Notes From the House Of Ill, Part 2

Just checking in to let you know that we are still a drippy, sore throat, coughing mess.  All of us except for Mr. Immune System of Steel, that is.  The Mr. is back to normal, but the Wee Ones and I are still teetering back and forth on the edge of miserable.  (inset annoying whine here)
Despite our lingering illness and its tiresome ways we have been keeping quite busy.  The cousins, Casey and Brian, are here on an almost week-long visit.  They're not spending nights here, but we've seen them every day and they have been a huge help to me in keeping my children occupied.  Brian kindly brought his vintage style Thomas the Train sets and we have a virtual train city in the basement.  Harry, while playing quietly with them by himself this morning, declared over and over again in a  soft whisper "I like Thomas, a lot.  I really really like him.  And Percy, too." 
Brendan and his Dad have worked diligently on the deck this weekend, and I can now envision how it might look once complete.  We're going to like it very much, I think.  The added square footage should make outdoor gatherings run more smoothly, and the ability to enter and exit the pool without walking in the yard of beach sand will be a pleasure.  I am not kidding about the yard of beach sand, but attempts will be made this autumn to remedy that situation, as well. 
There has been a purchase of a tee-ball set and more than a few "games" have been played.  I think we might have a little athlete on our hands, which should be interesting given our extreme nonchalance in regards to anything sports or team related.  I guess we'll have to learn? 
We have booked a few days at Lapland Lake for our vacation, a compromise that will hopefully work out nicely.  I wanted to spend the entire week at a camp on a lake, but Brendan feared that we might all get bored and feel a little claustrophobic...and now I agree with him.  Spending a few days away will give us the feel of a vacation while still allowing us to get a few things done around the house on our week off.  We'll also get to try out this thing called vacation with two kids in tow, and see if we like it and can handle it.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well so we will be enticed to do it more often in the future.  I took Harry and Emmy for a sneak preview this past week, and the beach was a hit. 

We're missing our families, who have also been busy this summer, and we're hoping to catch up with everyone very soon.  Emma turns one in a few days and a party is in the planning stages.  So we're busy, and sick, but enjoying what is left of the summer.  Hope you're enjoying the summer, too.