Our Autumn Walk

I'd like to tell you that autumn with all her splendor is being enjoyed by all. The changing cool, crisp air is wonderful for our nature walks and the changing leaves are perfect for the boys collections. I'd like to tell you that the usual laughter around the annual lighting of the fire pit and traditional smores were a joyful night for all. I'd like to tell you that the brilliant blue sky of autumn with her migrating geese and the fluttering of the occasional late monarch cause a sense of awe in nature. However, that isn't happening at our house.

 

Kody has been at my mother's house for the since last Wednesday. Although I talk to him daily, I still miss him horribly and he is homesick, but he can't come home just yet. Collin and Joseph have the H1N1 Virus Flu. Last Wednesday we took Joseph to the emergency room with high fever, sore throat, and stomach pain. I was baffled by the stomach pain. I was informed that it was a symptom of the H1N1 Virus Flu. They kept him to get his temperature down and discussed what I was to watch for and to get a humidifier for his room and sent us home.

 

Needless to say we cut ourselves off form the rest of the world and have been home ever since. Hubby took his vacation. Collin was at my mother's at first by Sunday he started complaing about a headache and sore throat and would not eat so I had her send him home. Sure enough that night he began running high fever and coughing. He is still running fever off and on mildly during the day, but at night it just shoots back up. This runs in 7 day cycles so this is going to be a long and drug out process.

 

Joseph on the other hand ran fever about four days and and all of his symptoms are gone except for an occasional cough. Collin is having a very difficult time. You know a kid is sick what you have an ADHD child that lays around or sleeps all the time.

 

I have been baking muffins to stock up in the freezer, reading over our lesson plans, praying, watching Old Yeller, talking to Kody, making vegan Italian sausages, read Herriot's Treasury for Children, watching The Secret Garden, making vegetable soup, talking to Kody, reading The Light at Tern Rock, baking bread, watching Savage Sam, reading The House at Pooh Corner, watching the Beatrix Potter collection on VHS, praying, talking to Kody, watching A Little Princess, reading The Cabin Faced West, talking to Kody, making apple crisp, reading The Matchlock Gun. Oh yes, I do occasionally get to sleep.

 

Now the icing on the cake - Joseph is through his 7 days, Collin is 4 days into his 7 days and today I have developed a sore throat, cough and runny nose - oh joy. No actually this past week has really been a great blessing of bonding, sharing and caring for us.