Signs That I'm Not as Young or as Hip as I Used to Be!

It all began about 5 years ago...

#1-I FORGET THINGS. When Hunter was 2 years old, I was at a friends house having a "playdate," (the kids play and the moms talk--it's really for the moms, though). We were chatting and watching our kids. Mark and Savannah were in school, so I just had Wynter and Hunter. We were in the backyard watching the kids jump on the trampoline, play with a rubber ball, dig in the sandbox, etc. Then I started to panic. I couldn't see Hunter anywhere! "I can't see Hunter!" I exclaimed. My friend looked at me, and in the sweetest voice said, "He's on your lap."

Another example: A couple of weeks ago, I mailed our car payment. As I was balancing our checkbook, and comparing it with the bank statement, I noticed we had some extra money. We didn't really, it's just the car payment check hadn't cleared. I called the bank to make sure and then called our auto lender. They hadn't received the check. I was baffled. I knew I had mailed it! Well, I went ahead and made a payment online instead and just hoped that the check I sent for the car payment hadn't fallen into the wrong hands. Today I got a letter from our lender. Enclosed was the check I had written. I had dated it, put the lender's name on it and even signed it! I didn't, however, write the amount. That explains everything. (sigh)

#2-I AM BEHIND IN TECHNOLOGY. A couple of years ago, I went to Walmart. I am a huge music fan and I wanted to get some music. I searched and searched and just could not find what I was looking for. So, I found an employee and asked, "Where can I find the cassette tapes?" He said, "Right over here." He took me to an aisle where there were blank tapes. "No, no," I said, "I don't want blank tapes. I want tapes that have music on them." He looked confused, and then said, "Uh, we don't sell those anymore, we only sell CD's." (Really?! Since when?! sigh)

Another example: My kids know more about computers than I do. Even Micah does and he is 5 years old. But, in my defense, we haven't had a working computer for several years. Computers, MP3 players, even my cell phone intimidates me. Mark was trying to help me when we got our new computer and I just kept saying (or yelling), "Leave me alone, I don't want to learn! I don't want to learn!"

#3- I AM GROWING HAIR WHERE ONLY MEN SHOULD. I remember when I was a teenager, my friend's mom had hair growing on her chin. From a distance, you didn't notice it, but up close, yikes! I specifically remember thinking how gross it was. Well, guess what? I have hair on my chin. I decided to get rid of it and bought some Nair for the face. As I was applying the Nair, and looking closely at my face in the mirror, I noticed more and more hair. I kept applying the Nair wherever I saw unwanted hair. I then took a step back from the mirror and was horrified as I realized that I looked like a man wearing shaving cream, about to shave off his beard and mustache! I had Nair on my chin, up my cheeks and under my nose! (sigh, again)

#4- My OLDEST CHILD IS EMBARRASSED TO BE SEEN WITH ME (MOST TIMES). Mark needed to fix his schedule for this term and I also needed to talk to his school counselor about other things. Mark and I were going to meet with the counselor after school. Mark said he'd walk home and then we could go. Later that day, I thought about it and decided it would be a better idea, as well as more time efficient, if I just went over to the school and met Mark there instead of having him walk all the way home first. So, after school, I drove over. Mark was horrified. "I thought I told you I'd walk home first, and then we'd come over!" he said. I finally put two and two together and asked him if he was embarrassed of me. He said, "No, well, yes." "Which one is it?!" I asked. "Well, I'm not embarrassed OF you, I'm just embarrassed to be SEEN with you!" Wow, that clarification made me feel so much better. (BIG sigh)

#5- I SAY THE THINGS I SWORE I'D NEVER SAY. Okay, I don't say things like, "When I was your age, I walked uphill to school and back." But I do find myself saying things like, "When I was your age, there were no such thing as a cell phone!" Mark and Savannah think it is hilarious that I used to listen to cassette tapes, have a video camera that was the size of a shoebox, that I used to play Atari, that instead of e-mail, I actually had pen-pals and that we had to look up books using a card catalog, instead of a catalog on the computer.

#6- I HAVE TO COLOR MY HAIR EVERY SIX WEEKS. These little guys keep sprouting. I can't stop it! As with each new child, my love multiplies and so does my gray hair.
(Sob)

Cynthia