Well, I’m ten years into this midlife mothering experience, and at 55, I’m still learning how to become a Mom. I begged the fertility gods for one child and I hit the jackpot, twins! I thought the infertility rollercoaster was complicated. Parenting two is more like trying to keep up with mini-rockets on a mission.
Fast forward to 2011 and let’s give these kids some proper names. Channel Chick is my daughter and she is 10. She still claims to be older than her brother, by about 2 minutes. I let her enjoy the glory, twins are very competitive. She is outspoken and knows what she wants and when she wants it.
Rocket Boy is my son. He’s also 10, and will always be younger than his sister. He earned his name by demonstrating just how fast he can race to the pantry, extract a sugary snack and then jet back to his computer in record time. He is more laid back than his sister and knows just which buttons to push to get her going.
And yes, I have been referred to as grandma, it doesn’t surprise me given the way our society views how families “should appear.” But then I look at my kids, I think about the journey we all went through to get here, and eventually, I let it go.
I have learned so much about parenting from Moms of all ages, teachers, friends and a treasured bit of wisdom from my elderly friend. One day I was getting all flustered about how the kids wanted so much attention and I wanted to shout, “Go away!”
My neighbor who was 81 at the time, turned to me and said, ” But honey, they NEED you.” That’s all she said, that’s all she had to say. To this day when I become frustrated, tired, or when I think I can’t bear one more question, I am reminded of her wise words.
From the younger Moms, I have learned how to let it go and laugh. Don’t be so uptight, after all, this too shall pass. I can’t keep up with their partying, but we can still compare notes about what stages are kids are going through.
Sure, hiking up the hills at the zoo is more difficult and hot flashes are no picnic in midlife. As I look on the bright side, I am now more comfortable with my thoughts, and more financially sound. This allows me to really experience joy through my children, and know that the bumpy ride was well worth it!
The newest blogger for Mothering, Karen Hug-Nagy, is a mid-life, 55, proud Mom to 10 year old twins, Benjamin and Jennifer. She is a full-time SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) and the creator of the humor blog, “Mommies In Orbit,” Raising Kids, One Orbit At A Time. Before she had twins, Karen worked in marketing for “GeoEye,” a company providing high-resolution, map-accurate color Earth imagery products, satellite maps and advanced image processing. She can be found @ http://mommiesinorbit.blogspot.com.