Adjusting

 


We brought our son home from college yesterday (https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/it-always-rains-in-staten-island.html) I am still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that he has completed his freshman year.  (One down; three to go.)  And I still have to adjust to him being back at home.

Don't get me wrong; I am HAPPY to have him home.  So happy that I was crying doing some of his laundry yesterday.  And yes, they were happy tears.  And no, I didn't mind doing three loads of laundry.  And yes, he is more than capable of doing his own laundry.  (I've been told he did a lot of laundry on campus.)  However, there was a lot of stuff that needed to be unpacked and stored (and there still is), so we worked as a team doing different things to try and make sure that the house wasn't too much of a mess.  (The living room still needs some help, but...)

However, it is an adjustment having him back in the house.  (Just like it was an adjustment when he left.) When our son is away at college and it's just the two of us, we're a team that's pretty much on the same schedule.  I go to bed early and I get up early.  And I do mean early; my alarm is set for 4:30 and I'm usually up before then.  On the days that I have to go to the office, I'm out of the house around 6:30 in the morning. (Note:  thanks to all the graduation ceremonies that are going on at the Prudential Center and NJ PAC, I'm not required to be back in the office until after Memorial Day!  I LOVE it!)  While my husband is usually still asleep when I leave, he also (usually) goes to bed early.  Or if he doesn't he's relatively quiet when I'm trying to sleep. My son, however, like most teens is NOT an early riser.  Although he went to bed "early" (at least for his age bracket), he was up and doing stuff until around 11.  Since we live in a small (and old) house, noise carries.  My sleep schedule is definitely going to need to be adjusted or I'm going to have to figure out how to sleep through the "noise".  (In all honesty, he's not that noisy; it's just the way the house is.)

I also have to plan around his schedule.  I thought it might be nice to go away for a long weekend for Father's Day.  Cleared it with both my husband and my son and made a reservation.  An hour later my son comes to me.  Turns out his girlfriend (who is a graduating next month) has her prom on the Monday night that we were going to be away.  Okay, so I make a call and cut back our vacation by one day.  Not the end of the world, but a little irritating.

My son (hopefully) will be working July-August (until he has to return to school.)  That still leaves lots of time for him to do other things.  But what?  Is the shore in our future for Memorial Day weekend?  (Although currently I hear it is going to rain...it seems to me that it's been raining here in NJ more often than not and I'm getting tired of the damp and overcast as well.)  How about the 4th of July?  My son is not known for making plans.  However, I am a planner.

So I spoke to his girlfriend's mother.  Now I know what their plans are for the summer, so I can take that into consideration.  Maybe Memorial Day and July 4th will be on the books after all.  

I realize that I'm probably too much of a planner which doesn't help when it comes to adjusting with my son being home.  But I plan because I realize that in 3 years I will most likely have a BIG adjustment to make.  My son will graduate (or should I make that my son WILL graduate) and most likely will really start his adult life without us.  (There's always the chance that he will come back home, but I'm thinking that's not likely.)  So I want to cherish and take advantage of the time that we have now.  That means adjusting my planning and my way of thinking, so be it.

Going from 2 people to 3 in a house is an adjustment.  But it's one that I'm so glad I have the opportunity to make.


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