Sometimes being a supermom leads to some close calls. I love that Jeremy and I can jobshare, but it does lead to some crazy running around, particularly this semester, when for the first time we have a "double switch." (He teaches at 9 AM, I teach at 12:30 PM, he teaches at 2:30 PM, so we are back and forth with the kids all day, and trying to snatch enough minutes together to do our other work - like grading, committee work, research, etc.)
Ever since I started doing this job along with having kids, 10 years ago, I have joked about the phone booth. I have often felt that I needed a phone booth to duck into, entering as "mommy" and coming out as "cool, collected, professional person." Or, vice versa. Over the years, I have often feared coming out in the wrong garb by accident, or without completing the costume change. (You know what I mean...something like Clark Kent/Superman forgetting to put his disguise eyeglasses back on and thus forever giving away his secret identity to Lois Lane.)
This semester, the trouble has mostly been on the "change to mommy" direction: I arrive home in my dry-clean-only work clothes, hands full of purse, lunch bag, laptop bag. Baby Helen comes crawling at me before the door opens. She spots me through the front window and makes it hard to even open the door. The big grin she gives me warms my heart, but if I try to put something down, or take off my wet shoes, or (heaven forbid), go change into jeans and a t-shirt, before picking her up for a snotty, spit-up-filled snuggle (and usually a little nursing), she cries piteously and makes me feel like a very mean mom.
Today, I had trouble with the switch the other direction, though. The morning was scheduled tightly. I needed to drop John off at preschool, then drive out to Maggie's school to take her the medicine she forgot before leaving, then drive to Meijer for grocery shopping with Helen, then get back to work in time to give the car, groceries, and Helen to Jeremy so he could pick up John from preschool and I could teach my class. Thus, I carefully selected clothing that could go from Meijer to the office: washable slacks and blouse, and my new (expensive but comfy) walking/dress shoes.
Due to a variety of snags, I got John to school 20 minutes late, which put the whole schedule behind. Thus, when Helen announced at Meijer that she needed to nurse and nap, I was very thankful to have our Baby Bjorn carrier. I faced her in, loosened the straps enough to slide her down my front, and she could nurse and sleep peacefully while I grocery shopped. Voila! I was even able to rebutton my top button to be a bit more discreet, though the carrier and my coat provide pretty good coverage.
Well, as always happens, Meijer takes just a bit longer than I plan. I ended up meeting Jeremy at the preschool for the switch instead, so as not to be late picking up John. Of course, this meant that I was running a bit close for getting to class. Thank goodness I decided to go ahead and make a restroom stop anyway. While washing my hands I glanced in the mirror and noticed something looked just a bit "odd." Looking again, I discovered that I had been in and out of John's preschool, and into my office, with my shirt misbuttoned at the top and three buttons gaping open in the middle. With no baby in the carrier to cover me, it was not a very good look. Teaching an entire class that way (to all men, as it happens) would not have been ideal. Oh, phone booth, how could you let me down like that?
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