G how much she has learned in just a month’s time), but she is still very much like a toddler who likes to point out and repeatedly share her new words with others. She was more interested in telling me what was on the cards, rather than finding the matches. I could not figure out how to explain to her what “match” or same vs. different were. Showing her didn’t seem to matter; she just wanted to tell me what was in the picture. So that’s basically what we did. I would find the match and she would tell me what was on the card. A perfect symbiotic relationship; we both benefitted.

Sure this poor child didn’t know how to play, but that detail seems superfluous in the scheme of things. I hardly gloated at all over my win (I wouldn’t say that I’m OVERLY competitive but sometimes that quality comes out in me…feel free to ask my kids. I didn’t always let them win when they were little. I still don’t.  It’s every man, woman or child for themselves at our house.) That being said, who wants to come over and play a game with me? I digress…

So, just in case you were wondering, I do claim this final game as a win for me. And yes, there are more than four children in the class…we had other things to do and I didn’t have time to play against each one of them. There will be ample time for me to continue going through the line-up. I’m not worried…there are plenty of weeks left in the school year. I’ll be practicing and I’m pretty sure I can take the rest of them.

As you may or may not have noticed, I have not mentioned the name of the game which we were playing; it was “Memory”. Yes, the irony does not escape me. And no thank you on that second piece of humble pie; I’ve had enough for the week already.