It starts with getting her children ready in the morning.

She will give them a few snuggles and do her best to coax her children out of bed.

With tired eyes and long yawns, they will tell her, “I want to stay in bed, Mama!”

She will remind them of what is ahead for the day.

She will think about all she has to try to accomplish.

She stretches her back, and her day shift begins.

Her youngest will need to be reminded to use the restroom, and she will remember she needs to purchase toothpaste.

Her mental checklist has only just begun.

Her home awakens with the sound of children laughing and a day’s to-do list a mile long.

She begins to open the curtains to let the rising sun into their home.

She notices the curtains need dusting, but she isn’t sure when she will have the time to dust them.

The morning has just started, and she already feels behind.

The sound of the coffee pot brewing brings her joy.

Her children will squeal for breakfast and milk.

She will notice the cereal is running low. Another mental note is made.

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The dishes from the night before are staring at her like daggers.

She does them.

Her kids argue over a toy, and she stops what she is doing to play referee.

She goes back to the dishes and notices the sponge needs replacing.

Mental note added.

She will remember there is laundry in the dryer.

Instead of taking it out, she will rerun it, convincing herself it needs a few more minutes.

She will prepare the lunches for the day and notice they only have one slice of cheese left.

The mental notes continue.

“What’s for dinner?” she will ask herself.

She wonders what she can put together from what they have in the fridge.

She notices she never defrosted the chicken.

Annoyed, she puts the chicken in to defrost.

She remembers that she needs to make that appointment.

Her children ask her, “Mom, when are we leaving?”

She tells them she is on the phone making an appointment.

They whisper in hopes she will answer her question if they lower their voices.

She asks them to please wait and apologizes to the receptionist.

As she speaks to the receptionist, she will remember, “The pet show is today.”

While on the phone, she will walk over to her daughter’s room. She wants to be sure her favorite giraffe is ready for his debut at the preschool pet show.

She will hear the dryer stop as the laundry waits to be claimed.           

She will reply to a few text messages.

She will wipe down the breakfast table and do a quick vacuum because the youngest spilled her cereal.

She will then move to start preparing everyone’s lunch box.

While preparing lunch, she notices they are running low on Goldfish.

She is determined not to forget this critical mental note because her 4-year-old loves Goldfish. Not just any Goldfish, however, the baby Goldfish.

Her oldest asks her where her left shoe is.

She goes in search of that shoe.

Suddenly, the sound of the toy bag crashes all over the floor.

Her youngest smiles and says, “Mama, can I play with my toys before we go?”

She steps on one of the toys before she can answer and winces in pain.

She is only about an hour into this day, and she is already injured.

She will send that email to her child’s teacher.

Now she will go and assist her youngest in getting dressed.

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Her oldest remembers that today is “wacky day” and needs to change her entire outfit.

She will mentally check off item after item as “done” as she walks in endless circles around her home.

She will make a list of what needs to be done that afternoon.

She will finally get her children into the car, and she will notice she needs gas.

On their way, they listen to silly songs and play “I spy.”

Her youngest loves to look for dogs on a walk, “Mama, look at that puppy!”

She will attempt to look for the puppy without causing an accident.

She drops her children off with kisses and hugs.

I love you, and I will see you soon! Have fun!”

She feels free for a minute, but soon she misses her children.

She has let them out into the world where she will wait, sometimes anxiously, until they return.

She remembers she never had her coffee. 

She laughs and smiles because she is grateful for all she has.  

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Aliette Silva

Aliette Silva is a mom and a writer that lives for a good Cuban sandwich. Her work has been featured in Today Parents, Her View from Home, Filter Free Parents, and Scary Mommy. She writes posts, shares stories, and snaps pictures of the daily mama grind. When she is not writing, you can find her chasing sleep or her two girls all over Disney World.

A Mother’s Mind Never Rests, Because We Carry The Mental Load

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