Tales from the Crib

I’ve always been creative with my style, even though I am most at home in my non-trendy staples: a comfy pair of slim blue jeans and a T-shirt. I became “clothing-creative” either out of natural talent or out of necessity. My first job at the burger drive-in didn’t allow me a lot of shopping cash, so I began developing my fashion ideas at the thrift shops.

My current closet is an overload of thrift store finds, hand-me-downs, jeans, dresses, old pieces, new pieces and basically a closet experiment each day. My clothes need to withstand what I call the Real Mom Factor. As a single, working mom, it is essential that my clothes are not only fashionable, but also able to hold up as I chase around a toddler (among my other responsibilities of the day).

Enter Project Closet: I’ve started trimming down the clothing excess by getting rid of what I don’t wear or doesn’t fit. The hardest part has been taking items out of my closet that I love, but that I’ve never been able to make “work” with anything else I own.

So here begins my honest assessment. This fact hurts: While I love my 4” platform lime green sandals, after a foot injury and a back injury while pregnant, the chances are slim I will ever wear them again. Chances are slimmer I can keep up with my active girls while wearing them. Since I came to terms with that, they’ve been living in a nostalgic box in the top shelf of my closet, along with most of my highest high heels.

In my 20s, I lived in huge heels, bright platforms and patterned Mary Janes, also with platform heels, of course. These days, I need something with a little more support and stability. I’m always on the lookout for cute flats at a reasonable price. (This is, by the way, practically impossible.)

I walk my daughter to school, walk back, run my other daughter to daycare, park at work and walk two blocks into the office. Even my most comfortable flats can’t stand up to that kind of morning. So I usually wear my favorite pair of running shoes—which came from a rummage sale of a well-intentioned runner who never hit the pavement. 

Every day, I faithfully pack a second pair of shoes. Today I forgot them. Luckily for me, I have two pairs of shoes under my desk. Unluckily, it’s just another pair of sneakers and some zebra-striped flats, which I’m certain will put my outfit into pattern overload today.

I wasn’t going to post a picture today, because:

1. I forgot my “real” work shoes at home.

2. I have a mysterious white spot on the bottom of my dress—even though I washed it yesterday.

3. There was cheese on my sweater jacket—because my younger daughter insists on have a cup of shredded cheese each morning.

4. I’m really, really tired and forgot all my accessories on the kitchen table.

5. Posting a picture on Monday implies that I had the forethought to put my outfit together over the weekend.

But, what the heck. I’ll post it because:

1. I love the dress I’m wearing today (even though I think it needs a belt).

2. It’s an honest look at mom style (as unsuccessful as it sometimes may be).

3. I switched outfits 20 minutes before I left the house today. And it doesn’t get more real than that.
 

It was more than 15 years ago, but I used to enjoy running. Most of the time, I started my day with a run by the lakefront.

About 14 years ago, I had a freak accident and subsequent hip surgery, leaving my right leg less mobile by 5%. It may not sound like much, but it means while I regained 95% range of movement through intense physical therapy, I can still tell you when it’s going to rain due to the pressure in my hip joint.

My post-surgery life, 13 years ago, revolved around physical therapy, and teaching myself how to walk with a “new leg.” While I don’t walk with an obvious limp anymore, a first-year physical therapist will notice my gait is one of someone who has had surgery. Since my eventual recovery, I have been active on a variety of levels, but never returned to running.

Surgery on a major joint will change your life, but 5 years ago it changed even when my first child was born. Just about every element of my pre-baby life was different. All exercise was put on hold—but not for lack of trying. Every attempt to exercise was a fail, starting with my first attempt to do post-baby sit-ups as I wrote about in this blog post.

Three years ago, I was pregnant with my second daughter. I sustained a foot injury and a spine injury. When I wasn’t on prescribed bed rest, my pregnancy was spent on crutches due a foot sprain and a spinal injury. It was back to the all-too-familiar physical therapist’s office.

After my daughter was born two-and-a-half years ago, my body felt weaker than ever. It was a sign to start making some major life changes (as if having two kids isn’t enough of a change).

And last year, I made a promise to myself to get back to the gym. That was going well, and I began regaining my strength.

A few months ago, I did what I once told myself I’d never do again. I started running. First on a treadmill, but it was outside when the magic happened. I didn’t need a fancy (or non-fancy) gym membership. All I needed was a pair of sneakers and fresh air. My legs could do the rest!

I started slow, and prepared to fail. After all, I thought there was no real way my leg could undertake this endeavor. Turns out it could. And I’ve been running almost every day since.

In three days, I’ll be running my first 5K. In the mud. My daughters are not sure why I signed up for The Dirty Girl Mud Run, but I couldn’t be more excited, and nervous, for the event. It’s been a long road to get here.

Yep, the girl who never thought she could run is officially at it again. In the end, maybe all I needed to get back to running was two fairly working legs, two sneakers, fresh air… and some mud.