Almost Home

We're almost down to it.  My mother-in-law arrives this coming Tuesday to move in with us.  I painted what was my and will be her room yesterday.  And to no one's surprise who knows me, not five minutes in, I spilled some and had an animal track through it.  This time, rather than it being Cheyenne in a deep red paint, it was the cat and a soft taupe, so there was that.  And it was on varnished hard wood, so there was also that.  I was able to immediately clean up the little paw prints, but I have to give a completely unsolicited shout out to Simple Green.  I would be so lost without it.  Between my self-inflicted messes and those the animals make, I buy it in bulk.

But the last of painting is done - one more move ahead with her furniture coming on Monday - and then the house is set for her arrival.  I've been continuing to watch the dogs for signs of stress: Geddy pants when he's upset, Sirius acts like the class clown and tried to use play and humor to distract all of us, and Rooney is Rooney.  The main thing that seems to upset her is the vacuum, but she's been pretty steady - if perhaps a little confused - through all of this.  Of course, the real change for them begins on Tuesday, so stay tuned as I'm sure the real adventures are ahead of us.  In the meantime, the dogs seem to be settling and accepting the room re-assignments.  I think they're just relieved all that packing didn't mean I was going anywhere.  And it took me literally until Wednesday to figure out where to put all my clothes.  I kept trying to figure out how I got all of that to fit into one tiny little closet at the old house only to conclude that maybe the tiny closet kept me in check.  Nature abhors a vacuum - just like Rooney - so the wardrobe expanded to fit the amazing space I had downstairs.

Tank Sinatra

I've appreciated all the words of encouragement as the dogs went through all these adjustments.  Geddy - lying peacefully on the couch next to me - remains "untrained".  I got so far as to get a refund for the group class he was kicked out of, but not so far as to look into private classes.  But, while it's hard to believe he needs them to look at him right now, as nuts as he made me yesterday, I conclude he does.  Yesterday was one of those glorious fall days where you want your dogs to spend their day outside and take it all in.  Problem with that: everyone wants their dogs to spend time outside.  When he wasn't barking at the next door neighbor's dogs running them up and down the fenceline, or up in the corner trying to engage Cocoa, he was going nuts over the pit bull who belonged to the roofers working behind us, who was sitting very calmly staring at Geddy like he was a curiosity in a museum.

So in addition to being stressed, he was bored, but I had a full plate to try and get things ready, so there was no stopping for a visit to the dog park or anything else.

But in the quiet moments I do realize the enormous changes these dogs have all been asked to go through over the last couple of years - let alone the whirlwind of the past month - and as he snuggles peacefully at my side, I can honestly say that they have adjusted to them amazingly well.  And, could I have gone through everything with any semblance of sanity without them?  Doubtful.  I can tell you I'm very glad I didn't have to try.

For all the dog hair, random barking, poop that needs to be scooped, and all the other things that they entail (no pun intended), dogs are the most amazing of companions: part warm blanket on a cold night, part therapist and quiet confidant, part workout partner, part fun time companion, they give a lot more than they demand.

I'm lucky that I have three of the best of friends.