<p>One D is gone for 5 1/2 weeks, the other for three…hmmm…beside putting new knobs on the dressers, can’t figure out what to do with myself</p>
<p>Exerciing more, cooking less, cleaning closets, touring my city…and organziing the sock drawer (beside my usual volunteering)</p>
<p>it is like practice for empty nest</p>
<p>One year when my D was at camp (3 week session), hubby & I painted her room. The next year we painted the living room, steps and upstairs hallway. Her last year she at camp, we painted the dining room. Haven’t been able to paint the last three years (she got too old for camp and started working a summer job) because she’s home all summer. I expect to renovate our bedroom (long overdue) her freshman year at college.</p>
<p>I completely redecorated and organized my D bedroom while she was out of the country for two weeks. How brave am I??? LOL, I know it was a risk but she LOVED it. Actually several of her friends are asking me to put a “word” in to their parents next time they are gone.</p>
<p>My rising senior son is away for 8 weeks being a camp counselor. But my college-sophmore daughter is moping around the house fighting with her mother (when her mother’s around – Mom is gone Monday-Thursday). And my slightly demented mother-in-law has dinner with us every day. So not a lot of break in the caretaking duties. Last night my daughter and I went to see Sleater-Kinney, though. It was fabulous, even if she wouldn’t stand anywhere near me during the concert.</p>
<p>Redecorating: My wife is trying to refinish floors and repaint the kids’ rooms this summer. Her goal is to have it done before S returns to work on his college apps. The rest of us resent this a lot.</p>
<p>My child is at camp with cousins; a bit of urban roughing it in the suburbs of Puget Sound. I, on the other hand, am trying to get a handle on some eternally unfinished household projects like clearing my desk. I did find some free time to spend a weekend in Vermont, with a side trip to Williamstown, MA. While I did visit a farm stand to satisfy my ‘just-in-season’ sweet corn fix, I didn’t get any genuine Vermont maple syrup or Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.</p>