Adult kids back at home...Yeas! and Nays!

These are easy. They are fun to be around and both are funny. Their friends are fun too. 20 somethings make me laugh. They help pick up - when asked. They can both do dishes, clean the bathroom, vacuum, dust, their laundry and cook - when asked. They are earning their own money for gas and entertainment. They are both excellent Subway sandwich artists and they bring home Subway cookies. They are sometimes available to bring stuff to Mom's work that she forgot - her cell, the checkbook, etc. They can shop during the day so we don't have to after work.

The girl cleans hers fairly regularly; the guy's looks like his entire apt is in it; an explosion of clothes, books, DVDs, etc. This was supposed to be the guest room... We got a storage facility partially to house his stuff. PUT IT IN THERE!!

Big plastic tubs lining the garage walls full of their stuff. Stuff from their childhood, squirt guns, games, Magic the Gathering cards, stuffed animals - I'm throwing my stuff away to make room for their stuff.

We have four cars. The garage has two places for cars: the mom place and the dad place. During the summer the dad place has the Brie car parked in it because the dad loves his baby girl and wants her to park inside. Sweet guy.

They are generally good, easy going sweet people. But every now and then I step over the line and "mother" too much and get barked at, or worse, the silent treatment. I have to admit; my idea of mothering may be a little outside the box, but they've known me all of their lives, I haven't changed - they did.

AND I QUOTE: "Have you talked with the kids?" "Are they going to be home for dinner?" "Can I cook them something?" "Did ________ check in? is every thing ok?" "Will either be around this weekend?" GEEZ!! there are telephones all over the place; learn to use the damn cell phone and call them. They also have cell phones! Every one has a cell phone - except you!! Pick up the land line then, and call their cell phone! You don't have to know how to use a cell phone to call a cell phone!!!
Oh, maybe that's for another list.

When we moved to this house in 2002 it was just Brie's - all decorated in Rubber Ducky's, perfect for a 16 year old. Then she left for college and I redecorated so it is a nice guest bath, pretty shower curtain, etc. Now they share: "Her cords are every where!" "He leaves his dirty towels every where!" "It's his turn to clean - No, it's her turn..." And she has discover that tub chalk works great on bath mirrors. There is now art and messages all over the mirror. I think Jack Sparrow's ship "the Black Pearl" is depicted on it right now. Hope we don't get any guest who have to use the facilities.

Since I won't do their laundry, I have to wait to do mine until they finally get their stuff out of the washer/dryer, then it sits in baskets in the ldry room. At least she does laundry - he, not so much. Only when there are no other options. Brie left yesterday to go be a counselor at Missouri Girl's State - admirable right? Sure, but the clothes she didn't pack are still in the dryer.

I love them; they love me; I love to spend time with them; we watch movies and hang out. It's cool. It would be really cool to hang out at their place too. I'm sure I will appreciate this time at some point in the future when they are living far away. I hope I'm still alive...