Empty Nest

This little Bird has an empty nest again. My grown children have come and gone over the past few years and truly, I didn't miss them much. But my daughter's two children that we have been helping to raise moved out last Friday and we miss them terribly.

Our house is soooo quiet and if I get enough energy, it will be clean and organized again some day. Last night, I moved the kid's corner back into the office complete with books; TV, VCR and toys.

The first thing that KaeLynn said when she came over this afternoon was, "where are the toys?" After I showed her the special space that I set up in the office, she was a little more assured that her Grandma hadn't forgotten her.

We have three grandchildren and I must say that being a grandma is far more rewarding than being a parent. We didn't get to send them home always, but David and I have had benefits that most grandparents do not have. First smiles, First laughs, First Steps, etc.

There is nothing so wonderful as having two children running to the door and yelling excitedly that "Grandma's Home!" I would gladly tell a thousand versions of Bucky the Goat or The Three Little Pigs, just to hear their sweet sleepy voices telling me that they loved me.

In today's society, our grown children keep coming back to live in their parent's homes. Some to save money for college, a house or because they have lost their job. I am beginning to believe that the "Golden Years" do not exist for people my age.

About 20 years ago, a cousin of mine told me that growing older meant that most things don't matter as much, that your priorities change. Mine sure did.

Kaelynn will be five years old in October. She was supposed to be born the middle of November, but decided to come early, 7 weeks to be exact. I was there when she was born in the early morning hours on a Monday. We were so blessed that her hospital stay was only 17 days.

Today, this "preemie" is taller than most of her peers and as smart as a whip. You have to be very careful what you do around her, because she does not miss a thing. Scissors are discouraged, because she is apt to play beautician with her hair or her brother's hair.

Nathaniel was due the end of February in 2008. Because KaeLynn was so early, everyone was erring on the side of caution. Kelly and I visited the hospital for labor checks 2-3 times a week, from the first part of December until the 9th of February when Nathaniel was born.

If you can imagine every scenario for getting a pregnant woman to the hospital, I have probably experienced it. By the time Nathaniel was born, I was more worn out than my daughter. But the minute that Nathaniel was born, he looked straight at me and the doctor. He continued to look around for nearly two hours after his arrival.

David will tell you that Nathaniel lights up a room the minute he comes into it. He has black eyes that sparkle and his smile is infectious. If you gave him a bottle cap and a piece of string, he would find a way to amuse himself for hours.

Gavin is our son Courtney's, boy. He just turned two. He is very different than his cousins in personality and looks. Unlike his dark-eyed cousins, he has blue eyes and blond hair. He is a quiet little thing who loves dogs to lick him in the face and gets excited about penguins and dinosaurs.

My empty nest will always have little birdies coming to visit. I enjoy the peace and quiet, but I sure miss them crawling on my lap to snuggle.

The little "darlings" have not always been angelic. There is evidence of their mischief throughout my home. One curtain in the living room has a square shaped hole in it and another curtain in the office that has been cut in half. There are spots on the floor where things have been spilled and left.

Some of the artwork has been authorized by me; there are little painted hands and feet on my kitchen cupboards. My closet door and office door have makeshift growth charts complete with dates and heights for each child.

The Kid's Corner has been moved many places throughout our home. But our commitment to provide a place of security and peace for our grandchildren will never change.

Yes, my nest is empty, but I am not lonely or sad. It is only a matter of time when the front door will bang open and two or three kids will come running into the living room looking for Grandma and Papa.