No Empty Nest Here

Classes ended for Carter Friday. Moments after school was over she was off to Camp Cheerio to work for the weekend as they were having the High Point Indian Princesses and their father’s at camp for the weekend.  
Our empty nest has already started. While Carter was at camp working in the kitchen and running arts and crafts Russ and I were getting used to what life without her all the time is going to be like. There is hardly any laundry in our new world and we probably could survive on the food we have in the pantry, freezer and garden as long as I learn to make my own vinegar.
We may be losing a daughter, but we still have a baby. Shay is hardly ever out of eye sight of a Russ if he is home and mostly sleeps on the bed waiting for him when he is away. Shay now gets all our attention and like a teenager she does not always want to do what we want. On this beautiful afternoon we took her outside to play ball. Russ brought three different toys out and she would have none of it, holding her ground on the front porch.
Back inside she was happy to entertain Russ if he would lie on the floor with her, which of course he did. Carter came back from camp, exhausted from too much fun. Shay was happy to see her, but had no interest in going down to her room and take a nap with her. I hardly had a chance to tell Carter about the lovely graduation party we went to at Madi Dunk’s house where I got to spend time with lots of her friends. I am going to miss her friends almost as much as I am going to miss her. At least Ashley and I have promised to have lunch together when she is at Duke. Maybe she will awake for dinner with us, but chances are it is going to be me, Russ and Shay.
Perhaps I should get a baby highchair for Shay to sit in so she can be at eye level with us when we eat. Our new reality is it’s just the three of us. Two with our I-Pads and one staring lovingly at one of us.