<p>Both of mine will now be in college and I am not looking forward to the “empty nest”. I have been blessed to have two great kids and will be sorry to have them both gone. So glad I have my dog, who is 11 but needs the attention of a toddler…! Hope he hangs around for awhile! H doesn’t seem to be bothered by it–is it just me or are most mothers the ones who ride the emotional roller coaster?</p>
<p>Empty nest for me, too, as s heads off next month. It will additionally be much harder with him leaving than it was when my rising senior d left, because of the Crohn’s disease that he was diagnosed with and has battled through HS. He picked the farthest away school, too, in Notre Dame (14 hours away!)- and will have to get back and forth to a Chicago hospital himself for his ongoing IV treatments that take several hours, thankfully now only every 6 weeks. Boston would have been alot easier, but he has never picked the easy paths, and said he was “100 % sure” he was making the right choice.</p>
<p>Saying goodbye to this child will be tough, to say the least!</p>
<p>Wow galwaymon! How difficult it must be to let S go! It would be totally normal to want to keep him close. You did a good job since he feels independent enough to want to venture so far away. Be proud of yourself!</p>
<p>When friends ask what I am thinking about having an “empty nest” I say I think of it as a “quiet nest”…I know it will feel odd–but with me, husband, dog, 2 cats and kids returning for 2-3 week episodes now and then I think “empty” sounds too grim. And work and other things I like to do will keep me busy and I will not have to cook for a vegetarian.</p>
<p>My second child and only daughter will be leaving mid-August. I feel ready but like it has all come very fast. And I have waves of poignant nostalgia for when mine were little and I’m sure there will be teary moments. There will also be plenty of things I will not miss! (I started a thread on that theme in the Cafe awhile ago.)</p>
<p>But it also feels meant to be and lucky to be happening. Having sent my son off previously, I know they do manage even when you worry they are clueless. </p>
<p>My daughter, much to our surprise, decided to follow her brother to his LAC, where he will be a senior. So I do have some envy that they will be having some fun there together and I will not get to witness any of it…And she will ask him for help/advice if needed, not me…But overall, it is good…AND I am really glad there is this forum thread to belong to…</p>
<p>Our second and last son will be going to college in August in the town where we both did our graduate studies, Nashville. This is a most unexpected outcome, but brings with it a return for us to visits in a town where we enjoy many friends from our 20s and 30s…now all grown up but still compadres from our own beginnings.
Our firstborn is home temporarily with the “Job No Longer Exists Flu” epidemic…you know the one “going around”? In October 08, he accepted a wonderful job in a major city to begin June after graduation. Immediately after graduation, he was told the job offer was rescinded/delayed since there was no longer enough business to support new hires. Maybe in 2010?
So my expected empty nest has a temporary young adult back in it. Last night we drove up to a wonderful retreat to hear chamber music together and I enjoyed a rare semi grown up evening with my college grad. So the distractions of his job search for a while (one week more? one year more?) will mitigate the move to college by his younger brother. One day we know elder brother will just up fly away and begin somewhere new.</p>
<p>S2, our youngest, is headed to school early in two weeks and I have to admit, I am having a very hard time. I am celebrating his achievement and the excitement of attending a wonderful school but at the same time, the feeling of loss is overwhelming at times. To all of you who posted, thank you, because it helps to know how others are handling this.</p>
<p>Twins (last two of total three) are heading off as freshmen to different colleges in 3+ weeks.</p>
<p>This empty nest will be upon us with a loud ka-BANG. We will be going from having high school seniors and all their friends here all the time, to just the quiet purr of the cat.</p>
<p>I’m a psycho witch, walking a thin, shaky line between (1) screaming about piles of dirty laundry and strewn trash, fridge door left open, car left running in the driveway overnight, and (2) kneeling on the floor, hands extended outward, pleading with them not to go.</p>
<p>They come back regularly- they really do! It seems like no sooner are they here and gone again that they are back. I had a few tough moments last year, but it’s amazing how you adjust to their comings and goings and even learn to appreciate the peace and quiet in between. An older friend of mine told me that college was not the real transition for her - it was much later, when the kids moved into their own homes and yours is no longer their base. I can see that.</p>
