Bra | Ramblings From A Mum

Today as I opened my sleepy eyes & thought its best I get ready for my day, I lay for a second or two longer and thought…same old routine… Which led me to think a little more…does everyone stick to the same routine day in & day out? I realise those with young children would have a different regime than I but it wouldn’t it be nice to do something just a little different?

Alarm by way of my mobile rings out its glorious wake up tune next to me (though some mornings I need a 21 gun salute to do the job)
Me ‘Ugh’ time to get up (do I really have too? Just another 5 minutes my inner self tells me).
Press off stupid, annoying, inconsiderate alarm (look at time & realise I don’t have just another 5 minutes).
Feet onto floor, slippers on and grab dressing gown (yes the mornings are still cold over here).
Open draw to retrieve knickers and bra (wouldn’t it be nice not to have to bother occasionally?)
Stagger with eyes half open to the en-suite and turn the heater on (I don’t like the cold).
Still staggering into the family room & put main heater for the house on (Damn didn’t put the timer on).
Toilet time (ok so no need for details here).
Open shower door, turn on taps, wait…wait..dressing gown off, singlet and knickers off, slippers kicked off (Not the time to look in the mirror).
Weigh myself (Scary but necessary ..it’s a ritual I do every morning..tells me if I can or cannot eat for the day).
Step into shower..damn it’s hair wash day again ( yep every 2nd day it’s the wash).
Shower shampoo, conditioner (shave any necessary bits that have been left purposefully unattended due to the weather being cold and I’m pretty much covered up any-ways).
Grab specific hair drying towel and wrap head in turban. Grab body towel – larger & commence the onerous process of drying every nook & cranny (believe me it is a process).
Out of shower, bra and knickers (yes clean) are donned & back goes the dressing gown for warmth (I really do not like the cold).
Stares at the face looking back at me in the mirror (not a pretty sight) .
Cleans and flosses teeth (fresh mouth starts to wake me up).
Grabs make-up bag to start the arduous task at hand of applying the face (seems to be getting a longer process with every year).
Concealer, foundation, eye liner, mascara, lipstick (looking more human now..oh to be one of those women who have the flawless complexion without a scrap of anything applied).
Walk into robe & decide what to wear for the day (Melbourne weather…need to be prepared for anything)
Dress, put shoes on (thankfully only a 5 minutes decision whether it’s pants or dress, or skirt & top).
Back into en-suite for the ‘doo’ to be created (well not so much created just done & look reasonable)
Turban ripped off, grab hair-dryer and brush, squirt product & shimmy through hair (have to get some sort of body into it).
Pick up bra & knickers from floor which sometimes have looped themselves over the handle of the vanity unit (not done on purpose but I’m still amazed I have done it)
Toss said items into laundry basket (hmm & look at the insurmountable load that needs washing).
Into kitchen grab a drink and take the 100mg of aspirin (if I remember..to ward off arthritis pain).
Yell good-bye to daughter (that is if she is out of bed).
Get into car for the drive to work (wishing that it was a Saturday or a Sunday…or that I didn’t have to work at all!).
My day has begun (the routine is over till the next day that is).

Tomorrow I have a day off work.

BUT Maybe on Monday I shall put the radio on REAL LOUD and dance around the kitchen …just to change it up a bit… you know Gangnam style…maybe..

PIC COURTESY OF GOOGLE

Dance it up Gangnam

It HAS to be the week-end when you feel you are out of your routine.. last Saturday Mr S and I were walking around the Supermarket and a Van Morrison song was playing. I started to dance down the isle (not gangnam but definately not walking) An older gentleman was walking towards us..and I thought “Nup I’m not going to stop”. He had the broadest grin on his face and said to Mr S as we passed. “You’ve got a good one there”.. to which Mr S laughed and said “I know & (hand motioning that I’d had a drink or 2)..which I hadn’t , we all laughed.. so yes BRING ON THE WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!

