I'm Exhausted!

Today, I am thankful that a very full day is drawing to a close!



You see, my dog (Meridius) went into labor Sunday afternoon around 4:30pm. Her last puppy was born today (Monday) around 2:00pm. My husband and I were up, off and on, throughout the night to check on her and the puppies. She had 7 puppies altogether, but only 5 survived. That's a lot for our dog; she's a miniature Schnauzer. This is her 2nd litter. In her first litter, she only had 4. This is what the 1st litter looked like. . .

Meridius was originally in the bathroom downstairs during most of the process, but my husband thought she needed a little more space. We have a closet that opens into our kitchen, but is underneath our staircase. It is supposed to be a coat closet, but because of it's odd, sloping angles, we use it to house some of the childrens' toys and books. They are the only ones who can stand up straight in there! LOL

Anyway, my sweet, lovely babes cleaned that closet out for me, removing the shelf, baskets, and crates, so that our dog and her puppies could have more room. It was a blessing in disguise because it allowed us to reorganize things. (Especially before those well-meaning grandparents/aunts/uncles give the kids more books and toys for Christmas!) We have a 3 pile rule for cleaning out rooms and closets: give away, trash, and keep. My girls made their piles and we found a temporary location for their items. Meanwhile, Meridius and her little pups settled in nicely and they are getting the hang of resting and nursing.

Of course today has been filled with lots and lots of cleaning and lots and lots of questions! :) I'm learning from you veteran homeschoolers out there, that teachable moments can occur at any moment. So our little dog, and her puppies, are currently the subject of our Nature Journals. My girls have been jotting down notes about the happenings around here all day.

As fun as the day has been for them, for all of the enriching, interesting conversations we've had, I am thankful that things have settled down--Mommy's ready to go to bed!!

Thank You, Lord, that after an exhausting day, I can get some rest!