This me has been 35 years in the making.

In honor of my upcoming day where I become a year older, I am going to list for you the things that make me a grown up. It's taken a lot to get me where I am today (cliche much?)

1. I get excited about going to the home improvement store

2. I've kept the same favorite color for more than a year

3. Developed a "look", but don't ask me to define it

4. Organized my home, and reorganized, and reorganized

5. Have kids old enough to talk back

6. Need to wear sunscreen daily

7. Own control top everything

8. Think elastic waistband is a phrase sent from heaven

9. Developed new tastes, I eat things like spaghetti sauce and tacos now

10.Get back aches

11. Say things my parents used to say

12. Have a mortgage

13. Google things like meal planners and angry 7 yr olds

14. Like to be in bed by 10pm. Who am I kidding? Make that 8pm.

15. Can no longer pull off quirky or cute when wearing a superhero bandaid

16. Purchased my own furniture

17. Make my own doctor appointments, but really wish someone else would do it for me

18. Plan vacations, meticulously, with coupons

19. Rock out to folk music

20. Get called ma'am or auntie

21. Have to google words like Bae to see what they mean

22. Know Bae is an outdated "what kids are saying" reference but not cool enough to know anything newer

23. Read parent reviews before going to the movies

24. Get excited about using coupons

25. Feel a need to do chores before fun stuff, get frustrated with the inner battle, and take a nap instead

26. Tell my kids stories of "when I was younger..."

27. Where sunglasses because I need to and not because they look cool (but I still look cool)

28. Know when trash pickup days are

29. Have serious misgivings about jumping on a trampoline

30. Know where everything is located at the drugstore without needing to look at the signs

31. Get excited when it's quiet in my house

32. Own "practical shoes"

33. Use phrases like "me time"

34. Going to jail instead of time out if I break the rules (but I don't break rules)

35. Think about other people before myself, at least the majority of the time


Lists are fun :)  I think next years will be on all the reasons I'm still young!