This year has been one of eating an elephant one bite at a time. It has been a quiet-ish year (for us any way) and that is just fine with me. But the last time I wrote that I ended up in the hospital as soon as the cards were in the mail.

So what has 2009 brought the Oser’s? Homework. Homework for everyone but Matt. With Morgan, Tyler and I all in school it seems more and more of our time is spent around the kitchen table. Morgan is taking Kindergarten by storm and Tyler catches up enough in one subject to fall behind in another. This year is going much better than last for him and I couldn’t be happier. He has always done things in his own time and it looks like school will be no different.

When they have finally gotten through homework you’ll find Morgan terrorizing the neighborhood on his bike (he decided the training wheels were coming off long before we did) and Tyler will be inventing something with items from the recycling bin. I think I should buy stock in tape; we use rolls and rolls of the stuff. At present Tyler is going to be an inventor and Morgan has his sights set on being a whale trainer – in a week it will change again.

Matt was coaxed/guilted into serving as the den leader for Tyler’s Boy Scout troop. He is very dedicated (huge surprise) and the boys are having a good time. (My job is to keep Morgan out of the way – which is much easier said than done.)

As for me, I just keep swimming, trying to keep myself just ahead of the deadlines and the schemes of two very active boys (who at this second are doing experiments by dropping things down the stairs – there are a lot of “experiments” in our house.) Our Christmas tree looks like it was decorated by the under 10 set – and that is OK – my standards are constantly changing to accommodate the day.

In other news, Matt’s parents have moved a bit closer and are in the process of settling into a new house just in time for the holidays. My Dad and Marilyn are living full-time in Mesquite, Nevada (it’s hot there – duh). And Mindy, Brian and the girls moved to the Orlando area (where the water is bluer – her words not mine.)

Must cut this short, there was a crash. I wish you all a wonderful holiday and happy new year (and if you want to know what’s going on more often find me on Facebook or check my blog.)

The Elementary school held a Veteran's Day performance, each grade performing some kind of song.

Morgan's class did "You're A Grand Old Flag" while the second grade performed the "Navy Ham" (You know "Anchor's aweigh my boys, Anchor's aweigh")

There is no telling that boy that it's a hymn, not a ham.

"But you're wrong Mom, the principal said it that way."

We are all (mostly) recovered. A few lingering coughs, but much better overall.

We've been keeping ourselves busy keeping up with homework and enjoying the unseasonally warm few days. I think the boys spent almost the entire day outside Sunday (which was just fine with me.) Morgan is quickly learning to read and Tyler has improved tremendously!

I can't believe it's already November, it's stressing me out a little. We are headed to Florida to visit with Mindy and do the Disney World thing over Thanksgiving and my sister has decided we are going to do Christmas too. I'm not ready, but I will be. I'll also be done with my first Grad School "cluster" in about a month -- guess I better get moving on my final project!

Gotta cut this short, IT wants me to check out the laptop they've just rebulit for me -- I'm rough on computers.

Here I am again, up in the middle of the night, hacking. I hate this.

Let me back-up and give you the timeline of events here:

Tuesday, Oct 19 -- Tyler stays home with low grade temp, me too
Tuesday, Oct 19 11:30 p.m. -- Morgan stumbles down the hall with at 102 degree temp, hacking like a seal (Start breathing treatments every four hours)

Wed, Oct 20 -- Tyler fine, no temp, back to school. Morgan stays home, me too (low grade temp, GI issues, achy)

Thurs, Oct 21 -- Taking hacking, fever boy to doc to make sure it's not swine flu (it's not, ruling is croup) Start steroids. Watch way too many cartoons, try to get fever boy to drink somewhat successfully.

Friday, Oct 22 -- Fever boys declares "I'm not on fire anymore" because temp is now at 100. Still bouncing off the walls. Me not feeling so fantastic, just want to sleep, fever boy needs constant attention, breathing treatments, trips to the shower to get him to stop hacking. (We're both prunes at this point). Matt takes Tyler to the Cub Scout family camp out. Morgan stays home despite some very convincing arguments that he should be allowed to go as well ("If I can't go then no one can go." "I've packed my bag so now you have to take me, I even have two pairs of underwear" [but no pants].) Matt and Tyler freeze their butts off. I stay home and do more of the same (cartoons, laundry, force fluids, more cartoons, coloring, more fluid coaxing)

Sat, Oct 23 -- Boy has returned to the "on fire" level of fever, finishes steroids, still hacking like a seal. I call Doc again. Doc calls in script. Me still feeling like I've been run over by the Mystery Machine and suffering from a major case of cartoon overexposure. Matt and Tyler return from camping, everything smells like campfire. Do even more laundry.

Sun, Oct 24 -- Boy does not get up until 10. Worried that something is really wrong. Thinking we'll end up in the emergency room today. But no. Once up and fed bouncing off the walls again with fiery fever. Remain in quarantine of my bedroom with Morgan in hopes of not contaminating the entire house at once.

Monday, Oct 25 -- Still haven't been fever free for 24-hours so Matt and Morgan spend a lovely day together. I go to class that night, grateful to be free of cartoonland -- but still feel crappy.

Tues, Oct 26 -- Fever has finally broken. Boy can return to school -- just in time for the Halloween festivities to begin. Now my symptoms have morphed to throat on fire, head going to explode but go to work anyway.

Wed, Oct 27 -- Morgan comes home from school and falls asleep on couch.

Thurs, Oct 28 -- Halloween parties at school, raining like we're in a car wash, me still feeling like crap.

The pattern continues through the weekend. Morgan and I hack. Tyler and Matt try to avoid us. Morgan sleeping through night most of the time. Me, not so much. So here we are at 2 am on Tuesday. I'm on antibiotics, hacking, drinking Thera Flu and wondering if there is ever an end in sight.