The Mommy-Do

Every mom knows the Mommy-Do (also known as the ponytail). I live in the Mommy-Do. It's quick, it's easy and it's a no-brainer. The last part is the real clincher for me as I'm the most hair-impaired person you'll ever come across. Rarely do I ever do my hair and leave it long and free. Once in a while though I'll feel the calling of my XX genes and haul out the curling iron and make-up kit. I feel that make-up is such a scam for me: its shelf life is so short and I rarely wear it so I'm constantly having to buy new stuff after using it a handful of times for fear of getting an eye infection and going blind.

Today was Ryan Irwin's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. Kael was thrilled to go and see his friends and play all the games, and I was thrilled to have Grandma watch Malia so I could spend some needed one-on-one time with Kael. So I considered this a special day for more reasons than just Ryan's birthday. I woke up and decided to actually do myself up. Now I know you're all thinking: Sonya, it's Chuck E. Cheese. But like the need to rubberneck an accident on the freeway, you can't fight the call of your XX genes.

Comment #1
We're driving to CEC and I think I see Jenny's car. We park and turns out it was Jenny's car. She gets out and she tells me she thought it was me but didn't think my hair was that long so maybe it wasn't.

Huh.

Comment #2
We're in CEC and Kael's having a blast. I see Christina and walk over to say Hi. She looks a little startled? Disconcerted? Bewildered? and says to me "I didn't recognize you with your hair down!"

Huh.

Comment #3
I'm at home and the kids are napping. Shana calls me and mentions how she almost didn't recognize me with my hair down and how surprised she was at how long it was and how nice it was to have it down.

Okaayy. I think I get the message.

So my question is: Do I really look that much of a mess every day??!!

My mom is very old-school and is constantly telling me to "pretty myself up." That just because I'm married, that's not the reason to "let myself go." That Truong works hard all day and that he should come home to me dressed nice, with my hair combed (!!!) and please, at the very least, for pity's sake, wear lipstick for some color.

I've always brushed her off as being trapped in the 50's. But evidently I need to pay her more attention.

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Edited to add...

Erin sent me an email after reading this post and it really hammers in the fact that I need to administer a major overhaul of my morning grooming rituals:

"Add me to the list of almost not recognizing you with your hair down!!! I was going to comment, but figured that you had heard it already :) I did notice that the ponytail was back by the end of the party, though!"

Oi.