My 99 day Birthday Countdown

I’m going to count down the 99 days preceding my birthday; the big 4-oh!

I laugh in the face of those of you taunting me, by laughing at my self.

So here is to celebrating the end of a decade, the end of my Thirtysomething days.
I am going to push my comfort level by making most of these self portraits,

but no promises- and hey, its MY birthday project so I can do what I want! :>)
I’ll be counting backwards, so day zero is the BIG day!

click on each photo for larger view

 

I MADE IT!

So plan B: We had a nice day at the Virginia Aquarium, came back to the condo and let the kids nap for a few hours with plans of a nice dinner out. Well.... both kids woke up in a terrible horrible awful mood (too many nap-less days have caught up with them). So after extened dual tantrums,  I cancelled our dinner plans and dined in. Dad and Greg went to the store and picked up dinner and cake. The hats we got while out on a walk during naptime, compliments of Liberty Tax Service. The kids finally cheered up but it took hours.. All in all a good day.

Sunrise 10-01-2008

 

Day 1 September 30

in the beginning:

mom + dad = ME

Life is too short to be serious all the time, so hopefully 40 is just a drop in the bucket.

Day 1 "nice" version...

Old math

mom + dad = ME

Day 2 September 29

R & R

Now that I'm about to be old, I better start practicing laying around and relaxing...

Hmmm how much closer to retirement does this put me?

Day 3 September 28

Uncharted Territory of old age (for me). Leaving town to go where no one else knows how old I am...

Day 4 September 27

Not mine. Not Yet. 3 more days- 3 more countdown pictures. Happy Birthday Pop Frank.

Day 5 September 26

I be almost...

Day 6 September 25

Dream big at any age.

Day 7 September 24

Birthday Week

Supposedly when I was younger (according to mom) I always wanted to celebrate "birthday month". One day was not enough. Well this year I must be having birthday week since I'm getting gifts EVERY day! If this is what its like to become 40, I'll be happy to do that again next year... ! (Thanks Amy!)

Day 8 September 23

IT arrived today - my BIG gift, my midlife crisis sports car!

Whoo hoo! Thanks and love to Greg, Katelyn and Michael!!!

Day 9 September 22

Rings

Good thing we don't calculate people's age like we do with trees - cut them in half and count the rings! Although I do have more girth then when I was a young sapling...

Day 10 September 21

Preserve

Nine more days and I can get back on top of all my other projects, mainly my scrapbooks! Hopefully I'll get my babies' "first year" albums done before they are 40.

day 11 September 20

Stacker not Slacker

I still got it. Another of my hidden talents.This is one of my favorite bar tricks from years ago. Three balanced on their own.

Guinness, of course.

day 12 September 19

mmm mmm good

Beats cooking AND doing dishes any night.

day 13 September 18

"Because I'm the mom, that's why"

"Because I said so"

"Just Because"

Figured I'd put better use to those phrases.

day 14 September 17

Bowl Optional

11:30pm. No half gallon or quart or pint is safe at this hour. Go right for the spoon.

day 15 September 16

Time

Can't buy it

Can't make it

Gotta find it

Always enjoy it.

Day 16 September 15

Think Big

As we get older do our thoughts get smaller or our world bigger? Or vice- versa?

Maybe when I'm 40 I'll have the answer to that; or maybe not.

day 17 September 14

Story Time

One of the best times of day.

Day 18 September 13

Evening routine of cat and mouse.

I like to spend my nights downloading my pictures for the day and getting online. I always have at least one of the cats in my lap. Both Frankie and Josie are so love deprived they take any chance at lap snuggle time they can get.

Day 19 September 12

Telecommuting

Yes it is possible to do flight scheduling from home.

Day 20 September 11

Way more than 20 questions during our daily commute! Many of the questions are quite humorous. Maybe when I'm 40 I'll have all the answers!

She doesn't know the phrase "Are we there YET?" - please don't clue her in!!!

Day 21 September 10

Milk - it does a body good; especially when you are old like me! We currently go through over 3 gallons per week.

