I saw a post from new Robi8-- I'm here for help with the empty nest too. I have two girls, they are juniors in high school. I am so advanced, I have the "knot in the stomach" two years ahead of schedule.

Robin's thread had a hilarious string of posts about messy houses and dirty bathrooms. With the girls, we have endless pairs of footwear all over the front hall, US magazine (which seems to come everyday) all over the living room, "Beauty product" every where--at least 50 half filled bottles shampoo, conditioner, lotions and potions, sparkly stuff, in every nook and cranny of the masterbath. The girls have their own bathroom but for some reason all four of us us the masterbath. So, I guess I can look forward to a bathroom with less product when they leave... anything else?

Challenge to Boomer Women-- what else can we look forward to as empty nesters? How do great mom/kid relationships improve when day-to-day contact is over? What does one DO with all of the extra emotional energy and loss of vicarious living(yea --I know this is not healthy)

Check out the advice for empty nesters under PETS.

My 22 year old daughter was here for the summer from college. I love your description of the bathroom. She got into my cosmetics and lost most of them, hauled away my hair conditioner and shampoo and face cream from the bathroom, wore the clothes out of my closet, rummaged through my dresser drawers, took over the computer and the phone. Just like old times.

She left with my best suitcase, a couple of my blouses and a bunch of my money. I've been so heartbroken since she's been gone I haven't been able to go into the room she was staying in. I need to get in there and tidy up and wash the bedding but I can't face going into that empty room. I just keep the door closed. I feel like I've lost my best friend.

I don't have any words of advice for you. I don't have any comforting wisdom to share. Maybe it's harder to give up daughters. Just when you've gotten them grown and over the hard spots and pitfalls of adolescence and they become their own beautiful people, they move away and leave you. It's the hardest thing I've ever been through. I hope you're better at it than I've been.

[ October 08, 2005, 04:23 PM: Message edited by: mrs_madness ]

Empty nests turn into love nests if you're lucky!!!

Wooo hooo Pattyann - that's MY plan!

Party on!

Danita

P.S. We've started practicing in advance!

Well Pattyann and Danita you got me there. Sex does beat walking the dogs....I think, can't hardly remember anymore.

I think a little bit of both will do a body good!

Walk on Chatty!
Party on Pattyann!

d.

Hey JiJiJane...your bathroom sounds like mine and I have sons. My gone to out of town college son did allot of community theatre so I would have make up and lotions all over the counter...who would have thought I would be trading makeup tips with my son . My other son thinks I am running a hotel and needs a new bar of soap everytime (usually twice a day) he takes a shower. I know, I know I should be glad he takes a shower. I now hide the new bars until the old one is used. Being a half empty nester..the make up is gone and I miss it terribly but everything else is the same. Underwear, soaks, towels etc etc on the floor....thats from husband. I hope that eventually we will get use to the fact the kids are grown and on their own. Once we do the grandkids will be at the door

I'm with you on the love nest comment. Woohoo! Can't wait to not have to worry about who might come throght the door next.

I have one who is in his third year of college and almost 10 hours from home. I have two high school seniors.

What I am trying to do is focus on how HAPPY I am for them. I am tickled for my college aged son because he is having the time of his life, making friends, playing sports, traveling a bit, and maintaining decent grades. I revel in his joy, which helps maintain a bettter attitude in me. Does that make sense?

This time next year may be a very different story. The last two leave home after this summer. I have been preparing for this since they began high school. We'll see how it goes. Sometomes when they are both out of the house and it's just my hubby and I, we talk about how quiet it is and how we're going to manage without our Gran Central atmosphere. We intend to make more friends, connect with the youth in our church, and carry on the best way we know how. One day I'm excited about it, the next, I'm very sad.

By the way, my son is coming home Thursday! I haven't seen him since mid-August. I CAN'T WAIT to see his smile!

I think I see and talk more now to my daughter than I did when she was living here.

She'll be getting married next month and that's the real sign she's not coming back home to live.

All three of my kids are out on their own now and it makes me very proud to see what they've accomplished. They know I'll always be there for them, but I'm glad to see them stand on their own two feet.

Having the house to ourselves, my hubby and I love being able to just pick up and go whenever we want without having to coordinate schedules. If we want to take a trip to the keys, we say, "let's go to the keys!" All we have to do is pack up our dog and bird, put our things in the minivan and we're off. Hubby, bird, dog, and me.

The best thing about not having kids in the house? Being able to walk around in your jammies, or naked if you want, and knowing you're not gonna run into anyone else in the house.