So Sad...

keylyme · 08-29-2007, 11:36 PM

We just moved our youngest into bs today. My daughter leaves Saturday for her freshman year at college and my eldest is a senior in college....that's it....we are empty nesters. I am sad. Youngest telephoned this evening at around 10:00pm, whispering because he wasn't supposed to be on the phone after 10. Said he had met some neat people (first friend he made was someone from Nepal, which is pretty cool for him as we live in a totally homogenous area....all white, middle income). He is happy, but I miss him.

D'yer Maker · 08-30-2007, 12:00 AM

You can have my 8 year-old drama queen daughter and I'll be the empty-nester. Win-win?

goaliedad · 08-30-2007, 09:17 AM

He'll be back soon enough, so don't worry and don't start converting his room in to your office!

I remember sending Goaliegirl away the first year. It was a bit quiet (even though our (now 17 yr old Nongoalieson) is still living with us. The good thing was that I wasn't driving her 700 or more miles every weekend anymore. Although I liked the quality time in the car, I'm still trying to lose the weight I gained on the road all those years.

Nongoalieson, is still with us, but is not around much between school and job. So it will be quiet soon enough again.

Burb Parent · 08-30-2007, 09:43 AM

It's sad, but it's also an opportunity to rediscover yourself and your spouse. I became an empty-nester of sorts this time last year. There were a few sad months figuring out how to re-invent myself. Now things are good, and I'm doing some things professionally that I didn't think I would ever do. Also, I'm an active volunteer for our upcoming Library Fair. I used to be an active volunteer at my son's last school, but didn't do much for the town. I'm not looking forward to bringing my only back to school. However, it will be much easier than last year.

smile dog · 08-31-2007, 01:47 PM

OH NO-OOOOOO!!!!!

I've been trying to push off thinking about the very thing you're experiencing right now. A week from Sunday we'll be dropping off Smile Pup 2 at BS and 5 days later Smile Pup 1 leaves for freshman year at college...I'm not sure I can bear it!

I'm fairly sure the Pups are going to be totally happy at their new schools so I'm not worried, but I know that when Pup 1 left for BS I just flat out missed him. Now with Pup 2 leaving, I'll not only miss him (UGH!) but I'm going to miss the me I was when they (or at least one of them) were home.

Very sad. And it hasn't even happened yet!

blairt · 08-31-2007, 05:35 PM

Just thing of all of the laundry you used to have to wash...

baseballmom · 08-31-2007, 07:11 PM

smile dog-When D went to BS I held up just fine for 24 hours until I was in the grocery store and passed one of favorite items on the shelf. I burst out crying. I live in a small town and had to get out of there quick before I ran into someone I knew!

drnancie · 08-31-2007, 10:07 PM

I too will be an empty nester after 22 years. I am quite sad.

D'yer Maker · 08-31-2007, 11:00 PM

Seriously...I've got a spare 8 year-old drama queen available to fill the void. Even if it's just weekends, we can work out a deal I'm sure. Send a PM if you think the grass is greener on the "kids still at home" side of the fence.

smile dog · 09-01-2007, 07:28 PM

Baseballmom - yup, it's definitely the little things that you never thought twice about before that totally smack you in the face now that they're gone; things like passing up that favorite food. In my case, I think it will be not hearing all the little noises (humming, brushing of teeth, shuffling of papers, etc.) that have been the soundtrack of Pup 2's life that are going to force collapse.

D'yer - thanks for the offer. I'll definitely bear that in mind! How does your daughter like her pancakes? I make a pretty mean chocolate chip pancake, if I do say so.

D'yer Maker · 09-01-2007, 09:55 PM

Can you guess what she had for breakfast today? Now that's some serious karma. All we need to do now is get your airport code and book the flight. PM me and we'll wrap it all up post haste. Thanks.

edconsultant22 · 09-01-2007, 10:01 PM

I am in the opposite situation as all of you! I have 2 kids under 2 and we just decided that a 3rd is in our future. I have to hide in the bathroom to get a moment to myself.

keylyme · 09-02-2007, 10:18 PM

Well...now we are officially "empty nesters". Dropped daughter off at college yesterday. This, by the way, was much more labor-intensive than dropping son off at bs. It took many hours and trips to nearby stores to get the room totally up to she and her roommate's specs.
Today, Mr. lyme and I drove to a chocolatier not too far from where we live (but that we'd never had time to visit). Tomorrow we are headed to the White Mts. to knock off two our 4000-footers (we are almost done the list; we started back in the 1980's, but family obligations made it impossible to hike much the past ten years).
I am still sad and do miss the kids, but I certainly do seem to have a lot of time to do things all of a sudden!
I did hear from both kids today; they are enjoying themselves, meeting new people, and no homesickness yet!

D'yer Maker · 09-02-2007, 10:23 PM

That is awesome! You went to the too-busy-to-get-to chocolatier today and you're off TOMORROW! to finish off the White Mountains! No moss is gathering on this empty nest! I pity the White Mountains...as they will surely be no match for the lymes.

keylyme · 09-05-2007, 08:40 AM

Well, the mountains kicked our butt! I am so sore; not just my legs, but my arms, shoulders, and pects as well. This was one steep hill. The route itself was an 11-mile loop; it was flat to an easy uphill grade for the first 2.5 miles. Then it was a moderate uphill for another mile. Then....1600 feet in 1.2 mile....ouch! It was just shy of a technical climb with lots of exposure on steep rock and I was quite certain I would either die or suffer from great physical pain. (The route follows an old land-slide). At the top of the slide, the trail continued very steeply through the woods to the summit. Spectacular views from the top of the slide, I might add. We then crossed all three summits of this mountain, with only two counting toward the 4000-footer list as the southernmost peak does not have the requisite elevation separation from its neighboring peak. Then....the route down from the South peak was another slide. This one was all loose talus for about a mile. I was walking like a drunkard over the last two miles. I guess you could call it fun, though!

Last night we were still tired from our hike, so we grilled out and enjoyed the Sox (Red) game. Tonight we are going to catch our local public hs soccer game (where my son attended last year) and then might hop over to the local state college to see a game as well (we know two boys on the team). We are so addicted to watching our kids play sports, it's hard not to have that going on right now. They literally never stopped, with activities every night. We are just not used to not having somewhere to drive! (Of course, this is temporary while we wait for their school sports to begin).

We have not heard from my bs son since Sunday and mr. lyme is quite distraught. I am less distraught, but slightly baffled. Has he lost his cell phone? Does his computer not work? His sister (at college) has phoned several times; she has not heard from him either. He has never been a caller, though, and has been away several times before. I can only assume that he is busy and all is well. Anyone else experience a freshman who doesn't call much?