Empty Nester Syndrome - My First 365 Days!!

Somewhere between 1983 and 2012, time must have gotten away from me somehow!  Almost twenty-nine years ago the most beautiful, sweet and tiny baby came into me and my husband’s lives which set off a chain reaction. Over the next ten years, four more just as beautiful babies entered our lives bringing experiences we never dreamed of.  Our lives would never be the same.  Now, at a spur of the moment (or so it seems) it’s just my husband and I again!  How did that happen?!  Wasn’t it just yesterday we were changing diapers, going to parent/teacher conferences and shuttling kids to piano lessons and soccer games?  Our all too small house has become “roomy” and our dinner table even more so!  We hit a change in our lives once again…empty nesters!

This morning my youngest daughter hopped in her “piece” of a car and headed off for college…well, sort-of…she officially can’t move into her apartment until Saturday but with marching band practices for the next six days straight from sun up to sun down we’re counting her as “off for college”.  She’ll be back for one night but thank goodness for good friends who are willing to let her camp out at their apartment for a few nights.  And we’re hoping to get her into her apartment early but that’s all dependent on the apartment managers and how fast they can clean.  She’s a happy freshman looking forward to new opportunities and I’m glad to let her fly on her own now.  (Although I’m certainly going to miss her!)

My husband and I are a little at odds with ourselves.  Thank goodness we’ve kept our marriage a little alive during the past 29 years with kids – at least I don’t look at him across the table and think “Who are you?!”  Instead, I’m getting a few butterflies in my stomach thinking of this new type of freedom we’ve suddenly inherited and in our minds I think we’re both starting to make “date” plans to make up for all those Friday nights we forfeited for kid’s activities.  Suddenly being an empty nester doesn’t sound so sad!!

So here’s the deal…I thought it would be fun to do “My first 365 days as an empty nester” and just see where this “empty nester” syndrome takes us.  I’m hoping for some pretty enjoyable days and some pretty nice nights too! ;)  Now don’t get me wrong…I’m not expecting something fantastic every day,(or night) but even a nice visit from my good-looking mailman while at work  just makes my day!  And life isn’t always a bed of roses, so I’m sure I’ll have some pretty boring posts too!

So let’s fly!!