Day 22 September 9

Potraits of Self

My camera wandered away on its own again tonight as Katelyn explored the yard. I found her taking her own self portrait in the window. She does pretty well, so I joined in.

I look forward to the day she is 40 and has a kid just like her...

Day 23 September 8

Bright Idea

Whose bright idea was it to take my photo every day? Mine. Next time I have an idea this big kick me in the ankle.

day 24 September 7

Make a list

Sunday is grocery day. I usually make a list then forget it at home, this week I remembered. Good thing, I had some major stocking up to do.

When I win the lottery big time, I'm hiring a personal chef! Some weeks I like to cook, but usually it takes too much precious time.

Day 25 September 6

Not a day over 30 is what my hairdresser said I looked yesterday as she was highlighting my hair. She is 32, thought I was younger! whoo hoo. yeah I tipped her... my bangs look crooked in this shot though.. will have to go look at that.

I'm off to see "old" friends tonight, heck hair done and make up on a Saturday - don't see that too often. Maybe when I'm 40 I'll have more time to socialize? Probably not.

Day 26 September 5

Framed

I was trying to justify me needing a DSLR (Nikon D80) and Greg said "why - we don't even have any of your photos hanging on the wall". I supose that is a legitimate reason... so you know what my project will be this weekend... PRINTING and framing.

Day 27 September 4

Punchbuggy

My first car was a baby blue 1971VW SUPER Beetle. I gave my parents such a hard time learning to drive a stick shift and then I went on to teach countless friends in college how to drive stick. It was my graduation present that my parents bought off my uncle for dirt cheap. To pass state inspection dad put siler duct tape along the running boards and spray painted them to match the car. It didn't come with heat and I was in NH, so a local garage had a contraption that pulled the heat off the engine and exhaust manifold and blew it up through this big 3 inch hose between the seats. The hose was long enough to defrost the windshield. I also lost the only ignition key in college so my dad pulled out the key part of the ignition and I had to start it with a screwdriver for a month until he replaced it. This little guy trucked right along ontop of the snowy NH roads. So many memories of adventures in this car! The one in the photo is not my car, I happened to drive by it on the way to work. Had to laugh

Day 28 September 3

Fall is approaching! My favorite season when the trees get a chance to shine after the summer flowers are faded.

Day 29 September 2

Please add to my resume of 40yr old: bug catcher. He was menacing the kitchen and we set him free outside after the kids had a minute to explore him up close.

day 30 September 1

One thing leads to another...

Day of unpaid hard labor. Its funny how a simple chore of washing the ONE window above my kitchen sink leads to ALL the windows on the first floor of our home being cleaned inside and out then touching up around the door knobs and light switches then finding myself 12 feet up on a ladder cleaning our large front window. At least most of the cleaning happened during naptime so we still had play time too. We did take 2 days off from most of the house details.

I must add that it looks great to have clean windows! The house feels bright and happy.

Day 31 August 31

Snuggle Time

Generally, I don't need an alarm clock. (This one goes off at 6:30am) We could however use a bigger bed! I love our snuggle time.

Day 32 August 30

Library Lady

I love the library. During summers when I was young I'd walk to the library and get a book and sit out side and read it then walk back the same day or next day and get another. About 14 years ago I worked at a library and learned how fun the "library ladies" were. Now we have diaper gang story time and I can't remember the last novel I read... maybe when I get older I'll have time to read again!

Day 33 August 29

hug and be hugged

kiss and be kissed

love and be loved

Day 34 August 28

Lite FM

If the music is too loud - you're too old.

yep thats me! Some time in the last 3 years i've gone soft. (yeck). I think it started when I started listening to baby Bach and other kid sing along cds and stoped listening to the radio. Commercials annoy me and talking dj's annoy me then there is that loud screaming hideous music... So now its usually cds or the occasional Lite Fm...

day 35 August 27

Fruit Cake

You are what you eat, and therefore I am a FRUITCAKE!

day 36 August 26

Rubber duckie you're the (old) one

Old rubber duckie- meet the new flock in town! The old one on my left has been around for about 20 years. Got him when I went to college; I have a photo album filled with pictures of all the adventures and crazy places we took him and took his picture.

