Cottage Day

Today is one of those days which I both look forward to and dread.

Ever since they became grandparents, my parents have rented a cottage and given their grandchildren a vacation.  Their grandchildren's parents, too.

Nathan has been dancing around excited since Monday.  He'll be at the cottage for the first week and then it will be Alex's turn.  Alex has restricted himself to shooting his brother dirty looks and occasionally trying to switch around the cards on their visual schedule so Nathan had "Home" while Alex got "Cottage".  He accepted it with reluctant grace when I switched them back.

When his grandparents arrived, Nathan jumped into their SUV so quickly he barely bothered with a goodbye.  Tucked into a tiny corner (just enough room for the carseat), with the rest of the car filled with various bits of gear, luggage and toys, he looked so tiny but so eager.  It brought back my own memories of being stuffed into a car with my knees around my ears and towers of equipment on every side.  Five weeks of fourteen hour days driving around the North American continent ... it's weird that I can be nostalgic about that.

We waved goodbye, with a saddened Alex who didn't quite seem to understand why his grandparents were abandoning him to run off with Nathan!  The sadness didn't last long.  Once he was offered some McDonald's ice cream, he was cool with the new arrangement.

He's had a quiet evening of uncontested toys and TV and seems to have adjusted to a sibling-free environment.

I, however, have not adjusted to a single-child environment. 

As much as I look forward to the break and the opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with each of my sons, I miss whichever one isn't here.  The house seems oddly echoing and empty without its full quota of boyish noise.  My inner Neanderthal keeps insisting I should go looking for my missing child and isn't quelled by the logic of knowing he's well cared for.  It makes for a somewhat restless vacation.

I'm glad they have the opportunity to do something they really enjoy.  I'm glad that I have a bit of a sanity break.  But I'll be even more glad when they're both tucked in safe at home and I can begin counting down to next year's break again.