GUEST POST: Mom vs. Babe – A Quandary Considered

This is a special guest post by a non-blogger (yes, they do still exist!). But I have been trying to encourage my sister Teresa to do more writing via a blog of her own, so I hope you’ll leave her some encouraging comments! Find out a little more about her at the end of this post.
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As I sit and drink my morning beverage from the cup that say “Mom on the outside. Babe on the inside,” I have to think: does one really preclude the other? I say no. I mean, think about it – Heather Locklear, Mom? Yes. Babe? Yes. My Aunt Christine is both a Mom and a Babe (now she’s a Nana, but still a Babe). I think many a husband thinks of his wife as a babe despite that she’s a mother 24/7. And that’s the issue. Maybe it’s the mom who thinks of herself as mom- not babe.

So let’s look at “babe” and “mom”.

The same babe who gets you a beer (or a soda or a snack) is the mom who gets the child’s drink, snack, book, etc. (The babe and mom – both are there to lend a hand).

The same babe who knew all about politics and current events when you met her, is the mom who can keep her children entranced by telling them a story about how she can call Santa at anytime (she has his cell phone number), and that she knows for a fact that Rudolph just had his nose checked at the vet and he’ll be just fine for the long trip.

The babe who impressed with her ability to calculate (in her head) the sales tax for anything is the mom who manages to get things at the grocery store for free (There was a sale! She had a coupon! It got doubled! …So she bought Charlie a new Hot Wheels).

The babe who baked you brownies on your first date is the mom who tries out new treat recipes for playgroups and puts the leftovers in your lunch (well, at least you get the leftovers).

The babe who asked you to help her fight a few battles for her is the mom who has found the moxie to go to the mat for her children, because their true causes are more important than her staying in her comfort zone.

Hmmm – it seems to me that the mom is a babe who has utilized her pre-mom attributes and maximized their potential. Sometimes though, moms put aside an important aspect of the art of being a babe. Packaging.

I used to wear skirts and heels. Now, I’m lucky my husband likes me in jeans and a tee shirt. Almost nine years ago I donned my mom uniform – shorts and a tee or jeans and a tee. And sneakers! For nine years! I need a change. You can tell me there are designer sweat suits but they are still just that – sweat suits (sorry, outfits). That won’t work for me. Hmm – what can I find to please both the sleeping fashion diva in me and the functioning mom? I’ve got it. A skort. That’ll work. Looks like a skirt, feels like a short. And, most of the time it requires sandals. Not sneakers!! Woo hoo! I’m already feeling prettier. Now, where’s my lipstick? I know I wore it to that wedding four months ago….

Well, I guess I am on my way (to Kohl’s…for skorts) to being the mom/babe I want to be. I think my husband (who loves me no matter what I wear) is secretly happy to see my toes again.

MEET TODAY’S GUEST BLOGGER:


Teresa DeGagné: Sister of Florinda. Younger than Florinda. Taller than Florinda. Happy to be a stay at home wife and mother.

I like to read, bake, walk, make delectable dinners and make my family laugh (though not at the dinners). Favorite Mottoes; “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade (although some days I make a tart lemonade).” “Go the extra mile. It’s never crowded.” “Put on your jacket. I’m cold.”

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9 comments

  1. Hey…cute post. I have to say, I am nothing like what I was before I got married, but my husband still calls me “Babe” and probably will when I am old and gray and hobbling around in a walker. I have also found that as I age, I become more comfortable with myself so it all works out in the end.

  2. Good post. And why don’t you want to blog? 🙂

    Us guys have it easier I think. When we are seen with kids we get bonus points. I guess it’s because we seem more committed or something. My wife gets many comments from people she knows about how good it is that I watch the kids on my own. They are my kids too, why not?

    Anyway, I see what you mean. But my wife is a babe too. 🙂

  3. Yes Teresa, you should blog. It reminded me of Sex in the City. True to life and funny. Get back to your writing. I will read it!!! I also am rediscovering the babe in me!

  4. Thank you for the kind words, everyone! I enjoyed writing it…but for now I’m happy being a guest blogger. Stay tuned, though. You never know.

  5. Thanks to everyone for your great feedback to Teresa! If we can’t convince her to get her own blog going, maybe she’ll be open to coming around here more often.

    Thanks again for such a great contribution, Teresa!

  6. Hey Teresa, let me just say for the record that you are a babe, and a great mom, and an amazing friend. I too think you should blog, I know you would have my eyes 🙂 Great Job Teresa!

    BTW, Hi Florinda!!

  7. Teresa:
    I’ve known you longer than either of us care to admit. I knew you when you were just a “babemom” at Marist – don’t worry, I won’t tell your secrets! Seriously, your writing has inspired me for over 20 years and I was thrilled to read the humorous and experience voice in your writing. Guesting looks good on you. You go girl!!! Love, Karen