I'd like to start a new tradition with our new duckie family. Fortunately, now we have a whole flock of rubber duckies!

day 37 August 25

Black Monday

Hmmm... should I wear the black pants today or the... black ones? Maybe when I'm 40 I'll expand my wardrobe colors... don't old ladies wear purple?...

day 38 August 24

Fantasy Life

I knew I was marrying a sports nut, but did I know I was signing up for this?

Today is draft day, the first day of fantasy football season.

My laptop! The inhumanity. I think I need to bring down the older clunker of a computer just for him...just for this.

day 39 August 23

Bloom...

where you are planted.

Today is a good garden day!

day 40 August 22

Hear no evil

See no evil

Eat NO evil

I could say my job makes me fat, but really an excess of calories makes you fat....

day 41 August 21

Me, myself and eyes

I like my eyes

day 42 August 20

Tune up

When moisturizer is not enough its time to head to the shop for a tune up and buff the age spots and wrinkles away.

day 43 August 19

A few spots but still pretty shiny for its... um ~ our~ age...

day 44 August 18

I decided I am definitely not an Olympic hopeful! Practiced doing flips in a big moonbounce yesterday (a.k.a. "trampoline" to the Olympic committee) and the impact blew the air hose off and deflated it! I think with a little more practice I could land on my feet. Our mini dragon bounce is certainly not weight rated for me to flip in so I'll have to be content with small bounces and sunbathing.

day 45 August 17

after 6 years married, 40 sounds like alotta years... :0)

Happy Anniversary Honey!

day 46 August 16

Mommy's Sippy Cup

Mine he says, No MINE! Mommy's juice!

It should be clear why I need a drink now and then... :0)

day 47 August 15

Isn't purple hair popular with the over 40 crowd or is it the over 80 crowd?

Bad bad bad hair day... I almost did a hand or foot shot instead...

day 48 August 14

Stocking Up

This should hold us for a day or two...

Spent a boat-load of money at Costco today on diapers and wipes. I'm sure when I'm over 40 I'll spend less on diapers but more on them somewhere else...

day 49 August13

One of my super secret skills - I'm good at finding 4 leaf clovers!

In college I'd amaze my friends because I'd be walking along campus and talking and just look down and find one. I tell everyone the secret is not to look for them...

Truth be known they grow in patches. I have a couple patches in my yard. I don't usually pick them so they keep coming back.

I just realized I'm halfway through my birthday countdown! Yikes! I guess that is lucky

day 50 August 12

There is a monkey on my back! Anytime I sit on the floor or ground it ends up being a pigpile on mom. I do love it, except when I'm trying hard to actually exercise...

day 51 August 11

Simply Me

Keeping it nice and simple on a Monday. Taken 1st thing in the morning ready for work. Now its 14 hours later and I have to laugh at the picture. A very good friend while growing up ended up going to the local tech school to be a hairstylist/beautician. A while after graduating I let her cut my hair. 20+ years later I am still laughing at her desire to want to cut my hair in a way so that I could NOT tuck it behind my ears because she said growing up I "always did"! I think I ended up with the 80's female version of a mullet. Thankfully that has long since grown out, but I still tuck my hair! Can't help it, I hate it in my face.

day 52 August 10

'toons 24/7

Do you remember when there was only Saturday morning cartoons? You had to wait all week to watch your favorites. Now we have them 24/7 on at least 6 different channels.

