Old.

I know this will sound a little bit dramatic, but I feel like I am the oldest 26 year old in the entire world!!  This feeling is mostly a bad feeling, it rarely works out for my benefit.

When I am around my childless friends I feel like I might as well be 45.  Reasons why?  Here are just a few:

1.) The last movie I saw in theaters was the was the last Twilight movie. The time before that was the other Twilight movie!  I saw the new James Bond movie somewhere in between there, but I am averaging about 1-3 movies (non animated movies) a year.  I usually just wait until they come out on Amazon and then I get Reed to drive us to the movie theater, go in and get some popcorn, drive home and put the kids to bed and then order it on the Roku and pretend we are at the movies.  

     -I used to get so mad at adults with children who had no idea what movies were out or couldn't remember the last time they were at the movies, but now I completely understand!  Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a babysitter that will watch 3 children?!  Do you have any idea how much a babysitter cost to watch 3 children?! 

2.) I think my tv only has 2 channels :  Disney and the History Channel.  The kids only get to watch the Disney Chanel and Reed is obsessed with the History, so thats that.  There is no way I can keep up with the Kardashian's, check in on Modern Family, or even Love Lucy, even a little bit ( I just can't get enough of the old show!)

    -When I had one child, it was so easy to watch as much tv as I wanted, especially when they were in that lump of baby stage and really couldn't distinguish if you were watching Little Einsteins or the E! Channel.  I used to watch so much tv......   I do have my guilty pleasures of Grey's anatomy and usually whatever reality show is on at the time if Reed is working late, but it is very common for me to fall asleep in between commercials.  

3.) No idea what is happening in the real world.  Thank God for facebook because that is how I get my news.  The only way I know what is happening in politics or current events is due to the fact that I have about 4 very political friends and their statuses keep me as informed as I need to be at the moment.  

4.) I venture out of the house during times of the day that only housewives or the unemployed are out and about.  So I don't run into many people.

So when I am around my childless friends, which is basically all of them, we don't have a whole lot to talk about.  Can't discuss movies, tv, current events/politics, or even participate in a little shameless gossip.  Thankfully most of them have learned to ask if I have watched a movie or tv show before they completely spoil it for me! 

I only regularly speak to 2 women who are within my age range that have children and one only has 1 child and the other has 2.  I am so grateful for them!  We all completely understand that we don't have a lot of extra time and if we forget to text back for a couple hours or sometimes a couple days, we don't get hurt feelings.  I don't know anyone who is 26, or even 28 for that matter with 3 children.  Most people wait to start having their first child until their late 20's.  I started very early ( I was pregnant with Max when I was 21), and if your gonna have 1 might as well have 2 and then 3 right?  I sometimes feel like I have nothing in common with my generation.  I have friends that still go on wild and crazy spring breaks and celebrate Thursdays almost every week.  They can walk around in a bikini, stretch mark and fat free, and not feel the least bit self conscious.  Their hair is always fixed, they have amazing clothes that I absolutely envy, and if they decide they want to take off for the weekend for a little fun it is very easy for them.  Sometimes I get down and feel very envious that I am so young and living such an old lifestyle, but then I look in the eyes of my beautiful children and realize I wouldn't trade it for the world!  My life is full of cartoons, sticky messes, dirt, and recently a lot of pink, and it is absolutely fabulous, just in a different way than what most people consider fabulous. 

If you are reading this and don't have children and this made you decide to never have children, this is not my intention at all!  I love my life, I just feel REALLY old sometimes.  However, I know I will feel really young when my kids are grown and in college and I am only 44!  I think its ideal :)  So just in case you are on the fence about whether or not you want to have children, I will tell you some of the best things about kids and babies:

1.) The baby smell!  It doesn't get any better than that!

2.) Cuddles, cuddles, and more cuddles.  Sweet baby cuddles, sticky little boy cuddles, and spit filled kisses. 

3.) The complete unconditional love that you children give.  You will never, ever feel a love like that.  No matter how much you think your husband loves you, it is at least 5 times more than that! 

4.) Pretend play is awesome!  You get to run around the house and play superheroes, build massive lego structures that are bigger than  your children, and rediscover all the things you used to love to do as a child.  

5.) Only your kisses can fix the most recent ouch.  It will stay that way for a very long time, and even when they grow up, mama will always be the person they want when it gets really serious.  

6.) I hear grandkids are the best!  The only way you get those is to have children first.  As much as I don't want my children to grow up, I am very much looking forward to having grandchildren. 

7.) They make you laugh all the time!

I just love this one!! I have the slow poke and the Rod!  

I could go on for a while, but these are just the things that came to my mind as I was typing.  So yes, I may possibly be the oldest 26 year old in the entire world, but you can bet you ass I will be the youngest 44 year old you have ever seen, and in the meantime, I will be the best mama ever!