My Stand Against ‘Adulting’

I am a mother of two. Wrong side of 35. And guess what? I take great pride in my immaturity. You say: Grow up. I say: Don’t boss me around! You wanna fight about it, dinkus? I know you are but what am I?

Now don’t get me wrong – I can adult when it really counts. But I’m just simply not interested in taking life seriously all of the time. It’s far too short, why not have fun with it? Sometimes you have to drop the pretense of being ‘all grown up’, and act like a kid.

Adulting

You know what I still love to this day? Blanket forts. I make a kick-ass blanket fort. I’ve been perfecting them since I was 4, and I have mastered the engineering of blanket weights and anchoring and structure. There’s nothing quite like gathering a few pillows and blankets, and settling down in your blanket fort with a flashlight and a good book. The books I choose for fort time have changed over the years, although I do still enjoy some Dr. Seuss.

Many people might be surprised to find out that I love video games. All kinds. I love the ability to escape into a made-up world to solve problems that don’t include bill payments or laundry.

It’s easier when you have kids. Because you can follow their lead. Dance parties in the kitchen while prepping dinner (adulting at the same time as having fun!). When we get big boxes, we turn them into robots or rocket ships. Finger painting – Oh the joy of feeling paint squish between your fingers. It’s always interesting to walk around with paint caked under manicured nails. My nail gal just tuts and shakes her head when I sit down and show her my hands. I love Glitterbels builder gel and that’s what we always use for my nails. Tickle fights to fill the house with laughter. Although the kids are learning my ticklish spots, and that means I’m not always the winner any more. But I’m taller, so I still have an advantage. So there.

Let me be clear: I do make it a priority to set a good example for my kids. So the things that really make me laugh are reserved for ‘big kid’ time. Certain words will always make me giggle. Like penis and poop. *snicker* I have a terrible potty mouth. I swear like a sailor when my kids aren’t present. It’s not lady-like or classy… but who gives a fuck? If you’re going to judge me for my language, you don’t know me well enough for it to matter to me.

ClownThe people closest to me know how much I love to prank. I’ll hide around a corner trying not to give myself away by giggling, and then jump out and scream as my husband approaches. Gets him every time. One of my favorite pranks is hiding random awful items around my friends houses. A quick trip to the local goodwill for the most terrible statuettes and decorative plates makes for an evening of fun hiding them in strategic spots. And then you sit there in anticipation for weeks waiting for the inevitable “WTF” text as the items are found.

But right now it’s raining, so we’re going to go put on our raincoats and rainboots and go stomp in puddles and collect worms. Peace out, kids. Go do something fun. I double dog dare you. But I’ll leave you with a powerful poem:

I’m rubber,
You’re glue,
Be immature sometimes.
Poop.

Bri Ketler

Bri Ketler is a thirty-something mother of two, artist, crafter, and volunteer in the Calgary area. A Calgary native, she decided to spread her wings and move to Edinburgh, Scotland in 2001 to pursue a degree in the arts.She graduated with her BA in Art and Design from Edinburgh College of Art in 2005.

She worked as an Interior Designer in Calgary until her passion for art overwhelmed her desire for wealth and fame.When she is not chasing after her two young kids, she is teaching art to teen girls in need and creating dolls for her small handcrafting business, Lil’Zo.

Bri believes that art is a powerful outlet, and many internal issues can be confronted, exposed, and resolved by simply letting go and allowing oneself to be creative – even if they don’t believe they are the ‘creative type’. Everyone can benefit from getting over their fears, and simply putting pen to paper, paint to canvas, click a shutter, put hands on clay, or whatever medium one chooses. Find her online here.

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