Mom Stuff

I have to admit, I really am not all that thrilled with the empty nest I have most of the year. My daughter, age 23, lives a little more than an hour away, where she is simultaneously attending school for her Master's Degree while working for Target (not the store) as a "Community Living Manager" in a group home where she is the full-time caregiver for 3 mentally retarded adult women. We talk daily, several times a day. She comes home to hang out and spend the weekend when her schedule allows. I miss her alot, but I've adjusted to her living "on her own".

My son, age 21, is a junior at George Mason University where he is an Art major. He has been living on campus during the past two school years. He is also on staff at Reston Bible Church where he is the "Music and Arts Assistant" and also the electric guitar player for their worship band. I have to admit, I have been eagerly looking forward to having him home for the summer....and as it turns out, he's not exactly going to be home. He has an opportunity to move into a house with 3 musician buddies, all of whom are recent college graduates, right in Reston. This puts him incredibly close to his job, very close to his college (and he's taking two classes over the summer which would have involved commuting 4 days a week from ALOT further if he were at home); AND the rent for a year is less than the cost of 9 months of campus living. It's a great opportunity, a smart move considering the cost of gas, and I'm still a little disappointed and just a bit sad that he won't be home for the summer.