Jill’s House: Finding time to “put yourself together” when you’re a mom

A couple of times over the last week, my teammate and friend Dawn has commented about how much more difficult it is to put yourself together to get out the door when you have a kid (her baby is eight weeks old). I told her to get used to it because there always seems to be some sort of challenge getting out the door on time with a child of any age!

As a mom and an athlete, most often when I get dressed in the morning it consists of what our household likes to call “comfy pants,” a cotton shirt and maybe a zip up sweater. Washed or not, my hair usually ends up in a ponytail and if I put any make up on it is just to give me some colour.

And that is pretty much how I walked in to the hair salon last week, but also with my kid in tow, a bag of toys, my dress, and a bag with make up, shoes, purse and more.  I would be leaving from the salon to head to the Gold Medal Plates fundraiser for the Canadian Olympic Foundation, while my husband would be picking Camryn up from the salon.

While my hair was getting pampered, I tried to keep Camryn occupied before and after her own trim. However, not long before dad picked her up, I turned in my chair to see blue marker all over her lips, just like lipstick (in my distress I didn’t take a picture).  She also had it all over her hands.

I paused Lana, my hairdresser and took Camryn to the bathroom – already the second visit since arriving at the salon. After we cleaned the blue hands and lips, I had her use the washroom before my husband came to pick her up.

I went back to my chair and Camryn to hers to colour. Five minutes later, “mom, I have to go to the bathroom!” For real?!  You JUST went. Ugh!

Pause Lana.

Back to the chair.

Then daddy showed up.

Pause Lana.

Pack up toys and books. Kisses and hugs goodbye.

Back to the chair….this time to do my make up.

Then I hit the washroom, this time by myself, to get dressed.

I came out and asked Lana for the final touch up on my hair. I looked down at my hands. I managed to get blue marker on my hands too but missed washing it off.

Lana said, “you are a true mom. All dressed up with marker on your hands.”

I said, “yes, that’s true.” And I thought, I am proud of it too.

As much as I enjoyed getting dressed up and feeling really good about how I looked, I did not enjoy the back and forth, up and down run around with my almost four-year-old. I am sure that is partly why I end up leaving the house looking more like I rolled out of bed than like I actually put some effort into it.

But I am ok with that.

I can still be a good mom no matter how I look. So while some will work on their daily presentation and some will not, be proud of the spit up on your shirt, peanut butter on your pants or the marker on your hands because you are a mom and you always will be. Besides, that means you also made it out the door!