Getting Ready

Just yesterday I made plane reservations for our son Arthur to come home in May. It’s hard to believe, but he’s just about made it through his freshman year in college.
Hmm…let’s be honest here. I’ve just about made it through his freshman year! It’s been a strange adjustment for my husband Tom and me.

Tom has had a tough time adjusting to a ‘girl’ house. He’s now outnumbered, and Lesley and I have used that to our advantage. We’re uninterested in both Sunday football and the History channel. We don’t want big breakfasts every day of the week. And we can have whole conversations about the new cute clothes we saw at the mall.
Tom’s anxiously awaiting Arthur’s return to dinner conversation. Very much so.

My daughter has gotten used to things, too. She’s taken over the basement-my son’s former lair. Now instead of the sounds of boys playing video games, I hear the unmistakable high-pitched laughter only five sixteen year-old girls can make. I predict a territorial war will break out within days of his arrival.

I would have never have guessed it, but I, too, have gotten used to him being gone. No longer am I buying frozen pizzas, canned chili, Cheese-its and real ‘Coke’. Lean Cuisines and Diet Cokes have taken their place. I like that everyone is usually asleep by eleven o’clock at night-and awake by eleven in the morning. I’ve even gotten used to doing less laundry-which, by the way, I cried about last August.
Now I’m wondering how our life is going to change when our extremely sociable, restless, late night-boy returns.

All I’m sure about is that things will change. As they’ve changed already.

•I now care less about his grades and more about his health. Every time he calls, I say silly mom things like, “How are you feeling? Are you eating?”

•I prefer hearing about his fraternity antics after the fact. Way after the fact.

•Things just aren’t the same…even when he is home. He’s more grown up. More patient with me. Now, when I tell him stories about the dog or my writing, he actually pretends to listen. On Valentine’s Day, he called me twice…just because he knew I was home alone. These things are new. Really.

So, during these last two months before we’re a family of four once again, I guess I’ll treasure the changes that have been made and will look forward to things getting shaken up again.

Anyone have words of wisdom or a story to share…either about when your child left and came back…or you did? I’d love to know that I’m in good company.

~ Shelley Galloway