What's For Dinner?

Fried Rice, that's what's for dinner!
Everything is sliced and diced and ready to go. I love that feeling. We went away this weekend and I had no time to take care of the mess of a kitchen BEFORE we went, which is my usual pattern. I hate coming home to a kitchen full of mess and clutter right in my face! But this time I said Skrew it. (Yes, I said skrew it with a K!) And left it. And you know, I was OK with it.

We got home and were drained. Because we were at my mom's. That can be very very draining. She'd die if she knew. But she is these days totally draining. The older she gets, the more inward she turns and the more she talks and the more she repeats herself, as though I were never there for some of the stories. She'll tell me about the old barn and the ash tree and how there was a garden here and there and how my dad did this or that and I say "Mom, I was there, remember!? I'm the one who drove the truck that pulled that tree down. I drove the truck that pulled the barn down too, because Dad knew how much I love demolition!" And she just ignores me and goes on and on.... over and over. I'm honestly having a very hard time with this. I'm beginning to think this might be the onset of dementia? Or else she's just getting very self focused in her old age and doesn't care? I don't know. I've talked to her about it a couple of times and her response is "Oh, I just say whatever is in my head, I don't think about it first." So... obviously, she isn't concerned about it.

She started doing this before her stroke, and now it's 5 times worse.

I want to get to a place that it doesn't bother me... I don't know how to do that but I'm trying. I know that some of this is normal... I'm familiar with the process of aging, and have been through it with others.... my mom is doing something beyond anything I've ever experienced before.

Anyway, so we were drained. From the barrage of words and the stories and the micro managing she does of me when I'm working in her kitchen, etc.... No cleaning up of my OWN kitchen happened last night. We put the boy to bed after letting him re-acquaint himself with his toys and watch a little of the 101 Dalmations movie that was on TV. Then we watched stupid TV and stuffed our faces with comfort junk food and then collapsed into bed.

But today - today! The boy was entertaining himself just fine, and happy about it, so I got the kitchen cleaned up while we listened to Putamayo World Playground for Kids... which he loves. He toddled in to say howdy now and then.... see what I was up to. And I got it all done. Then he took a long long nap and I got dinner all ready except for the cooking. And it is all good.

I didn't obsess about the kitchen for a change. I just relaxed, and did it when I had time. And the time was there without me even stressing about it...

How about THAT!?