Last week my oldest son, a senior in high school, was in Florida with his baseball team. I got another glimpse of life with only two kids at home.

Part of me loved having less laundry, one less mouth to feed, one less person to deal with, manage, shuffle around, bicker with, and give money to.

The other part missed him terribly! He has been in our home since he was three months old and we brought him home from the airport. He has been in my heart since the day we got a picture of this chunky babe wrapped in swadling clothes with a happy face.

I missed his sense of humor, comings and goings, friends coming in and out, creating in the kitchen(he loves to cook and thinks he is a more creative cook than I), laughter when masterfully killing a friend at a video game, complaints and excuses about losing those same games, going to his basketball games, midnight chats after he gets home on the weekends, and so much more!

I have decided that instead of focusing on the crap about him the bugs the #$%@ out of me, I better pay more attention to his good qualities before he heads off to college.

very good advice and take lots of pictures -- I regret I don't have more

Today, Robert should have been 25. He never left home -- he was always with us -- and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't remember all those little things you mentioned -- and his smile, his laugh, and "I love you too mom"

Now my youngest son is about to leave too. But, this is the way it should be -- job opportunities -- starting a family -- all the things you want for your kids.

(What I wouldn't give to have one more day of all that commotion though)

BUT now it's time for me to get to know "me" and find out what it's like to be alone with my hubby

and that could be a whole new "commotion"

I, too, wish I had more pictures of my daughter. After her death at the age of 21, I put together a special photo album with just pictures of her, alone and with family and friends. I treasure that album very much, and her daughter, Regan, likes to look at it too. We had always planned to have a family portrait taken, as the last one we had done was when Teresa was about 9 years old. Unfortunately, I was never able to get everyone together to do this, and now I'll never get the chance. I hope none of you are putting off getting that portrait made of your family. You never know when one of those family members will disappear forever.

I have lots of pictures of the boys when they were younger -- a few of all of us together -- like at Christmas -- that sort of thing -- but only 1 or 2 recent pictures. Like you said -- it's too late now.

So we bought a camcorder -- and hope to get lots of pictures of our new grandbaby with her mommy and daddy -- maybe a few with us

Life can give us some pretty tough lessons to learn -- hopefully this is one lesson I won't forget.

I am getting out the camera and leaving it out.

You have helped me decide that I need some pictures of the kids just hanging out around the house. We have tons of shots of them playing their sports, assemblies, vacations, but not many taken on the home-front. Thanks!

As the mom of a college sophomore and a HS senior I can speak from experience. I do miss having him home and all his friends that seemed at home here. Pictures do help, and especially IM. He fortunately taught me how to IM before he left and that is GREAT! As to loosing my 2nd son, that will leave me with only 1 at home. I believe this will be worse than the first. But, this I too will adjust. It will begin a new stage in my life and theirs, and afterall that is what we are raising them to do. I just hope they know that "home" will be a place they will always be welcomed to.

Swimbo, there is a great topic going about children leaving the nest. Check out the Loss forum. I think you will like it and have something to add sonce you have done this once before! Lots of wisdom in there.

I was blessed with only one child, but I've always said if God saw fit to only give me one,he (my son) was the one to give me.
His dad and I split up when he was 2. Much time together on our own. We got to know each other very well. When he left I had no buffer just an abyss. Thank God I took alot of pictures. I use to be a photographer so I was geared to that.
Without those pictures my menopausal brain wouldn't remember much. Maybe when you all get together at a holiday gathering, put a tape recorder (sometimes less invasive than a comcorder)in the middle of the table and direct the conversation to reminiscing. I did it with my grandfather and my dad on their 75ths. To hear my son at 5 and then at 26 in the background laughing and asking them questions is priceless.
Hopefully even the memories of your children who have passed on will be uplifting in its own way and make up a bit for the pictures you don't have.