Monday, June 08, 2015

Caught by surprise

So, last month this happened.
And this happened.
Those are my first and second sons, with their brides.

In the space of less than a month we went from a household of five on the weekends and four during the week (with a friend of the family often upping that to five) to a household of three on the weekends and two during the week.

Just four years ago we were a full-time family of six.

I am discovering some unexpected consequences.

Saturday I cooked one pound of spaghetti and one pound of ground chuck with sauce. We had leftovers. (Two pounds of pasta was long the standard around here.)

Even after I cut up five or six of the rattiest towels, all of my bath towels do not fit on their shelf in the linen closet. Fewer people equals fewer showers equals fewer towels hanging or in the laundry at any given time.

We don't have room for all of the glasses in the cupboard when they're all clean. See towels, above.

I was a mother of four-at-home--and my husband was mostly around--for over 15 years. I have lived with my three teen and young adult sons during the weeks, adding my husband on the weekends, for the last four years. I don't know how to cook for two or three people. I don't know how to manage a small household. The last time we were a household of three was almost 25 years ago.

This is going to take some getting used to.

3 comments:

Elephantschild said...

hugs, my friend.

Unknown said...

I have nighmares about this happening to me thirty years from now

Becki said...

Hi Jane! I wandered in here on a link that said we have a favorite book in common - Katherine! lol The WWW is so vast it's easy to lose track of people (I know I've been absent from IHEN communications for a years now). It's good to "see" you again.

Congratulations on two weddings! And on gaining two new daughters-in-law. My sons have been trickling out of the house, so we are gaining an empty nest slowly. One is still at home, attending college locally and I am so glad to have his daily presence for a while longer - even though he's gone more than he's here anymore. I'm not finding the adjustment hard, exactly, but it is very different - and I'm not always sure how to act. :^)