An Update on Life in Corporate Housing

I wonder if we'll all survive another 3+ weeks in this hellhole.

Parker is not sleeping well. Ever since we've been here, at least one night a week she wakes up in the middle of the night crying, calling for me. I don't know if she's scare of something or what, but she can never go back to sleep. She tries, but in the end it's like someone gave the kid a can of Jolt and she's up for at least 2 hours while I lay there miserably wishing I could go to sleep. My theory is that the a/c unit (which is housed in a closet in her room) makes noise which wakes her up. It doesn't help that she isn't in the comfort of her own crib, but is stuck in a pack-n-play that has very little padding and is about 2 inches too short for her to fully stretch out in. I feel so guilty about her sleeping conditions I am already contemplating moving her to a toddler bed.

Sam is on his last bit of goodwill with me. He's always been a stress case as evidenced by the 2 years we spent breaking him of his separation anxiety. He has moments now and then, but nothing major, just pulling a tissue out of the bathroom waste bin and chewing it a bit, something like that. Since we've been here he has become obsessed with food. He counter surfs, table surfs and will eat whatever we leave about (which, duh, we should not do, but shit happens). He ate a loaf of bread (wrapper and all) when we were gone last week, then threw it up. He ate a bowl of popcorn a few days ago (the kernels came out whole - ask me how I know!) and he's becoming increasingly bold about trying to take food from Parker's hand as she's still eating it. In our FL house we had the builder make a special raised shelf in the laundry room that we used to put the cat food on, out of doggy reach. Here, all we have is the laundry room which houses the cat poo depository and the cat food station. I've been using two doorstoppers (one on each side of the door) to prop the door open just enough so the cats can get in and out. It didn't take Sam long to figure out if he used his massive bulkitude to push, the door would give way easily. I think he's eaten all the cat food at least once daily for the last 2 weeks. I started putting the cat food on top of the washing machine when we left the apartment (he only did it when we were gone), but this weekend he started doing it when we were home. I actually busted him in the act of leaving the room, licking his lips. He about peed himself when he saw me as I'd been in another room and he clearly didn't expect me. I hope I scared the crap out of him, but I can't trust him. At all. So now I've got the cat food/water on top of the washer and so far the cats are too stupid to figure it out. I guess if they get hungry enough they'll smell the food and jump up.

Baxter is pathetic and mopey and both cats are clingy so I literally have someone with me all day, every day. As I said, it'll be a miracle if we all make it out of here alive. 23 days and counting...