Dressed to the 10s

Mornings are crazy.   If you're a parent, you get it.   Shuffling two kids, getting dressed, teeth brushed, breakfast, lunches made, homework finished, papers signed, backpacks packed, shoes on... whew.  As if we aren't already a disaster this time of day is certainly one of amped up insaneness (is that a word?)   Today, we had a couple of overnight family visitors joining the mix and got a front row seat to the Barker Chaos.

After we got the kids off to school, we sat down with hot cups of coffee and a warm breakfast as adults. And yes, we were looking good: fresh out of bed, the Barks in his bathrobe and a man pony.   Me?  I threw on some yoga pants, a pineapple tshirt (to wish the pending KS snow away, of course), some yoga pants and a cardi.   Totally put together, right?   

We ate breakfast and chatted, then our guests packed up and headed off laughing about our appearances and the life we live.   Here they are just entering retirement and enjoying this same freedom we are in our 30s.   They talked about how differently this world looks for us, and one commented how their other kids are "dressed to the nines" for work: suit and tie, heels and slacks.  They admired that we built something so different, and mornings for us look very differently than they remembered with children.   

As our front door closed and Barks and I were left part of me cowered in my yoga paints and bed head for a moment and looked down at my clothes.  Isn't it funny how someone's words can effect us like that?  A completely innocent comparison, not intended to judge, yet I had jumped to suddenly feeling inferior.  Gee, don't you hate it when that happens? 

 "Dressed to the nines."   What does that even mean?   No worries, I googled, and there's a lot of explanation on history, etc, but more or less it means "perfect."  

Barks pulled me in and I felt his fuzzy robe against my face.   He laughed, "I'll take our work uniforms any day. I think you look perfect." 

He was right.  Shh, don't tell him, this might be the FIRST time! ;)  We've worked dang hard to get to be in our pajamas, and it really is perfect.  For us.   

We used to laugh at Barks' late grandmother who every time he would change jobs would ask the same question, "do you wear a suit and tie to work?"  

That question, gave her all she needed to know as to whether he had "made it" yet.   And it always made us laugh.  Because in our worlds, the more we succeeded and reached the goals we set, the more our attire changed; the less it mattered what we wore to the office and became more about what we wanted to wear.   We often giggle thinking of what Grandmother would think now of our "working from bed" or taking conference calls in swimsuits or answering an email from a playdate.   

This journey isn't for everyone.  These lives we have built, may not be the things others set out for.   For us?  He did the suits and ties.   I did the power suits and high heels.   We also did the traffic, the dark commutes, the missing soccer games and dance watch nights.   Sure, in those days my closet looked nicer, our life appeared much more put-together, our house, much cleaner.   But our lives, our hearts, our priorities were a much bigger mess.   

I don't claim to be a lot of things, but "dressed to the nines" is something I'll have to add to that list.

But I'd like to think I'm more of a "10" anyway.   

It's certainly not pretty, but we're pretty proud of this beautiful chaos we have built.  Life on our terms from wherever wearing whatever we wish!  

Happy Friday Friends!  What are you wearing this Friday?