Saturday, August 31, 2019

Figuring Out New Schedules

     We were a busy household of four for the first 10 years we lived in our house. Then, DD2 came along, right as the older two were tweens, on the edge of being teenagers and our lives literally exploded with business. There were weekend soccer and football games, and traveling basketball and softball. Trips out to the ski hills, boy scouts and girl scouts, and all of this while hauling a baby, then toddler, then preschooler along. Then, one after the other, the big kids as we fondly referred to them, got their drivers licenses and a bit of my running lessened. One graduated and moved off to college while child two did most of her high school in a community college, plus worked a lot of hours, along with volunteer work and other commitments. Then, she graduated, and moved on to college. While she came home summers, she worked a lo as she had her sights on grad school in London. Now, after 10 years with mostly just a busy household of three, and readers will know ho busy our youngest schedule was, and by proxy mine, the calendar is deafeningly quiet. While this is only week one of empty nesting, I already fear I'm getting into a rut.

     Considering that DH works until well past 8:00 on Monday, Tuesday's and Wednesday's, and 5:00 Saturdays, I have a lot of tie that is only my own now. Pup fills in the void  little bit-he needs his early evening walk. I am thinking of reaching out to my neighbor across the street to see if she and her dog would want to get on the same schedule as pup ad I. She works from home though, so I think they walk a couple times during the day to break up her sitting and screen time. After work I had to get a receipt mailed to DD2-reminder, college kids need all the receipts for their textbooks. Our post office is downtown so I took pup along and  we walked on the river walk and then downtown. I almost stopped at the brewery, dig friendly, for a pint, when I saw how hopping it was and recognized a few faces. DH had texted that he was on his way home, so I scrapped that plan, though did chat a moment while pup got some love from an acquaintance sitting on the outside tables. 

     DD1 is trying to connect with both people she used to now and new younger people. It is hard when you've been away for so long to just pick up friendships. Her last job in Wisconsin she was surrounded with young people, paid really poor. Here, she is paid moderately well, but has no colleagues around her age or lifestyle. She has joined an evening volleyball league and really liked that, plus her gym.  Though, people don't really interact a the gym, unless it is a class. I don't want her to feel like she needs to come over and babysit her mom as she is filling her schedule with new opportunities. Still, sweet girls that she is, she came over Monday to walk pup with me and we are going to the big farmers market in St Paul this morning and for a coffee. 

     What I need to spend these first few weeks on is getting my house back in order. It really hasn't had a full top to bottom deep clean since before her grad party in June. We've been living with quick tidy's and an occasional dust and vacuum. That would help me feel like I am transitioning the house into a home for our now household of two. I've got trivia on Wednesday nights and we are going to try and get the faltering book club another try next month. There's the start of Sunday football games so if I get my house really cleaned, I'd be comfortable having friends or family  over to watch and not resort to expensive afternoons in the nearby  pub. I have time to read more, though DD2 took my library card by mistake, so I'll need to get that back from her. I can write more, maybe getting out of the house for a few hours on Saturdays to the library for a change of scenery. I have empty nester friends to connect with, no excuses to say I'm so busy. Yes, this really could, should be a good time to reboot my out of work life. 

14 comments:

  1. I honestly can't imagine. I look at the calendar for this weekend, and it includes: two soccer games, with me picking up bonus kids. I'm hoping to run during warmups. Nick has plans to go swimming with a friend, & then we're taking Sam to a party. Monday is free, but it will be spent corralling people into getting homework done, ensuring PE clothes are washed, prepping food for the week, getting a carpool schedule together, working on our family schedule...

    When the boys were at summer camp, it was such a strange feeling. I can only imagine you're going through that in a much more significant way. My sabbatical also made me realize I need to do a better job of building my own social connections. We've lived here for six years, and my time is so swamped, that falls to the bottom of the list.

    I'm sure you'll make the necessary adjustments, and looking forward to following along, as we'll be there before we know it.

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    1. It has felt like a summer camp week, but now that it is the weekend and no sign or sounds of her, it is hitting home that she is truly living elsewhere. I've got a busy day today. I have to prep all the produce from the farmers market, laundry, and other cleaning. DH and I are actually going to spurge and see a movie tonight.

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  2. Enjoy some alone time with DD1, she likely is happy she gets to be around you again and needs it as much as you do, even better with siblings out of the house.

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    1. We had a nice morning driving to and then wandering the farmers market. We stopped and had a frugal coffee at McDonalds rather than a pricey coffee house-even free coffee for us both with my sandwich. I will enjoy my time with her.

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  3. Years and years ago, when I first left work, I found the daytime silence almost deafening. Once the school schedule started, though, I realized that I didn't enjoy the busy-ness, and the comings and going. I missed the solitude. Others thrive on activity. Our lives ebb and flow, don't they? You'll figure this out. How exciting for you all.

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    1. That's just it-so quiet when I am here alone, and no comings and goings from her. I want to feel good about this stage of life though-ebb and flow is right.

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    2. I'm with Meg. Other than when I am traveling I don't miss the kids(well 2 of them)not living here. The youngest has a busy work/social life and we hardly see him anyway. I think I am more an introvert than extrovert. I enjoy some time with others but I really REALLY NEED my alone/down time! If I worked outside the house full-time I probably never leave home otherwise. lolz
      I can be alone a lot and not be lonely.
      It sounds like you need a great deal of social contact Sam.....well more than me. ;-)

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    3. It's not that I need a lot of social contact, I just like other the sounds of life of my family. I'll get used to things I a sure and I do like quiet down time, but I'm just going to have so much more quiet down time than I have ever had my whole life. Remember-I have 9 siblings, and never lived alone.

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  4. It's certainly a big change for you isn't it - but enjoy this down time. Goodness knows your life seemed to be pretty non-stop before. I'm now 8 months retired (gosh where did that time go!!!) and I'm still ok with living on my own actually. I like the peace and quiet although of course there are always occasions to change that!!

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    1. I still have DH in the house. I make him sound so inconsequential.

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  5. Think it does just take time and can be a very hard adjustment. As a background I had two children, boy-girl and then shocked ten years later had a girl then a boy 22 months later. Needed fertility assistance for my first two. So we had the big and littles. What a wonderful gift and joy. Then at 41 my husband died from cancer (my youngest turned 5 that week). Oh the busyness of teens and littles with years of sports, school, music, jobs, friends ....... and one by one they grew up and left for college. The last one was a killer. And I also had a very busy shift work job as a RN so I wasn't sitting around the house! The quiet was deafening and for me living also in Minnesota it was some what seasonal. The frigid cold months were the toughest. Time helped but I still miss those days and now oldest are 41 and 39 and I have 12 grandkids!! I will say although I miss those days I've kind grown to love my peace and quiet. I recently retired and now more adjusting but with life we find our new normal and adjust. As a funny with grandkids I'm now back at games, choir and band concerts etc ha! And now sometimes I just want to stay home alone.

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    1. First, let me say how sorry I am that you had to experience all the joy and tiredness alone after your husband passing away. I too had struggled not with fertility, but carrying babies before number three arrived, and you are right what an incredible gift. Thanks you so much for sharing your history, story, and positive outlook on how life evolves. I think winter will be hardest, but I hope I'll be in a good pattern with my life.

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  6. You will soon find things to fill your life and get used to the silence and then when she comes home it will be too noisy.

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    1. My post today will be a whine, Kim. Permission accepted.

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