I DID IT!!!

Yes, I turned 40. Aren't you proud of me? It took a lot of hard work and effort, but I did it. (My birthday was January 14, but I'm accepting belated birthday greetings as well as gifts of cash, stocks, and real estate.)

Well, actually, the real accomplishment is that I turned 40 without having a nervous breakdown or a mid-life crisis, and I didn't stay in bed all day in an attempt to make it go away. I went out and enjoyed myself.

I dropped the kids off at school and then I came back home to catch up on some sleep. Then I went out shopping. Kind of hard to do when the hubby says we're not buying anything for the next 3 years, but I'm a master bargainer. I sneaked my shopping trip in "under the radar". I hit some thrift stores, grocery stores, and of course, no shopping trip would be complete without a stop at Kohls, my favorite haunt. I love that store, because even if you only have $2.81 to spend, you can find something at Kohls - they always have great sales and clearances.

So, that was a fun way to spend my birthday. I even went to Wendy's for lunch and bought myself a Frosty - without the guilt! And we made nachos for dinner. Pretty simple.

Friday night, my hubby hosted a party for me. And by "hosted", I mean that when I called everyone to tell them about the party, I could say, "My husband is hosting a birthday party for me and you're invited." He's not really into all the details. But it was a very nice time and I was honored by all the friends who came to pay their condolences.

The hardest part was wrapping my mind around the number 40. As I lay in bed the night of my birthday, the number entered my mind repeatedly: "I'm 40. . . . .I'm 40. . . .. oh, my gosh, I'm really 40!!!"

I remember when my mom turned 40. I was 16 years old and we had a party for her. How can I be as old as my mom? Oh well, as they say, age is just a number. You're only as old as you feel. You're still young at heart. Yada yada yada.