103 I Cant Wait.

I cant believe how many of you, my facebook friends, have kids under 15. Yes, I have one also, but what I'm talking about is you that have kids in single digits and not-yet-teens. I realize everyone's not the same and it wouldnt be an interesting world if they were, but there is a certain liberation that I have felt lately, albeit mixed with dread.

We were married several years before we had Nathan and it was quite joyous being young parents. Four years later we had Nick and still we were considered young parents. Now, at 40, we have a child ready to graduate high school and enter college, soon to be taking his first, tentative steps on his own. He will learn that the water, electric, phone and cable and such that he uses so freely on a daily basis, is in fact, not free. He will learn what it is like to conserve, to scrimp and save, to work more and play less until his basic demands are met. It also means that the baby we not so long ago held and played with and taught to walk and talk is going to be thinking about young of his own. Well, maybe.

Our youngest will be taking the same, basic, tentative steps in about 4 years and then the house will be ours alone again. At least during the week. It is partly a joyous occasion, partly sad and yet it doesnt necessarily mean the end of our way of life, just a lot less washing clothes, dishes, floors, etc. Let me re-phrase that. It will be a change because, at least as far as I feel, I'm still going to be relatively young and wont be having kids in the house, sometimes limiting, sometimes frustrating, but yes, we will in fact be "free". Well, free-er. I'm sure there will be unannounced visits, weekends and holidays and the like, but for the most part, we wont have to plan our days around keeping four people fed, entertained and happy. Again, somewhat of a relief, somewhat sad. No, more like- sad for the Mommy/Daddy part of us, but overall it will be liberating. Back to watching tv in my underwear(yeah, I know, ewwwwwww) peeing with the door open, going out if we want to without explaining why we need some "us" time, less cereal in the house, less pop-tart and nukeable foods in the cupboards, less dishes left about the house and not having to search for dirty laundry in every room.

We can be back to a semblance of what we were before children, or B.C. In my opinion, we will still be young enough to enjoy ourselves much as we did B.C. and with the house and vehicles paid for, we will have beer-pong money and plenty of gas money to go out. Late nights without worrying about leaving the kids at home alone, no more buying frivolous things like school shoes and clothes, toothpaste consumption will be down as well as toilet paper and hot-pocket usage. We can get back to important things like making out not making grocery lists, keeping up with tv shows not keeping up with school events and who's dating who. Well, many of you are single, so we may be doing that.

There will be a brief period of mourning for our lost "new-parent" status, our "raising kids " status and our "kids are our life" status. Sooner or later there will be grandkids in the picture and that will be great. We can love them, spoil them and send them back. I hope every day that we taught ours well enough and gave them the tools they need to live happy and be who they want to be while travelling through this life. I hope they become good adults, good friends and good people. I also hope they dont want or have to move back in.

I think there has to be a lot of sadness when children take their first, real steps into adulthood and again when they are finally on their own, but I also think there has to be some relief. As long as they stay safe and happy, I plan on enjoying being relatively young and having some freedom again. Call me greedy if you will, I'm overjoyed that we wont have to be in our late 40's or even 50's and still have to have life revolve around them. I love them, but man, it will be awesome to go out somewhere without someone texting every 5 minutes-"where u at?" or "wen u comin home?".

Think about it: still young enough to get into trouble, old enough to pay for it. Well, something like that. Now I need to buy a project car, lose 40 pounds and get laser surgery for my myopic self. Oh, and get through college. And get through a box of I-hid-my-OWN-poptarts-in-the-cupboard-because-they're-my-favorite without someone finding them. Damnit. I may have to learn to keep my trap shut. Oh well, we'll figure out the do's and dont's of being 40-something parents with-no-kids-at-home. I wonder if eating deep-fried oreos and chicken nuggets will end? I wonder if sex will again be out loud without having to get the kids to stay at someone's house? Will there be gas in the vehicles after the weekend?

OH, They're not taking my xbox or my wii when they go, so I may get more time on xbox live and I suppose we'll have to invest in some new furniture.(gotta have a nice recliner to play in)

Let's just say that I envy those of you that have young children. I miss the thrill of watching them learn, watching them grow and thrive and..... I cant kid myself. I dont envy you, I'm laughing too hard.