Are Moms Allowed to Get it Crunk?

 

This time last year I woke up in the morning and could have sworn I was back in my college dorm room; this was for several reasons.

I woke up in my bed with the room spinning. As I went to pull a rubber band out of my hair, I was disgusted to find bits and pieces of the previous night’s meal. Before you judge, remember that you were once young and in high school or college too, and are lying to yourself if you have not had a similar experience. But if you haven’t, you are a better man/ woman than me - and hats off to you.

As I mustered the strength to get up, I walked into my living room (that’s odd that this dorm has one…) and saw my clothes lying in a pile outside on my balcony. I saw a familiar-looking, attractive man (score!) asleep peacefully on my couch. I walked into the adjoining room and was shocked to find a neatly decorated nursery, with crib, but no child.

And then it suddenly hit me. Holy shit. I’m hung over, and I’m 28, not 18.

I picked up the receiver and called my dad, who along with my mom had been gracious enough to care for my son the night before, and even offered to allow my son to do his first “Papa and Nonni” overnight, but I assured him I couldn’t possibly spend a night without my son, promising to be home around 11pm. Obviously, that was not how the night panned out. As I relayed the escapades of the previous night to my father, he erupted in laughter. “Hun, you’re a mom now. I’m glad you had this evening but…”

Wait a sec. Am I no longer allowed to get the party started just because I’m a mom? Will I no longer be able to take some “liquid courage”, clear the dance floor (others normally do this for fear of me hurting myself), and show these people how it’s done?! This seemed to be what my father was saying.

Going out as a mother is a different beast these days. No longer am I the carefree early 20-something going out on a Friday (and possibly Saturday) night with friends to a bar where the bouncer knows my name and the bartender knows my drink…

Yes, I’ve traded that life in for this one, which includes a loving husband, child, and rewarding career. But, I’m not dead.

Currently, my Friday nights consist of time spent with my child and his father, maybe an hour or two at the park, child in bed by around 9pm (this is a dream, obviously), mommy and daddy share a small glass of wine, and we’re in bed by 10pm. This is not a bad thing.

Last night, just like last year, my company held their “beginning of the year kickoff party” complete with dinner and open bar. As I sipped on my Crown and 7-Up, (Mommy didn’t come to play…) I felt people watching my alcohol consumption. Several asked me if we’d hopefully have a repeat performance from last year (I omitted the part of the story where my husband had to carry me up the stairs to our apartment, me kicking and screaming, neighbors not at all concerned that this man may be taking advantage of me, rather mortified and apologetic for him after viewing the state I was in). And this year, I had even scaled it back; I was vomit-free, my child was safely being taken care of by Grandma in the comfort of my home, we were back by 11 pm, and I woke up this morning to only minor confusion with hearing a child call, “Maaaa-ma!”  Whose kid is that?

So my question is, are we too hard on moms who go out for a good time every once in a while? These women deserve to go out sans child every now and again.

As I floated this thought by my own mother at her home last weekend (who happened to be imbibing a screwdriver at 11am because, “they’re healthy for you, what with the OJ and all, and this goddamned heat”) she agreed.

There’s nothing wrong with a mom going out once in a while for a release.  Does that always have to be to a bar or nightclub?  Of course not.  But this world was made possible because of mothers, so ladies I say “Cheers!”