Monday, September 12th, 2022
It’s officially one week since we did the university drop-off with Relic, and it’s been an adjustment for all aboard the Shipwreck. As predicted, the boy is thriving, using that charm of his to make loads of new friends and adjust to university life seamlessly, which, if I’m honest, comes as no surprise to us as he’s been ready to leave home since the day he entered this world.
It was an exciting week of firsts for him, and not just doing his own laundry. First time living on his own, managing his own schedule, meals, and living life without any parental supervision. He set up and paid his first bill, which sucked up the entire bounty of his hard work this summer. I think this was the first time his money was spent on something that wasn’t tangible. Nothing like the hard realities of the real world to kill your frosh week buzz.
I also got a good dose of reality when I tried to call him, and he declined my call, letting me know he’d call me back when he got to “his place.” The referral of his room as "his place" almost started the waterworks back up, but I managed to choke back the tears. That was a phrase I had not prepared myself for, and I must admit it was very hard to process. I am happy to report despite the ache in my heart, I have managed not to cry and have tried to solely focus on the positives of this transition. Like how we only went through one case of Bubly this week, how laundry went down by 60%, and how the snacks lasted the entire week for lunches. No one prepares you for all the emotions you feel during the university drop-off and the empty nest stage of parenting; adjusting to college life and navigating the challenges of parenting teens is a wild ride, and when the time comes for your child to take flight, you're never truly ready.
The Duchess has transitioned into life as an only child with mixed emotions. She has decided not to move into her brother’s room. Despite the larger cabin, she has discovered that now that Relic is gone, the adjoining bathroom is much less disgusting, and so, for the time being, she will remain where she is. She has filed a few complaints with H.R. regarding the extra attention she is receiving, especially my attempts to hug her. She’d much rather fly under the radar; however, this is proving harder now that Relic is gone. We ask all to pray for her in this time of adjustment, especially since she's had to go back to riding the school bus on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, eye rolls and huffing have gone up a significant amount due to all the extra attention and the fact that dish duty is solely on her shoulders. We will be working on this over the next few weeks, and I remain hopeful she will come around, despite how naive that hope is.
Number 2 continues to be the most incredible partner, supporting my crazy, and providing me with lots of affection, which I think is a ploy he and the Duchess have put together in order to deflect me from smothering her. Whatever the reason, I’ll take it. I hope that everyone has had a smooth transition back into school and is celebrating the fact that their crotch goblins are out of their hair for 7 hours a day.
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