New: Free Spirit Template Pack and When Is Parenting Actually Done?

My kids, boys, actually...men now.

They ARE men.

25 and soon to be 23. Both very capable, confident, hard-working, each in his own way. We did everything right or as close to right as we could figure out how to do. And it has been paying off.

Our oldest is a 4.0 student, about to leave in a few days for a full semester in England. He will be all over and it is another dream fulfilled for him. But yesterday, he was moving all of his things from his apartment into our spare room, a room my husband had planned on renovating into his own space. My house was utter chaos yesterday and today as he worked to get it all here and jam it into the spare room like a Rubik's cube. We now have an extra couch in the living room and 2 dogs to take care of (again) while he is away until May. He has to let the apartment go, no way was he going to pay rent on a space he would not be living in and I cannot say I blame him. I gently told my husband, it is only a few months, then you can make your space out of the spare room. he has plenty of other projects that can occupy him until then. But how long will he have to stay with us until he finds an apartment when he gets back? There is a certain separation you go through when your kids move out and when they have to move back in for any length of time, you realize...that their habits that they have formed while away are now, in your house and now, they are adults. It is just awkward having to tell them to pick their stuff up off the table and hey, your dog wants to go out...I don't know. I don't like it. I hope it won't take long. luckily, he is not the type to live with his parents again, ever. I am sure he will not waste time.

Our youngest, God help him...he has been trying to kill me and his method has been to stress me out since he was 13. This guy is street smart and charming, funny and loving. He is also bi-polar and can turn on a dime. My life will be going merrily along and I will get a phone call from him and his life is falling apart and not just a little either. I mean a mess! And it is usually because he is on the downhill slide of this rollercoaster called Bi-polar with depression. He also has thus far, refused to be put on medication for it. He is an adult, I cannot make him. No, I just have to be there to help him through it everytime it happens...He also seems to always be walking a thin line with how far he can push relationships when this happens as well. There is only so far you can pull the "I am bi-polar excuse so you have to forgive me" card without actually getting help for it. It becomes tired. He is a father of three already as well..a good father I am thankful to say! But really, he needs to get this under control.

So when do my responsibilities as a parent end?

haha..they don't. Never. No way would I let our oldest miss an opportunity because he owns dogs or needs a place to store his things. And no way would I ever stop being there to catch my youngest whenever the bottom drops out. All I can do is hope they are where they need to be in life when I leave this world...many, many, many years from now...So, there are my thoughts for today as I still wind my way around a few things my oldest hasn't taken care of yet...

Onto my new release!

Free Spirit

I drew the mandalas myself on Adobe PS CC. They are so much fun to make.

This template set is on sale at 30% off through January 17th!