Drowning in Diapers: What's On My Mind: September 27th

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

What's On My Mind: September 27th

Henry...one of his first smiles
that I caught on camera!

Quote of My Day

"If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough." ~Robert Capa

What's On My Mind

Well, I am officially one month away from my 40th birthday. One more month to say I'm not 40. I'm struggling with this issue. On one hand turning 40 seems like no big deal. My sister turned 40 and lived through it. My friend Heidi turned 40 and lived through it. Both don't even look like they are 40! On the other hand, turning 40 means entering a new decade, a new chapter of my life. Here are a few things that I figured out about turning 40:

I'll have to color my hair more often. With two kids to send to college that means coloring it myself. And I am terrible at doing it. I get the color all over the place. Even when I drape old shower curtains all over the bathroom floor and cover the counters and any visible permanent fixture in my bathroom, I still find a spot with permanent color on it when I'm done. I'm going to have to start coloring my hair in the garage (and move the cars out into the driveway for fear of splashing them with a little permanent color).
Moisturizer morning and night will no longer be an option, it will be a necessity, as will eye cream.
Tanning is only going to make me look even older than I am.
When I am 55 years old my sons still won't be legally able to drink.
When I am 60 years old Sam will have only been legally drinking for 7 months. I am sure he will illegally be drinking before that, at least if his dad has anything to say about it.
Even though I lost the baby weight already from Henry I still am carrying about 15 pounds from Sam. Getting rid of that is going to get harder. I'm going to have to start to exercise. Yuck.
I'm going to have to have a yearly mammogram. The boob presser once a year. How awful is that?
The "big change" is closer than ever. No further explanation needed.

What's Making Me Happy Today...

My cat, Homer, had to have half his body shaved because he had too many hair mats and they were too close to the skin to cut out. My husband has been calling him "baldy" and "kojak" for weeks. Well today I finally think his hair is starting to grow back. And that is making me happy because he is such a beautiful cat....

SAHM Product I Love Today & SAHM Product I Hate Today...

I'm not loving or hating anything related to being a SAHM today. Probably because someone told me yesterday that I didn't have a "job." It really upset me. Being a SAHM is a job and career just like any other job or career out there. In fact, it is harder than some. So today I'm upset about being a SAHM. Not because I question whether it is the right choice, but because other people (men in particular) don't appreciate what is given up and what is gained from being home with our children. I gave up a good career, steady pay, benefits, pension, daily interaction with adults, and, probably most important to me, I gave up being able to be a "contributor" to our family finances. Despite what my husband tells me, I feel it is "his" money and "his" decisions that count because I'm not bringing in a dime. But what did I gain? Aside from the negative attitude we SAHM often must deal with from other people who just don't get us and our decision, I gained a sense of accomplishment and pride through knowing that my children are safe, healthy and loved everyday by their mother in their own home, with their own toys and their own space, eating food I make and feed to them. I gained a sense of security in that I know where my children are at all times and that they are safe. I gained more than I lost. I just wish other people could understand what all this means--you know, the "big picture"...

Here are a few links to some good articles on SAHMs:

Can you stay at home?

Where DO you get the time?

At-Home Parents Need Time Too!

My iTunes Kid Picks of the Day