<p>WashDad, I wouldn't mention the sportscar to the sons.</p>
<p>Is it red? I hope it's red.</p>
<p>Yeah, I was surprised about the folded laundry too. Can't imagine my son folding laundry.</p>
<p>No folded laundry here, He just stuffs it into a duffle bag and goes. </p>
<p>My soph S has definitely "left us". He is living in an off campus apartment this year and I've noticed he now always refers to his apartment/college city as "home". Never does laundry when he is here for (very short ) visits, says he can do that "at HOME". That gives your heart a little pang the first time you hear it.<br>
He will defnitely not be moving back in after grad. His (military) career won't allow for that (thank goodness)!<br>
I love the boy to death but he is a man-size package of constant motion. I love the visits but the house is so much calmer when he's gone (and I still have a 17 year old S living here). One down and one to go we say. </p>
<p>We talk constantly of retirement and have bought a lot to build our "retirement home" on. We are looking forward to the future with excitement, not regret.<br>
For those of you who will go through the stabbing pain of missing them next Fall, take heart. It gets better, probably better than you can imagine.</p>
<p>My senior is my only child. I am happy & excited for him and dreading it for me. </p>
<p>Our local throw-away paper recently had an ad to promote their for-sale classifieds:
(picture of crib) "The baby graduated from high school. [smaller font:] It's time to let go." </p>
<p>Nice double-meaning there, I thought. I taped it up next to my work computer. Now if I can just "embrace" it! <strong><em>sigh</em></strong></p>
<p>Yes, the house stays neater, less laundry, less groceries, less cooking.....but after having 2 of mine in for Easter---I miss them so much. I hate empty nest!! Everything is so much more fun, alive, and entertaining with them home.</p>
<p>One will be home for half the summer--ask me then and my answer may be different;).</p>
<p>Son is NOT a neat freak- never folds laundry at home, the jumbled clean laundry sits in the basket he used to carry it upstairs to his room, then ends up on the floor when the basket is needed again... At the winter break trip home home he was amazed at how I was able to fit all of his clean, folded laundry into his giant laundry hamper (he had brought more than the stuffed hamper for the dirty stuff)- in the interest in getting going that time I had finished and folded his laundry, packing it all into the hamper as he was collecting his other belongings from all over the house (we sent the laundry bag he'd left behind with someone going back a bit later...). This time he had ample time to do it, the undone load went back as is... He would go to get clean clothes from the laundry room as he needed them, when I needed the laundry room I put the unfolded laundry in the hamper, the rest of the undone in the laundry bag to get it out of my way, he never took the hint... You pick your battles, after several reminders you ignore the situation... BTW, the easiest way to know your son has done laundry after you have is to try to open the detergent container, the factory doesn't tighten the lid as much...</p>
<p>Did anyone see the comic Zits today? I loved the last panel. "What do you call the emotion that's between "can't-wait-until-they're-out-of-the-house" and "can't-bear-to-let-go-of-them"?.....Parenthood!"</p>
<p>I have noticed that when son is home, dirty clothes are left on bathroom and bedroom floor and clean clothes are taken directly from basket and worn. However, when I have stopped by his dorm room---even item is put in its place--shirts hung together, slacks together, books lined up, bed made, ect. When I questioned how he could be so neat at school and so sloppy at home, his reply was "well, at school you aren't around to do it--so I just do it"!!!</p>
<p>^^^^ Son exact same way- has all his dorm mates believing he is a neat freak- his answer to me " when confined to such a small space forces neatness" --- :)</p>
<p>mkm56--lol!</p>
<p>I have a 15 year old who doesn't even know how to use a hanger properly--he hangs things up, but they're just as likely to fall down b/c the hanger isn't through the sleeves! He's quite intelligent otherwise...</p>
<p>My husband just returned from a trip, during which he had an evening with our freshman son. Son sent back some warm clothing to make moving out of the dorm a bit easier. A stack of sweaters, neatly folded....just like I fold sweaters...oh, what a great kid--he's become so neat.....oh, wait.....hmmmmm......I called, asked, and learned that they are still folded like that because he never wore them. Well, they don't need to be cleaned after all!</p>
<p>I'm not allowed in the dorm (per son, one way of respecting his separate life)...last saw it a week after he moved in- saw plenty of space to put the books, towels, etc he had laying around everywhere else, his roommate had gone home for the weekend, leaving his unmade bed so I guess they were compatible in that area...</p>
<p>mkm56--I agree about the quieter house. Our solution is to have friends over more often. We've started having poker games, academy awards or NCAA viewing nights, wine and cheese evenings, BBQ's, dessert and champagne for the neighborhood, etc. Didn't have as much energy for entertaining when we were running a busy family.</p>
<p>LOL mafool. I remember telling my d. to clean her room. Clothes were everywhere! When I went to check later, all looked great....then I looked under the bed and in the hamper(I know, big mistake, should have left well enough alone)....there were all the neatly folded clean clothes she supposedly put away!!</p>
<p>With kid number one, we have the perfect compromise--she lives about ten minutes away. She has a full life--job she likes, nice roommate, great boyfriend, but we get to see her every couple weeks or so. She and bf came over for Easter dinner, S came home from college for the weekend, and we had a houseful of relatives. Perfect, though exhausting.</p>
<p>Added bonus to independent but close by D--she snagged home opener Mets tickets and gave them to H and I for H's birthday!!!! What a wonderful kid (and what a great game, too--sorry Philly fans.)</p>
<p>We have two empty bedrooms and soon the last one will be gone, too.</p>
<p>Some of our "solutions" may work for some:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Our alma mater (Oberlin) has a winter term and asked for alumni to provide career shadowing or other internships during January. For several years, I had delightful students fill the rooms and help in my own classroom. What energetic, beautiful people these students were! My H is in search of another one for the coming year to organize his archeology collection, a lifelong hobby that needs research skills to catalogue. We provide room and board in return for talented help in our professional work. Almost as good as having our own kids home, and sometimes even better (shhh!)</p></li>
<li><p>Our youngest, missing his older sibs when they departed, insisted we get him a 90-pound dog, adopted from the SPCA. Doggie, plus the big old guinea pigs he stuck us with, will reside with us for years to come. </p></li>
<li><p>My H got everyone cell phones all at once a family-plan that gives excellent access among us all. That helps keep us close, plus emails of course.</p></li>
<li><p>My MIL took in foreign exchange students for years after her own 5 boys left the nest. Actually, she began this before the last ones left, which provided lots of interesting conversation for herself and stimulation for the youngest sibs. That was before everybody was so global, and it was eye-opening!</p></li>
</ol>