Calgon, take me away!

when my kids were small i contemplated how my life would change when they grew up and moved out and on.

i could take a bath with no one banging on the door needing to use the bathroom. we only had one bathroom for about a third of their lives - it just seemed like an eternity.

i could take a bath with no one banging on the door demanding the whereabouts of his/her favorite toy. scary thing is i usually knew the answer.

i could take a bath with no one calling from 911 asking if our house was really on fire and should they send help. that one was exciting - but i'm really glad they called first.

i could eat hot foods hot and cold foods cold. actually, i kinda like everything room temperature these days.

i could drink my drink without sharing it and getting those "floaters" that magically appeared. now i have four legged beasts that will lap up anything in a cup without the benefit of "the magic word."

i could watch TV that was geared towards minds that dealt with mortgages, grocery lists, and budgets that didn't budget. in other words - NO PUPPETS!

i could actually find a pen, a stapler, my keys, the bottle of crazy glue, and BOTH of any pair of my shoes without holding The Inquisition.

i could plan a week's menu that didn't include macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese toasties, or string cheese. the latter which was invented by a desperate soccer mom who was hungry from all that car-pooling and tired of eating little graham crackers shaped like cuddly teddy bears.

all that contemplation got me nowhere. . .

i used to think my bath time was too short unless i started to wrinkle. but at my age, well, let's just say i don't need any help in the wrinkle department.

i used to think food served at the perfect temperature ensured perfect enjoyment and a drink without floaters would be heaven. not so much. . .

i used to think TV could stimulate my intellect - well, yeah, no. . . yeah, i'm pretty sure, no. . .

i used to think the kids were the reason i couldn't find anything around the house. hmm, still looking for one of my boots. . .

i used to think menu planning was mindless. i realize i just eat yogurt for breakfast and lunch only having to worry about what's for dinner these days.

now i know that i sorta miss some of the above mentioned schtuff and am looking forward to another generation of Corlew's running around wrecking havoc and fun and leaving handprints and hugs every time they leave the room. . .just not anytime real soon.