<p>My good friend never went to college before she was married. She has three kids and started taking classes in nursing when they were little. Over many years, she earned her RN, her bachelors degree, and the additionial credentials needed to be a school nurse in our state, finishing when her youngest was 17 and her oldest was 22! She has a job as a school nurse now! I went straight through h.s., college, and grad school before I had kids, and I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for her to do all of this while raising the three kids!</p>
<p>Latetoschool–dresses, manicures, makeup??? No way–that way there be dragons! (Though I’ll agree about the less hair cuttings–I keep it long and tied back, it’s there when i need it, and doesn’t get in the way when i’m kayaking/biking/walking etc.)</p>
<p>Dadguy–I’d be working on the novel in my twenties if I could get the darned time-machine to work, but I figure now is better than never!</p>
<p>I went to college with Mark Spitz, believe it or not. We swooned when we saw him on campus.</p>
<p>No pants, latetoschool? I don’t think so! </p>
<p>I think it is “tightie whities” for obvious reasons. 
(but that means the guy’s briefs) I think the women’s equivalent is “granny panties”.</p>
<p>Not sure I want to wear butt floss every day with my trousers. (thank god my company is business casual)</p>
<p>Glasses cases—don’t use 'em. No one under 40 does. If you have to, don’t put the case in your shirt pocket. (I’m still amazed Lens Crafters has them just sitting out…FREE for us old people to just take, as many as you want!).</p>
<p>Yeah, but, see, HE finally - finally (!!!) asked me out. On an actual date. As in dinner at 7, as in he’s picking the restaurant, as in he’s picking me up. </p>
<p>I’m tempted to wear a dress so tight he can’t breathe lol. </p>
<p>It’s not really about any particular item of clothing; it’s about getting a spark back, of resurrecting some life and energy.</p>
<p>Oh, yeah! You go, girl!! Definitely the tight dress and the lace thong. We will all live vicariously!</p>
<p>LOL I’m sooooo excited. He finally called. Hee hee…</p>
<p>But seriously, I think parenting, and especially getting them through college, we let ourselves go - not intentionally, it’s just that they have to come first. I didn’t have time to THINK about dating for 18 years, let alone actually do it. It takes some doing - at least for me - to recapture and refocus all that energy back on ME. </p>
<p>I’m in awe of parents (of both sexes) who manage to continue to nurture themselves all along the way, keeping their minds and bodies in excellent shape, especially when they have more than one child.</p>
<p>OK, from a native Floridian…do not cruise around in your big Lincoln Town Car 10 mph under the speed limit in the passing lane, as if you’re driving a yacht!!
Also, girls, go blonde forever if you want to. Nothing wrong with covering that gray. Go blonde girls go!</p>
<p>Squash a minimum of three times a week, with no opponent less than 20 years younger than you are.</p>
<p>LTS~</p>
<p>At this rate, you should be nearly 16 by now!!! ;)</p>
<p>Awesome list! I actually do most of that…</p>
<p>
I do…weekly. Out of my D’s closets! :)</p>
<p>
When you wear it at all… <em>ROFL</em> Just kidding…Britney Spears I’m not (Thank G-d…I never thought that at my age, I’d NOT want to be a young used-to-be blonde)! 
But yeah, ITA! ooooooooooh la la! :)</p>
<p>
But not as LOUDLY as possible, 'less you want to embarrass your kids! 