<p>heyalb…you are hilarious. roshke…you are comforting. I really do believe in giving your children wings etc, but do feel a little envious of my neighbors who encouraged their children to attend our fine state universities in VA…sometimes kick myself a bit for not nudging them there as well. Their children seem to stay more connected to the region than I think mine will be since their VA institutional education-made friends are largely at least in-state…and our kids’ classmates at college will scatter to the winds…one of the downsides of not choosing a regional university. As a military brat myself, my sense of place is askew and I am always torn between a transient view of life and missing out on constancy and long-term connections, so I do have the surges now and then of “what were we thinking…UVA is wonderful.” Oh well…the kids might have met and run away with classmates from far away attending UVA as well as they are likely to befriend friends at the universities of their choices with more dispersed national footprints.</p>
<p>D leaves in about 5 weeks to go to school 8 hours from home. Her older brother just graduated from college and lives 2 1/2 hours away so we’re going into full empty nest syndrome. We’ll get to pet two cats but other than that not sure what I’m going to be doing. Have volunteered at the HS for the past few years but don’t know if I’m going back or looking for something new.</p>
<p>In the meantime, I’ve been trying to get D and S to clean their leftovers (S did a pretty good job last time he was home) so I don’t have to look at so much clutter for months on end.</p>
<p>Our daughter is leaving in 6 weeks, 3 years after our son left. Both are >2000 miles away. I think I will do OK, but I fear that my wife will be another matter. This I am not looking forward to.</p>
<p>D leaves in mid-August to start her freshman year of college. S begins his second year of college in August. DH and I begin a whole new chapter–as empty-nesters.</p>
<p>I remember our two kids starting Kindergarten and I was so excited for them. </p>
<p>But I feel differently about them going off to college. Especially after s’ tough first year. I have really mixed feelings about his year ahead. He’s got a lot of growing up to do.</p>
<p>I will miss d so much. She’s a joy to be around. I will miss her energy. I will truly miss going to her ECs and seeing her friends hanging around the house. And our two dogs will miss her even more!</p>
<p>lol, well I got the kleenux and chocolate part covered ;)</p>
<p>Youngest sibling will be attending college this fall. Mother is very sad since she raised nine kids. Yea, I would be sad and elated at the same time.</p>
<p>I’ll be an empty nester as D heads off to college in the fall; son will start his second year. I’ll really miss my D–I’ll miss son too but D is my baby. Dog is already excited about his soon to be status as an only child.</p>
<p>I’ll be right with you all- sending my twins (only kids) off in August- 1 leaves the 10th (pre-orientation) the other the 18th (not interested in pre-orientation). This is the first I have allowed myself to acknowledge the reality that they are really going- but I’m lucky as they ended up only 1.5 hours away and they’ll be together…I just can’t imagine what I would be feeling if they ended up going far. I have been a stay at home mom so I’m not sure how I’ll manage- especially since they both rec’d scholarships so havent had to work this summer- just vacation, reading, and relaxing after a tough year. Even though they are in and out- I think the house will feel even more empty since they’ve been around a bit more this summer. I’m thinking about volunteering at the children’s home as an after school tutor and I have enough un-finished projects around the house to last me 4 years. The dog and I ususally get depressed when they go back to school in the fall- I am going to have to try and embrace it …but saying we’re starting a new chapter just brings me to tears… I’ll just enjoy the chapter I am in now and worry about the next one when I find myself in it!</p>
<p>My youngest left fall 2008. We missed her, but were blessed that the oldest was studying her masters an hour from home after being far far away for undergrad, her visits home for many weekends helped as did pursuing a business interest in another area. DH and I actually spent some quality time together.</p>
<p>Two kids were home for much of June & July, then one left and another arrived. DH and I love having them home, lots of fun, but the mess of stuff all over is annoying, and DH struggles with the late nights & sleeping in, yet he will miss them so much in the fall when we are all alone.</p>
<p>We will be driving my youngest daughter to college this month. Went to bed last night crying about her leaving…my husband just looked at me ;-). When my son went to college 3 years ago, it was NOT this hard. I feel like I am entering a different part of my life and I will miss her terribly!!it is probab;ly knowing that it will never be the same again…which is not all bad. I can totally identify with all of you:-)</p>
<p>Mitdu: I feel just like you…</p>
<p>D will leave in 20 days and we will be empty nesters. S is in his senior year. S is 6.5 hours away. D will be 8.5 hours away. </p>
<p>I may be in the minority. I’ve enjoyed all the steps along the way but it’s time and I’m going to enjoy this next journey as well. I work full time and am looking forward to having some time to do what I want outside of work instead of what I’ve done for them in the past. Don’t get me wrong I wanted to go to all the CC, track races and the concerts and the regattas and the school meetings and the IB meetings and… But now it’s time for me to do other things and for D to show me that she is ready to be on her own. S has already proven that over the last 3 years. So I’m looking forward to the journey a head.</p>