Doesn't Feel Like My House

It's strange: this no longer feels like my house.  I feel like I'm living in someone else's house and getting it ready for them.  We still have all our own furniture and decorations, but it's... different.

Last week we got the house decluttered and cleaned so that it'd be ready for pictures.  The kids have been in CA with my parents since Friday, so their toys all over the house are no longer a problem and it's allowed us to really focus on the cleaning and packing that has to be done.  It's weird seeing my decorations where they're supposed to be, whereas previously I had to put them in places where the kids couldn't reach them and where they wouldn't freak out our parakeet.

On one hand, this is really nice.  I clean the house and it stays clean.  My time is my own; I can sleep in until 8:30 in the morning, I can make breakfast for myself only without having to see what the kids want to eat first, and I can really do whatever I want or need to do, whenever I want.  Right now it's cleaning and packing the house, but I don't have to multi-task between doing what I need to do and doing what the kids want me to do.  7:30 PM rolls around and I don't have to stop what I'm doing to help get the kids to bed-- I can keep working.

But on the other hand, it's weird, because now it almost doesn't feel like my house.  My house has clutter spots, kids' toys everywhere, and decorations in wrong places.  And my house has two kids and a bird.  But now I go upstairs and instead of seeing a bird in a cage sleeping or preening himself or chirping at birds outside, I see a nice mirror.  I go into the kids' rooms to put something away and their stuffed animals that they sleep with aren't in their beds.  I like the peace and quiet, but without the kids and the bird it's too quiet.  After 3 years of having kids around, I'm really not used to this much freedom.  And I won't really have time to get used to it, because as soon as the lease starts at our new place I'll be on my way to WA, and that will likely be sooner than later.

Yesterday the photographer came and took the pictures of our house that will accompany the listing, and as of this morning our house is Active and ready for sale!  So while I wait to learn which apartment in the Seattle area will be our new home and when, I'm going to be spending my days packing up this house while still keeping it presentable for potential buyers who want to come by and see it.  I'm not nervous or excited or sad or anything, I'm mostly just in busy mode... in a house that doesn't feel like mine.  Strange feeling.