Forty Mamas...

Forty Mama: a woman with a new baby/child after the age of forty; any fortyish woman who is mothering young children.

Mamas of any age share...

• lack of sleep


• never ending laundry


• a sudden interest in Jon & Kate Plus 8


• MOTHER BEAR protectiveness. On certain sleepless nights I have fantasies of "Ninja Mom." Most involve shrieking & jumping on the would-be abductor kamakaze style (you've gotta psyche 'em out). It usually ends with "you picked the wrong house buster!" (no, of course, I wouldn't say buster, but I'm keeping things clean here)
  

A Forty Mama...

• doesn't bounce back from sleepless nights as easily


• discovers that backs get zinged simply by picking a baby or toddler up incorrectly (core strength is the new mantra)


• is forced to deal with her age; she may be the oldest mom in the room


• can afford a sleek washer/dryer combo to deal with all that laundry, and a much nicer bed than the futons from our 20s.
  

Whether she stuggled with infertility, waded thru lengthy adoption paperwork, or wrestled with the idea of bringing a child into the world alone, a Forty Mama has done alot of soul searching by the time she has her child.

So I have a little crow's feet. I'm more patient, less fussy, and more self accepting than my 25 year old self. Isn't that a wonderful gift for my children?