If you have a puppy, you don’t need an alarm clock!
In December, we adopted our son and daughter-in-law’s Mini Aussie puppy, Maggie. She was an 8-month-old ball of nonstop energy and too much for their toddler son, Riley. Even though we generally adopt older rescues, it was important to our ten-year-old grandson, Shae, that Maggie remained in the family.
Living with this loveable little demon took some adjusting for my husband, Mike, me, and our 8-year-old Schnauzer mix, Emma, a sedate and refined lady—but it was worth it. We love her, and she loves us. In fact, she is my constant shadow. I have to ensure I leave lights on at night so I don’t trip over my shadow! 
Maggie is about to turn one and is slowing down. A weensy bit. She’s no longer waking me up at 4 am, so that’s good. Now it’s between 5:30 and 6, seven days a week. She used to paw my face to wake me, but now she often gently sets a rock on my face to tell me how much she loves me. For a fifteen-pound dog, she sure can lift some big rocks! I now have a line of “love rocks” decorating the windowsill.
Instead of lamenting the lost sleep, I have incorporated
a few new things into my morning routine.
