OMG!

Yes...I did entitle this OMG!

So I went to a concert with my kids this week - the X-Factor no less. I screamed along with the crowd, threw in the occasional woo hoo and had an all round brilliant time. I have to say, for a split second, I felt a little ridiculous about my carry-on but I ignored it and enjoyed myself anyway! You go girl!

We met my husband later and went for a bite to eat. As we were walking down the road to the restaurant I noticed that men were checking my daughter out. That in itself freaked me out. I mean she's my baby and although she's 14, she's still a child....MY CHILD!  What struck me with amusement and maybe a little annoyance, is that I wasn't even getting a glance! Okay, okay, I know its vain but I did notice it. Funnily it didn't bother me as much as I think it should have. This is probably because I have a great husband and I'm happy with my life. But OMG! I think I have good genes and I'm sure that I'm not hideous - but I am middle aged... Ugh, I said it....and I shivered as I typed it. I can fight it, hate it and ignore it, but its the truth. Life expectancy for women in Ireland is 81.6 years so half of that is 40.8 years..... so I'm nearly there.

Little reminders here, there and everywhere and I'd be lying if I said I didn't care, so I won't. The remedy? I've signed up for Today FM's Ray D'Arcy Show 5K run and I'm going to whip my ass into shape! It's at the beginning of April, so I have just under 5 weeks to prepare

Wish me luck and make sure you wave if you see me running by!

Well now, where have YOU been?

Hmm, yes well I've been very busy!

Its mid-term break and everyday has been action-packed! Amazing how when your children are home you don't get a minute to yourself. Didn't I say that by this time this week I would be gagging for them to go back to school? Well, I'm nearly there!

What's become very apparent to me this week, and this for the first time, is that time flies when you get older - wasn't it supposed to be 'when you're having fun?'. Maybe its both. Anyway the point is that by the time you get everything you need to do done in your day, its time to make dinner and then the day is pretty much on the wind down. I remember being 14 and spending hours, upon hours doing absolutely whatever I wanted and the days were long enough to fit it all in! Now it's a race to get your to-do list done and  then, once exhausted, your faced with making dinner for your hungry lot!

Today is not that much different, although I have to say, I'm looking forward to a good girls night out tonight. It's the kind of night I love....going to a friends house, wine and some good girlie chats.  No loud pubs or clubs for me! Although I do enjoy that occasionally, but right now I'm wrecked and tonight sounds like a very easy and pleasant evening.

The point? The day flies, not to mention the week, and I have neglected my blog as a result. Tut, tut, tut! And once again I have to fly as dinner-making calls!

Time's flying but I am having fun!

One week down and 51 to go!

So.... a week already and I've manged to just about blog everyday. I'm impressed. Do I really have that much to say? Apparently so.

So, what will today's blog be? The 14 year old wrecking my head or the ever constant battle with cake, biscuits and anything else that wants to make be look overinflated? I think I'll leave my teenager out of this... and so, its time to address the 'fat and forty' thing.

Bottom line is that I don't want to be either. I have control over the fat but none over the forty so its time to deal with what I can control.

You see my weight battle has been a life long one. Last year, I finally got to where I wanted to be....and when I got there, I wanted more. I spent many a morning having coffee with a friend asking 'why do I want to loose  more?' And she just said I was screwed in the head. Probably right too! Well not to worry, it didn't happen! Okay, its not like I started piling on the pounds either but I'd say there's 10lbs that I'd like to say some a few rude words to. 

So how DO I deal with that? Well, this morning I was determined and I started off well. Then a friend of mine, who was coming for coffee (which by the way I completely forgot about- another sign of aging) arrived with the most beautiful cream cakes I've seen in ages! So in the name of beauty, I had them for lunch. Am I beating myself up about it? Not as much as I should but that's okay. Tomorrow is another day and I still have 51 weeks to 40. Besides no diet started on a Monday has ever succeeded, so it was a losing battle to start with. 

Roll on Tuesday!

Pulling my hair out!

I'm not pulling my hair out metaphorically. No. Today I pulled a grey hair off my head! Okay, it's not the first. But it's not the fifth either. This is a new thing for me and it's freaking me out!

Do I care about the grey? Not at all! Okay, I'm a big fat liar! It bothers me. However what bothers me more is the advent of the day when I start to colour my hair. I'm not afraid of commitment but this commitment is fierce! The dependence on the hair dresser, on the colour mixing right and the financial burden are just more things on my list of things to think about - not to say worry. Last time I had to worry about my roots was when I thought blond highlights would suit me...of course with my natural dark hair it never even occurred to me that that would never work. Incidentally the highlights wasn't to mask any greys - it was to match my Jennifer Aniston hair cut. Remember that fad?

Before that I was 15 and my hair was black...and having roots was part of the getting rid of the black hair. You can't dye it any lighter. But the roots worked. I was alternative, and Robert Smith was a poser compared to me. My roots were something to be proud of! Well guess what?  I'm not 15 anymore!

I have been blessed thus far not to have to worry about grey hair and my new found hairdresser reckons it will be a good while yet before I do - but I can't help wondering how much longer I can pull those hostile greys out before I go beyond the point of kidding myself? And frankly, I don't think I want to know!

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So tired....

