My little darlings are entering adulthood; Amigo is 19 and La Petite is 24. Chuck and I are gradually getting tastes of what the home will be like as an Empty Nest.

Since my children are not home every day, I treasure the days and nights that they’re here – mostly. I’m sure we’ll reach the point where we love it when they arrive, and we like it when they leave. We’re not there yet. I still get a tug on my heartstrings when my young adults leave for school and work in other cities.

Simple pleasures include eating supper together at the table, watching Jeopardy as a group, and exchanging stories of our time apart. Simple pleasures might be shopping with La Petite; we’re both bargain hunters. Amigo is a fan of Public Radio, and listening to Old Time Radio Drama is his favorite Saturday night routine. When I join him, I might listen, or I might just relax with my laptop and work while we enjoy each other’s presence.

Simple pleasures are different when the “kids” are gone. La Petite and I email, text, and chat online when she’s not busy. Amigo emails me or calls me with news. He called last weekend as his bus left the site of their forensics meet; he’d earned a first place medal! Thanks to cell phones, we were able to share the celebration right away.

Yes, my babies are gone. They haven’t been babies for a long, long time. If I need to fulfill the urge to snuggle a small one, our bunnies are usually willing to step up. Hop up. Okay, I pick them up.

In honor of Mother’s Day and babies everywhere, Johnson’s is contributing $1 to the March of Dimes for each “promise” (like) on their Facebook page. They are also hosting a series of photo contests on Facebook; check out the page for details.