"Sometimes I feel like a motherless child"...

Well, actually this morning it's more like a childless mother! My son has left for 3 days of camp with his class, and I'm home alone.

It's a new experience for me. The only other time we've been away from each other for more than a couple of hours was when I ended up in hospital after a bad accident a good few years ago. My parents were still around to look after him, so at least he was with family for the month I lay in a hospital bed.

But this is way different. Now I'm the one staying home and he's away.

I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with myself!

OK, that's not quite true. I'm meeting up with a (girl)friend for supper tonight just after work, and a good chat - a lot earlier than Potential Date would have been, cos we're both old farts who need our beauty sleep. I haven't seen her for ages and it's time to catch up on each other's lives.

But the rest of the time? Dunno. Lunchtime today is going to be an empty hour - no trying to wheedle the son into eating whatever I've made ("not pasta, AGAIN!"), no fetching and serving or chatting over how school has been, or tripping over discarded school shoes. Just me, the dogs and Dr Phil...

Tomorrow night I may turn his "room" upside down, sort out the toys and re-arrange the living space, such as can be done, to give him a few more inches of floor. I may do the weekly deep-clean of the house so I don't have to do it on Friday afternoon. Or I may just wander around in circles, not quite sure what to do with myself.

It's amazing how mothering routine takes over one's life. When it's not there, there's this huge blank empty spot of nothingness.

Early empty-nest syndrome? I guess so!