My 9-y-o son is ALWAYS telling me that I laugh “too much and too loud.” Tonight, when our favorite restaurant messed up dh’s and my take out order and I was cracking up, the guy behind the counter said, “Why can’t EVERYONE laugh when we screw up??!!” Took the kids out to lunch yesterday and we giggled the whole time. Yep, laughter is the BEST!! :D</p>
<p>
AMEN.</p>
<p>
Double AMEN. This would go w/o saying for me. </p>
<p>SpringfieldMom~</p>
<p>I’ve not hit the big one yet either! And I’ll let my hubster carry THAT card! ;)</p>
<p>Hope CATS went BEAUTIFULLY!!! I know about those poignant lasts…my DD has had her last musical and last mainstage production too…<em>sniffle</em></p>
<p>~berurah</p>
<p>
Well, guess what??!! I <em>danced</em> with GL at a national age group diving competition party waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when we were 14! OMG, he was <em>SO</em> darling! Also knew him when he trained in Miami for about a year when I was in school there. The diving world is a small one, fortunately! ;)</p>
<p>~b.</p>
<p>Have a S with a mustache. I kid you not, this will make you seem very youthful if you’re a mom.</p>
<p>S has a mustache. Earlier this week, we facilitated a nonviolence workshop at a community center. S and I were surprised to learn that a female staffer who is at least in her late 30s, and several of the kids (ages 8-16) thought that S was my husband or boyfriend. This has happened to us before. Last time, a woman in her late 60s (who was not at all senile) thought S was my boyfriend.</p>
<p>S is 19 and IMO looks his age. I am 55.</p>
<p>Latetoschool, no pants? </p>
<p>NO NO NO.</p>
<p>I HATE HATE HATE pantyhose. And skirts aren’t particularly practical when you are crawling around attics and basements of houses either.</p>
<p>Someone who thought Mark Spitz was cute? :::Shudder::: he was so not my type!</p>
<p>Now Greg Louganis, there was a cutie!</p>
<p>Latetoschool, amazing list. That’s the list I wish I lived by. But I too have a list, the list for feeble types like me who just don’t have the will power to do your list.</p>
<p>For the haircut thing, find someone who tells you you look fabulous. Then go as often as you like. Who cares about hair when a gorgeous gay man with an Italian accent is telling you how hot you are?</p>
<p>For the wardrobe, buy one pair of cool shoes. Every two or three years. Look at them a lot in your closet. Get excited when you find them in the back under the three pairs of basic black pumps and sneakers.</p>
<p>Manicures, well even feeble people can get on board the manicure program. But, we can’t do it ourselves because our hands shake.</p>
<p>As for makeup, well that’s the ultimate hope machine. Buy lots of it. Put it on in the mirror and peer at yourself, saying, “Those lines on my lips will be gone tomorrow. In fact, they look better already…” But I agree, don’t actually use very much.</p>
<p>Now, us feeble people imagine we have hot underwear. However, when the reality comes and we have to buy underwear, understand that we don’t have time to do laundry so we better just buy 10 pair of the least dowdy cotton stretchy bikinis that we can find. And get a pair that isn’t white for a true walk on the wild side.</p>
<p>Can’t really address the negative relationships issues. Feeble people are just trying to keep the friends they have had from sending them angry emails saying “Where the h*** are you! Didn’t you get my email/call/message?” </p>
<p>Finally, the feeble people plan to say young also involves exercise. Pretend exercise. What is pretend exercise you ask? Well, let’s say you are blow drying your hair because the cut the sexy gay Italian man gave you needs to be blow dried. Do a few lunges. Pretend that is exercise. Let’s say you are unloading the dishwasher. Bend your knees and exagerate the twist from machine to cabinet. Pretend that’s exercise. Let’s say you are driving along. Andre2000 comes on the radio. Dance. Flex your gluteals a lot. Pretend that is exercise.</p>
<p>See, aging is all in the mind:).</p>
<p>Let’s hear it for the feeble people!</p>
<p>Ageless. And aren’t they… er, we… the ones who are going to inherit the earth?</p>
<p>Alu—I want one of those Italian gay guys to adore my hair. Instead, I get “so what do you want to do with THIS?”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>ha ha ha!! ho ho!! he he he!!! oh… presuming you still have any… :D</p>
<p>apmom, I think we go to the same stylist. What’s worse is my answer is usually “I don’t have a clue”.</p>
<p>mathmom, I agree about Mark Spitz. I never understood why anyone considered him attractive. I used to go to a gym (an old-style gym, with machines with belts that shook the thighs) with a massage chair. One would lie in it and be massaged with rollers. On the ceiling above the chair was mounted a huge poster of MS with his 7 medals arrayed across his bare chest. Made me gag.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>When I was in high school, my hair was 2 1/2 feet long. Now it’s about 3/4ths of an inch long! :D</p>