Is Fall Really Here?

Wow! I can't believe school has started. The kids are back in school, sports have started, Sunday School has begun, my sister has had her baby, and the evenings are turning cool and crisp. This past weekend we had a fire in our fire pit. We roasted marshmallows and made S'mores! It was really fun. All the kids were outside in their sweatshirts and the windows were open in the house. I love to air out the house. It is just a different, relaxed kind of feel on a crisp fall weekend. I can't wait for the fall activities to begin. Apple picking kicks it all off, in 2 weeks and we don't stop until Halloween, this year on a Saturday. While I love this time of year, I hate going back to work and hate even more the infections that begin to creep inside the walls of my home. I am constantly amping up for winter and the onset of flu season. This seems to be coming early this year with the presence of swine flu. It seems to loom over us all the time. Someone coughs and I quarantine them until I see so progression in symptoms. Last night it was my oldest, who hates it the most. He has been subjected to my paranoia the longest and I come down the hardest on him because he has the worst hygiene of the bunch. However, it is a good lesson to the others because he gets sick the most often. I have offered disinfecting wipes to their teachers and plan to send hand sanitizer to my oldest class tomorrow since they did not request it and thanks to another concerned mom received a bottle and are cleaning their hand before lunch! Will we make it to vaccine time? Only time will tell which right now appears to be 4 weeks. I have seasonal flu shots scheduled, but the swine flu vaccine has not been released so they are not scheduling appointments. When they do, I plan to be one of the first on the list!!! Four sick kids are not appealing and 4 kids with the flu are even less appealing. I want to enjoy our fall and winter. Our middle son asked me last night if we could go skiing again this year. He is growing up so fast. he loves preschool this year. I am so thankful. He hid under the furniture and didn't want to go. I am thrilled with this change. He wants to ride the school bus and join his older brother and sister. Oh, what a day it will be for me next fall 2010. I will be crying for sure. He and I have always been so dependent on each other and I will have a difficult time releasing him to the hands of his Kindergarten teacher who will of course know more than me! However, if it is the same as who we have been blessed with before, at least he will be correct. She is amazing! Oh how time flies and how seasons change. I can't wait for this change of season, to run in the crisp fall air after a day of work. I can't wait to pick pumpkins with the kids and take those all important fall photos for the wall in the living room. I can't wait for it all. So fun!!!