Day 9. 10 small moments

1. I drink the coffee he brewed for me before he left. He always runs to the grocery store early in the morning on Sundays. It's one of his rituals. Selfishly, I enjoy the quiet while the kids are watching a show and I feed her a small first breakfast.

2. I don't feel well at all and so I crash shortly after second breakfast. 

3. I wake from the dead, and I feel energized and ready to tackle the day. We have so much to do in under 8 hours. I don't write a list. I attack by de-cluttering and taking photos in methodical madness.

4. I hear the kids playing outside while she's napping.

5. I will really miss this bathroom. It was one of the first things that I loved about the house. The vintage tiled bathrooms and the old light fixtures are the obvious elements that built the "character" of this old house. I have so many photos of my three babies taking baths in a pink bath tub.

6. I move the kitchen clutter around and play with the lighting. I struggle with capturing this kitchen's efficiency and warmth. It is the center of our universe. It is where he is in his element. It is where our family gathers and celebrates and creates. It is where we nourish each other with laughter and endless discussions about dreams.

7. The babysitter takes them to the park while we finish organizing and taking photos of each room. We are on separate floors, dividing and conquering. We communicate by texting.

8. We go for a walk to a have a necessary coffee break, and we take the long way to the cafe. We need it, the connection to each other. Just a hand on a back. A brush of shoulders. It is a reminder that we are not going through this alone; a reminder of why we're making this change in the first place. 

9. We drop off coffee and chat with the sellers. It isn't awkward. They love their home so much. They are excited for us - for the memories that they know we'll make with the kids and my parents and our families.

10. We end the busy day by ordering pizza before showers and baths. We'll save the grilled chicken tzatziki for another day.