Not much blogging going on, because not much has been going here on to be honest. It's been a really, really long and sad week.
Kids have been back to school of course. We have 12 weeks to go for the rest of this school year. I have been covering a lot of Zumba, some weeks are busier than others and this week I've had seven classes; plus the ECP Zumba class I do at school with the kids.
Other than that, it's been a weird week of course. One of my suitcases from Scotland was full of dog snacks and other dog stuff, toys, a new bed etc, and having to unpack all that, and also pack away and take care of all Oakley’s things was really rough.
I must admit I was already dreading this return, as we are now going into my least favourite period of the year. It’s getting hotter and hotter each day, and I just can’t stand those really hot summer months. Quite unusual for us, we hadn't made any plans yet for the summer holidays, because we hadn’t finalized the plans around where the dog was going to be. I'm the type of person that like things to look forward to - so now I was really feeling down.
But now I can at least finally say, we have made the first summer plans:
I have signed the kids up for a weeks Sports Camp in Sweden! Super exciting!
It’s the biggest camp in Sweden for kids 11-14 years. It runs for four weeks and over 6,000 kids have signed up for that
whole period. I'm sure the kids will have an absolute blast! The kids will be
there on their own for a whole week,
Lucas will do rugby and Linnea dancing as their main sports but there are also a lot of other activities.
I’m really happy with this, because our
summers started to turn into a bit of same-same; even though I’ve been really good at making different things happen each year. Last years trip to Greece was very different to our normal summer activities and such a success for us all, and I believe this
camp will be fab for the kids in so many ways!
Me? Well, I will probably spend that
week doing something not so
kid-friendly with my friends! :)
Finally with these first plans in place, we can now start booking things up around them; and finally I feel a little bit lighter.
Obviously Nathan and I have already talked about whether or not to get another dog, but it feels a bit too early just yet. We’ll discuss it again when we come back after the summer break, and see what we’ll do. We are not sure whether we would like a puppy again, or if we will maybe look at adopting an older dog - or any dog at all.
The house is very empty without Oakley, it feels just like a house and not like a home anymore; and I keep thinking of what Lucas said back when we got him: "Now it feels like we are a real family"!
I think we need to be a real family again.
Showing posts with label Oakley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oakley. Show all posts
Friday, 15 April 2016
Thursday, 7 April 2016
Heartbroken
It breaks my heart to have to write this post, but unfortunately we have had to say goodbye to our gorgeous puppy. After only being with us since October, Oakley passed away earlier this week.
It seems he was born with faulty kidneys and last months surgery brought this to light.
Nathan got him to the vet while the kids and I were still in Scotland, but the poor little guy didn't respond to any of the treatment and went downhill very quickly. Sadly the kids and I didn't make it back to even say goodbye, he died under treatment at the vet early Tuesday morning.
We are heartbroken to have lost him, but feel blessed to have been able to give him a loving home for his far too short life. He was a very cool dog that fitted in so well in our family. ❤️
I couldn't just pick one photo, so here is a proper photo bomb... I wanted to reminisce over all our happy times. #sorrynotsorry
One of the first photos we got of Oakley, taken by his foster mum:
Oakley's first week with us, coincided with a visit from the Turners:
He was an adorable puppy, look at those big feet!
A photo taken during the visit from the Animal Action, after this he was officially ours:
First walk:
With his beloved 'Croc', the only toy that actually lasted him until the very end:
First outing:
Family trip to the park:
Lucas and Linnea also both got to take him to the beach:
A puppy play date with three of his siblings, and some other dogs:
He had many favourite spots around the house, the sofa in the garden was one where he could sit and watch the birds, and keep an eye out for those pesky cats that occasionally would come stroll by along our back wall:
The balcony of our bedroom was another favourite spot, good view from there:
But by far his favourite spot was on the sofa, amongst as many pillows as possible..!
Afternoon nap with Mummy:
He was a pretty clever dog, we taught him many tricks. He knew all his basics, and he also knew how to 'shake' and 'high five'! Furthermore he knew how to leave treats on his paws - look at the concentration... sausages... on both paws...!
He loved his walks and got super excited when I took out his leash, but after the initial burst of crazy he would wait nicely by the door to get the leash on:
Lastly a few photos from what was probably his favourite day ever, the day we took him out to the desert. He loved it so much! He ran and ran and ran, dug holes, and ran some more!
He looked so happy!
And finally below, my favourite photo. Makes me smile everytime I look at it.
Dear Oakley, we will miss you so much. ❤️❤️❤️
It seems he was born with faulty kidneys and last months surgery brought this to light.
