Stations In Life

I gotta say it: I kinda dig approaching 40.

My teenager & pre-teen sleep late on weekends. Really late. This is good for a morning person who enjoys being alone. But beyond that, these two former toddlers are now becoming fiercely independent and uniquely intriguing. My oldest is going through stuff teenage kids go through with teachers and friends and parents (we're the first generation of parents that have to deal with parenting knowing that our teenagers blog about it to the world) and actually doing pretty well with it. She tools off on her bike to friends houses or extracurricular meetings at the school. She talks about interesting things. She plays college football on the PlayStation with me (after her summer visit to Cal-Berkeley, she's always the Golden Bears who were pretty good and we're 1-1 against each other). She talks about colleges she wants to go to. She goes into her room and cranks up the music (and I like her tastes). She gripes about our archaic computers. The whole deal.

The youngest is a good communicator. She handled a schedule goof-up on her first day of middle school (that involved her being in the wrong class at the wrong time, which was indeed the school's fault) with cool composure. It also involved a locker misnumbering after she'd already decorated her locker (which is a pretty big deal at that age) with shelves and magnets and such. She's passionate about dancing and talks about going to a fine arts high school (college: maybe or maybe not...depends on where she'll be dancing apparently). She likes to read, and even read out-loud with me...we even read all the Chronicles of Narnia out loud to each other and are finishing The Screwtape Letters tonight. She has a broad musical taste (her iPod is all over the map from country to punk). She eases into the day like her mother does. She's funny and graceful and smart and everything being 11 should entail.

My wife is, and is becoming, all those things that I married her for. I mean, I've always liked her. I've loved her for almost two decades. But what I'm getting at is that she keeps me from falling into a rut. Her creativity as an artist is inspiring...and I border on coveting it. Suffice to say that when you truly admire your wife for her wifing and mothering skills, and then she throws a truly brilliant talent on top of it...manalive. What did I do to deserve this? Wait. Don't answer that.

My dog Lloyd is sorry. He knows it and embraces it. It's who he is. So, he's the coolest dog on the planet.

I've enjoyed every station in my life. I had a pretty good childhood (the years 13 through 16 were what kept it from being a perfect one). High school was good to me. College was a blast (although I'd really like a big do-over on what knowledge I actually retained). Early marriage was fun. I have always loved what I do for a living. Having infants and toddlers was truly magical. Watching our family change when they started elementary was at least interesting, and mostly enjoyable. My higher-order life-liver sister Jilly's Happy Helmet meter registers full throttle. My mom is over her health stuff and back to comparing me to my over-achiever sister, so it's all good there, too.

40 is the new 30.

This is a blast.