One down, one to go

That title might make it sound like I CAN'T WAIT for them both to be out of my house.  That is certainly not true.  I am really nervous about how I am going to react once Sarah is gone.  Brian made a comment when we dropped Zach off at MSU (more on that later) about how it is a natural progression for Zach to be moving out and on with his life.  Sarah is not "supposed" to be moving out yet.

I have been reading a bunch of Rotary Youth Exchange blogs (I am actually a bit obsessive about it at work!) and I feel a little bad/sad for Sarah Jane.  The blogs are all about departures and arrivals and adjustments.  Some are adjusting quickly and embracing their new life, others are finding it more difficult.  BUT... they have all started.  Sarah still has 10 days before she leaves.  I am thrilled to have her around, her friends are thrilled to have her around, Sarah is ready to go!  She is filling her days with friends and reading and re-packing.  She will be a huge help at the barn over Labor Day weekend.  We are still going to Chicago for a couple of days.  It will happen, just like Zach going to college...

Dropping Zach off at college was really quite painless!  Lots of people and lots of stuff, but Zach is on the 1st floor of his dorm and we didn't have to wait for an elevator to get his stuff to the room.  2 trips to the car and we were in!  I made his bed (a loft and a pain in the ass) while Brian assembled the shelving we thought to purchase before hand.  I am a true advocate of shelving!  I predict that Zach will not change the sheets on his bed for 6 weeks (that's when we visit for Parent's Weekend) and more clothes end up in piles on the floor rather in the extra shelving!  We met his room mate Tom who seems like a nice guy.  Checked out the swank community areas and stocked up on chips and beverages at Meijer before the quick hugs and "love ya's".  I am proud to say that Zach was in the building and my sunglasses were on before I let myself cry!  Brian and I had a great trip home reminiscing about Zach.  Really nice.

Zach and I "chatted" throughout the day yesterday... about his books, about gym memberships, about his job, about his classes.  It was nice to be in touch with him.  I know that us texting/chatting will gradually change as he adjusts and gets to know more people, oh, and starts classes (tomorrow).  I look forward to hearing from him whenever!

That's what I've got for now! Julie

Three weeks from today

Sarah will be taking off from O'hare Airport 3 weeks from today.  Before that even happens we will: be flying to North Carolina for 4 days (leaving tomorrow), working at family camp for 1 more week and Labor Day weekend and, oh yeah, getting Zach packed up and off to MSU (August 29th!)  Three weeks seems like a long time, especially since most of the other Rotary Exchange students have already left for their year away.  BUT, time has been flying and I don't anticipate that it will slow down just because I would like it to.

Life has been so busy with work at the library and work at camp I have not been home for more then 2 or 3 hours before it is time for bed.  I can't even picture right now what it will be like to have uninterrupted time at home?!  I feel like once Sarah is gone everything will come to a grinding halt.  Camp is done at the same time so I won't be dividing my time between the two jobs.

Here is what I think is going to happen when we drop off the kids at their respective destinations.  When we drop off Zach I will cry and be excited and happy and maybe a little sad but REALLY mostly happy that he has moved out of my house and onto his own, mostly independent life.  I will see Zach is October for Parent's Weekend.  I will see Zach in November.  I will see Zach in December.  Get the picture?  I will see Zach.  When we drop off Sarah I will cry and be excited (for her) and happy but mostly REALLY sad.  So, friends and family expect copious amounts of tears.  The fact that I had to walk away from the computer to get rid of the tears while just writing this should tell you something!  It will be fine and really quickly after I know she made it safely to Germany I will be super happy and excited for her as well as for me!

Sarah and I are working on Skype. So far she can see me but can't hear me.  I can see her and hear her just fine.  I need to get a microphone attached to my computer.  I hope I don't use Skype as a crutch.  I hope she doesn't either but man am I happy that such a thing exists!  Ok, that's enough for now!

The beginning and they aren't even gone yet!

I have decided to blog about my experiences of being an empty nester.  An unexpected empty nester at that.  My son Zach graduated High School in June.  He did a pretty good job with no real effort that I ever saw!  Got himself accepted to Michigan State University and we deliver him there on August 28th.  One down!  My daughter Sarah is going to be a junior in High School.  We thought Sarah would be around and we would be adjusting to a family of 3.  Sarah had other ideas and decided to apply to Rotary International to be a youth exchange student for her Junior year.  Not surprisingly to us she was accepted and she moves to Friedberg, Germany on September 9th.  Two down and that's it!  My husband Brian and I are excited.  First we are excited for our kids who will both be doing new, exciting, scary, confusing things.  And, we are excited for ourselves.  I can already picture the dinners together, not rushing to one thing or another.  The quick weekend get-a-ways to explore parts of Michigan we haven't seen.  Mostly I am excited to see how our relationship grows and also how I grow.  I too will possibly be doing new, exciting, scary, confusing things.  I have never followed a whole week of recipes from Real Simple magazine.  I think that will be one of my first goals.  I am going to re-find our office under all of the piles of papers, I may wait a month or so for that one.  And I will write.  I will write to document how I change and learn but I will also write to keep in touch with  my children without interfering too much into their new lives.  Pretty excited.  More once they are on their way!  Julie