OK, don’t get too excited, but I wore jeans, a cute top and a little blazer to school pickup last week. I know, I know – INSANE! I had chaperoned my older kid's class trip to see the high school band and I wanted to look like an actual put-together adult instead of the schlub I am. I didn’t want my daughter’s teacher thinking my kid was being raised by an un-showered, frizzy-haired, yoga-pant-wearing crazy lady. (Even if that’s the truth.)
Later that day, a mom came up to me while we were waiting for our kids to get out of school and did a double take. “You look so … nice.” Her voice was filled with surprise. Confusion. Disbelief.
You know it’s bad when you take a shower and toss on something other than sweats and everyone is like, “WHAT DID YOU DO???? YOU'RE SO DRESSED UP! YOU LOOK AH-MAAAAAZING!” And you’re like, “Errrr, I showered.”
I remember going to a fundraiser for my daughter’s school, looking at all the moms and thinking, “Wow, these ladies are so attractive. Who knew?” When you only see someone at 8am after they’ve just done battle with their kids to get out of the door for school, you don’t exactly see them at their best.
Sometimes I wonder if I should put more effort into my daily appearance. I dunno, maybe do something with my hair besides toss it up into a frizz-bomb of a bun? Wear a skirt? Go wild and crazy and shave my legs??? You know, flaunt it while I’ve still (kinda) got it. But I just can’t muster up the time or the effort. It’s hard to find either when you’re ensconced in the daily kid grind.
And who’s looking anyway? The moms at school are used to my schleppy appearance, my kids don’t care if I look like crap, and my husband and I are so busy we can barely make eye contact or have a conversation these days so I know he's not looking. So I've decided to embrace the schlep. Rock my yoga pants and give in to my crazy hair.
But every once in awhile, I think I'm going to do it up. Put on a blazer, slap on some lipstick, blow dry my hair to look all purrrrty. I'm going to show up at pick up looking like a normal, showered person. You know, just to keep everyone on their toes. *WINK*
PS- Like my Facebook page! We have fun, fun, FUN!
So I too typically rock the mom-iform…work out stuff, hair up no makeup. One Saturday my daughter was invited to a bday party. It was Saturday & had something else going on, and I like to wear jeans & a cuter top. I stayed for the party. At pick up, this mom (who’s daughter is in preschool w my daughter & we see eachother at the y), says “what’s your name?” I tell her & say, anja’s my daughter” & point. No joke this mom starts dying and says “oh I know you!!” I’m all yep this is the “other” me.” And I’m thinking shit do i look THAT BAD EVERY OTHER DAY?! So i show up at the Y the next time & this mom sees me & I say, do you recognize me now? Seriously.
TOTALLY!!! To look unrecognizable when you shower. That’s so funny. And scary … 🙂
OMG — I love what Elsa describes because it just totally happened to me. I am in the exact mom-iform Deva’s picture illustrate basically every single day. Last month, when I showed up at my son’s classmate’s bday party on a Sunday, I had taken the rare (morning) shower and had my hair down and blown out. I saw one class mom mouth to another “Who is she?”… And the woman asking the question was someone I’ve volunteered at the school with several times and probably the mom I know second best in the entire school! Ha ha on me. That’s when I knew I looked schlubby all the time.
But who’s really looking, right? Son is too busy playing with my iPhone to even look twice when I’ve put on a nice dress. Husband is too busy with his mantra of “Where did you put my (fill in the blank)?” — as if I have time to hide his stuff from him — to even look once.
I’m comfy in my mom-iform and, as long as you don’t get too close, I probably don’t smell too awful. That’s passable, I suppose. 😉
AMY!!!! So funny. Yes- my whole family is always asking me, “Where’s my…” It drives me NUTS!
I love my mom-iform so much that I wear it to work. I just wear jeans instead of yoga pants, but the top, the hair and the glasses? That’s my daily garb that people at work do not recognize me if I wear my hair down. They get shocked! LOL
That’s so funny! Yes, the glasses … contacts are just so uncomfortable!
I have this maxi sundress. Whenever I put it on, my kids say, “Where are you going? Are you leaving? Is a babysitter coming?”
It’s just a flipping sundress! I really should try harder…
So funny!
Yes! My hair is almost always in a sloppy bun. My makeup only gets done if I have the time & desire to do it in the car on the way to work. To the point where the guys I work with will tease me if I actually wake up early (ha!) and really put myself together. When I show back up at work with a sopping wet bun and no makeup, I get the “there’s our girl” from them.
I’m not the best at being a girl. 😉
I’m terrible at being a girl too!