My weight on the scales now fluctuates between fifty-nine to sixty one kilograms (trying to stop the later proves more difficult). Some weeks are better than others, but its like my body has said ‘ENOUGH’ this is the weight you are meant to be so deal with it!’ I’m at a loss some days to understand. I ended my gym membership and my partner and I bought a treadmill and home (weights)gym. I am pleased to say I use said equipment approximately 4 to 5 times per week, and apart from a bag of licorice allsorts or snakes I have quite a healthy “normal” diet, but for some reason with the exercising and the odd intermittent over consumption of sugar l can’t loose any more. It has to be an age thing. I can see you nodding your head, are you relating to me? (Surely this is a good sign refer to paragraph 1). Perhaps the ‘muscle weighs heavier’ theory is correct and if so I should look like the Governor of California – Arnie what’s- his -name. But alas it’s noticeable (to me at any rate) and I wish that l was one of these women who can say “Yes l think my body is looking quite reasonable for my age- I’m happy ” but I’m not there quite yet, question is will l ever be?

Unfortunately when I don a bra, I shake my head at the sight of the extra fold or two of skin that appears over the top and at the sides (rather like a squeezed tube of toothpaste). In fact it’s a case of lean forward and jam in the excess to prevent more over-hang! Can I put it down to just an ill-fitting bra perhaps? (Thank god I’m not big in the boob department though yes would have liked a little more..just to have a cleavage would have been lovely thank you). I notice how my skin wrinkles up on my forearm similar to corrugated iron (at least I’ve returned to the humorous) when I bend my arm a certain way, or the skin on my legs looks drier and thinner, not to mention the turkey skin crepe neck? Bruises, cuts remain for longer now, not fading in a day or two as they use to. The back of my hands, such a tell tale sign of age, the only way I can make them appear young and is to clench my fist. My kneecaps are starting to crease a little more and drop further towards my feet. Yes everything appears to be going south as we are told with age.

The extra flesh on the top of my hips (muffin tops) is just one of the parts of the female anatomy that is so difficult to get rid of and of course one or two (ok more than that) facial lines around the mouth and under my eyes. Character lines we are told, laugh lines, no just plain ‘you’re getting older girl’ lines I tell my self. Oh sweet youth where have you gone?

I realise that is probably why I had so much difficulty choosing clothes to wear, the clothes that would once reveal an average and reasonably shaped body had gone forever (in my eyes anyway) and I knew that my mid life years had ascended. That’s why the walking was scrapped and the gym took its place. Yes ’any’ exercise is good for you, but if you want quicker results albeit tough some days, working out on a treadmill, cross trainer, bike, doing weights is the only way to go they say, BUT at the same time you must watch your food intake.. sugar, carbs blah blah blah.

I remember looking upon my own mother when I was younger, looking at her skin and her body shape changing and thinking to myself is that going to be my body? Not that we would ever think that our mothers look abysmal (because we’d be in major trouble if they ever found out we thought that way for starters), but I think we scrutinise or at least I did at a younger age how they looked when they were older and I wondered if my body shape would be similar at her age.

Unfortunately and inevitably the answer was yes more than likely. I am delighted in saying that both my parents look extremely young for their age still (so let’s hope I’ve inherited those genes). No matter how much we may detest or protest, our bodies will change, unless of course you’re able to afford plastic surgery on a regular basis. I’m not ashamed to admit I secretly wish that I could have all that back again. Society as a general rule favours smooth skin and slimness over middle age, wrinkles and spare tires! But does that automatically make us more attractive? (Yes I’ve slipped back to the dark side – best get yourself more wine)

I don’t know if I can or want to grow old gracefully as is purported. Peering into the mirror asking “Where are you, where is the girl, the young woman l knew?” With the answer tongue in cheek “Oh yes there you are, your mother”. I desperately try to maintain my weight, watch what I eat and drink (as I mentioned most of the time) however my body shape has altered. Put down to menopause and my advancing years. I was generally a size twelve, then went to a ten and sometimes on a good month down to an eight. Now due to my fluctuation on the scales (yes l weight myself daily and now take note of grams now) I either reach for my skinny clothes or my fat ones (hands up, yes we all have a wardrobe like this).

The clothing manufacturers sadly have such an unrealistic spectrum when it comes to clothes sizes. Just when you think you are ‘safe’ trying on a pair of size 10 jeans, low and behold you step into them, get them to your upper thighs (with a bit of wiggling and jumping about in the change room) only to find that your hips are in the way. “Damn” you mutter under your breath, why aren’t they fitting? Then you become disillusioned because you know you have 3 other size 10 pairs of jeans hanging in your wardrobe and you hadn’t eaten anything for the last two days before this shopping spree. They should equip dressing rooms with beds (just like the good old days when we squeezed/sucked our bodies into jeans by lying down).