Essential Baby Gear - A Dog!

I have read more than a few of those "Getting Ready for Baby" checklists. You know the ones with the lists of all the stuff you need like onesies, a baby monitor, a crib, a car seat, blankets, changing pad, etc., etc. Well, never once have I read the item I consider essential to having toddlers and young children -- a dog!

While we were away last week our dog was boarded at the vet. We returned late Saturday and the vet was closed on Sunday, and then she was signed up for a bath before she left so I couldn't pick her up until Monday late in the day. So we were dogless for almost 2 days after returning home.

I love my dog and she was our first baby, but since having 3 real babies, she has been demoted to "dog" status from "baby" status. This means she doesn't get quite the love and attention she used to, but make no mistake this 11 year old dog is well cared for as evidenced by the 3 different types of medication she gets twice daily. We are just hoping none of the kids will want to go to college because the vet bills are eating away at the college savings!

Anyway, after 2 days without her, I am definitely feeling like she has been under-appreciated and undervalued around here.

This is what it looks like under my dining room table after my 3 kids ate 4 meals here while our doggie vacuum was away!
I had NO IDEA my kids were this messy! The dog must just take care of this stuff without being asked or told! A thousand times per day she does her vacuuming quietly without my even noticing. I mean a cheese cube on the floor, seriously I never see that and my kids eat them every day!

I am thankful for my elderly dog and will never again claim that she does no work around here!

If you have young kids or are pregnant with your first child and do not have a dog, take my advise and run out and get one (maybe even look into adopting one from an animal shelter). Trust me, that dog will pay you back in years of labor saved sweeping under your table and that is way more than the Bumbo seat, Boppy, or stack of onesies have done for me lately!!!
So now a little quiz for you: After taking the photo of all the food crumbs under my table did I A) sweep up the mess or B) just leave it until the dog got home?

Find more Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers and Talk About Tuesday at The Lazy Organizer.

*****Also, please, please pray for MckMama's baby Stellan who is in the hospital facing some serious health issues. See her blog for details and updates.*****