It looks like this…

No socks, and holding a freezer size bag of popcorn.

Yeah, that’s how my third child accompanied me to school pick-up for my oldest daughter today. Do you know what else she had going on? Dried boogies and some leftover mac & cheese all over her face. And a onesie missing a snap in the diaper-region, plus a soggy diaper.

What mother in her right mind would let the general public see her child looking like this? Oh! Look over here! See that big hand raised way up in the air? Yep, that’s my hand. And that’s my baby. She’s actually a girl. I know her Darth Vader socks, Ed Asner hair, and lack of a headband confused you, I can understand that.

You see, this precious bundle of fun and independence is my third child. Oh, you figured? Well you are right. Because everyone knows that no matter what, a first-time mom would never travel out of her home with her amazingly perfect first-born looking like this. Am I right or am I right?

But the thing is, for us mothers of multiple children, we could really give a flying you know what as to how put together our children look — any of them. Hell, we are just happy when all three are willing to put pants on. And my goodness, if they’re willing to put on a shirt too that just puts us over the moon.

So, in all honesty I would respectfully ask that you please keep your judgey looks and disapproving head nods to your darn self, as I don’t have the energy to explain to you that real, hardcore, parenting of more than one child looks exactly like this.