There are so many things that my mom and I should do before school starts, before she leaves, before everything else happens all at once. But all I want to do is rest my head against her shoulder and hug her, to breathe in and out with her, to drink in her presence and savor just being there.

Only those who have the luxury of time can waste it in silence. To be in the moment, not thinking about where to go next or what to do. To simply be _there._

I'm quite pleased with my household chores whirl. It's all neatly pipelined.

Roughly:

<ol> <li> Sort clothes into hand-wash and machine wash piles. Strip bed and put linen into machine wash pile. <li> Set up hot soak in sink and cold soak in large bucket. Soak hand-wash laundry. <li> Dump machine wash pile into washing machine. Set the timer when I get back. <li> Microwave rice, roast chicken + barbecue sauce, and frozen vegetables. <li> Enjoy meal. <li> Scrape leftovers into trash can and soak dishes in soapy hot water. <li> Transfer machine-washed clothes to dryer. <li> Hand-wash clothes and hang them up to dry. <li> Wash dishes. <li> Dust surfaces. <li> Vacuum floor. <li> Pick up dry clothes, fold them, and put them away. <li> Make bed. <li> Do other tasks. </ol>