I had an empty nest for a while. Stephanie moved in with my father, Chris has been on a fifty mile hike with the young men from the church, Allison and Ashley were staying at my father's house for a few days.
The house was eerily quiet. I only had to run the dishwasher every couple of days instead of twice a day. When I put something down, it was there when I went back to retrieve it. The girl's bedroom remained clean and their beds beautifully made. There was no one tugging on me to take them to McDonalds or to the store for something they just had to have. I can't recall anyone opening the fridge and grousing about there being no food in the house.
The first day was sort of nice. By the end of the second day I wanted them all home. It was too quiet. It was too clean. It wasn't right. The silence was ringing in my ears and I didn't like it.
Today we went up to Seattle and brought Ashley, Allison and their cousin Nicole home with us. My ears were ringing with the noise those three made on the drive home by the time we were only a quarter of the way here.
"I'm hungry!"
"We told you to eat something before we left"
"I have to go to the bathroom!"
"Me too!"
"I'm hungry too!"
"You'll eat when we get home"
"But I'm hungry NOW!"
"Then you should have had some crackers and blueberries with us before we left Auntie Julie's house"
You never really know how good you've got it until you don't have it….or until you do. Either way, I need to learn to be more content with what I have at the moment and not always yearn for something more. Or less. Or both. Sigh.
On the plus side of things, I finished all my writing deadlines clear through till next Thursday, so I can spend more time with the girls and less on my work while my niece is here.
I had the same problem when Eric took the kids camping. I think it has something to do with those heartstrings...
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