Daily Musings From the Mommy Cave

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

There are only 3 things that need to be done daily.

When you're a new Mom you realize that sometimes, as gross as it may seem, that bathing daily is not always an option. When you're a stay at home Mom, you realize that it's even more of a lost cause because there is always something that pops up from day to day that needs taken care of rather than your own personal hygiene.
I used to be a bath girl. I would fill up the tub with bubble bath or shower get so it smelled all nice and pretty, get all of my personal effects (shave gel, razor, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, puff and sponge, blah blah blah) and jump in for a good half hour or so and relax. Not so much anymore. I still tub it up because it's hard to hear a waking baby when you've got a shower running and it's hard to balance your leg between all the rubber duckies, bath books, baby shampoo and wash and not nick yourself in the process, and that is when I do shave my legs. I've also found the luxury of a much needed weekly or biweekly nairing. If I've got a few extra minutes in, I can cream those hairs right now. Of course, this luxury is only for the above the knee and below the belt portion of my body, which isn't always a priority until it starts looking like you could be confused with a grizzley 40 year old Brooklynite named Tony or Gino. My husband really isn't turned on by the dull glow of a 5 o'clock shadow on his wife's thighs.
When Kyan was first born it was really hard to get a bath in until someone else was home because of his Reflux. By the time he would lay down for a nap and I would get in the door of our bathroom to rinse off real quick, he had spit up and was wailing for a complete wardrobe change. Then as he got older I got more and more worried about him when he didn't wake up for an hour or so and felt guilty leaving him alone while I went to deskank myself, often times taking a bare minimum 3 minute dip in and dip out and then running to check his pulse. Or the times when he learned that he could spit up and not cry and Mommy would lose it in tears when she came back and he was asleep with spit up on his shirt, or when he finally learned how to choke later on and really rattle up Mummsie.
Post baby, and even still into my pregnancy, I was always a very clean and primped up girl. This is a trait passed on from my Mother who is always the same way no matter what. She feels weird going to the Post office or Grocery store without make-up and a hairdo. God love her. Growing up as one of 8 kids she learned that you always clean yourself up in public, and that's a good bit of why I feel like I need to clean myself up and have both of my boys be presentable when we go out in public because I want everyone to know that I take care of them, and this is how I express love.
I know at times I've taken it to extreme. The blowdrying straight, hot rolling, and then straightening ironing my hair became the norm, and all of the products that I applied to make sure that it was conditioned, anti-frizzed, color treated, etc. was more of a ritual than anything else. My make-up, applied in a few layers of eye make-up, a bright red lipstick, and some blush and pressed powder took longer to explain than it did to apply, but still a dilligent process. Waking up 2 hours before I needed to leave just to get ready was just assumed.
So I've come to realize that daily there are 3 things that absolutely need to be done to make me feel less gross, but still not on a "gag" level of noticing.

Change your undies - not doing so is gross on any level.. this need not be explained.
Brush your teeth - a dead give away if you should come into contact with anyone but your husband who generally wakes up with you sans pretty mouth every morning.
Put on Deoderant - nobody wants to be around someone who smells like a spring mare.

If you do this, you'll surely get by. Perfume is optional as sometimes it will just cloak the fact that "Hey.. didn't you wear that shirt to bed that you're eating lunch in right now?" and other times it will seem out of place when your hair looks like a rats nest that not even Meg Ryan will claim to be a style done on purpose and compared to "bed head". And of course, showering the next day is a definate must, even if you have to bring the baby in the tub with you, or occupying him with a few minutes of mind numbing children's programing or DVD's.

posted by SNM at 10:06 AM -

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