Someone once told me I look like Eva Longoria. Once. And let me tell you I have hung on to that like...well,..like something you really want to hang on to! I get it. We're both petite. We both have brown hair and brown eyes. So probably if you squint while you're standing about a half-mile away, I might resemble Eva Longoria. Hey, I'll take it! Who wouldn't love to look like Eva? My biggest problem with believing this compliment, is that I have mirrors in my home.
So here we go- What does "The mom in my mind" look like? Well, I guess it's Eva Longoria. And not just Eva Longoria- it's Eva on the cover of 'Cosmo', wearing stilettos, standing in some awkward position, looking directly into the camera, with a sexy "deer caught in the headlights" kind of expression. Apparently, the mom in my mind is in a constant state of "pose". Now my dear reader, please know that I know, this is a completely ridiculous expectation! For one thing, the kids and I spend the majority of our days in and out of a kiddie pool in our back yard just trying to cope with the 1000 degree Tennessee heat. Between Ayla giving me "swimming lessons" and the two of us working on her mastery of potty training, there's not a whole lot of time for stilettos and posing.
The mom I am in reality is slightly more "desperate housewife" than "Eva Longoria" these days. Now, don't get me wrong, with a small arsenal of make-up, a magnified mirror, a powerful blow dryer, a lot of prayer, a little luck and the right lighting,... I manage to look presentable some times. Oh...I know, I know, "True beauty comes from the inside", and "You're beautiful just the way you are". (By the way, you have to read those last two lines in a high squeaky voice to get the intended sarcasm.) (Go ahead...go back and read them in a high squeaky voice.)
I am aware that "true beauty comes from the inside" -and what not and what not and blah, blah, blah- but the bottom line is...well the bottom line is that I like me some make-up. It takes me from "black and white" to "color". I am also well aware of what I look like pre-primp and what I look like post-primp, and I simply prefer the latter. It's not much deeper than that.
I'm always amazed at how completely adorable my children are without any effort. In fact often, when I attempt to tame their appearance, I make it worse! I'm sure every parent can relate to the absolute perfection that is their child's slightly disheveled hair and smile. They're amazing! So, sometimes after quickly wiping my children's faces and running a comb through their hair, I think I can get away with equally minimal effort on my own appearance...and then I look in the mirror. It's usually at this point that I panic and want to call out to my husband, "There's no hope! Just go on without me! I don't have the tools for this kind of overhaul!" I just know that if I were to leave my house looking like this, it would be pandemonium. I envision children screaming and pointing. Mothers covering their babies eyes, instructing them firmly not to look directly at it!
But luckily, my arsenal of make-up and hair care products helps me get to the point where I can finally mutter, "Well I'm not completely homely." (By the way- someone also called me homely before.)
Now I'm sure that anyone who loves me would say that I'm beautiful "just the way I am", but let me assure you that the difference between me with make-up and without, is night and day. I would post a picture to prove it but there's probably no one there to cover your eyes and tell you not to look directly at it.
So, as my children grow, I will make sure they know that they are amazing and beautiful simply because of who they are. I will attempt to teach them things like kindness, confidence, and a good work ethic. But most importantly, I will never take for granted a good eye-liner, lip gloss or my Mac foundation!
Have a good week out there all you gorgeous people! You're beautiful just the way you are!
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