Time to Go

At last the time came to leave for college. The weeks and months leading up to this moment seemed endless. No paying job was found so The Girl volunteered part time at the Habitat for Humanity Re-store. I can live with that. Last minute bonding came in the form of a three-day Mommy-Daughter trip to NYC. Neither of us had seen a Broadway musical, nor had we experienced the summer crowds. Points on our credit card gave us a room at the Hilton Times Square so we were in the thick of it. The best part was doing it with The Girl.

Preparing for the college move went well owing to plenty of prep time and a good list. [Still, two packages were mailed in the first week for items left behind.] The Girl is in a temporary triple but will move to another dorm soon. That part is a bit hurtful to her right now, but she has an amazing spirit and will soon make new friends.

Separation was well accomplished as there were no tears. Still... I am not a person who sits and contemplates what I am feeling. On the way home from the school I tried to put a name to it. I tried for a couple of days. "Unsettled." That's what I finally decided. Of course I miss The Girl. I've been going in her jewelry box and picking out a piece to wear each day. I've cleaned a bit of her room each day. I hug the soft friends she left behind. But no tears. Yet. It's hard to be sad when I'm so happy for her and her new adventure. After a couple of days I talked this over with Hubby. Funny, he felt the same way, only his term was "out of sorts."

We've been married 25 years. Every day to and from work Hubby passes the hotel where we stayed the first night we were married. (The next day we flew to Canada.) A couple of months ago he made a reservation at that hotel for the Saturday after we dropped off The Girl at college. I didn't really want to go. I wasn't feeling up to it but it meant so much to him so I didn't say anything. My whole attitude changed when I saw that he reserved the Bridal Suite. It was beautiful. He asked that chocolate covered strawberries (my favorite) be delivered to the room. He also made dinner reservations at Morton's for that evening. They had a special menu printed for us and took our picture. The next day we went to the ballgame and our team won!

The weekend completely cured us of our funk. It seemed weird to go away when we had a perfectly empty house but it was just what we needed. We still miss The Girl but we are celebrating each other. As it should be.

Reno work, it's never done ...

When you're young and buying your first home you think you'll fix it up and then just live in it. Wrong. Something, even on newer homes, always needs to be done. Hubby is extremely talented. He can paint (boy can he paint!). He can drywall. He can even do some electrical. Still, there comes a time when you have to hire outside contractors to do the work.

This time it's water leakage from the stamped concrete patio under the French doors. For more than a week contractors have been at our house replacing the doors and constructing an overhang. They stay until after 7pm and need access to our family room, master bedroom and the hall bathroom. They say they'll be done soon.

What will be the next project??? The soon-to-be "Empty Nest" will always need something!

As the Silhouettes say, "Get a Job" ...

One way this Happy Empty Nester will feel more secure is if I know my kid can support herself financially. When I was her age [uh oh, here it comes, "Danger, Will Robinson"] I was already on my second job, bought my own clothes and funded my own outings. Sure, my family had very little and she is our only child, but I couldn't wait to earn my own money and put it to use the way I wanted.

She's job searching as I write this. I've suggested she work at a place where she can get a discount on items she will need for college - Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc. Her aunt suggested she work at a place like Starbucks so she can work anywhere she goes. That's okay by me. I just want her to be safe, have a bit of fun, get some experience, and earn MONEY!

Knowing it will happen. . .

I love my kid - more than just about anything. Not surprising, right? What may be surprising is that my hubby and I can't wait to be a couple again! Our daughter, and only child, is graduating from high school in a couple of months. The day will soon come when she goes off to college and it's just hubby and me. I'm sure I'll ache for her. I'm sure there will be tears. But...Bring on Naked Wednesdays!!!