Meanwhile, Back on the Branch...

My husband has left town for business. The kids are with their "other" parents, and with no kids or husband under my wing, I'm alone in our nest for the first time overnight.

Being alone in our big house made me think of The Shining. While I didn't face any bloody hallways or resurrected Groundskeepers, I admit it probably is possible to go mad from isolation. I ate crappy food, watched far too much TV and talked to the dog like he was a person. "Do you want to watch another episode of 16 and Pregnant? Or do you want to watch River Monsters? Oh! Biggest Loser is on tonight! We'll have popcorn, ok?"

I left my dishes in the sink, one of the few perks to staying home alone.

At bedtime, there were no lunches to pack, no jammies to find, no teeth to leave out for the Tooth Fairy. No monsters to be shoo'ed, no homework to be signed. There were no prayers to be recited, no blankets to be tucked. I did all the nighttime chores my husband usually does; taking out the trash, making the next day's coffee. My efforts only amplifying the fact that he isn't here. No one is here.

I left more lights on than I would have if my husband had been home. I shook the doors extra firmly. Yep, still locked. 

And while I'd like to say that I had a great time on my own, I was lonely, lazy and afraid.  I realized that a Mommy is just a person when in an empty nest.