42-year old mom

I'm thinking about that 42-year old mom comment I made last night, and having second thoughts about it. When I say 42-year old mom, I am picturing an imaginary mom who comes home from work, goes jogging and cooks dinner for her kids. Maybe later she watches American Idol with her husband before putting the kids to bed and then falling asleep to go another round in the morning. Shops at Pottery Barn and clips recipes from O Magazine.

Nobody I know who is a mom actually lives like that [edit: Or if they do, it isn't as dull as I've made it sound]. The moms I know fall into two categories: college friends and immigrants. My college friends that are moms would probably laugh at my saying this, but I don't see their lifestyles as totally different from my own. Granted, they have an entire extra life to care for and keep alive. But I get the sense that, just like me, they are simply trying to navigate adult life and learn the ropes as best they can. Theirs just happen to include a huge extra set of responsibilities. My immigrant friends, most of whom are in their early thirties with kids ranging from infants to teenagers, are basically my idols. I look up to them, because they manage to raise houses full of respectful, interesting, bicultural kids, while also learning to get around in a foreign country, holding down jobs and remaining actively engaged in their communities.

When I talk about the 42-year old mom, what I am really doing is experimenting with the imagination of my own future. And, as is often the case, I really have no idea what I'm talking about.

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For J, here is that list I was telling you about:
Celebrity Babies
TMZ (yes, TMZ)
Celebritology
On Balance / On Parenting
Savage Love
Slate
Yahoo! Answers
My Monthly Cycle
Google News