Ah that Friday feeling....not the same one you had when you  were 21 and couldn't wait to hit the pubs and clubs. No, nothing like that. More like, minimum effort diner, few glasses of wine, roaring fire and doing your best not to fall asleep in front of the TV. That's pretty much all I can handle right now.

(Just watched my 14 year old tear out the door to go to the cinema with her friends...Justin Bieber, didn't you know. Ah, the circle of life!)

The kids are on mid-term break and so am I! A little rest & relaxation, and by this time next week I'll be gagging for routine and for my mini-women to get back to school!


For now....call me lazy!

Partied like it was 2011!

Yeah well, maybe I didn't party like it was 1999....ok I didn't even come close! We sat by the fire, had a meal, some nice wine, good conversation and my guests were gone by 11.30 pm and I was in bed before midnight. Phew, I didn't turn into a pumpkin! The best part is that today isn't a write off because I'm not hungover!

We all have different friends for different reasons - or so I've been told. In my case that would be true. I have college friends, life long friends, coffee drinking friends, moms from my children's school friends, younger friends, older friends, pour my heart out friends, etc. I'm sure you get the point. I was with one of my older friends last night and guess what? I learned something new about aging....

According to her aging doesn't happen around 40. Apparently physical changes for women occur around 42. I was even asked to feel the texture of my friend's skin on her forearm! Didn't really get was I was supposed to be feeling, but it didn't matter....she really believed what she was saying. I'm not sure that aging is all set in stone as I've already started to extend my arm when reading....and I'm only 39. 

Note to self: make an appointment at the opticians.

The second thing I learned was that men don't have peripheral vision! - Bet you didn't see that coming. Yes my 'feel-my-skin-texture-friend' is a nurse and it's apparently fact that although men do have peripheral vision, its not as enhanced as women's! Brilliant news! Why, you may ask? Because I now know that when hubby is standing at the fridge looking for mayo and declares: 'There's no mayo' and there is, its because he can't see it and not because he didn't look! It might seem like small change but it all helps to better understanding him - and that can only be good.

My point? We learn something new everyday. No big revelation there. I mean we've all heard that before, haven't we? But if you really think about it....learning something new everyday means you look forward to the next day. Doesn't it? And the next day means being a day older. So really, aging is a GOOD thing! Hmmm nobody ever told me that...in fact, if I turn on the television right now, I bet that within 5 minutes I'll be told the exact opposite. So, lets just call it our little secret, shall we?

Feeling my age!

Wow, what a busy day! I haven't stopped and its not over yet. Just realised that I really am not 18 anymore (I'm apparently a bit slow). I watched my husband go off on business for the night with a suitcase filled with a tuxedo and brand new shoes....hmmm that's very grown up. So after fulfilling my housewife and motherly duties, I then have to get dressed up for my night ahead with friends.  Yes, I'm having two of my friends over for dinner and of course the essential bottles of wine. I am really excited about a girls night in but my body just won't follow. I've had a headache all day and my back is killing me! Wine should relax my back a bit, not to mention my mind...

So there it is another little reminder that I'm pushing 40...because I'm wrecked and its only 4.30 in the afternoon. But being the trooper that I am, I will suffer on and party like its 1999 - when I 27 years old!

Can I be 39 for a while?

So yesterday was a good day...not a big birthday but another birthday - and that was okay with me. I received floods of texts, Facebook messages, phone calls, birthday cards, visitors and presents. I really am loved! 

The last text of the day was not to wish me a happy birthday but to ask me what we are doing for my 40th birthday...'because we need to start planning!' Really? It's my 39 birthday! Can we just leave it at that? Maybe not. Maybe that's what was meant yesterday by my friend who said: 'turning 39 is worse than turning 40'.

All day yesterday I wondered what I could possibly write on day 2 of my blog....and there it was on a plate: I can't just be 39 today....its all about me being 40 in a year's time! So does that mean 40 is a thunder stealer? Does it mean that I can't focus on my last year of being in my thirties and act accordingly? Fascinating!

I haven't replied to that text yet because the answer is....I don't know what we are doing for my 40th. I don't even know what I'm doing next month. And to be honest, I'm really happy with that!

Happy 39th Birthday To Me!

39 today....the journey to 40 begins! This is what this blog is about: my journey into the socially dreaded 40. 

It's 10.15 am and I've already been told that turning 39 is worse than turning 40. Really? Worse? Surely neither are bad? I've also heard that women heading towards 40 grow into who they are meant to be, that pretense subsides, that you accept who you are and you stop sweating the small stuff. That sounds brilliant, sign me up for some of that! I got a glimpse of that last week when I sent my 6 year old daughter to a girls birthday party bearing a present wrapped in boys wrapping paper. I was so impressed with myself! Did it matter? Nope! Did it change our lives? Nope! Up until recently, not having the proper wrapping paper could have sent me into a downward spiral! Hard to believe that you can get so wrapped up (pardon the pun) in something so trivial.

My 14 year old daughter is at the very beginning of her journey of self acceptance. I look at her and

remember my journey from there to here and I thank God that's over! Is youth really wasted on the young? I don't think so.... Experience and perspective are the blessing that provides calm as we get older, it allows us to know what's important and have perspective. Bring it on I say!