I'm old enough that the cartoons I used to watch are now "classics" - but I'm young enough that they are in color.

day 53 August 9

Sun Sand Shore

and monster toes visit the Bush River

day 54 August 8

888

It was all fun and games until someone ate eight.

day 55 August 7

Techno? chic

Confession time: I found myself saying today "oh no...I'm technologically challenged...". I said it so I would not have to think hard and look like I knew what I was doing (with the iPhone). But really, I think I am pretty good with gadgets. Yesterday I fixed a friend's difficult printer problem, I can program a vcr and a dvr and I know our Xerox inside and out. But bottom line is now that I'm ALMOST OLD I need quiet time by myself to figure out these new fangled gadgets! I can work them out, but I'm not as quick as a 10 year old!

day 56

Eject

At some point growing up my mom muttered the curse "I hope one day you have kids just like your self! Sure I was a smart mouth back talking brat- but I don't think I was THIS bad...

So this is NOT what I planned for today. Took a SP at breakfast wasn't crazy with it. Came home from work and we were blowing bubbles in the yard, took my self pic and I look like a dork, but oh well... come in the house after an hour. Michael goes running down the hall with sidewalk chaulk in hand leaving a big blue streak. So I go to put the TV on as a distraction so I can clean up the wall and cook dinner and there is a CD sticking out of our VCR... what the heck???!!!... then in the kitchen I hear the ever familiar sound of the water dispenser and then an uh oh... Yes this is the same little angel I snuggled with in yesterday's photo. I thought only kids on TV were this bad!

Heaven help me. See the photo collage on the main page...

day 57 August 5

Blankie Love

When I was little I had a silky edge blankie that I loved to death. I think at some point mom cut it in half so she could wash half. The dog used to steal it away and chew on it as well. I think eventually the blankie got smaller and smaller until it was gone. I think I'm too old to have my own blankie now... but I get to re-live that comfort feeling through my baby. He has 3, enough to share (and wash).

day 58 August 4

Handwriting 101

So I used to write notes on the palm of my hand... then old age started to set in and I'd drive all the way home without flipping over my hand to read my notes. Then I decided I best start writing on the back of my hand so I could see it as I drove.... Now I don't remember to write on my hand and nothing gets done....

day 59 August 3

Old friends are Best Friends

It takes along time to grow an old friend.

Friends are relatives you make for yourself.

day 60 August 2

Making Memories

Splashing good family fun for all ages.

day 61 August 1

Fleeing

Turn your back for just a moment and your youth will flee.

day 62 July 31

In the Shadow of Age

I don't think any Superhero can save me from the dreaded Old Age.

day 63 July 30

Puddle Jumping

Lifts the spirits and cleanses the toes. Have fun every day no matter your age.

day 64 July 29

Dreaming

My day dreaming fantasies are all clean...

Maybe by the time I'm 40 I'll have successfully taught them how to play the clean up game.

day 65 July 28

Smile!

It's Monday again.

A little known "me" fact: I had a collection of smiley face stuff for years. Including a "Captain Smiley" Halloween costume that I made my self and wore a couple times.... I've since thinned out my collection of stuff, but the tv tray remains as does my smiley pj's (which now in hindsight I should have worn for this shot...)

I also have a collection of photos I've taken of smileys I've seen across the countryside. I started it about 20 years ago, I think I may start adding to that collection again. :>)

day 66 July 27

Fountain of Youth

I found the fountain of youth in my own backyard! Now am I supposed to bathe in it or drink from it???

day 67 July 26

Prehistory

I know old age is creeping up on me, but I'm not prehistoric YET!

day 68 July 25

Office help

I think one of the perks of getting older and having kids is putting them to work for you....

I think they may need to learn their abc's before being able to type well.

day 69 July 24

Cherished Letters

When I'm old I'll get to tell my kids "back in the day we used to write letters on paper with ink... then we had to mail them and wait days, maybe weeks, for the mailman to deliver us a reply..."

These letters are from Amy, my BFSB (best friend since birth - her birth - I'm a little older). For many years we lived about 7000+ miles apart and wrote letters to each other pretty regularly. We now live about 600 miles apart and we email daily.

She, and her kids, are coming to visit me tomorrow! I haven't seen her in years. I'm very excited.

