It’s the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more…

 

No, no, no, not Simon and Garfunkel. It’s the state of audible bliss your house transforms into when your children spend the weekend at Grammy’s. We had such a weekend not too long ago. Thursday night Grandpa came and got the twins. For two nights I had a sleepover on the couch in the living room with the two little guys, telling them every five minutes, “No, it’s not time to go to Grammy’s yet.” Finally, on Saturday morning, Grandpa came and got the two little guys. They were so excited. I wasn’t sure how my youngest, who just turned 3, would re-act to staying overnight, or leaving without dad or me. Well I didn’t expect what I got. I packed up all their stuff, and strapped him in his car seat, and stood with the car door open talking to my dad. The little guy says, “Mom, shut the door, shut the door.” I guess he was ready to go. So I gave hugs and kisses and they drove off.

I went into the house, shut the door behind me, and there it was. Silence. It was wonderful!! My husband and I could do whatever we wanted!! We could actually have a conversation without being interrupted. We could use the bathroom, with the door open. What to do, what to do. The possibilities were endless. My husband suggested going to the show or out for a treat. A very nice idea, I was impressed that he thought of taking me out. But then I thought about it and said, “You know, we really don’t have to go anywhere. I like it here, when do we ever get this?” So we stayed home, and did nothing. In the afternoon, my husband got on the Internet and I took a nap, in the silence.

I had made our favorite for dinner, Beef Stew and Rice. We had a nice cozy dinner for two. No spills, no arguing, no talking with mouths full. A relaxing, quiet dinner.

After dinner, I was able to take a leisurely shower and slipped into something more comfortable. We decided to watch a movie in the living room. The kids are usually using this room to watch movies and play video games. We usually watch movies in our room. So my husband was like, “Watch a movie? Out here?” I was like, “Yeah, why not? It’s our furniture, and our TV. We never get to use this room.” So that’s what we did.

Sunday was much of the same. I did miss the morning hugs I usually get from the little guys. But it was another peaceful day. It’s amazing how loud silence can actually be!! We didn’t have to pick up the kids until the evening. So we decided to do something extremely fun and exciting!! We started cleaning the garage. OK, not extremely fun and exciting, but long overdue, nonetheless.

When we picked up the kids, they were happy to see us, but of course disappointed to leave. Especially my little guy, he was downright upset. He wanted to stay a couple more days at Grammy’s. Taking one look at my mom told me it was time to take them home. My mom raised four kids of her own, but of course she was about 30 years younger. Not to mention the amount of walking they do when the kids are there. My parents live in Whiting, Indiana, right near Lake Michigan. It’s a small town with a little downtown that has stores like Family Dollar, Deals, Walgreen’s and a Fagen Pharmacy, all in walking distance. (My kids have grown up in the suburbs, we walk to the driveway, then hop in the van). My dad likes to take the kids to the beach and Whiting Park. He also has a bicycle built for two, and likes to give the kids each a turn. My dad is in really good shape and likes all the activity. My mom on the other hand, looked exhausted. In a way that says, I loved spending time with my grandkids, but thank God I’ll get some rest tonight!! As we packed up and said our good-byes, I could almost hear it. The silence. It’s like as we left out the front door, it entered through the back door. As we drove off, I just knew it was there. I could tell by the smiles on my parent’s faces as they waved good-bye.

So the kids are home, the stuff is unpacked, and the silence is gone. It’s been replaced with, “I’m bored,” “Hey Mom. Mom?” “What’s for dinner?” “Can I play video games?” Along with the constant chatter, they talk about how much fun they had and all that they did. My little guy keeps talking about going back, almost everyday. I’m glad that they are able to spend time with their grandparents and make such great memories.

Yes, the quiet weekend was nice, and yes, the constant chatter can be overwhelming at times. But this weekend gave me a glimpse of what it’s going to be like when all the kids are gone, I don’t think I’ll like it as much once that time comes. So for now, I’ll cherish those brief moments of silence, because I know it will always be shattered by the sound of my kids, coming home.

…People talking without speaking,

People hearing without listening,

People writing songs, that voices never share

And no one dares

Disturb the sound of silence.

Sound of Silence By Simon and Garfunkel