So close to 40!

I was browsing on FB the other day, and a friend's post caught my eye. "I'm creating a list of 40 before 40. What should I add to it?" Wait, what? That sounds interesting!  Then I moved on to my BFF Google, and saw that there were a lot of 40 Before 40 blogs, lists, articles, etc.  I figure that even with my procrastination issues I have a few years to get my list done, so this *could* be possible.  My list is now done, and I have to be honest... I did this for ME.  I'm sure if I'd asked them my husband and my children would have had some helpful suggestions for what I should aspire to do. "Home-made pack lunches, less lunchables" and "Take a tick off the dog instead of texting the husband at work" would probably be on their lists somewhere.  There are some "good for me" experiences on my list, but they are on my terms.  I still have the new year resolutions like lose 20 pounds, write more thank-you notes, and keep my house clean.  I haven't kept to any of those for the past 10 years, so I can't imagine that adding them to this list would help. It's a fine line to come up with a list that is aspirational, but also realistic, and I hope I'm on the right side of that fine line.  At least at this point, I read my list and think that everything on there is possible. So here it is....

1. Make quilts for the kids. Billy Roy's is actually pieced together for the front.  That was done when he was two.  He is now five.  Did I mention I have procrastination issues?!  I also have the material and pattern for the Betty's quilt, so I'm not starting from scratch.
2. Read "A Brief History Of Time".
3. Learn another language.
4. Take a painting class.
5. Run The Warrior Dash. Given that I'm on the couch with my broken ankle propped up, this one is going to have to wait a while.
6. Own a house.  We have a whole sorry saga about house-owning (Moved to a different country, 2 years on the market, sold at a loss).  So yes, I'm approaching 40, and we're saving up for a house.
7. Get painted portrait of the kids.
8. See something on Etsy.  It will count if Mr. Badger buys it, right?
9. Take the kids volunteering.  Betty has done some volunteering with her Daisy troop, but I want to do it as a family.
10. Go camping for a week.  We've done overnight in the back yard, and a weekend, but a week would be great!
11. One week away with Mr. Badger.  My plan is to ship the kids to Granny's house at some point.  We had five days last year, but it was for Mr. Badger's work, so I didn't really see him, it doesn't count!
12. Go to a concert.  I have been to a couple in the last few years (Duran Duran with Mr. Badger, Taylor Swift with the girl), but I want to go to one for *me* (James Taylor, Adele, anyone else who takes my fancy).
13. See a broadway show.  We've lived in N.J. for a couple of years now, and still haven't been, even though we've been into NYC plenty of times.  Mary Poppins is my tentative plan.
14. Hike a mountain.  Haven't done this for years.
15. See one of the seven wonders of the world.  This started off as "Go to Machu Picchu". That is still my top choice.
16. Try Sushi.  Ewwww.  I'm not exactly adventurous when it comes to food.
17. Take a photography class. High school photography was the last class I took, eons ago.
18. Go zip lining. This will be crossed off in July when we go and visit my sister in Northern CA.  I'm dragging Mr. Badger with me.  Poor Mr. Badger (who has a fear of heights).
19. Take the kids to London.  I've been waiting until they are old enough to appreciate it, this is on my to-do list for Summer 2013, or 2014.
20. Do Flylady for 6 months.  I've lost track of how many times I've started.  Sticking with it for 6 months is on my "never done" list.  (Tomorrow will be day one).
21. Create a bedroom I love.  This will have to wait until #6 is ticked off the list.
22. 40 random acts of kindness.
23. Take Billy Roy to a comic book or Lego convention.  Love this boy, he allows me to act like a 12 year old nerdy boy, and it's perfectly acceptable.
24. Raise money, or donate, to an Alzheimer's charity.  
25. Learn all the dance moves to Thriller.  I stole this from someone else's list during my Google search.  I literally LOL'd, so it's made my list.
26. Watch all the Star Wars movies in 1 weekend.  Related to #23.  We may have to wait until Mr. Badger is on a hunting trip.  He is not a fan of a) Star Wars or b) lazing around in pajamas all day.
27. Submit a photo to a photography contest or art show.  I did this as a teenager (I won a ribbon!) Once I've taken that photography class all my photos will be award winning, right?!
28. Get a hammock.  On my to-do list for just about my entire adult life.  We had one in the garden when I was a little girl. I loved that hammock.
29. Shoot a gun.
30. Frame and hang some family photos.  I have thousands of family photos on the computer, and have a psychological block when it comes to decorating a rental house. Given that we have rented a house for five years now, I really need to get over this.
31. Make a three course meal from scratch.  I thought about writing "create a 7 course meal" or "host a dinner party", but I wanted to keep my list somewhat within the realm of possibility.
32. Complete P90X.  A bit like Flylady, I've started P90X twice now, and have yet to finish it (even though I love it).  I can't even remember why I fell off the wagon each time.
33. Go puddle jumping with the kids.  Normally they jump, I stand and watch. 
34. Surprise kids at school for lunch on their own.  This will involve a couple of not-so-white lies (Betty has an orthodontist apt, Billy Roy has a doctor's apt), and an afternoon off work.  It will be worth it (In my head that sounds like when parents say "we WILL have fun today" to whining kids at WDW).
35. Teach each dog one new trick.  Two dogs, but they are both still quite young, so I think I've got a good chance. 
36. Give up soda.  I'll leave this one for a while, it will be embarrassingly hard.
37. Dress up at Halloween.
38. Get the printer set up.  One of the things about moving so much is all the PITA stuff that never actually gets done by the 5th move.  I actually stopped typing this to search for a new dry-cleaners for Mr. Badger.  He just took a photo of the coupon on the website with his blackberry.  So sad, maybe that printer will get set up this weekend.
39. Re-read Walden by Henry David Thoreau. Most favourite book ever.
40. Go to a political rally.  I can't vote, but I still can make a difference!