<p>What I miss- hearing my son singing, and being able to see and joke with him every day. What I don’t miss- having to fight for the car. I also get to sleep a half hour later!</p>
<p>Believe it or not, I actually miss waking her up in the morning. I still go into her room every morning to open the shutters, and sometimes I look over at her bed and feel sad that she’s not there…</p>
<p>The wake-up was a job I joyfully got rid of during the HS years. Son got a clock that he could program to wake up to any music he chose. It woke him up much more quickly than I ever could and I was always making mistakes about when to wake him up. I miss making him muffins or popovers on the weekend with hot chocolate and whipped cream</p>
<p>As a mom of twins my house will become empty as quickly as it became full! I think I will be sad for a little (at least 5 or 10 minutes) and then…everything y’all have said.
One thing I will most enjoy is going shopping for myself!</p>
<p>Well, as far as the sex thing goes: you all need a third floor!!! </p>
<p>Now, when S1 left, I was completely lost, though I still had 3 at home. When my twins leave next fall (or next summer if my one twin decides for USAFA or USNA), I think I will be horribly lost again. When my D goes the following year! oh! I can’t even think about it. </p>
<p>Here are some things I have noticed: eldest S is the one who showered with the curtain half open (with lots of water on the floor and through the kitchen ceiling). Twin1 is the kid who thought laundry could get clean by friction; when it gets to the bottom of the pile, it’s clean again. Twin2 is (the service academy kid) is the one who gets all his school work done on time with no problems, but puts off all social engagements until he has a 99% or higher in each subject. I felt he should go out if he had a skimpy 95%. Or even, a 90%. Not his nature, though.</p>
<p>My house will no longer smell like a locker room after the kids are gone. And my car will get better gas mileage since it will not be filled with huge teenagers and all their fencing gear.</p>
<p>What have I been doing since my kids left home?
I’ve: taken college classes in French, traveled abroad, gone on meditation retreats, become active in local mediation groups, taken a photography course, taken acting classes, been an extra in a movie, served on some boards, helped run a community newspaper, invited more friends over, made more friends, and I’ve just signed H and me up for ballroom dancing lessons. I’ve also participated in some protests.</p>
<p>I’m taking the time to do the things that I didn’t have time or energy to do with kids in the home.</p>
<p>Northstarmom</p>
<p>You sound wonderful–a real inspiration.</p>
<p>Northstarmom…what about the bunnies 
and I second bethievt</p>
<p>This thread reminds me of the time when my twins went to pre-school and the teacher asked them what their mother did while they were gone. One answered: “dishes.” The other one said I stole money from a bank and drank beer with the neighbor. He is still my most imaginative child (and I hope he realizes I would never rob a bank, but that beer thing… well, maybe.).</p>
<p>Rent DVDs you wouldn’t enjoy.
Eat whatever we want for dinner.
Have a glass of wine with dinner (ok, we could have done that before, but we never did).
Watch a channel other than ESPN.
Yell at the TV during football and baseball games without worrying about you rolling your eyes at me.
Listen to MY radio station in the car.
Occasionally listen to classical music.
Go to the movies.
Miss you and wonder what you’re doing.</p>
<p>I miss my son’s daily piano and violin practicing. By the end he had gotten good enough that I loved listening for itself. And hour or two of concert every day.</p>
<p>What am I doing? Loosing track of time. Daydreaming. Grading papers whenever I want (not exciting, but I must), experimenting with being more honest with people instead of playing Cinderella, rethinking a lot of things, reaching out to my students more since they’re the only eighteen year olds around and being able to visit each of the kids without worrying about the schedule of the other.</p>
<p>And the other thing. Yup. </p>
<p>Uh oh, now my kids just got queasy. Well, I tried to be as generic as possible to spare their psychic antenae.</p>
<p>I teach four new courses in the community, and enjoy the preparation very much. For the first time, I’m teaching adults, which is a new challenge. They don’t throw chairs, so that’s different.</p>
<p>I field calls from 3 different states, share news tidbits with my H, envy when he’s the one they called and not me.</p>
<p>On occasion, I’ll email or meet with several of their younger friends with college advice or look at their essays if they want me to. I don’t like the revisit of anxiety this engenders in me, but trust I’m more helpful than harmful to their process overall.</p>
<p>Sometimes I field calls from their new locations that are very amusing. For example, one is having an “anniversary” this weekend with a girlfriend. I don’t ask what exactly is the event this anniversary commemorates. Each contacted me separately for confidential advice on what gift to get each other, and I was able to steer them towards things that required time and energy, not money, and to reassure them that these would be appreciated gifts. This felt really terrific. I also learned new things about them, like that they are ready to knock themselves out for each other, so my admiration continues. </p>
<p>BUt I got so wrapped up with those two, I almost forgot a birthday of one of my birth children. Hadn’t heard for awhile from that terrirotry, so gave her a shout and at the end of the call she mentioned it. Without saying I’d actually forgotten, I asked her which she preferred: a belated mailed gift, or a cash present but she could pick things out where she is living now, and she chose the latter. WIthout the sensory presence, it is easy to miss things, but I coudln’t believe I almost missed her BIRTHDAY, for heavens sake. So I have to put things on calendars, I guess, that used to be right there at the tissue level. I hope that never happens again, the birthday almost-forgot. Ick. That was terrible.</p>
<p>I can’t believe that no one has said, “Double my time on CC.”</p>
<p>One and only went off to college in August last year. In September I traded the flexibility and economic uncertainty of being a consultant for the schedule and regular paycheck of a full time job. I no longer needed/wanted to be able to attend games tournaments and concerts. Said job involves working alongside young folks, and I love it. The new job and its ultimately crazy hours helped me make the transition to empty nest.</p>
<p>I can’t believe that no one has said, “Double my time on CC.”</p>
<p>At least that is PG rated ;)</p>
<p>fencersmother, lol. My DD told her teacher, “Nothing. She just reads all day.”</p>
<p>^^^ wouldn’t that be great, Clueless??</p>
<p>I’m sure mine, if he thought about it at that age, believed that I sat by the door waiting for him to come home! </p>
<p>Sort of the way I had the cell phone attached to my navel his first months away (the empty-nest umbilicus)…in case he called.</p>
<p>LOL, mafool!</p>
<p>I keep my cell phone on all night, every night, just in case. I never used to do this before DD went off to college.</p>
<p>I love this thread. :)</p>
<p>My parents are lucky because even though I’m moving out next fall, my older (yes, older) sister will still be at home…not to mention my brother and sister-in-law and my 3-month-old nephew! (3 months on Monday, YAY)</p>
<p>[He’s</a> the cutest baby you’ll ever see.](<a href=“http://thelittlesthipp.blogspot.com/]He’s”>http://thelittlesthipp.blogspot.com/)</p>