Settling into routine

Oli is growing up fast and is massive! It's just like having a baby. I love seeing him grow but miss him being tiny. I hope I don't get puppy broody! He has a lovely personality and he and Wills get closer by the day. Oliver is really excited when Wills gets home from school and the two don't really leave each others side until William goes to bed. They play like a pair of puppies and lie down together. The other day, Wills was reading a book leaning on Olive and Oli wrapped himself around him. I was just taking a photo when Wills moved suddenly because his stoma bag had started to leak. Oli is doing well with his puppy training and I really think the elements are there for them to make a fantastic assist dog pair. Oliver's puppy training finishes in two weeks and we'll move onto the next class.

All is going well apart from the fact that poor Oli injured his leg last weekend. He was in the garden and I just popped back inside for some more treats when I heard a horrible howling. I thought he was fighting something but came out to find him in a heap on the ground. I though he'd broken his leg at first. It seems he has pulled or torn something at the top of his back right leg. He was improving daily but, this weekend, is limping a little more again. He wakes without a limp but then bounds around and I think overdoes it. We're off to the vet for a puppy check up on Tuesday so he can have a good check over. He's happy but being a bit ginger on that leg. It has meant we've had to pause on aspects of training that involve running around, like his recall training, and we've not been able to go out for a walk or to the park for a week. On the other hand, it seems to have stopped his habit of jumping up at everyone as he's had so much sympathy petting sitting down sore that he seems to have learned to greet people that way. I think he's also calming down in general.

We have a great routine now. I take him to see William off at the school bus in the morning then we go for a walk and do some training in the park (when he's not got a sore leg anyway). We come home and I get on with work while he sleeps and amuses himself. Tearing up boxes is his favourite activity - it's a good job we get through about 4 boxes of feed bottles and stoma bags etc for Wills. We have some play time before lunch and another quick walk afterwards then it's more sleeping for Oli and working for me. Oli is happy to be left for a few hours now and, apart from a puddle and as long as I don't leave anything too tempting to chew in his reach, doesn't do anything destructive while I'm gone. He's always very excited to see me home. I'm quite enjoying his company. Once the children are home, he's all for Wills and my role is more cleaning up the wee (he always asks to go to the garden to poo but it's a bit hit and miss with the paper and outside for wee) and getting his tea ready. Hope and Ellie walk him in the evening and we all take him to the park on weekend afternoons. We all love him to bits and he's having the impact on the family I hoped for - especially for Wills who is growing in confidence daily now he has his best friend. I'm quite surprised how much impact Oli is having on me and my own confidence and ability to cope with the stresses that come with being a single mum to a child with the complex disabilities William has. I'll blog more about that tomorrow...