“Da, nah,nah, nah,nah,nah….you say its your Birthday”…um, good for you….next?

“Is it your birthday month?”

“No… but next month is….”

“Well bring this in next month for 20% off your entire purchase….”

“Great, anything extra if Im turning 40?”

(Chick at the counter of the store glances at me above her ½ glasses with a slight, not so amused half smile)… “nope”

I have no idea why Im telling everyone I come in contact with I am turning 40 next week. Its not like Im going to get the reaction my niece did when she annouced to everyone, everytime they saw her for like 2 months beforehand, she was going to be 3 and it was an Ariel party..everyone responding with, “ Oh my goodness, that’s so exciting! I can’t believe you are going to be 3!”

I get a “nope”…..

Am I feeling, I don’t know, finally affected by the fact that it is really here?? I thought I was fine with this….

I mean really, everytime I go to get a card, I’m affronted with the reminder of it when I see the partyware section….all the stuff for 40 year olds starts with “over the hill” or “old fart”…. even Hallmark thinks its ok to make fun of you about it ……(Id like to see them do that to 70 year olds..”Hey one foot in the grave…hahaha…yeah, don’t think Grandma would be amused..)…the total opposite of say, being able to wear a mermaid tail at your shindig like my niece, everyone congratulating you on getting one year older, and have bright copious sea foam colored wrapped gifts, no “old” writing on it, anywhere in sight…

For my big 21st I was still reeling from finding out I was expecting..(my roomates had to cancel the keg party for me and instead were helping me find pregnancy books….) At 30, M surprised me with a really nice weekend at a bed and breakfast in Gettysburg and I just enjoyed it…and since I was full time mom mode, it didn’t really matter much that I was no longer in my 20s, so that one just sailed by….but 40….what does that mean to me now?

I had this big bucket list…(which is overrated actually, as when it came down to it, I only really did what I wanted to do anyway…) and now realize that there doesn’t have to be a time limit on doing what you want to do, especially now that my life is now shifting this decade to, possibly at the end of it, very well being one of an empty nester…its kind of going in the opposite direction there to….from full of responsibilities to others to well….maybe just being responsible for the happiness of me.

I have to say I have learned to appreciate things a lot more this year, just last nite I thought to myself how really nice it was to be able to read a book in my nice comfy bed, with my amazing Benjamin pillow, my bedroom the way I like it,….kids either asleep (on their own) or doing their own thing….I guess I will celebrate a new decade of upcoming me time…

Over the hill, schmover the hill….this 40 thing ain’t looking so bad…

Oh and on a side note….I cut the hair and did the bright highlights….3 inches off…did the Jen Aniston new cut..and I love it….