My 22-year-old son is moving back home ...

My son is moving back home. He'll be 22 in a few weeks. I know you're wondering how I feel about this. After all, I've been an empty-nester for more than a year.

I am glad he's coming home. Ecstatic, actually.

We get along very well. Thank God he's not 17 anymore. 17 was a bad year. To use his own words, he had a lot of hormones he didn't know what to do with. And no, we're not talking about fixating on girls ... not those kind of hormones. The raging, I mean raging ones. He was über rebellious, defiant, and disrespectful. He is none of that now. He is thoughtful, loving, respectful. He is now five years older and wiser. And so am I.

He doesn't "cramp our style." The three of us still will live our lives pretty much the same, as far as having our own schedules, coming and going as we pretty much please.

So what will change? A lot. Unable to sleep until I know he's safely at home. No matter how old he is, I will always worry about him. He delivers pizzas for a living, is constantly on the road, and regularly pulls the closing shift. Yes, I will worry. And I will wait.

The noise. Ohhhh the noise. :) Loud music booming from downstairs. Loud TV coming from downstairs. Bedroom and bathroom doors and cabinet doors and refrigerator doors and microwave oven doors, all shutting loudly.

Cabinet doors left open. My bedroom door left open during the day (subjecting my belongings to the cat and dog). Lights left on. Lights shining in my bedroom from the hallway at 3 a.m. (I do not like to have my bedroom door closed at night.)

Higher electric, water, and food bills. Oh, and of course, we MUST upgrade to AT&T's U-verse so he can have the latest in HDTV fiber-optics, all the premium channels, and faster internet. Old fogey speed and no high-def just doesn't cut it.

Do I sound like I'm complaining? I'm not. :)

Our washer and dryer will return to getting a daily workout. Clothes will be left strewn around the bathroom, the living room, the kitchen. There will be stumbling over size 14 boats shoes left in the hallway. Dishes and empty bottles and cans will be scattered around his room.

Yes, all signs that my boy is home. :) 

Ever since he moved out, this house has seemed empty. Silent. And there's a constant, impending sense of unfulfilled anticipation. I've thought about converting his large bedroom with gigantic walk-in closet and french doors leading to the fenced-in yard. A work-out room would be nice. Another office (since the one upstairs has been completely overtaken by hub's pack-rat "stuff"). A den. But, instead, it has remained just the way he left it. Including his full-size fridge, still uncleaned. (Hey, it's his kitchen! I have my own to clean up here!) But we won't go there; I'll spare you the details.

And there are lots of ways this arrangement will be beneficial to all three of us. He will be paying the difference in cost to get U-verse, yet we will all benefit. In fact, we get a huge credit to bundle, so he's upgrading to a 4G I-Phone and giving me his 3G I-Phone, woo-hoo! He will help with cleaning the litter box and taking out the trash. He'll help carry in the groceries and will be able to lift heavy things for me and reach tall things and change light bulbs (he's 6'3" and doesn't need a ladder). He can cook ... very well! He'll empty the dishwasher (when I ask and he has enough time). I can holler downstairs, "Corey, will you put the clothes in the dryer, please?" and save myself a trip up and down the stairs. I know by now that, "Sure, Mom!" means "remind me again in 10 minutes."

Yes, my adult son is moving home. And continuing college. And working (nearly) full-time. Sacrifices will have to be made ... by all of us. But I couldn't be happier. My boy is HOME. MY boy is home. :)

Blogging ... Or a Lack Thereof

I knew blogging wouldn't be easy. Putting your thoughts and feelings out there -- for the whole world to see. Will they judge you ... your thoughts and feelings? Your writing skills, your wit, your sanity (or lack thereof)? Will your ramblings be a waste of their time?

Because my mind goes a mile a minute, and I'm always multi-tasking, the one thing I never considered to be a roadblock in my blogging was thinking of something to write about. People who know me would agree: Susan never is at a loss for words! Except, it appears, when it comes to blogging. What do I write about??!!  What a conundrum.

If I were a young mother of several children ... what fodder for blogging that would be! If I were a worldly traveler ... what experiences I could share! If I had interesting hobbies ... If, if, if.

Write about that which you know. That is the advice of writing coaches, of those in the publishing world.

Hmmm ... what do I know?? I will think on that, and get back to ya. In the meantime, I suppose that today I'm blogging about not blogging.