On the one hand you are really happy they are all grown up. But, on the other hand you miss your children being so happy to discover new things and being able to teach them amazing things about the world. As your children are growing up you get to grow up again too in some ways. So, it can be a very healing process which makes you much wiser growing up a 2nd time with them.
On the other hand I liked it a lot being able to take my then 21 year old daughter to France along with my then 14 year old daughter. I think going to Paris and Nice, France was one of the best trips we all took together. My younger daughter gets a couple of weeks off of her prep school in a "Fall Break" because they start very early in August. This allowed us 10 days off to take trips around the world for several years. However, now my 21 year old is 24 and is working and so is her boyfriend. So, trips like we took with them when she was 22 to England and Scotland this time of year are likely no more at least for my older daughter's boyfriend as he has started his career. (which is a good thing in the long run). But, as far as us traveling the world with them it is a bad thing for me and my wife.
Also, this 10 day off experience in early October this year will probably be spent with my 17 year old going to visiting colleges in Southern California since we already spent 3 weeks and way too much money escorting her and 3 of her friends to most of the colleges between Ashland, Oregon and Seattle Washington already this summer. That was way too much estrogen for me even on a good day. So, when I started to have heart problems from all the stress in Portland I went off to Mt. Hood with my older daughter and her boyfriend over a weekend.
This last time in Portland it was mainly bringing up heirloom furniture to furnish their new 2 bedroom apartment. So, this is one of the first times I have ever stayed where they lived. Mostly it was because it wasn't convenient before. However, I found myself to be too stressed by the new situation to be able to fully enjoy it. Because it was in my face of how both my daughters have grown up and even my oldest one now is likely less often to ski with me than before because of all her new responsibilities and the responsibilities of her boyfriend too.
Same with my oldest son who is now 39 and who lives too far to drive to visit easily. He is busy teaching English and has a new girlfriend and I try to skype with him whenever he is available to do that. But, now even my 17 year old is getting ready to go to college in fall 2014 and I wish all my kids were still young enough to just throw them in the car and drive somewhere fun or hop on a plane together and just go to Hawaii. Maybe one day soon?
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