It's My Party!

Yep, today is my birthday. I was born at 10:28 am exactly 36 years ago. I was about 5 weeks early and weighed in at 4 lbs 12 oz! My Mom woke up to a puddle of blood and went straight to the hospital. They didn't have ultra sound so the best guess was that there was a tear in the placenta somewhere. I did have to stay in the hospital for a few days to learn to eat a little better. My parents still tease me about how small I was! They used to bathe me in a cooking pot because even the sink was too big!


It is beautiful, sunny, and in the low 70's in NJ today. That is because there is no party planned. It rained on my party day for most of my childhood. And back then there were not all of these cool, and expensive, places to have a party. I think I remember my brother having one at McDonald's though.


I filled out a form to win something this morning and it hit me that I am now 36 . There were boxes to fill in for name and address, a box to check for gender, and then a box to check age group. I have now moved onto the next age group! I have long passed the 18-24 range, and had been in the 25-35 range for a while now. But this particular form had the next box as 35-49! What! How can I be in the same box with someone who is 49! Do I really have more in common with them than a 35 year old! I think that they should redo the range system and have 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 and so on. It makes more sense to me!

All joking aside, I am not someone who is worried about getting older. Not yet anyway. I was not bothered by turning 30 or 35, and am not worried about 40 either. It is funny how age is so relative. When I was 20, the thought of being 36 was almost nauseating. Now that I am here, even 40 or 45 doesn't seem too bad! I don't feel that I am in my mid-thirties and I even continued to get carded in a bar or liquor store up until a few years ago! No problem 36 - bring it on!

Sean, being the class clown of the house, did have to comment on my age last night at dinner. I said something about running fast to do this or that. He looked right at me and said, "I would like to see you run fast!" Oh, to be 4! Later, he asked me, "Do you remember when I was 4 and went to the park?" I said, "Yes, Sean I do. And you are still 4." He said, "No, I'm four and a half!" So sorry, I forgot the second part of his age!

This process of adding 'a half' to your age by saying four and a half, adding months by saying I am 4 years and 9 months, and adding 'almost' by saying I am almost 5 seems to be popular among kids. So is embellishing your age a bit. I saw Brian tell kids he didn't know last summer that he was 8 (he was 6 last February)- these kids were much older than him and had to be about 10. You would never catch an adult a few months, or years, before their birthdays adding that extra year or two. Brian Sr. says that he is 36, not 36 and a half! Honestly I think that if he did that people would look at him strangely!

My Mom called a little bit ago to wish me a happy birthday. It was 10:33 am when she called and she said, "You were only a few minutes old 36 years ago!" My eyes started to fill with happy tears. It is so nice to be remembered. I have felt a deeper connection to my Mom since I have become a Mom. I remember what time of day my kids were born every year and that minute is so special to me. Thanks Mom, you made my day! I love you!