The Visitors

Picture a house that is clean and has everything in it's place. Now imagine waking up in this house the next day and seeing everything STILL clean and in place. Go with me on this, stretch your imagination and envision this house staying clean for almost a week straight!! Then one morning (let's say a Saturday) you wake up and this same clean house has mysteriously taken on the look of a "frat house" overnight. Dirty glasses and plates with dried food in them randomly all over the house, empty wrappers from snacks and empty Arizona green tea cans not even close to the trash can, laptops and cell phones laying all around, cables and cords plugged into the wall charging NOTHING, dirty and clean clothes intermingling all over the bedroom floor, and extra shoes that you don't recognize that go with the extra bodies you see lying on the beds and floor.

That's right, you've been invaded by your college kids and their friends for the weekend, you've entered the Emptynest Zone . Once the dead wake up, around 12 noon, you find out they all didn't go to bed until around 3:30am cause you were stupid enough to ask....Word to the wise don't ask about bedtime, what you don't know won't hurt you. As much as I love the visits from the kids and their friends I unapologetically enjoy getting my space back when they go back to college.

This college adventure has actually been a positive experience for our family. Mind you my husband cried for 4 days at the initial send off, but as for me I jumped on the emptynest bandwagon with both feet. Hold your gasps and rest assured I do love my kids. As a matter of fact we have a better relationship at this stage than ever. And if you play your cards right you get to hear statements like, "I miss home, it's so comfortable here"....I know, crazy isn't it!!

Those of you soon to be facing this challenging transition don't dread it, embrace it! Enjoy discovering the young man or woman your child is becoming, it's a time to sit back and watch the fruits of your 18 years of labor!