42 Candles... But I haven't had the cake yet.

I have never been shy about my age, and I'm not about to start trying to hide it now. Spent too many years wanting to be "grown up" to avoid the honor now. I laugh when other women joke about being 29 again. Not me. I'm proudly 42 today. I celebrated with a morning working in the hubby's office and prepping for the market's biggest fundraiser of the year (which takes place tomorrow) and then came home to spend the afternoon with my kids and promptly fell into a deep nap on the couch. At least I was in the same room with them. Mostly. They told me later they actually took off and went to the library while I was passed out. I apparently had the house to myself for a while and wasn't even aware.

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time they were housebound (unless they wanted to walk or ride a bike) without me. Now one of them is driving and the whole game has changed.

Compare that to ten years ago, and the whole world feels a bit topsy turvy. We were still living in Dodge City. One of them was still in diapers! Ten years ago, I still had to supervise the cake baking.

My kiddos in May 2002.