I've always cherished my letters. I made a New Years resolution to write more in ink and I've failed that miserably so far this year. I need to work on that.

day 70 July 23

Yellow Submarine

Today is dedicated to mom and all the years I made her crazy by humming this song in my head. I'm not sure that I ever knew all the words at the same time and I tended to hum "skies of blue and seas of green in my yellow submarine"; over and over and over.

The movie came out in 1968, I was born in 1968... coincidence? I think not.

Today is 104 days until my mom's bday! She started counting... look what I've done!

day 71 July 22

Fortunate Breakfast

Cracked open a fortune cookie for breakfast, ended up being a good way to start the day! Maybe there will be life after 40.

day 72 July 21

Mentally yours...

Mentally handicapped on Mondays...

So if your brain had a wheel chair what would it be?

According to one web site~

Quick Tips On Keeping Your Brain Fit:

Avoid Alcohol, Watch less TV, Do crossword puzzles, Drink a cup of tea or coffee each day, Eat more fish, Breathe deep, Meditate, Exercise, Sleep well, Avoid sugar, Listen to Mozart, Take a daily (brain boosting) vitamin

All good advice... maybe tomorrow... if I remember...

day 73 July 20

Easy Like Sunday Morning

I don't think Lionel had toddlers under his feet when he first started singing that song! Waking up at 6am on a Sunday is just wrong...

Maybe when I'm 40 they will let me sleep in until 7am...

(Yes that's my favorite mug - its Christmas in July.)

day 74 July 19

Light Reading

Found this book laying around... I was about 19 years old when it was written. In the color photo "examples"; of some forty year old women with fresh makeovers looked OLD! I think a switch might flip on my birthday making me look old like them!!!! I'm doomed!

Or maybe in the 80's they didn't believe in good skin moisturizer..... ?

I put the book down. Too depressing.

day 75 July 18

Feeling Lucky

Survived another work week.

TGIF

day 76 July 17

What can Brown do for You?

 

day 77 July 16

Caffeine Reflection

I drink caffeine so I can think, therefore I am.

day 78 July 15

Cherry Chapstick

I'm a cherry chap stick kinda gal. But doing these self portraits daily reminds me that I really could use to wear some lipstick now and then.... gack. I hate sticky lipstick. I have a big basket full of the stuff, twice as much as shown above. Apparently I keep trying new ones and am never happy.

Maybe when I'm 40 I'll be better about this... I think alot of old people wear the stuff...

day 79 July 14

Rainy Monday

Rain rain you might as well stay,

our yard is dry and, heck, its Monday!

day 80 July 13

Happy Hour

Also known as nap time

Kids asleep: yep

Laundry done: mostly

Dishes washed: somewhat

Time to take a quick break in the sunshine before hitting the grocery store. trying out the princess sunglasses - color and style don't fit my face!

day 81 July 12

Yard Sale

or tag sale or garage sale depending on who you ask. Today was a driveway sale, the last one in my 30's, thank God! I like shopping at them but I hate having them.

day 82 July 11

Not My Party

But we are getting closer!

Happy bday to my honey! Thanks Hope for the yummy cake!

day 83 July 10

Sunshine:

A nickname given to me by others.

day 84 July 9

Creative Juice

Not enough caffeine exists in my day today to be creative

day 85 July 8

Sharing

So we bought an ice-cream cone to share... then it became all hers. She says "we have to share"; translation: its all mine!

day 86 July 7

Another Monday

and I'm not ready to go back to work. Need a holiday to recover from the holiday. If I hide here will they find me?

Quotes stuck to my computer monitor:

"no try just do" Yoda

"positive thoughts and actions bring positive results"

"to do 2 things at once is to do neither"

day 87 July 6

Buried Alive

How I feel today with the laundry

day 88 July 5

Manicure?

This is the closest my nails get to being painted. Lovely manicures don't survive my hands. If they don't get chipped on their own I'll peel and scrape off the polish or worse bite it off (yeah I know - gross). I don't bite them if they are not polished. One of my numerous silly quirks that maybe i'll grow out of in my 40's...

day 89 July 4

Persuit of Happiness

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

I hope on this day of pursuing happiness that you take a moment to think of and thank the men and women of our military forces that continue to guard our rights. Then thank them again tomorrow and every day thereafter too.

day 90 July 3

Is it TOO LATE?

