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Wellington, New Zealand
welcome to my corner of the blog world! i love step, boxing, zumba, scrapbooking, photography, watching movies, walking the hills of my suburb, my family, and life in wellington. take some time to have a look around and be sure to say hi!

Monday, August 18, 2008

youth is wasted on the young

birthday season approaches at our place.

in exactly one week, my firstborn will turn 19
2 weeks later, this cutie turns 12

7 weeks after that, this one turns 17 (doncha just wanna kiss those knees?)and last, but by certainly no means least, just after christmas, miss 'butter wouldn't melt in my mouth' turns 11.
and let's not forget this little chub - AKA my DH. 4 days after miss 10 turns 11, he hits the BIG 5-0!!! he's also relented and is happy for me to organise a bit of a shin-dig - YAHOO!!!!!
here's what miss 18 had to say about turning 19:

"i'm getting ooooooooold. there's nothing left to look forward to!"

now, if you can continue reading this through your tears of laughter...i can ACTUALLY remember feeling exactly the same way. let's face it, every birthday during those teenage years brings something new and exciting to look forward to.

- at 12, you CANNOT wait to be a teenager. to turn thirTEEN. to have an age with the word 'TEEN' in it.

- at 13, the idea of being 14 brings the knowledge that you can babysit and get paid for it! you can look after your sisters, boss them around and STILL GET PAID FOR IT!

- at 14, turning 15 means you can learn to drive. 'mum? why have you keeled over?'

- at 15, sweet 16 approaches and you can get married with your parents permission and act on one or two other unmentionable impulses, but we shan't GO THERE!

- at 16, turning 17 means you can join the army (snore!), but hey - you're one step closer to being 18 - WAHOO - BRING IT ON!!!

- at 17 the thought of being 'an official adult' is secondary to the fact that you can legally DRINK!!!

- and at 18 - well, you've made it! drinking, voting, getting married, buying fireworks (coz all those things require an equal amount of maturity - NOT!!!)

which brings us back to "i'm getting oooooooold!"

(sigh) youth is wasted on the young...

14 comments:

Killlashandra said...

I didn't delve too deep into past posts, however, I have to comment that you must not live in the States where the magical age kids dream for is 21 when they can drink. The voting and the marrying all come around 16-18 depending on what state you in. But the drinking one where we all really started thinking we were old is 21. ;)

Funny post!

Anonymous said...

Wow, they do things young in NZ, don't they? You have to be 19 in Canada to drink (legally).

Happy birthday to everyone! What a bunch of beauties!

gigi said...

You are so funny and those are precious pictures!

And wow, a 50th birthday party!! Woo hoo!Are you going to have fun or what??

Anonymous said...

yeah dont start on our drinking age here in NZ!!!! as for all the birthdays - WOWSA there is a lot there,, as for getting old!!!! I remember those days too, and I still feel it when I think back... and realise I am getting old-ish!!! hee hee

Sass said...

I've discovered that after thinking my twenties were old, I tell myself that now I'm 'only' 38.

Self delusion is so effective.

Debra (a/k/a Doris, Mimi) said...

Turning 50? It's a piece of cake. It isn't nearly as depressing as I thought it would be. To quote a wise woman, my grandmother who passed away at 102 years young...when asked how it felt to reach the century mark on her 100th birthday, she smiled and replied, "Age is only a number".

As for your babies, they are adorable! It was hard on me when my baby turned 30. But I got over it quickly by celebrating together on a scrapbook cruise to Hawaii. Woo-hoo!

I LOVE the signature, Sue ;)

Daryl said...

And it seems they all look like DH ..


Happy birthday to everyone!


:-Daryl

Trish said...

Then when you turn 30 you keep wishing you were 10, 13, 18, etc. I remember at 16 thinking I was too "fat" for a bikini -- I now am 20 lbs. heavier and wish I could be that young and "fat".

I really try and remember be happy and live in the now -- because when I'm 80, I'll wish I was 60 but some days its difficult.

auntiegwen said...

Aawh, a very Happy Birthday when it comes to all of them.

In the UK you aren't allowed to learn to drive until you are 17, so I have only 6 months left to drive EBD everywhere !!!

Undercover Mother said...

I look at it this way. In ten years, I'll WISH I looked like I do today, and had my health. In 20, I'll wish for my state in ten years.

Besides, the alternative is not acceptable!

Anonymous said...

Yup I think it was after 21 that I started feeling that way- since the drinknig age in the US is 21. She has already those looking forward to milestones- just tell her to wait until she can look forward to all those bills and financial responsibilities that adulthood bring- that ought to make her feel old- lol!
Charlie hits the big 40 this weekend but refuses to allow me to plan any shin dig for him.

Kat said...

HAHAHA!!! That IS funny! Here the drinking age is 21 so after that it is all downhill. HAHA!

My you have so many birthdays to celebrate! Busy, busy!

the mama bird diaries said...

i remember being 19 and thinking I had passed my prime. yes, laughing about that now. great post.

Chere said...

Hello ScrappySue, I am a good friend of Georgia Rector. She was telling me that you will be in NY when we are in Conn. Hope to get to know you better through your blog and maybe meet in Oct. Your daughters are adorable. How do you handle a house full of girls. I have one daughter and a son. The picture of your husband is the best. He certinly has to claim his girls. Thanks for sharing their birthdays.