This is 40

I had my first child just weeks before my thirtieth birthday. It’s a decade later, and that baby just pointed out that I am now four times older than him. My thirties were unquestionably all about my children, and have therefore gone by incredibly fast.

My husband would tell you I tend toward being a pessimist, so I could whine about getting older, declare that I will no longer have birthdays, start looking for wrinkles (I’ve been finding white hairs since I was twenty-six so…) But it is Thanksgiving here in the Great White North, so instead I’ll focus on being lucky to have reached forty. I’m healthy, have a great husband, amazing kids and a supportive family. What’s to complain about? Sure we’ve spent ten years in our “starter home”. In the meantime I’ve gone back to school, started a new career, been able to stay home with our kids at least part of the time these last few years. It’s all too easy for me to be envious of others, but the fact is we have all that we need, and more. Besides, forty is the new thirty, right?

This weekend we took the boys to an amusement park, and while on one of the rollercoasters I couldn’t help but think of the movie Parenthood. I may not run for the biggest, fastest coasters these days, but I’m not restricting myself to the merry-go-round either. And I’m pretty sure that being “over the hill” just means there are more ups, downs, twists and turns coming up a little further along the track.