Top Ten Ways We Know We're Turning Into Our Parents

I am a product of the Baby Boomers born in the Millennium Generation. I often fancy myself as a child still. Full of naivety and wonder.
However, lately, signs are pointing to the opposite.

While discussing the importance of comfortable shoes with my friend yesterday, I looked up at a mirror and saw my mother looking back at me. The same hand gestures, the same facial expressions, the same use of the phrase, "Out. Of. This. World!"- the Mom equivalent of "OMG!", when describing an item that I like (an item such as brand new SAS loafers).

My mother is a beautiful and strong woman, I'd be so lucky to turn into her, but having overly-animated conversations with her about "The Housewives of Orange County" and taking up her suggestion of including a bowl of Fiber One in my daily diet frightens me a little. What happened to the defiant child that locked herself in her room when a Michael McDonald record came on in the house? Or the girl that used to make fun of her father when he fell asleep in the living room chair at 9:30PM? She's been replaced by a woman who quietly sings the Time Life "Romancing the 70's" commercial to herself as she slowly nods off Friday nights on her couch.

Though there is no denying that the generation transformation is taking place now, luckily I can still hold onto the fact that I don't understand parents fascination with John Mayer, taking of countless Facebook quizzes, or tireless devotion to tucking in their shirts.

Top Ten Ways We Know We're Turning into Our Parents:

1.) We've actually begun including tissue boxes on our grocery lists in substitute of using toilet paper for runny noses.

2.) One morning we wake to understanding the brilliant practicality of fanny packs. We even question why we made fun of them in the first place, telling our friends, "They're actually kind of cool looking."

3.) Internal conflicts regarding going out and getting drinks with friends or staying home and watching "Dancing With The Stars" becomes a weekly issue and one that often accumulates in the need for a Xanax.

4.) When Hall & Oates comes on in the department store, we no longer pout and quickly exit the store. Instead we get really excited and start crooning "Sara Smile" to the closest person who will listen.

5.) We resort back to 35mm and pillage our parents closets for their abandoned Minoltas.

6.) When treading common area between college students and locals, we find our blood pressure rising when a large group of boisterous students are within ten feet of us. Everything they say sounds stupid and we're 100% sure that we did not sound like them when in college.

7.) We begin holding a spot for "dry cleaning" on our budgets.

8.) We actually create budgets.

9.) Stopping by the mattress store while hungover just to lie on a Tempur-Pedic and chant to ourselves, "One day, baby. One day we will be together", turns into spending our entire savings on the purchase of one.

10.) We may or may not purchase Consumer Reports and scan for the words "most" and "reliable" while searching for a new car.