HOliday HOmecoming HOopla

The holidays are fast approaching so now is a good time to explore some of the unique aspects of family gatherings for empty nesters. When we were a young family, the holidays posed a problem for us. Whose family we should visit?
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The holidays are fast approaching so now is a good time to explore some of the unique aspects of family gatherings for empty nesters. When we were a young family, the holidays posed a problem for us. Whose family we should visit?
CONTINUE READING >> 

THE Talk

“I’m eighteen now, I can do what I want.”

The dreaded time when the spawn are technically adults but still in high school. At that age, it would seem that “adult” means the freedom to head out and start being stupid at top speed.

The standard “Not in my house” or “As long as you live under my roof, you’ll abide by my rules” replies didn’t seem to sink in with our young ‘uns. In fact, I could almost see the heels digging in to the floor.

One day while driving our oldest, The Piglet, to school, I got fed up and burst out with what became known in our family as “THE Talk.” No, not THAT “the talk”, this one:… CONTINUE READING >>

“I’m eighteen now, I can do what I want.”

The dreaded time when the spawn are technically adults but still in high school. At that age, it would seem that “adult” means the freedom to head out and start being stupid at top speed.

The standard “Not in my house” or “As long as you live under my roof, you’ll abide by my rules” replies didn’t seem to sink in with our young ‘uns. In fact, I could almost see the heels digging in to the floor.

One day while driving our oldest, The Piglet, to school, I got fed up and burst out with what became known in our family as “THE Talk.” No, not THAT “the talk”, this one:… CONTINUE READING >>

Ever Wonder How Our Adventure Began? Guess We’ve Always Been a Little Crazy!

A one-night stand (not ours!), a beat-up old car named the Sharkmobile, and the US Postal Service delivered a 1-2-3 punch we couldn’t ignore It might not be the most romantic story…
CONTINUE READING >>

A one-night stand (not ours!), a beat-up old car named the Sharkmobile, and the US Postal Service delivered a 1-2-3 punch we couldn’t ignore It might not be the most romantic story…
CONTINUE READING >>

An Empty Nest Couples Tip: Do Something Completely New Together

Like most couples, we entered the empty nest phase of our lives pretty much the same way we entered the world, starry-eyed and clueless.

An anxiety-inducing mixture of excitement and terror.

We had our big now what? moment and stumbled ahead, knowing that we had to do something to reconnect as the couple that fell in love all those years ago…
CONTINUE READING >>

Like most couples, we entered the empty nest phase of our lives pretty much the same way we entered the world, starry-eyed and clueless.

An anxiety-inducing mixture of excitement and terror.

We had our big now what? moment and stumbled ahead, knowing that we had to do something to reconnect as the couple that fell in love all those years ago…
CONTINUE READING >>

Things We Wish We’d Known BEFORE We Sent Our Kids to College

It’s that time of year again, and many new empty nesters are sending a fledgling off to college for the first time. Here are some DOs and DON’Ts from your seasoned GypsyNesters on how to get through that first semester without losing your mind.

 1. Don’t start off on a bad note. It’s hard to let our kids go. The day our babies head out on their own is a tough one for any parent. Because of her self-awareness about her emotional outbursts, Veronica… CONTINUE READING >> 

It’s that time of year again, and many new empty nesters are sending a fledgling off to college for the first time. Here are some DOs and DON’Ts from your seasoned GypsyNesters on how to get through that first semester without losing your mind.

 1. Don’t start off on a bad note. It’s hard to let our kids go. The day our babies head out on their own is a tough one for any parent. Because of her self-awareness about her emotional outbursts, Veronica… CONTINUE READING >> 

Post-Parting Depression: Saying Good-bye to My Adult Kids

Having just returned from our first visit to our eldest’s new home in Paris, we felt that this is a good time to take another look at this story.

I’ve got an issue and I need help! I’m hoping I’ll get a lot of suggestions on this post from our amazingly insightful readers…

CONTINUE READING >> 

Having just returned from our first visit to our eldest’s new home in Paris, we felt that this is a good time to take another look at this story.

I’ve got an issue and I need help! I’m hoping I’ll get a lot of suggestions on this post from our amazingly insightful readers…

CONTINUE READING >> 

How to Plan a Family Vacation with Adult Kids

We’ve had this fantasy about whisking our entire family off to an exotic location for some time now. Imagine the five of us blissfully getting away from it all, laughing and sharing our experiences as we sip umbrella drinks while the sun sets into a tropical ocean.

Putting together a family vacation after the kids are grown and living on their own seems like it should be a snap compared to traveling with toddlers, or worse yet, teenagers.

So why is it so hard? 

With no roadside diaper changes, exploding sippy cup disasters… CONTINUE READING >>

We’ve had this fantasy about whisking our entire family off to an exotic location for some time now. Imagine the five of us blissfully getting away from it all, laughing and sharing our experiences as we sip umbrella drinks while the sun sets into a tropical ocean.

Putting together a family vacation after the kids are grown and living on their own seems like it should be a snap compared to traveling with toddlers, or worse yet, teenagers.

So why is it so hard? 

With no roadside diaper changes, exploding sippy cup disasters… CONTINUE READING >>

The Old College Pry

How do we know when we’ve become too involved in our offspring’s college education?

Is it okay to call a professor to dispute a test score? Should we proofread papers? Should we have access to grades if we are paying tuition? Should we storm the Dean’s office?

This recovering helicopter mom got the straight dope from college professors – and you won’t believe their stories… CONTINUE READING >>

How do we know when we’ve become too involved in our offspring’s college education?

Is it okay to call a professor to dispute a test score? Should we proofread papers? Should we have access to grades if we are paying tuition? Should we storm the Dean’s office?

This recovering helicopter mom got the straight dope from college professors – and you won’t believe their stories… CONTINUE READING >>