Weird Reality

I'm so glad that mom is starting to feel at home in our home - calling her room HER room, identifying specific places for all her things to go, occasionally watching tv in there and now, going there when our house gets a bit too overwhelming!

The down side has everything to do with her lack of memory.  When she was at Meadowlakes, I guess she knew she was a boarder (is that even still a word?).  But we keep emphasizing that this is her home too and to make yourself at home and wherever you want to sit and whatever makes you most comfortable...I may have overdone that a bit.

This morning I got home from swimming (and YES, I did rock it!) and Patrick was coming out to head over to see Murph's football practice so we stopped and talked in the driveway.  Sophie must have seen us and Sophie LOVES her humans.  My guess is she came to the door and did that very cute standing at the window thing she does and mom got up to let her out! 

Sophie is a sweet dog but would never be referred to as a well-behaved dog and we never let her out front without a leash.  Even with her leash, she is an enthusiastic wanderer and really hard to keep up with - so imagine the beast roaming free in the neighborhood!

So when the front door opened and mom in her nighty and Sophie in her enthusiasm peeked out - and me without any random bacon in my pockets! - I was stuck in a weird reality.  Not to act too anxious so Sophie wouldn't pick up on the fact that she was NOT going out on an early morning adventure.  Not to act too frantic so mom wouldn't get defensive and we would have to spend the entire morning coming out of that dark place.  And all of those thoughts happening in 2 seconds or less....well, maybe 5 seconds, because I have to admit, when the door opened I had to stop for a second and process the whole picture and not giggle.  Mom is a hot mess in the morning - hair wild, nighty less than flattering, and still in that semi-awake funk.  And peeking out the door - she and Sophie matched - hair, wild eyes and that look of trying to get away with something big! 

I did the best I could - Sophie never made it down the walk and neither did mom.  I probably over-explained why Sophie can't be let out the front door and mom started to get defensive and say things that very likely are true in her mind, but aren't true in the non-ALZ world.  That used to make me angry, but now it's just another part of the weird reality.  Anyway, I gave her some time and space and by the time she finally got up - we just went at our morning like any other morning - but 45 minutes later than usual.

I'm going to pay the price for that today - meal times are all stacking up on each other - I'll get it back to normal by dinner - hopefully.  If not, small price to pay for having my dog safe and sound and my mom none the wiser!