I am going to be 40 in days...... The Big 4-0.
When I was younger, I thought that was really old. My mom was 17 years older than me, so when she turned 40, I was 23. That seemed right. I am going to be 40 and have a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old. Most people my age have kids old enough to babysit my kids. Not saying that I don't have a few that are my age and even a few years older than me, and they have young ones too, but the majority of them have older kids.
When you marry at 33, and start popping out babies at 35, it gets tough to chase them around. A friend at church once said," there's a reason God meant women to have kids in their 20's." I have learned that quickly. Those little buggers have way more energy than I do.
I have fears of being the oldest mom in the room, and seeing that Speck and I will be almost ready to retire when they graduate college, I am afraid we will be mistaken for the kids grandparents! Heck I knew someone that was a grandparent at 30!!!! OK, that's a bit extreme, but my fear of being the oldest parent has seemed to be real. We recently have been looking for schools for G-man. At one of the open houses, it seemed that people younger than me were following along to see the high school. Here we go with all the 20 somethings to see the K-5 classes. I did feel better when I saw a parent that I actually was in my graduating class in the kindergarten orientation.
When I was in A-Bear's preschool orientation, I can about grantee that I was the oldest. Some of the parents looked like they had barely graduated high school.
I say that to say this... I don't feel 40. (Even though I fall asleep on the couch some nights, or Saturday mornings.) It really doesn't seem like 22 years ago I was enjoying my Senior Year, or I was off to college 20 years ago. Despite the fact I figured out I was 12 when one of my peers at work was born, I don't feel like I am older that he is. I don't think I look 40, even though every week I find another grey hair.
Everyone says age is just a number and that you are only as old as you feel, but I do worry about how the kids will feel about it as they grow up. Will they be embarrassed because or our ages, will they be made fun of?
Who knows. All I know is I am going to embrace my 40's. I hear some things get better with age and I am looking forward to that. As long as I have loose powder and a bottle of hair dye, I can keep the illusion going!