Nathan got him to the vet while the kids and I were still in Scotland, but the poor little guy didn't respond to any of the treatment and went downhill very quickly. Sadly the kids and I didn't make it back to even say goodbye, he died under treatment at the vet early Tuesday morning.
We are heartbroken to have lost him, but feel blessed to have been able to give him a loving home for his far too short life. He was a very cool dog that fitted in so well in our family. ❤️
I couldn't just pick one photo, so here is a proper photo bomb... I wanted to reminisce over all our happy times. #sorrynotsorry
One of the first photos we got of Oakley, taken by his foster mum:
Oakley's first week with us, coincided with a visit from the Turners:
He was an adorable puppy, look at those big feet!
A photo taken during the visit from the Animal Action, after this he was officially ours:
First walk:
With his beloved 'Croc', the only toy that actually lasted him until the very end:
First outing:
He really was Mummy's doggy, he followed me everywhere - and I mean everywhere..! :)
First time at the beach:
Family trip to the park:
Lucas and Linnea also both got to take him to the beach:
A puppy play date with three of his siblings, and some other dogs:
At Christmas, of course he got presents from Santa as well!
He had many favourite spots around the house, the sofa in the garden was one where he could sit and watch the birds, and keep an eye out for those pesky cats that occasionally would come stroll by along our back wall:
The balcony of our bedroom was another favourite spot, good view from there:
But by far his favourite spot was on the sofa, amongst as many pillows as possible..!
Afternoon nap with Mummy:
He was a pretty clever dog, we taught him many tricks. He knew all his basics, and he also knew how to 'shake' and 'high five'! Furthermore he knew how to leave treats on his paws - look at the concentration... sausages... on both paws...!
He loved his walks and got super excited when I took out his leash, but after the initial burst of crazy he would wait nicely by the door to get the leash on:
Lastly a few photos from what was probably his favourite day ever, the day we took him out to the desert. He loved it so much! He ran and ran and ran, dug holes, and ran some more!
He looked so happy!
And finally below, my favourite photo. Makes me smile everytime I look at it.
Dear Oakley, we will miss you so much. ❤️❤️❤️
Sunday, 20 March 2016
A busy weekend
This weekend was quite a booked up weekend for all of us.
Both children were invited to birthday parties, Linnea went to Adventure HQ on Thursday while Lucas was at rugby practice; and Lucas to a class mate's house on Friday, and then he had a friend here for a sleepover.
I had a farewell brunch on Friday afternoon, two of my good Swedish friends are leaving soon, so we decided to go for one last indulgent Friday Brunch this week at the Ritz Carlton.
Saturday morning after Oakley's walk, Grandma and I took the kids for a swim and poolside lunch at the Fairmont, something we don't do too often so I really enjoyed that. A lovely relaxed morning.
In the afternoon it was time to take Oakley for another Doggy Day Out at the Sanctuary. 27 dogs were there to play, and he had a great time. He played with Riley again, and made more new friends. Initially he didn't come when called, but actually towards the end he came for treats, and he was quite happy to come back on the leash when it was time to go. Baby steps.
Nathan? Well Nathan had to go to work all weekend unfortunately... poor him... He had an overnight at the Maldives... Life is tough... :)
Both children were invited to birthday parties, Linnea went to Adventure HQ on Thursday while Lucas was at rugby practice; and Lucas to a class mate's house on Friday, and then he had a friend here for a sleepover.
I had a farewell brunch on Friday afternoon, two of my good Swedish friends are leaving soon, so we decided to go for one last indulgent Friday Brunch this week at the Ritz Carlton.
Saturday morning after Oakley's walk, Grandma and I took the kids for a swim and poolside lunch at the Fairmont, something we don't do too often so I really enjoyed that. A lovely relaxed morning.
In the afternoon it was time to take Oakley for another Doggy Day Out at the Sanctuary. 27 dogs were there to play, and he had a great time. He played with Riley again, and made more new friends. Initially he didn't come when called, but actually towards the end he came for treats, and he was quite happy to come back on the leash when it was time to go. Baby steps.
Nathan? Well Nathan had to go to work all weekend unfortunately... poor him... He had an overnight at the Maldives... Life is tough... :)
Friday, 4 March 2016
Poor puppy
Oakley is feeling very sorry for himself this weekend. On Wednesday he went in for his neutering, which in itself is a fairly easy surgery, but now he has to wear this cone, to avoid him licking the incision site while it heals, as it could cause infection. He was not impressed at all when we brought him home on Wednesday afternoon, just sat there like this for the longest time:
Now a couple of days into it, he's moving about more and getting around the house, only occasionally bumping into things, but at least he seems to have found a few comfortable positions that works, even with a cone!
