Where’s a 35 year old woman supposed to shop? Someone answer me this…..I’m no fashionista/Carrie from Sex in the City but I’m not ready for Lands End either. Recently I read about the trend to open up shops geared to women of my age group and income type. It seems we do have money and do spend it…but where? So these shops opened up to tryo tap into this billion dollar industry and I saw one of them, even bought a blue velvet camisole with embroidery from Janeville (Gymboree’s answer to the 30 something moms). And then these shops promptly closed. I kind of liked the clothes in Janeville, although I wasn’t thrilled with the white tank top with sequined flamingo. And now, I’m just confused. My clothes are outdated. I’ve been pregnant or in between pregnancies and haven’t invested in anything without an elastic waistline in years. And now I’m into my third pregnancy and after I burned (yes, burned) my nursing bras what do I put on the rest of my body?
Junior/Misses, In Between?
Me time
I was a nanny/babysitter extraodinaire when I was 26-28 years old. I took the job when I was in-between. I was in-between states (VA and CO) in-between boyfriends, in-between jobs and just basically treading water. Little did I know that it would be my favorite job so far and that I had thought it would prepare me for what it’s really like to have kids. Ha ha ha….Let’s look at the differences, their family:13,000 square foot house, million dollar paychecks, a nanny! I just keep thinking that my ME will pop in the door any day now and I can go take a nap. Did they get the best of me? Or maybe I was just a better “mommy number 2″ (as their daughter put it) when I was being paid…..nah….perhaps it was the whole going home by myself thing, the 8-10 hour shift thing and then you’re done.
Today I took Jamie to his grandma’s, he needed a break from me and I, him. He plays with his cousins there too. All the while I am driving him there, he says to me that I should just drop Colin off too because I could have some quiet time just by myself. I don’t know how he knows this, I have never said this directly to him that I needed some quiet time. Smart little cookie.
Single on the Carousel
Yesterday, Jamie rode on the big carousel outside of the Smithsonian on the mall. It was a trip to the dino museum day and alas I am cashless. Damn debit cards. I only have enough for Jamie to ride by himself. “Do you want to go on by yourself?” “Yes, he says. Why can’t you go?” “Because Mommy didn’t bring enough money.” This is pathetic. Truly. Usually, I can scrounge up two fifty just by scraping the bottom of my “diaper bag purse” but I had actually cleaned it out the day before (smelled like rotten OJ). And so I propped him up on one of the bigger horses, his legs dangling, long like his dads and I exited the carousel. The man running the ride had asked twice if i was getting back off. “Yes! sheesh!” It’s not that I wanted to ride per se (going around in circles while pregnant is a sure party pooper) but that I could have enjoyed it with him, next to him even if I was a little green. Instead, I had the view from the sidelines of a happy yet nervous little boy going around and around. It broke my heart. Why do carousels do this to me? Or the image of my child alone, horse up horse down…..
I know that I would have been afraid to ride by myself when I was 4. It points out to me how different my son and I are, how independent he already is. Still, I will be checking twice for that$2.50 the next time I leave the house so can share some these kid moments, on my own horse of course.
