Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Spreading Our Wings

I hope no one every doubts my devotion to my children, but after 24 years of mothering, I'm kind of ready for a break.
Tucker on a trip out west
We had a brief empty nest two years ago with all three kids off to college. That was the autumn that Grace got mono, and Tucker hated college so decided he was moving home after the fall semester.
We declared it Empty-Nest November in an attempt to keep the kids away for a month, but with Thanksgiving and all, we let them come home.
Since then, all or some of our three children have been living at home.
We don't mind. We enjoy them a lot of times.
This summer, with all three kids home in our small house, it has felt a little crowded.
Luckily, everyone has different work schedules so we aren't usually all home at the same time, except when we're sleeping, and even that varies. I'm sure there have been times I've climbed out of bed at 5:30 when my boys might just be going to bed.
This morning though, it feels a little roomier here at home as Tucker moved out yesterday.

Spencer going out on the town.
He moved into a duplex in the same town where we live, which makes me happy because it is safer than a lot of housing closer to campus (Ohio State University). Tucker.20,  works five days a week, takes classes, plays soccer and hangs out with his friends. I think that we are closer, more tolerant of each other when he doesn't live at home.
Our agreement is that we'll pay his rent while he's in college. He has to pay his utilities and food, along with gas for his car. And he has to pass his classes. He has had a hard time settling on a major. Currently he is aiming for Interactive Multimedia, which includes photography, videography and computer animation. I hope he enjoys it.
Grace and her boyfriend Jack in a moment
 of' adoration and cuteness
After Spencer left for work at 6:45, and Earl left for work at 8, the house felt a little less crowded.
I freely walked from the bathroom to the bedroom without clothes on, knowing that the house was a male-free zone for a few hours.
Grace asked what we were going to do with our male-free hours, but I had to work, so she's on her own, until Spencer gets home from work or she leaves for the class she is taking.
Next month, Spencer will return to college for one more semester.
Grace and her boyfriend are headed to London in September.
I love my kids, but I'm looking forward to the time this fall when we might get to be empty nesters again.
Remind me next year, if I'm whining about missing my kids that I was looking forward to being alone.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am sure you know Philip Larkin's poem about parents. Kind of the reverse happens, too. I think the chafing makes the parting easier. I have a few more years before that, but I sometimes think, who is this monster in my house? What happened to the sweet, cuddly kid? Was it a dream?

Sim Carter said...

I think what francetaste said may be correct. My son is looking to move out—although finding an affordable place to live in LA isn't easy—but I find the two of us butting heads constantly. And he's my only child who I absolutely adore! Ah, the joy of walking around the house nude!

our life in france said...

We all love our kids and while they are little and still doing more or less what we ask it is good to have them around but when they become adults they also have their own minds and of course they take up a lot more room, once they get to the point where you can't put them to bed and have some quiet time it is time to start pruning

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