My name is Mish, and I am a Responsible Adult.

Today I came home from the gym to wait for the dishwasher repairman. I did the dishes while I waited because it seemed to me that a dishwasher repairman would not like to see a sinkful of dirty dishes (there was no evidence that this was the case). While he was here, I hunted through my fairly organised files of paperwork looking for receipts and warranties. We discussed appliance-repair-prices versus replacing-with-new prices. I said we would ideally prefer to repair the dishwasher than replace it, with Christmas presents being the budget priority (never mind the carbon footprint).

After he left, I rang a government department about a bill that we should never receive but continue to receive year after year. I had my ‘notice of assessment ready for evaluation’ for when I had progressed in the queue and the Officer (a loosely used term?) was able to take my call. I was calm, we worked it out.

Then I quickly got to work writing reports because I was picking up my daughter from school early. I had made her a doctor’s appointment for the afternoon as I suspected she had an ear infection (it was the crying and screaming ‘MY EAR MY EAAARRRR!!!' that was the real clue).

I ate Cruskits with tomato and cream cheese in between reports and I wondered if I should be going out tonight - I had a scratchy throat which more than likely meant I had caught my daughter’s cold. I didn’t want it to get worse with all the drinking and chatting I would partake in if I left the house.

I weighed up the pros and cons as I gargled betadine and put the kettle on for some herbal tea.

OH MY GOD. IT WAS ALL SO FRIGGIN' RESPONSIBLE.

When did I start drinking herbal tea and saying words like 'ideally' and ‘budget priority’ and 'friggin''? When did I weigh up the pros and cons of a night out?

WHEN DID I BECOME SO RESPONSIBLE????

This is not me. I am not like this.

Of course it’s a silly question, I stopped being irresponsible many years ago. Before I had kids even, so I can’t use the old ‘that’s what happens when you become a parent’ excuse.

Sometimes though, I still get surprised it. At least today after my initial 'I am an adult' horror, I swiftly moved through the stages of denial (hey, I break rules, I didn’t even do my weights at the gym this morning!) and anger (well you try being irresponsible on this budget!) and got to a point of acceptance.

I accept that I am an adult now. It is what it is.

Ah there I am.

It may not be cool to be so responsible, especially according to my teenage self, but it is cooler than not picking up your kids from school because you are half-dressed and coked-out in the back of a paddy wagon. Or whatever the kids are doing these days.

But in a tribute to breaking the rules, I am going to go out tonight. Scratchy throat and all. I might even stay out past midnight…but probably not because the kids have sport early in the morning and, you know, with the dishwasher still broken there’s going to be a lot of dishes to do.

Also, I am NOT going to drink that herbal tea.

SO, teenage self, sit on THAT and spin!   Or whatever the kids are saying these days.

Images: 3oneseven.com & thegregbradyproject.com