I thought it would be super quiet here-but B has people over at night, A is always giving us a sporting event play by play, G is around, sometimes with a friend.  S is in and out. We're planning E's visit home for Kaaboo, our visits up there for Parents Weekend and the Big Game, thinking ahead to Thanksgiving. I love this. I know she's really happy where she is, B will be happy wherever he ends up. A is really liking high school. G loves his class. Everyone is happy and doing well. I'm enjoying (not going to lie) having less craziness-and there's still plenty to do around here. I have periods where I miss having babies and little people-but that was also a lot of hard work and tears and diapers and tantrums and sleepless nights. It wasn't all snuggles and kisses. I remember a lot of times of feeling overwhelmed and worried.  I don't dread being an empty nester (maybe also because it's not happening for a really, really long time.) I'm bemused when I see friends who got married just a little bit before we did, or had small kids when we did, and who are now empty nesters because they had fewer kids, and their kids are closer in age.  I have such a ways to go since we had G later.  He has 8 more years until college. Okay-my friends who do have empty nests-what does that look like for most of them? Logistically, less laundry and fewer meals. Well, C does their laundry currently and I don't mind cooking. What else? They can go out more? I don't really care about going out a lot.  And with older kids around, if we want to go to the movies or out to dinner, we do it. Travel? Well, S is working, and I traveled with him a lot last year. If I want to do that again, I could figure out a way to get someone to stay with the boys.  But I am happy to be home right now. What else would be different? Hmm-less worry.  That's in your head and you could do that right now with them being home.  You know you can't control them once they're out of the house, you don't know what they're doing, you have to trust in them and the universe's plan that they'll be happy and safe.  You could tap into those feelings with them living at home too. I can't "control" who they're hanging out with at school.  I don't know what their internal lives are like. I have to trust in them and que sera, sera.  I know I'm not mourning what's passed.  That whole website of women who are bereft of their kids growing up and going off to college, I do not understand.  And I love being a mom, having babies, hanging out with my teens, I have a wonderful family with amazing kids. They need to go out into the world and be adults and live their lives.  Would you want that time to go on forever where they're in your house and you're responsible for every little thing?? Don't you have your own friends and your own interests?? I like my kids' friends, but I don't "hang out" with them-so I'm not missing them either. That's weird to me. Of course it felt emotional when I cleaned out E's room, or think back to when she was little. I feel nostalgia and I can miss certain things about that time, and I feel that "Awwww" when I see photos of them about to walk down to the bus stop, or at the Little Italy festival. But I don't think that time is "better" than this time. There was plenty about that time that was tough, and there's plenty of time with them now that I just love. As my dad always said, these are the good old days.