Daily Ramblings - Adulthood: When did that happen?

While driving into work this morning, I was thinking about what I'd like to write and share with you all today.  It's a topic that came to mind after foregoing my Saturday morning sleep-in to attend the HOA Board meeting to discuss upcoming construction following a chimney fire in our building, and guest parking space violations.  Riveting stuff right?  Since husband and I bought our townhouse a little under 2 years ago, the realization that I'm now firmly entrenched in that thing they call "adulthood" is upon me.  The question is, when did that happen?!  I certainly don't feel my age and I'm pretty sure that I don't act it half the time. 

The top 10 signs that I might indeed be an adult:

1) My metabolism has slowed from a brisk jog to a leisurely walk.  Gone are the days of not caring what I'm eating, not reading labels, thinking of a buffet as a challenge that can be conquered...  My doctor warned me that 28 is the magic age when things start going south.  Silly me for not believing her.  Trying to fit in a daily workout so that I can fit in all my pants is a way of life now.  Then again, the realization that I find cottage cheese with pineapple tasty and delicious isn't so bad either.

2) The apparel section pales in comparison to housewares.  I took a trip to Ross on Friday afternoon, which is always a good way to pass the time and satisfy my bargain shopping instinct.  Over the last few years though, I've realized that clothing trends hold no appeal to me.  In fact, I'm quite convinced that skinny jeans and open toe boots (somebody please explain to me the point?) are a cruel joke being played on us by the fashion industry as they look good on maybe 0.42% of the population.  So, after a brief 5 minutes rifling through women's clothing, I immediately found myself drawn to the home goods where I spent the next 20 minutes looking at baskets, potholders, artwork, vases and other trinkets, trying to picture if they would fit within the theme of a particular room in the house.

3) The phrase "damn kids" come to mind.   It's true, I might be turning into my father.  Is it bad that I'll see a group of kids loitering on a corner and that's what I think?  ;)

4) Things hurt more than they should.  I did ballet for 12 years and remember the days when I could put my foot above my head or bend over to touch my toes without a resounding crack on the way back up.  I'm not sure when waking up and feeling "lopsided" on account of stiff muscles became a normal occurence.

5) I look back at my teenage years and realize my parents were right.  Those times when my parents didn't want me to do something I now realize wasn't because they wanted to "ruin my life" (as a typical overly dramatic teenager might believe).  I now have complete appreciation of the fact that they were doing what was best for me, because they knew better and were wiser.  Now that I'm wiser, I totally get it - something that I never thought I'd understand. 

6) I appreciate getting carded.  I look young and still get carded for everything.  When I was younger and I would get carded, I would hand over my ID with a reluctant groan and eye roll (in my head at least).  When people would say "you'll appreciate it later in life", I'd always smile politely and think "yeah, maybe one day".  Well that day has come and the older I get, the more entertaining it is everytime someone asks me for proof of my age.

7) Bachelorette parties aren't my thing.  I went through a phase about 3-4 years ago where it seemed that every other month I was attending a wedding.  The bachelorette party was always something to look forward to - a weekend away in Vegas, 5 or 6 girls packed into a hotel room, 3 hours of sleep a night and waking up to cocktails.  These days, the thought of such activity scares me no end!  Does any of that involve hanging out in my pyjamas while drinking a glass of wine and getting comfy on the couch?

8) We get together for dinner.  Back in the day, meeting with friends meant picking a bar.  Now, getting together with friends means going over to somebody's house for a home cooked meal, wine, and civilized conversation.  Dinner parties were something that my parents did and are now apparently something that I do.  Weird right?

9) I voluntarily watch the news.  Until a few years ago, I considered the news a big snooze fest.  I grew up in England where the BBC was delightfully droll and if I had to pick between watching that and doing homework, the latter would probably win.  Not too long ago, I caught myself complaining that the local news is far too much fluff and wishing that it was more like the BBC where national and foreign affairs holds so much more importance.  When did I start caring?

10) That nesting instinct.  I can't help but find burp cloths and baby clothing adorable.  My husband has to push me quickly past the children's clothing at Target lest I get distracted by the t-shirts with "mommy's little monkey" embroidered to the front.  I want to buy children's fabrics and sew tiny little pants, knit up booties and hats, crochet blankets.  The concept of starting a family doesn't freak me out any longer.  I see my friends with their babies and it makes me smile.  What always seemed like a distant future isn't so far away anymore, and I'm ok with that.

What I have realized is that you can be an adult but still hold on to your youth.  You can be an adult while acting like a little kid.  It doesn't matter how old you are, ice cream cones are still awesome and you don't even have to ask mom and dad if you can have one.