To start moisturizing!!!

hmmm "age-defying"; sounds right up my ally...

I don't look a day over 39!

day 91 July 2

Pack Mule

Most days I don't know how I do it, start early, preferably the night before.

6am get up for 8:10am departure for 9am work start time.

Need a pack mule other than me to get us out of the house each day. I pack up way tooooo much stuff everyday but it all seems to be needed at work and daycare. You should see the pile when we go away for a weekend...

I was ON TIME today! whoo hoo

day 92 July 1

Daily Observations

The observation of nature is part of an artist's life, it enlarges his form [and] knowledge, keeps him fresh and from working only by formula, and feeds inspiration. ~Henry Moore

My neighbors probably think I'm crazy with my camera stuck in my flowers each day...

I hope to be doing this for many years to come and passing on the appreciation and joy of nature to my children.

day 93 June 30

Manic Monday

It's just another manic Monday

I wish it was Sunday

'Cause that's my funday

An I-don't-have-to-run day

It's just another manic Monday

 

Stop spining my world I want to get off. Mondays are always crazy. Took this early today and I'm just now able to download it at 10:01pm. going to bed... so I can get up early and do it all over again.

nah nah nah hey hey hey good night

day 94 June 29

So a year or so ago I said I didn't want any more living creatures or objects in our house (in other words: dog, fish or even plants). Two cats, 2 kids, one hubby, and a few plants were enough. So fast forward to today... I'm cleaning a cabinet and came across these glass fish I bought many many years ago. Foolish idea: "Hey I think the kids will enjoy looking at them";... well what do you know, they LOVE them, they are fighting over them, they want to dunk their little hands into the water and play with them. Just crazy with delight! So I oblige for a while and then its time to put them back up on the window sill so we can move on to the rest of our day.

So what is the saying... "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life."; ... show the kids the fish and they will enjoy them, teach a kid to climb and he will push the chair to the kitchen counter and help himself up. ug.

day 95 June 28

Well, it says here...

potty training v3.5

She better be trained by the time I'm 40.... and her brother too!

day 96 June 27

TGIF

The kids' new favorite game while commuting is to get mommy to open the moon roof. First we open the sliding shade, then they scream OPEN and the window gets opened then they scream mommy put your hand up, so I do, then they scream "put your other hand up!".... not! at least not while I'm driving 50mph down route 1... :) They find this completely hilarious no matter how many times we do it.

The little things that make us smile.

The moon roof ended up being closed about 10 minutes later because the princess declared that her eyes are hot.: we changed directions and the sun was in here eyes.

The cool blue sky is deceiving as its supposed to be 93 degrees today and high humidity.

Also I should add that this ended up being a more difficult shot than I expected to take as I am right handed, trying to use my left hand for the camera, actively driving in the left hand seat... good thing there wasn't much traffic around at that moment...

day 97 June 26

Fleeting Beauty

"What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but, scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable."

-Joseph Addison

Daylily - Lily of the Day. They only bloom for one day per blossom. This time of year I make sure to take time each day to enjoy them while walking around the yard in the evening.

I hope these flowers and my smiles brings some sunshine to your day.

day 98 june 25

Mom Be Nimble

I am nimble. I can leap tall buildings in a single bound.

day 99 June 24

Day ONE

Day ONE of my new project! I’m going to count down the 99 days preceding my birthday; the big 4-oh! I laugh in the face of those of you taunting me, by laughing at my self. So here is to celebrating the end of a decade, the end of my Thirtysomething days.

I am going to push my comfort level by making most of these self portraits, but no promises- and hey, its MY birthday project so I can do what I want! ;)

I’ll be counting backwards, so day zero is the BIG day! Or is it day 100?...hmmm.

 

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