42

Yesterday, I turned a year older. I am 42!

Well, I dont feel 42. Although I notice that I have more white hair, but who's counting? (My girls count them, unfortunately :-D)

Around 2 am on my birth day, I woke up to sounds of partying. At first I thought it was just the cargo train; my husband saw me peering out of the window and he said he doesnt know what's happening although it sounds like there's an outdoor party going on. Well, since we are both awake -- he gave me a huge hug and a loud smack, the first one to greet me a happy birthday -- which blocked the noise outside effectively.

When the alarm clock sounded early morning, I was instructed to stay in bed and to keep my eyes closed. My husband left our bedroom then I heard him waking up the girls. I must have fallen asleep because I woke up with the girls in front of me with a plate of sliced banana topped with honey, a biscuit and a glass of orange juice. After sharing my breakfast to everyone, I received my gifts.

I opened IC's first and she gave me a necklace with beads of white and pink, from my husband I got a pair of crystal earrings while my firstborn MC gave me a gift certificate stating that she would be a good girl today and would do every chore that I would ask of her.

Afterwards, I changed into my jogging outfit and brought the girls to school. I jogged then and passed by the cemetery. Since a special friend cannot greet me anymore, I wanted to greet her instead. What happened was I was searching for more than 20 minutes and couldnt find her grave! Is she playing with me or  is this the sign of old age? Because when I arrived home, my husband told me that my friend's husband took over her role  (he has never done that before) and called up to send greetings -- that was while I was crazily looking for her grave. Hmmm.

Then it became hectic. I baked a cake for an aunt who is coming. And because our dishwasher is kaputt, we  waited for the repairman. Then my husband watched the cake while I picked up the girls and passed by the grocery for last minute goods; then the cake's dough leaked into the oven and my husband panicked but he said the dishwasher is working so that's good news. Then we cannot bake our chicken wings lunch in the oven because my husband isnt finished cleaning it yet. Of course, our aunt came a little early while we are getting ready for our late lunch so she joined us in the table with a piece of cake.

Then the door bell rang and there stood our neighbor with her little girl with a gift for me; and the little wanted to stay to play with MC but MC needs to finish her homework first (we told her she could come after an hour). The door bell rings again and IC's playmate joined us, too. With the girls busy, the adults got to chat a bit, before our aunt decided she wanted to make cherry marmalade.

Since we have five cherry trees bulging with the fruit in our backyard, we got busy. Our aunt wanted to climb the trees to better reach the cherries (she's in her late 70s); so feeling challenged, I gave up the chair I was standing on and was up the tree in no second at all. We collected enough for a basketful of dark red cherries; and I managed the tree without cracking any bones, and that at 42!

After our aunt left and the girls' playmates were fetched; my husband and I retreated in our small office and worked a bit before a simple dinner of bread and the rest of the chicken wings. I received some calls, got a text message but most of my birthday greeters came from facebook! I appreciate everyone who remembered, and those who would be late in remembering, too :-D

What happened to the old birthday cards? I miss receiving those, and yes, I still send them myself.

Anyway, 42 is the same as 25. Although...might have more white hair, might have more problems zones, might have less tolerant for noise, might have not the strenght to stay up til 3 am, might have needed eyeglasses, might have talked more about the past, might have been more forgetful... but hey, it is all in the mind! After all, I did climb the cherry trees and I still jog weekdays and I still love the hullahoop and I can still eat my favorites not all of them healthy and more importantly, I still have dreams that I look forward to fulfilling.