Top Ten: Age vs Innocence
This week’s torrential rain storm has reminded me that once upon a time there were things that I hated as a kid, but now love as an adult. And vice versa. Here goes this week’s…
TOP TEN: THINGS I COULDN’T STAND AS A KID, BUT LOVE AS AN ADULT
1. Rain. Then it was all about spoiled outside time, not it’s all about the free water for the yard.
2. Getting going in the mornings. (This is a bit of a stretch to say “love”, but I do love the sense of accomplishment and the fresh start to a new day. Usually, I blow it by 10am, but you know…)
3. Getting in the car to visit relatives. Being strapped into a car for hours on end was horrible. As an adult I see now that the time is worth it. I love my immediate and extended family. There are so many stories to be heard, so many laughs to be had. Life is short, people. Make it count.
4. Laying out my clothes the night before. I detested this as a kid. As an OCD mom it makes my mornings sane. Sorry kids.
5. Hanging up my clothes. If I heard it once, I heard my mom exclaim this statement a bazillion times, “It takes just as long to throw it on the floor as it does to hang it up.” Ugh. She was right. I’m pretty sure my kids could quote me on that now.
6. Taking out the trash. Yep, still hate that one. Just checking to see if you’re paying attention 🙂
7. Doing chores. I grumbled all the way to the kitchen sink. But, now I realize that doing chores instills responsibility and a strong work ethic. Too many kids believe the sun does indeed revolve around them. We’re working hard to make sure our kids know differently.
8. Homework. To be perfectly honest, I rarely did homework or studied in high school. Then college came along…howdy 1.6 at mid-term. Since then, I’ve come to realize just how important “homework” is in the real world. It’s saved us $$, tears and frustration and I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge by asking one simple question, “Why?”
9. Laundry. I have always loved the smell of clean clothes, but I was not a huge fan of sorting, folding and putting away. I remember giving my mom grief about bringing in all the dirty clothes to the laundry room. Now, as crazy as it sounds, I like to do laundry. Maybe it’s because I have a system. Or, maybe because of that new paint color. Who knows.
10. Cooking. After cooking a bazillion and one recipes for all those 4-H Food Shows, I stayed away from the kitchen in college. But, alas, when I became Mrs. Whitaker, I donned the apron once again. The thing is – I love to cook, I just don’t have time to do as much as I would like. I’m adding that to my (early) New Year’s Resolutions for 2011.
