I Think I'm Alone Now....Wheee!

I think we're alone now
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now
The beating of our hearts is the only sound

I'm not sure why it didn't hit me before this morning. Maybe because the house already seems quiet with college boy gone. But here I am - just me and the dog and the cat - and...it's the first day of school!! Be still my heart!

Gone until 3:00 pm is the attitude. No sounds of instant messaging for at least 7 hours. Sure, the bedroom looks like a war zone and the bathroom resembles the Rockette's dressing room, but I don't mind much, cuz it's blessedly quiet. After three long months, I finally have my house and my schedule back. Hallelujah for small things.

Actual conversation prior to departure for school this morning:

Mom: Oh! I have to take your picture - it's the first day of 8th grade!
Daughter: (Dramatic eyeball roll) No.
Mom: Please........
Daughter: No. No way.
Mom: I'll let you have anything you want for dinner.
Daughter: Fine.

What happened to the days when she couldn't wait for the first day of school and she proudly posed for the picture? Seems like the milestones are whizzing by faster than I can appreciate them. On the one hand, we drive each other nuts on most days. On the other hand, I know that I have 5 short years before she leaves for college and I begin the rest of my life...a.k.a. "PK" or "Post Kids."

It almost makes the sleep-deprived toddler years seem like a cinch.