Wednesday, August 3, 2011

At Your Age...

This is me at my age
At your age...this is something that I have been hearing when I go to the eye doctor since I turned 40.  I am 42 now and I am still hearing it.  Last year I was told I need bi-focals and every time I read a tiny label with my eyes squinted so much you would think they were shut, I rejoice and do some kind of happy dance in my head and I am chanting take that Dr. who needs bi-focals now.  Really what about my age?  Being in my 40's has given me a new kind of confidence that I have never had and I am not really sure why. I survived my awkward teen years and my 20's were all about having fun and trying new things while my 30's left me to think about all I had done so far and wonder what else should I be doing with my life and did I make the right decisions and now in my 40's I know there is more for me to do but I don't worry so much about mistakes and I am good with everything I have done so far. But being in my 40's took me a little to get comfortable with.  I blame it totally on hearing "at your age" over and over.  I have never felt like I was getting old and leave it to the ol' body to remind me that time is passing and things are changing.  I guess it all comes down to taking care of yourself and that is what we are trying to do.

I often wonder what kind of person I would be today if I didn't have my kids. They have taught me patience and the joy of celebrating the little things.  My kids have taught me to not sweat the small stuff.  So my boy tosses the bread out of the grocery cart and on to the road as we are leaving the store and my girl can't find her favorite top and it just might not ever be found, it is all good.  Having my girl first and then my boy with Down syndrome I didn't realize that some of the milestones she was reaching so eloquently, could be so hard for my boy.  We learned to cherish the little scoots he might make across the floor or the fact that now at the age of 7 he is finally pretend playing.  You find yourself not realizing you are missing something until he does it and it is suddenly something you long to see again and again.  My girl being my first child she reached most of her milestones early and potty training was something I think she taught herself, no but seriously it was easy for her and she was trained before she turned 3.  My boy has to work really hard to learn all the things that come so easy for most kids and he has his sister to help and support him.  At one point she had a box of goodies to help him with his letters and colors, which he knows by the way.  He is lucky to have her and he knows this but he still treats her like a sister, you know how brothers treat sisters, they pick on them until they can't take it anymore.  He loves to get a reaction from her and he just can't stay out of her room.  Yes he loves his sister so much he just can't leave her alone.  I love to see this kind of interaction between them because it is normal.  So much of what everyone else calls normal is not our normal.  We don't understand why people watch a show straight through without rewinding to hear their favorite part again and again.  How about all the various noises  that you encounter everyday that is so common for most and we absorb it all in.  This day to day noise is just to much sometimes for us.  Why is all this noise normal?  You walk into a place of business and you are immediately hit with the noise of the loud speaker paging someone for help and then there are people talking, a child squealing with delight and music playing over the loud speaker non-stop.  Lots of noise and this is just one place we go into.  All this can cause my boy to go into some kind of meltdown.  Just thinking about the chaos that surrounds us daily is making me a little edgy.  I do like the quiet of my home and that is where you will find me most of the time. 

My sweet M who came and played today
I had a friends daughter over today and realized that we create our own annoying sounds that I have been able to tune out for the most part.  E has a guitar that plays Dora and he takes that with him in the car, non-stop playing.  My friends daughter was kind enough to be honest and say I think that is starting to bother me and it suddenly brought the music into my range of hearing.  Yes, yes that is annoying I am so sorry.  Then when he watches TV he rewinds and plays only the songs over and over again.  She kindly brought this to my attention.  Poor thing.  E does make a sound sometimes when he is out of sorts and things are not balanced for him and it is non-stop,  I can't seem to ignore this sound.  It wears on me like loud speakers going off all day long.  I can't escape it. 

This is what we wish for right now...RAIN
I thought you would miss me talking about the weather so here I go...It is 111 outside today.  It is amazing to me that each day that it gets hotter than the day before I find myself wishing for that cooler day of 106. I know crazy.  Our grass is ugly now but I have managed to keep my plants alive.  My girl has soccer practice today at 5:30 and as a parent you wouldn't let your kids go outside and play in these temps, but soccer well that is a different story I guess.  She has been drinking water all day and she has been stretching to prepare for what lies ahead for her.  Maybe instead of talking about the heat I should switch gears and only talk about rain and snow.  I don't know we shall see, but at any age this weather is HOT.

11 comments:

  1. I love all your posts and they always make me smile. You look great at your age and are doing so wonderful! My goal is to be as healthy as you are at my age now. I will get there with hard work and persistence! Love you!

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  2. Thanks Kimmy! You are capable of doing amazing things and this is no different. I don't know what I would do without your support so thank you!

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  3. You really do seem to not be aging until, like you said, something medical gets reported as a flag. I think you are in great shape, and have been taking such good care of yourself you will go the distance before breaking into a million little pieces. Me, not so sure. ;) I know who took that top pic! Cutie cute. And I love the others you are managing to splash around. Yes, this is a great memory keeper here. I've got to get back on the blogging stick-darn facebook! heehee
    You have some great kid entertaining ideas. I might need to try the ice block shapes next! Oh dear, what long boring comments I have. Byeee!

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  4. Thanks Shan and yes I wish you would get back to blogging that would be wonderful! Ethan liked the ice and he has a car ramp that he used to slide the shapes down. The only problem is that they melted to fast.

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  5. I know your blog is "let the good times roll", and one of your posts was don't sweat the small stuff. Well reading all your posts have really helped ME with all of that. It is so easy to get caught up in everyday stuff, and I love reading your posts and it always hits me hard.. to not sweat the small stuff.. So thanks!! You look amazing and are an amazing mom! If I look as good as you, and are as active with my kids as you are in my 40's... I say bring on the 40's!! miss you and love you lots!!

    Laura

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  6. Thanks Laura Lou and I am so glad you are enjoying my craziness. Yes the small stuff I can't do it because then you might find me hiding under the bed from it all or I might drown myself in mojitos. lol I have to save myself for the big stuff and there is big stuff. oxoxox

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  7. Oh and Laura let us not forget that you are totally rockin the mom thing!! Miss you!!

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  8. This make me thing how history repeates is self as this is what you done a lot of this when you were that age and we thought it was great and I feel that why we have had a great life in watching and dueing they thing as you were growing up.

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  9. Love your posts. At your age you still seem young to me! You will only hear it more often. At my age I am glad I can still hear those often repeated words!!
    Janet

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  10. Grandpa I love that you post on here and are one of my biggest followers!! You always have been there for me and I can always count on your for support. Love you!!

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  11. Thanks Janet!! Hearing is another thing that can be tricky for me. lol We'll call it selective hearing.

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