As Oakley was an Animal Action rescue puppy, we had to agree upon adopting him to have him neutered when he reached the right age. Here in the UAE it's a way of controlling the pet homelessness crisis. There are so many abandoned dogs here, that ultimately risks getting euthanized even though they are healthy, because there simply aren't enough homes to go around.
We are going back for a post-op check-up on Sunday, and so far it's healing well, so I hope he can get rid off the cone by then, so he can get back to his normal self.
Now a couple of days into it, he's moving about more and getting around the house, only occasionally bumping into things, but at least he seems to have found a few comfortable positions that works, even with a cone!
As Oakley was an Animal Action rescue puppy, we had to agree upon adopting him to have him neutered when he reached the right age. Here in the UAE it's a way of controlling the pet homelessness crisis. There are so many abandoned dogs here, that ultimately risks getting euthanized even though they are healthy, because there simply aren't enough homes to go around.
We are going back for a post-op check-up on Sunday, and so far it's healing well, so I hope he can get rid off the cone by then, so he can get back to his normal self.
Thursday, 3 March 2016
New favourite spot
While we still have the gate in place on the stairs, it's actually rarely closed anymore. Oakley just wants to be where we are, so if we are downstairs he doesn't wander off upstairs on his own anyway. We have decided to keep the gate in place for a wee longer just in case as we don't want him to sneak up there and then get hurt eating some little toy or something.
But if we are busy doing stuff upstairs, he gets to come along more and more.
The other day he came up with Lucas to his room, and found a new favourite spot in Lucas' window. He thought that was fantastic! He discovered can sit up there and keep track of what's going on outside, in all three directions! Bless him, that kept him happy for hours!
But if we are busy doing stuff upstairs, he gets to come along more and more.
The other day he came up with Lucas to his room, and found a new favourite spot in Lucas' window. He thought that was fantastic! He discovered can sit up there and keep track of what's going on outside, in all three directions! Bless him, that kept him happy for hours!
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
An afternoon in the dunes
Going out into the desert is something we would like to do more, but somehow the weekends always get away from us, and we get busy with other things.
We have only really been out twice, once with Swedish School and once doing the 'Carols in the Desert'. At some stage I would actually like to do a proper camping trip and stay out there overnight, but that might have to be next season, as it would involve a bigger shopping trip for all the gear...
After having spent the day at Yas Beach, we packed everybody up after the kids had come home from school - including Oakley - and drove about 45 minutes out into the dunes.
It was Oakley's first trip to the desert and boy, did he LOVE it!
He ran and ran and ran, up and down the dunes, tried to dig holes (a bit pointless in the desert...), chased the kids, and ran and ran and ran some more! He seemed to think this was his best day ever!
I think for next trip we need to at least buy some toys to sled on, this approach didn't work very well..! :)
My gorgeous ❤️
The kids had a blast, and tired themselves out nicely too. Up and down the dunes, pretending to go skiing, racing and chasing each other.
It was rather windy, but we got the BBQ going and had our dinner in the dunes. It was a bit crunchy and sandy, ha ha, but nevertheless, a lovely experience, especially for our guests.
It was a really nice afternoon, but as soon as we had watched the sunset, we decided to pack up and go home. It gets cold, and dark, really really quickly, and since we are not seasoned desert travelers by any measure, we thought we'd better get out of there while we could still see.
We'll be back, soon!
We have only really been out twice, once with Swedish School and once doing the 'Carols in the Desert'. At some stage I would actually like to do a proper camping trip and stay out there overnight, but that might have to be next season, as it would involve a bigger shopping trip for all the gear...
After having spent the day at Yas Beach, we packed everybody up after the kids had come home from school - including Oakley - and drove about 45 minutes out into the dunes.
It was Oakley's first trip to the desert and boy, did he LOVE it!
He ran and ran and ran, up and down the dunes, tried to dig holes (a bit pointless in the desert...), chased the kids, and ran and ran and ran some more! He seemed to think this was his best day ever!
I think for next trip we need to at least buy some toys to sled on, this approach didn't work very well..! :)
My gorgeous ❤️
The kids had a blast, and tired themselves out nicely too. Up and down the dunes, pretending to go skiing, racing and chasing each other.
It was rather windy, but we got the BBQ going and had our dinner in the dunes. It was a bit crunchy and sandy, ha ha, but nevertheless, a lovely experience, especially for our guests.
It was a really nice afternoon, but as soon as we had watched the sunset, we decided to pack up and go home. It gets cold, and dark, really really quickly, and since we are not seasoned desert travelers by any measure, we thought we'd better get out of there while we could still see.
We'll be back, soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)