Nesting

 October 13, 2022

It’s so weird having two adult children living in the house. I’m a sort of empty nester, once in awhile I see them, but they are out and scattered so much of the time, there are times it sort of feels like a surprise when they walk in the door. Madison stays in her room, it’s kind of decked out so why not. She’s got her tv, her PlayStation, her LED lights up around her walls and a desk. It’s packed in there, but tidy. Madison is our tidy soul, everything is very neat and completely organized. At least I think so, I don’t venture in too often. 

Sydney I see more of, especially as she has taken over my kitchen as her desk. We both use the table as our offices. It’s only weird when she’s sitting in my spot at the table. Of course right now, there are 24 pages of bones taped to the wall and staring at me from my spot - so when she’s not home, I tend to still sit on the opposite side. They don’t bother me, but they do distract me something fierce. And I do prefer the view outside as well, I can see the hummingbirds come to the feeder, that is a highlight every time. I am also waiting for the cooler temps to stick around as I have plans to plant milkweed and flowers under Madison and Bradley’s windows so that we get monarch butterflies in the spring. I am hopeful. 

I have dear friends that have watched their kids leave their house for college and then for their adult lives to start, and it makes me grateful that my girls are slightly delayed in their paths. But it’s also hard to keep my mouth shut and out of their adult like business. When they come to me about something; I definitely help them work through whatever it is, but there are times I try to bite my tongue and fail cause I bite too hard. But for the most part, it works out pretty well. And thankfully, they check in with me, give me an idea if they’ll be gone or be around, I have to feed their brother so I always have food making or going to get - so they still have their place at the table and are cared for. They are spoiled of course, enough that I wonder if they truly will ever have a life that they can’t base here with us. Haha. I’m supposed to kick them out and let them fly, mostly I am giving them the space to find their way so when they move on, then they will have the best foundation I can give them for when they leave this nest completely.

We are a unique family of course, rather than wanting to leave their brother and get out to the world, they are slow to go. They are happy to be in his life and apparently, they don’t need time away from him for long…not sure that applies to Dad and I, but they have Bradley as one of their priorities and that hasn’t changed, ever. Good thing too - they are the ones that are his lifeline should something happen to us. I broached the topic with the girls, but separately. I was surprised, though I should not have been. Madison had just planned that Bradley would be with her, Sydney has planned that they would have Bradley to care for together. Sydney seems to think that she would handle the finance side of their needs and Madison the more nurturing side of things. Seeing how much Madison loves buying little backpacks and Sydney her shoes…they might need to work together on that finance part. As for nurturing? Sydney has a little more in her for her brother than she likes to let on. They’re both pushovers with him, but they are working on that too. 

The time is fast approaching when things are going to change. Eric is getting closer to wanting, even needing to stop working. That will require a change in address - aka, state. But those are the future struggles, tonight we’re just trying to get through each day into week and month. It’s always been that I have stood in a moment, or place in time and known without a doubt, we are in some good times. I’m there now. These are the times I will remember with fondness and love, so right now it’s important to store all the memories and take a few minutes here and there to stop and just be here right now with this family, still together and fighting through. It’s an amazing family. To say I am Blessed is so beyond true. 

Happy Thursday Friends. Be Blessed in where you are right now. 

31For21 Blog Challenge for Down Syndrome Awareness and Acceptance.