4th Day at the New House

Doggies are sleeping in their crates, not in our bedroom, just like real kids. They are adjusting to the house well although there is a bit of separation anxiety from when we left them here alone to get stuff at the apartment this weekend. The result is unusually clingy dogs following me around every turn, making sure I wasn't escaping through some unknown door. Today I was home all day and they relaxed and bit and cut back on following me - even went outside a couple of times on their own. They still are unaccustomed to the yard. They are prissy and don't want to get their feet wet on the grass, so I've got to shoo them into the yard or walk out there with them to get them to go. But it gets better each day.

And so does the homeyness of this house. I cleared out several boxes today and the difference really helped. I think a lot of stuff will get put away this weekend and it'll look even more like a house. The first couple of days it felt like we were staying at a lodge or vacation property. But as all our crap entered, then it just felt like some random weird place, not yet home. Even the dogs wouldn't eat because they were scared of where I put their dishes. After a day that I heard Max's stomach growl twice in quick succession, I had to resort to giving them a hot meal (dry dog food microwaved with a bit of chicken broth) that they couldn't resist to make sure they'd eat at least once a day and get used to where they are eating. There's proof that they are getting a lot more acclimated: Max likes to drink water before going for a walk. I told him that we were going outside to go potty and he disappeared around the corner first to get a drink of water. He remembered exactly where everything was and put 2 and 2 together that it's just a slight deviation from him normal nightly regimen, and adjusted accordingly.

The house is really starting to feel like a home now to me as well. The trek to the bathroom at night is automatic mostly, and I remember that I have to wear slippers for the cold bathroom floor, even while only mildly awake.