I only work two midnight shifts each week, and it seems like it gets harder and harder to get myself up and ready for them as the weeks go on....but tonight I was treated to something unexpected as I was getting ready that really made it easier for me to get moving, and made me smile.


After my shower I dumped Kira's dinner into her bowl and went on about my business, just like I did last night. She picked through her food as I threw on some clothes and made my own dinner. She finished her food as I was sitting down to eat, then of course joined me in the living room to sit and stare between my feet in the hopes that something will hit the floor....but since I wasn't eating much, she was out of luck there.


As I took my plate, glass, and fork to the kitchen, Kira jumped up and got in front of me. Though instead of escorting me to the kitchen as I expected, she ran into the computer room and dug out a stuffed animal from her cache' under the computer desk....the only Guinness-proof area of the house she has free access to. As I walked to my room from the kitchen, she met me in the hallway with the stuffed green frog and a playful bounce in her step. I haven't seen her do anything like that in months. The relief I felt was staggering.


Earlier in the day, I had a short conversation about how mothers will always have some sort of worry where their kids are concerned....well my dogs have always been like my kids, and I have been worried about Kira for a while. She is definitely not a winter dog, and has seemed to be a little more down lately than I would hope. Seeing her acting like this, though, made me smile from ear to ear and gave me a huge sense of relief. I hope to see plenty more of this behavior in the near future. I'm sure that would do wonders for my recent over-the-top stress levels.