August 31, 2015

Life as We Know It

I'm sitting in my living room in the dark while everyone else is asleep. Today is the day we move Kate back to Boston. It seems like just yesterday when I was waiting in the car pool line at the middle school, watching Kate play field hockey and Amanda run cross country. I knew this year would fly by, but it still took me by surprise. 

I have four more nights before Amanda moves off to college for the first time. If I thought going through this with Kate was tough, this is going to hurt like hell. The first step towards empty nesting has begun and I don't like it one bit.

As I stated in this post, my blogging schedule was changing a bit as I got back into the swing of things. And although I was away from the keyboard for longer than expected, bear with me as I try to get through this week. We're driving into Boston in a few hours, Amanda turns 18 on Wednesday, I drive back to Boston to pick up Kate on Thursday so she can participate in Amanda's college move-in day in Rhode Island on Friday (where she'll be swept away almost immediately to participate in a leadership program), and then we'll return to Rhode Island on Sunday to finish moving Amanda in. Then we head back into Boston one more time to drop off Kate before returning home. 

It's a big week...

I will return to my regular schedule after Labor Day. I hope you have a wonderful week and a fabulous long weekend.

P.S. You may also like August 31, 2013 and I Survived the First Year of College.

Photo: Photon_de

3 comments:

Wendy Wrzos said...

Hi Kim,

I am enjoying catching up on your blog posts, and I do hope you had a lovely Summer!

My sign is Leo, and I think what it says is quite true... I like to feel in control of myself and my life, and get very rattled if I don't know what to do or what is happening next ...hmmmm... maybe it is time to let go a little.

Looking forward to catching up with you sometime when the girls are all settled back to school.

Take care,
- Wendy

Lesli at My Old Country House said...

HI KIM,
Not sure how I found you...but I found you and I am so very glad. We just dropped off our firstborn son at college for the first time and next year we will take our second born where ever she winds up...the third child will be an only child for 3 years and then...well, you know.
I have been consumed by this process..have blogged about it...ignored it...spent some time in denial...trying to make it NOT consume me...and making the most of the moments we are IN. But as you well know...not matter HOW you deal...it happens and they are gone...and you are so overwhelmed with pride and joy and and happiness and emptiness and sadness all at he same time...I have found the process disorienting...life affirming and soul wrenching. Geez.
I hope your drop offs went well and I look forward to checking back in.
best, lesli

Kimberly Merritt said...

Hello Lesli,

I'm a bit raw right now as it is day two without children! I've been cleaning like crazy... It's strange because most people try to tell me how great it is blah, blah, blah. If I hear one more person tell me I'm going to be okay and that they couldn't wait for their children to leave the nest, I'm going to scream.

Yes, I'll be okay. And you will too. But we don't really believe it and it still is a soul wrenching experience as you say.

I'm looking forward to getting to know your blog after I come up for some air.

All my best,
Kim