FIrst week back to school

I can't believe it but today is Friday!  We all survived our 1st week back to school and the future is looking brighter.  Last night Emmanuel had some problems doing his computer work.  We are trying a new website: Sound Reading which has been created to help children with dyslexia.  It is hard to see in the picture but Annie heard him escalating and jumped in the sofa when I said; "go to Manny". Once in the sofa she put her paw on top of Manny's arm.  He accepted her gesture and immediately relaxed continuing with his work. It might sound simply but for those of us that have worked with Emmanuel for five years this is nothing short of a miracle.

Yesterday we also got to practice with Annie inside a school bus and she did very well following directions from our trainer without much guidance.  It is amazing to see how dogs understand when they are working.  You go Annie!
Working with the school district and the school as we train Annie on school specific things is at times difficult but I am trying to keep my cool and accept that having a service dog training in the school grounds is new to them.  At the same time I feel that my job is to help them to stay focused on making sure that my son has what he needs to be successful at school.

I have heard many interviews on TV of parents that tried to bring a service dog to school and were not "approved".  Our hard work training Annie and learning about Emmanuel's special needs has made a big difference in this process.
The weekend is upon us and I am glad I get to spend more time at home even if it is washing clothes , cleaning , watching the kids play football...I am sure I will find some time to relax a little...

Manny and Annie

I know it has been way too long...where do I begin? How far back should I go? I will start with what is happening now.  One story at the time will probably help you eventually to put all the pieces together.

For a couple of years I have been researching about service dogs; the pros and cons of having them, the cost, etc.  I learned about what they can do , what kind of dogs work best, the different ways you can go about it and specially the cost.  Until last year it seemed to be far away from our reach. I had no idea that things were already coming together to make it happen.

After church hopping for several months we started to attend one church more frequently and were invited to have dinner  at someone's house.  We had a lovely time and learned a lot about the other couples that night.  One of them were owners of a K 9 , dog training company and we started to talk about service dogs.  We decided to ask more questions.  Of course by then my brain is working in all different directions searching the web for ways to do it,  saving money and making it happen as quickly as possible . by then our son Emmanuel is having a lot of problems in school.  He is still trying to read at a kindergarden level at age 11. We have tried therapy after therapy, testing, research , tutors, more tutors and still the same thing.   Giving up is not an option.

Then before school was out and summer came I received a text from our babysitter who was taking her puppy to dog training school.  She had heard about a lady with two one year labradoodles who needed a home.  Their owner's husband was having heart problems and it was becoming difficult for her to care for him, their 5 acres , a horse and other dogs.  We requested to meet the dogs and have the trainers from Southland dog training come to do a temperament test with both dogs.  It was love at 1st site and after a couple of meetings they passed the test and now we had to decide which one we would get.  All happened very quickly and soon Annie the girl was living with us.  We worked out the cost with the owners and training started.  Our dog Sparky had to be trained before Annie did so that he would not make things more difficult with his not so great behavior.  That  our journey into the world of giving Emmanuel a companion who would help him deal with things when we are not around.  Our goal is that Annie will help Manny to find his way out of the memories of suffering past into a life full of possibilities.  Learning to accept his disabilities and finding ways to have a "typical" life is no easy task for an adult much less for a child.   As a parent I have to love him enough to continue to push him to break his own limits to become the man that God intended for him to be.

In our county that has never been a student with a service dog attending classes.  Many have tried but have not been successful.  I feel the weight of making sure this is done right so other families can have the privilege we are having to bring the 1st service dog into our county's schools.  It is taking a lot of work, money and time but when I see Manny and Annie together during an episode of  PTSD, I see her laying down over his legs even when he pushes her away I know that their relationship is getting stronger every day.

Manny and Annie

We all walk life from small journey to journey , road to road hoping our contribution to the world will make a small impact in the lives of our loved ones.   As time passes and our life here ends it is the hope that our life was more than what we did today.  It is more about how intentional I am  about what I do today and  the affect it has in my "small" world after I am gone.
Dalel M