I'm fairly certain that the parents at my daughters' elementary think that I have a twin. There is "Morning Mary" and "Afternoon Mary" and they look very different. "Afternoon Mary" has clean hair, wears clothing other than pajamas and yoga pants and sometimes has on mascara which really does make her look very different from "Morning Mary" who either doesn't have it on or it is on her cheeks.
This summer, a group of my girlfriends and I were sitting around a fire-pit and one of the moms asked if we wash our face every night before bed. The rest of us glanced at each other sideways and then doubled over in laughter. I don't wash my face at night. In fact, I'm lucky if I brush my teeth at night. My friend next to me, one of the non-face washers, gave me great advice about mascara. Buy really good waterproof mascara and put it on thick-you can wear it for days! The face washing friend was nothing, if not, appalled by our lack of hygiene. I wish I had had a camera to capture the look of sheer shock on her face.
These nights with my friends are my saving grace. Once or twice a month we go through a scheduling labyrinth to see each other and it is worth the messages/emails/babysitters. Our conversations run the gamut from complaining about laundry to concerns about our kids to hysterically laughing while telling a story about a misunderstanding. My husband can always tell the next day that I have been with my friends because I am laughing to myself about something that someone said or googling a fact about lice (seriously, we talk about lice a lot). I'm a better mother and wife when I take some time to be with my friends; I leave the evenings feeling that my tank is full and I'm ready to tackle the mountain of laundry yet again. Set up that lunch date or coffee or night out with your friends and encourage your partner to do the same.
Have a good weekend,
Mary
