On Feeling Like an Adult

Last weekend, I slept over at my parents house. Both of my sisters were there. It was the original 5 of us (3 sisters + Mom and Dad) and I loved every moment. Sleepovers like this hardly ever happen anymore now that I’m married, Kimberly lives in Manhattan and Christine is away at school for most of the year. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time this happened.

Shaun had a company retreat on Saturday and Sunday (yes, directly after I returned home to him from 5 days in Las Vegas!), so it was the perfect opportunity to get some family QT. We food shopped, prepped for our Father’s Day BBQ, went in the hot tub with glasses of wine in hand. I crashed my sister’s bed since my old one was in use by my cousin. I loved it.

I adore my life with my husband. He is my best friend and the love of my life. I wouldn’t change one bit of our life together for anything. But once in a while, it’s nice to feel like a kid again.

To have Mom make you dinner (and order you around in the kitchen). To hear Dad working in his office or making another container of whipped cream. To be silly and ridiculous with my sisters in the middle of the night (this may or may not include a serious and lengthy discussion and debate on our favorite packaged dessert while all crammed into Christine’s bed - I had a tough time deciding between Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls and TastyKakes Butterscotch Krimpets...ahh childhood). Hearing Chloe barking to go outside at an ungodly hour...and pretending to be asleep and aloof to this going on. To be woken up by Mom standing in the doorway asking, “don’t you think it’s time you got up?” with a cup of tea in her hand.

As we were hanging in the hot tub (no music videos being made!), we all got to talking about being an adult and actually feeling like an adult. The two don’t necessarily coincide, do they?

In a few weeks, I’ll turn 29. Heck, I’m pushing 30. I’m married. I own a home. Shaun and I talk about having kids. All signs point to being a grown-up. I can take care of myself, after all. I pay my bills, clean my house, make dinner every night, make sure candles are blown out before bedtime, that we’re not wasting energy (or major moola) during the day by leaving our air conditioner or heat on. But do I necessary feel like an adult?

I can’t say that I do. Growing up, it’s assumed that Mom and Dad have all the answers (I still feel like they do). That they are adults. They must feel grown-up, no? They are much older than us, right? That switch must have turned on at some point and they turned the elusive corner from feeling like a kid and feeling like a grown-up. So I wondered when I might feel it. When I turn 30? 40? 50? 80? When I have my first child? When I’ve weathered a major storm (something I’m so thankful that I have not had to do yet in my life)?

When I asked my parents when they started feeling like adults, I’m not so sure that they do yet either. Mom said that losing your parents makes you feel like more of an adult - she lost both of hers by the time she was just about my age, a tragedy that I cannot even fathom, let alone understand.

Though I’m certainly not chasing that ‘adult’ feeling, my curiosity is piqued. Perhaps we never cross that bridge into real adulthood. Isn’t it that whole young at heart thing? Perhaps I’m on the verge of yet another meltdown over my age and how time seems to fly faster and faster as the years pass. Or perhaps all of these daily bits and responsibilities is actually that grown-up feeling.

What do you think? Have you crossed that threshold into feeling like an adult?

Thursday Thoughts

I'm so happy that it's Thursday. That means it's almost Friday. And once it's Friday, that means long, Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer. I am excited!

I'm not so excited about the fact that I am feeling extremely jet lagged yesterday and today. It's like the jet lag gods fooled me into thinking I adjusted without a problem, only to be hit with a major case of it. Sleeeeep!

Last night I finished reading One Day. Have you read it? It's a story visiting the lives of best friends and sometimes lovers Emma and Dexter for one day every year of their post-college lives. It took me a while to really get into this book and admittedly I almost put it down. But. I'm glad I pushed through. Though I did have some major issues with the characters at times, looking back at the story as a whole...well, I kind of liked it. And I really enjoyed the format. And there's a movie coming out later this year. So if you are into romance, friendship, heartbreak (all the elements of a good book, after all), I say go for it.

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I also reread Something Borrowed and Something Blue on my trip. I have to say, I think that I actually enjoyed Something Blue even more than Something Borrowed. I really hope that this gets greenlit to be made into a movie! I would love to see it on the big screen. I would literally jump for joy.

Has anyone seen Water for Elephants? I really, really need to get on this. I had the bright idea to go while we were on vacation, however, I realized that it would not be in English. Agua para Elefantes, anyone?

 I really, really need to replenish my stock of protein powder. My smoothies (though fantastic) are just not filling enough in the morning. Currently, my favorite combination is: 1 C almond milk, 1 banana, 1 giant scoop of peanut butter, 1 giant handful of spinach leaves, vanilla extract, cinnamon, Splenda and 2 tbsp flax seed meal. What kind are you digging?

Shaun and I blew right through the first 2 seasons of Breaking Bad while on our trip.

I just can't get enough of the whole gang. I think that aside from Walter, I'm really loving Jesse and his story and how he can somehow never win. I just want to hug him. I'm now counting down until Season 3 comes out on DVD next month so that we can get on that before Season 4 starts in July!

I'm on the hunt for some not-entirely-unhealthy dessert options. Something small to just fill that sweet craving after dinner. Thoughts? Ideas? Please send them.

That's all of my thoughts for today. Hopefully I will get a few more that do not revolve around how I am filling my time with media...What are your thoughts today? What are you reading? Watching? Eating? Tell me some stories friends.