Puppies, Puffers, and Speechies

Have been VERY busy last few days, what with school returning for the last term and the eldest being sick with asthma, 2ic sick and refusing to see a Doctor or take time off work. Reports to file,research to do,papers to write, stuff to get ready, things to do, people to see, puppies to view...Yes, that's right folks, puppies to view (get to that later)

Miss 8 had an infection which has long gone but the by product being asthma(activity induced) which leaves her coughing and tired, a visit to the GP yesterday confirmned the fact that the asthma has not gone and has gotten worst....Great and we all thought she was growing out of it. So back to preventatives and meds again.
I have been trying to gain access to a speech pathologist (SP)for Mr 5 for 2006 also as he will not be able to see his existing one as she is leaving on maternity leave at the end of November, plus she works primarily with the EIP groups and we are unsure if/when she will be returning in 2006 anyway...I'd pay anything for her to continue as his SP but it's not to be. We are on 3 waiting lists for SP's as they have to wait to see if their current patient load will decrease at the end of the year or not before committing to new patients. I do not want him to start school without ongoing SP but finding one is harder than I thought, it seems to be the job of choice for part time work and job sharing as none seem to work full time (MORE POWER TO THEM I SAY) Must say some of the them are very organised with CV's and costings being sent out within days of placing him on a list... Some even have teaching degrees which is brilliant as his therapy may have to be incorporated into the curriculum. So have to wait and hope he gets in with someone.

We have decided that the children are old enough for another dog, both of us grew up with dogs and we have one now but Jemma is now 11. We always had two but lost Tolkien 4 years ago he was 13 and should never had died, but for a corn cob thrown over the fence by a neighbor's child which Tolkien ate, it got caught in his lower intestine damaging the tissues on the way. Miss 8 still has his picture up in her room, they were inseparable. Having trained two Australian Cattle Dogs in obedience, had them as pets and farm dogs, we have looked at something different this time round. Some very good friends have had Koolies for many years and all our kids have grow up knowing these peoples dogs. Koolies are a working dog breed so have the stamina and brains to be able to be trained, are a tad bored with repetition which is fine with me as I like to train my dogs at one level ahead of what they actually compete in. But they are a very social dog ( most dogs can be if socialised properly) which is what we want for the children. The colours, sizes and coat styles come in many hues and types..It's wondrous. Our friends have also been at us to get another dog and suggested a Koolie for many years, now these are two people who between them have over 50 years experience in the dog world so it is not a recommendation we take lightly. On Sunday we visited with our friends at the clubs meeting, met some very nice Koolie owners and people who understand their dogs and are working towards DNA testing of all Koolies for breed histories and family links. And had a great time catching up with our friends, it seems that our friends dog has sired a litter( due 18th October) to a very nice bitch (yes, female dogs are bitches in the dog world and I will not apologize for using the word in the correct context) we know the history of both dogs and have seen the mother of the sire as well as the sisters and half sister of the dam. So we hope that all going well , we will be able to have a puppy before Christmas. We want a male as we already have a bitch and they would get on together better. A pup would bring more life into Jem not that she's lacking but it'd brighten her up a bit too. The kids loved the Koolies and there were two pups there which our tribe demanded "we take home" but they were Jack Russell crosses who had been rescued....These people take their dogs very, very seriously and one member runs a Koolie rescue and adoption service and she is also a registered Obedience judge...So this is how serious the proper promotion and protection of the breed is taken.