Three things that make me feel grown-up

You would think at this point I would feel like an adult. I'm married, have kids, a house, and a dog. People and an animal rely on me. Tim and I have also gone through our share of "grown-up" experiences that we would rather not have had-- sick parents, loss of a parent, selling your childhood home, hospitalized child, etc. So I think by all measures, I'm a card-carrying adult. Yet, for the most part I feel like an impostor. Like I'm really 10, and no one has caught on. However, the following three occurrences, all which have happened in the last two weeks, have hit me over the head making me truly feel like an adult-- and it scares me.

1. Taking my kid to the dentist. I think this makes me feel like an adult just because I can remember going to the dentist with my mom. I've been taking the kids to the doctor since day one, but the dentist is somewhat new and it just kills me every time we go. N is a rock star when it comes to the dentist. She loves it, and she actually looks like a rock star with these sunglasses they make her wear.

2. Having a parent-teacher meeting at N's school.
Maybe it's sitting in the tiny chairs that emphasizes just how big I am, but I think it's the ensuing panic and concern after a parent-teacher conference that makes me feel like a real parent. Everything is fine now, but it's never fun getting called into a meeting to discuss your kid. What made me feel even more grown up was getting mad after the meeting and writing a note (on real stationary!) to make my point. The school we go to is stuck in the 20th century and does not use the Internet or email, so if you want to communicate with the teacher you write a note (how quaint! and annoying!). Again, I think this just brought me back to my childhood...

3. And lastly, hearing a kid call me Mrs. Delaney
I don't think I'll ever get used to this. We had a new little friend from N's school come over for a play date and during lunch she chirped, "Mrs. Delaney, can I have another juice box?" Very cute, but still completely unnerving.