It's Day 5 of our Return To Coupledom.
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With the kids both gone for 9 days, we have experienced a certain amount of shock. Only once before, in 18 years, have they both been gone for a whole week and I spent most of it weeping and worrying.
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It's been much easier this time, but it has still been odd. Driving back on Saturday without them was a melange of emotions: excitement, guilt, joy, relief, sadness. Like I said, odd.
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We spoke to Grace's dorm leader on the phone of Sunday night and were reassured that things were okay. Jack rang on Monday and he says they are both having fun. Grace herself finally managed to ring on Tuesday and she sounded truly excited and happy, so we could relax.
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Jamie has been at work during the day, but I have been mostly home alone. On Monday, I had the car and went for a drive and a shopping trip (only groceries, don't get excited for me!) in {gulp!} a DIFFERENT TOWN! I even wended my way home, in a cartographically-challenged sort of way, via several small, almost Costwoldy, villages I'd never been to before. It was nice not having anyone in the back of the car complaining about the spontaneous detour. Grace doesn't do spontaneous.
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My back has been hurting all week, so I've not been able to do all the heavy cleaning I was hoping to get done this week, but I have managed to watch quite a lot of the Olympics coverage, sort out some tricky financial stuff, and potter about doing the odd bit of housework. It's weird. It must be what being a housewife is like. Home education has been so all consuming that I've never really experienced this before.
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I've discovered that I only need to do one load of laundry a day and today, there wasn't even enough for a whole load! I've also discovered how little milk and bread Jamie and I get through on our own.{g}
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Last night we went out to our (tentative) church BBQ and then on to an Indian restaurant with friends who had decided to treat us, because they thought we might be lonely and anxious, bless them. What a treat it was, too. Walking back to the car afterwards, hand in hand, alone together...nice, strange, nice, sad, odd, and nice.
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Boy this house is quiet!
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We are enjoying this time, but we're also looking forward to them being back again!
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8 comments:
I'm glad you are enjoying your "couple" time. I can't imagine having that long as just a couple at this point. Hubby & I managed to get away for a night this past weekend & that was slightly anxiety provoking on my part. ;-) Enjoy the time & I'm so glad Grace is having a good time.
I'm glad that you are enjoying alone couple time... and that Grace is enjoying herself at camp. I know you were concerned about her.
So glad all is going well with the kids. You are experiences a little bit of empty nest time. I think you have probably summed it up very nicely.
We've not had a time like that yet, but we've had enough times of only have our youngest around to know that it is going to be VERY ODD when they are all gone. I'm not entirely sure I'll even enjoy it!
It is strange for us to be alone as well (it's really quiet and different even when just our youngest is home). I'm glad Grace seems to be enjoying her time and you seem to be enjoying yours as well.
I'm glad you've enjoyed your week of coupledom. Mike and I see glimpses now and then of what live will be like in our 60's. We've decided we don't like the kids leaving home - but the coupledom will be nice - and maybe we can work out ways to enjoy that a bit more often.....last time we had extended or overnight time alone was our 20th anniversary - and soon it will be 25. LOL
A few weeks ago, Brooke was at horse camp and Morgan at the beach with a friend, so Steve and I were alone for three whole days!
He passed me in the kitchen and I grabbed his hand as he passed. "Listen," I said. "I don't hear anything," he tells me. "Exactly! No one is arguing! No one is screaming. No one is saying 'Moooooooommmmmm!'"
Steve says, "I could get used to it. It's nice. Kind of sad, but I think I could become accustomed to it."
We have at least eight more years to go, though, before quiet reigns supreme in our home. And I'm sure we'll have grandchildren who will take care of the quiet then!
Ah, most of the comments have hinted at Future Coupledom after the kids have gone, but that probably isn't in *our* future, as we've been told Grace will probably never live independently.
So, this isn't a glimpse into our future, just an interesting break from the present. And a look back to the past too, as we were living together for seven years before babies came along. We did use to like eachother! A lot! It was good to remember that.{g}
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