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Mad dash to Christmas

We are definitely into the final dash to Christmas and it's getting busier by the day. Why is it that at this time of year, regardless of your line of work or activity, everything needs to be packed into the last few days of December? I was reflecting last week (as I tried to fit yet another meeting into an already rammed diary) that at no other time of the year do we do this. There's something about the turn of the year that stops people from putting time into the diary post new year - it's as though it's invisible! At least this should mean I have a few quiet days before next year starts to rev up and disappear before our eyes.

The last week or so has been overshadowed by all things four legged. Amanda, Alex and the boys spent a lovely, if brief, 24 hours with us last weekend. They are currently feeling a bit sore after making the incredibly difficult decision to take Lily back to the rescue home she came from, a decision made after a long series of events of deteriorating behaviour. Never easy to do, so they agreed they will wait a while before embarking on the next one. Famous last words, cue the patter of cute Golden Doodle puppy feet, due to come home on 18th December. Perfect - Abi has a new breed to add to her wish list!

We have had our own canine traumas. I noticed Scooby had a lump which seemed to be getting bigger, only then a week later to see another. The wonders of the internet meant I quickly diagnosed it as likely being Mast Cell tumours, a common cancer for Boxers of Scoob's age. After much discussion we decided to take him to the vet on Friday to have it checked out and got the depressing confirmation that it most probably is this. The treatment isn't one we will embark on. It would require the lumps plus a fair amount of extra surrounding flesh to be cut out, and even then it might not do the job. Following that it's chemotherapy. We have always said that we wouldn't do this to any dog, particularly a family dog - it wouldn't be fair to him or us. So we are waiting on the confirmation but have agreed that we will make what time he has left as special as possible, and when the point comes that he is no longer comfortable, we will do what is kindest. Of course this is hard for us and even harder for the kids, Abi especially so. I don't think it has really hit home yet for Izzy, but Abi understands and has been very upset. We've had tears, love letters and lots of special cuddles. Scooby is making the most of all the attention! When the time comes, all of us will feel quite bereft.

While this goes on, Izzy is growing up fast and pushing the boundaries more than she has in the past. We are always a bit complacent when it comes to Izzy - because she has always been so easy we haven't had to work so hard. So when she suddenly stamps her feet and pulls a face which says "Make me if you can", it's a bit of a shock! Because she is smaller, she tends to make herself heard by raising her voice and so there seems to be a lot of shouting at the moment. There's another big difference. Izzy tends to cuddle up less often, she's more independent, more confident and needs less reassurance in may ways.  I worry that we'll pay later for the easy ride we've had in the first few years...

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