This week...

Our 4th of July was good. We didn't go to Everett like originally planned because the tour of the Lincoln was only for kids 8+. So, we made plans with our parents to have a BBQ here. Before the BBQ I took the girls to Big Apple Diner so they could buy the stuffed animals that they had been saving up for - they helped me for two weeks with the paper route with bagging the few papers that I bag and toss, and helping me to deliver them as well. Mike's mom Kathy wasn't feeling well, so she didn't make it, so it would have been Mike's dad Ron, and my mom and dad, and us - but then my sister Camille, her hubby Josh and my niece Rianne came by last minute. So it turned out to be quite fun. We BBQ-ed out on what has been built of the house so far, and I bought some kiddie fireworks, and Camille and family brought a big box full of fireworks. We mostly set off the kiddie fireworks while it was still light, then a little after 10:00 we took off to Port Orchard to see their city fireworks. It was perfect because we arrived right as they were starting...we just pulled off on the side of the road near the waterfront, and it was a great view. We took Mike's truck and the van, so we were able to sit in the back of the truck to see better. The girls loved it, and it was probably the funnest year yet as far as the kids' involvement and excitement. After that we came back home and set off the rest of the fireworks that Camille and family brought. We were in bed shortly after midnight.

Last year a family we know was planning to go to Mexico to work at an orphanage and so to earn some money for their trip they put on a summer camp for little kids. Adrienne went and loved it, and this year they did it again. So, yesterday morning I took Adrienne while Mike was still here and Colette was asleep - I didn't think Colette was old enough yet to go to the camp, but found out after-the-fact that she could have gone too. But that was moot anyway because when I got back I decided to take her to the doctor while Adrienne was gone. Backing up now...in the last few weeks Colette has been saying that her pee-pee (our word for their private area) is "hot"...I thought maybe this was her mimicking Adrienne because Adrienne had been complaining of some irritation there and every 3 or 4 days I'd need to wipe Adrienne and put vaseline on her. Colette had a UTI when she was 1, which is unusual for children under 4, and so I knew that was something that she might have a problem with, because at that time I decided not to get the tests they wanted done unless something came up again - Since she wasn't potty trained they had to give her a catheter to find out that she had the UTI and they couldn't sedate or numb her because of how young she was - that was the worst mothering moment I've ever had. So that's why I decided not to do the tests at that time, because they would have had to do another catheter and for an extended period of time and it would have been horrible. Back to the present - like I said she was complaining about the pee-pee being hot, and I was hoping she was copying Adrienne, and then yesterday morning she woke up with a fever. Could have been unrelated, but I decided it was worth checking out, so I took her to the doctor - this time she was potty trained so I was able to get her to pee in a cup, and they tested it and found that she may have another UTI and started her on antibiotics. They will know for sure once the results of the culture are in, probably tomorrow - then I'll find out if they will want those tests done that I had put off before. For the rest of yesterday I gave her the antibiotics and she continued to have a fever until right before bedtime, she was pretty chipper through it all, but she did sleep a lot. So I didn't get a lot done yesterday because I cuddled and napped with Colette. But then last night our friend Andy stopped by and so we went to Big Apple Diner for dinner and also called up friends Tyler, Clardon, and Roland to come as well, so that was fun.

By this morning Colette had no fever and seemed just fine...so she got to go to the 2nd day of the summer camp. They both seemed to have had a blast. Adrienne has been picking out her outfits lately and gets really offended if I offer any advice about her choices...I thought her outfit selection for the summer camp was fine, except for the mismatched socks - one of which was one of mine!, and the fact that she wanted to wear the same outfit for both days...Oh well! I got 3 hours without the girls, and I got some errands done, but then I got to spend it dealing with annoyances like - a cell phone that was dropping calls left and right and email that wouldn't work. The annoying thing was that it was really a futile effort on my part - I spent about an hour on livechat with someone about the email, and he finally just said that it was something that might resolve itself in the next day or so - and by the time I got back from picking up the girls it had! The cell phone issue was probably caused by my dropping the phone the other day, but I didn't realize that and so was spending wasted time looking for a cheap cell on Ebay to get me through the next 3 months until I get a free one with my plan - while I was browsing on Ebay, Mike started tinkering with it and it appears he may have fixed the problem. I will see in the next few days...if he has I'll buy a hands-free device for it (because as of Sunday it's now a big fine to talk on your cell while driving - in case some of you didn't know), and if not, then I'll get a new one with a speakerphone option.

House progress is coming along a little more since I last wrote about it...the outside wall of the first floor is done, and the inside walls are almost done. Then they'll put up beams and start on the floor joists for the top floor, frame the top floor, then trusses. Mike is taking leave without pay until mid-August, so he and my dad will hopefully be able to knock this stuff out quickly. Mike will also be doing the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC.

Tomorrow we'll go see Ratatouille finally!

And now for pictures:

This was last week while Mike was gone...first night I'd slept in our bed, and woke up with hives. So the second night I planned on sleeping on the couch, and since I didn't want the girls to come sleep with me on the couch in the middle of the night (it can be done though! Colette will sleep up next to me, and Adrienne sleeps with her head at the other end), we camped out in the living room...of course the girls thought this was fun:

Adrienne with her snake she earned, from Big Apple Diner:
Colette with her seahorse that she earned:
Adrienne stealing Grandma's chair (4th of July BBQ), my dad is on the left and that's my mom's arm and leg :-):
Colette throwing a pop-it (Josh is next to her):
Rianne on the phone, as always:


The downside of her new do - she just needs to brush her hair out of her face, but she never feels inclined. Wouldn't that bug you? I can always put product in her hair, or a barrette or something, but we were just hanging out at home. Oh, and this outfit is pretty good except for the mismatched socks, and dress shoes :-) :
Colette, Camille, Rianne, Adrienne:
Adrienne after the first day of summer camp, she thinks she's French - she's always telling people about how she's going to Paris, France. I've always wanted to go, so maybe her enthusiasm will prompt action - if we can ever afford it!:
The sick one...poor girl :-(
The aftermath of the 4th:
If you can see the differences from the last pictures...the outside wall is finished, the porch is framed in, and you can see some of the inside framing:
Another view:
The study area framed in (along with more 4th aftermath :-) :
The kitchen area (and our makeshift table and chair for our BBQ):
Just one of the girls:
Framing for our bathroom:
Framing around the staircase:
Framing for the kitchen:
Framing for our closet:
Mike and dad working in our bedroom: