Sometimes Frumpy is, You Know, Practical

Colin started Kindergarten on August 6th - and for the first few weeks, each school morning saw me fully dressed, in something decent, hair done and makeup on.

Isn't it funny how quickly things change?

I just dropped Colin off at school in my pajamas, y'all. And flip-flops. And a (jacked-up) ponytail. And no makeup.

Okay, in my defense, it's not like my pajamas are actual PJs. It's more like a strategically assembled multi-purpose outfit. And unfortunately for my fight against the frump (Frump: 1, Rita: 0) I own several outfits of this type. Today, it's a gray Adidas t-shirt and black workout pants. Okay, so the workout pants are a holdover from my extra-fat days (I wore them 80+ pounds ago, if that tells you anything), and the legs are the size of tree trunks, and I have to wear them with the waistband rolled up like five times so they stay up. At least the t-shirt fits.*

*Even if this morning it did have a smear of oatmeal crusted across the front that I didn't notice until I was en route to the elementary.

Anyway, outfits such as these are both a blessing and curse to a busy mother who works from home. They are comfortable enough to sleep in, and all I've got to do is put on a bra before leaving the house in the morning. (Otherwise, you know, my boobs hurt from knocking against my knees all day.) They're a step up from cartoon-printed PJs, so though I may not classify as dressed when I wear them in public, at least I don't appear comically, don't-give-a-crap lazy, like people who wander through Wal-Mart in slippers and curlers and stuff.

Plus, when I'm wearing them at home and someone comes to the door, I can just clip my iPod and headphones to them and pretend I've been working out. See? GENIUS.

I'm a little worried, though. We have two vehicles: one reliable, one not-so-much. Curtis has a 25-minute drive to work, and I have a 3-minute drive to school. So guess who gets the reliable vehicle, the one that will most certainly hold out for 50 minutes a day? Yeah. Which means I'm tootling to the elementary at 30 miles per hour or less - anything over 30 and our Jeep makes this ominous knocking sound and completely loses oil pressure.

So imagine if the thing completely kicks the bucket while I'm dropping Colin off at school. That would mean I'd have to interact extensively with the public - well-wishers offering rides, tow truck people, who knows - wearing one of my "no-I-didn't-sleep-in-this-I'm-not-that-lazy-they're-just-my-workout-clothes-gosh" outfits. (Not to mention being stranded with three small hoodlums children to manage!) Ugh ... the horror.

But for the convenience of a few extra minutes in the morning to feed, clean up, dress the kids, and get everybody in the car and buckled by 7:45? It's a risk I'm willing to take.  


PS - Thanks for the Halloween picture orders, you guys! It's not too late to get your own spooky photo ... :)