School’s about to start again, and both of my kids will be out of my hands for 8 hours a day. I’m having a kind of empty nest thing going on. It’s sad, because I really enjoyed being a full-time mommy, but also I am excited for them to have reached this new stage of independence.
They have both matured so much over the summer. Roo’s sporting a new “kindergarten” haircut. He is swimming, head UNDER the water now, and he’s reading and adding. Bunny’s had some growing pains, lying, and breaking rules, but she’s become very helpful in the last few weeks, and I can see a real change in her. She’s also very excited about her new training bra.
My husband’s got his own plans for this year. He’s joined his company’s golf league, and is enjoying weekly trips to the golf range. It’s a little weird. I see him so rarely as it is, but I understand the need to do your own thing.
As for me, I’m looking forward to having time to complete my many many projects. Several people have asked what I’m going to do now, as though they have flown off to college already, but I understand. Full-time parenting leaves time for little else, and it will be a huge change to be alone all day. But I smile as I type “alone all day”. I’m not ready to go back to my old career, but there are still ways to make money, stay at home, and be here when they come home from school.
I do view this as a new stage in my life, just like I viewed single working woman, newly-wed and new mom. And so, I have started thinking of this next year in terms of what I really want to do, what I have to do, and what I’ve agreed to do that I might not want to do anymore. So much is open in front of me now, as long as I get home by 2:30pm!
I’ve signed up to volunteer at the school library twice a week, so I can eat lunch with the kids. Other than that, I have a new house to decorate, a list of sewing projects, 2 novels that need finishing, and a friend of mine and I have been offered gallery space for some of our artwork - she does jewelry, I paint. That means actually building a body of work to show, as well! I think that much will keep me busy when coupled with normal routine.
Love’s good, life’s good. Dragoncon is around the corner.
