Protecting my sanity???

Tomorrow is the kid's first day of school.  This is a big deal in our house and it is so bizarre that mom can't remember and doesn't care.  I can tell it is frustrating me and I am not quite sure what to do about that.

I can't:

• reason with her
• remind her
• scold her
• create empathy in her
• call back memories from my first days of school
• get her to read the sign I made that says "tomorrow is the first day of school"

So I have just plowed through the day trying to change the subject or smile or find a reason to go to the other room.  There is just so much to do and it's the kids last day of summer and I have put off the Academy shoe-buying experience and I just knew it would be a bad idea to take anything too personally or to spend too much time with mom considering her mood.

She just doesn't like it when the attention is clearly not on her or we are talking about something she doesn't understand or can't follow.  How terribly sad that she can't remember that her grandchildren are heading back to school tomorrow.  How sad that whenever they tried to show off an outfit or those Academy sneaks we finally bought she talked about how long ago she was in school and how she was glad she didn't have to deal with that stuff anymore.  I was a little sad that she never once thought about my first days of school.  I mean, I don't remember it being a big deal, but the bts shopping was and the first day outfit was.  It turned out she didn't realize who I was - at some point she seemed genuinely surprised that I didn't grow up on a farm like she did.  Me, on a farm!  HAH!  I dream of rural Lisa, I read the Helen and Scott Nearing book, I shaved pigs ears at the Allen Co Fair (thanks Scot Lugibihl), farm Lisa has not ever existed outside some Little House on the Prairie daydreaming and one Laura Ashley prom dress!

So, tomorrow is the first day of 6th grade for Peyton and the first day of High School for Keaton and it will annoy the heck out of mom in the morning and then peace will descend on the house and mom will be the center of this universe until it is time to do pick up starting at 2:40. 

For now, it's bedtime - and it's a school night, so I'd better go!