Hey, it happens to the best of us; we forget something. Instead of beating myself up about it, I’m going to let it go. It could be worse. I could have forgotten it was my turn to pick up my daughter from school or that it was my husband’s birthday, both of which I’ve done before. So all in all, I’m not doing so bad.

What have I been up to lately? Mom is somewhat back on her feet, so things are very different and very much the same all at once. I now make sure she leaves the house in matching clothes, and she still calls me every morning at work to make sure I made it in safely. On Sunday, we were supposed to go to one store, and we ended up at four or five. Some things never change.

My little girl is growing up fast, and soon we’ll be at that point where there is no need for a bedtime story or a kiss goodnight. I’m going to relish the time I have left in this innocent phase. Today we had a fashion show and read Frozen Noses.

I’ve also developed a deeper appreciation for tea and a slight addiction to Word with Friends. But more on that some other time.

Sorry I’ve been away so long. I’ll try not to be so forgetful!

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My mother disappeared a little over a month ago. She wasn’t kidnapped in the middle of the night, nor did she go to the store for a gallon of milk never to return. The culprit, lying in wait for who knows how long, made itself known on April Fools’ Day and trapped Mom inside her own mind. The doctor called it a hemmorhagic stroke. Unchecked high blood pressure caused bleeding on the brain and a blood clot that rendered her helpless.

April’s been one hell of a month, and I’m happy to see it go. So much chaos surrounded Mom’s hospitalization, and I tried to keep the madness out of my own household, but it was unavoidable.

Late dinners and missed bedtimes by Mommy, combined with the absence of Granny, threw my daughter’s life out of whack. And like any kid whose life is knocked into a tailspin, my girl acted out.

E’s done so much fake crying, eye rolling, and arm folding, you’d think she was auditioning for a role on the CW. “We don’t give out awards for drama here,” I said. “When you grow up, you can take up acting and get nominated by the Academy.”

My reaction was not as she hoped, so E turned up the volume. After an incident involving lip gloss, I realized I was dealing with a diva. The best way to handle, I reasoned, was in true diva fashion.

“No sandals until you start listening to Mommy and Daddy,” I announced.

Her eyes widened. “What about my new flip flops? Or my nail polish from Granny?”

“I took them back. You won’t need any Barbie pink toenail polish either. No one will see your feet because you’ll be wearing socks and tennis shoes.”

“But Mommy…” she put on Sad Face #12.

“Don’t start. I may be able to get your flip flops back, but you need get yourself together now. Or you will be the only one at school in snowboots this summer.”

Even at 5 years old, E does not believe in wearing shoes out of season. She started to cry, for real. “I’ll try to do better, Mommy,” she said between sniffles.

So far, so good. She earned back one pair of sandals this week. I’m holding out the favorites — a pair of white flip flops with a silver flower — until I return from my business trip.

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Things have been so crazy that I’ve lost focus on my five-minute challenges. Every time I try to get back to it, something gets in the way. For example, my brother and I spent the week clearing the clutter from my parents’ house so Momma can come home. (She’ll be home Wednedsay. Hooray!) If we had done that in five-minute segments, it would have been like emptying a bathtub with teaspoon.

There have been a couple moments this past month that were Five Minutes of Greatness. I wanted to share them at the time, but I just couldn’t seem to get to it. So here goes:

Five Minutes of Funk. My cousin shocked us all by eloping back in January. We didn’t know he was dating, much less married, until the invitations for his reception came out in March. The soirée was at a little bar downtown, but it was a full-blown reception, complete with a cake and DJ. Someone dragged me onto the dance floor for the family Soul Train line. I wasn’t really in the mood, but it turned out a good boogie was just what I needed to lift my spirits.

Five Minutes of Peace, Part 2.
“Running, crawling, slipping, and falling….always trying to get Uncle Scrooge’s money!”

I doubt anyone but me remembers this song from the Disney Mousercise record (Yes, vinyl, not CD). You danced along to songs featuring your favorite characters. “Uncle Scrooge’s Money” has been on my mind a lot lately, but it’s not because I want to rob a millionnaire.

I’ve been running, crawling, slipping, and falling since 4:55 a.m. on April 1. There hasn’t been enough time in the days to breathe.

For one perfect moment this week, I remembered. My daughter was asleep, and the phone wasn’t ringing. I turned off the TV, and as Whitney Houston once said, I exhaled. Now, I was holding a bowl of guacamole instead of a man, but it worked.

More to come. Thanks for stopping by.

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