fun on the fourth.

Rick has completed his first week of intern year! He only majorly messed something up one time, and he's getting used to introducing himself to patients as Dr. Otto. We knew this first year of General Surgery was going to involve long hours, and it seems that Trauma Surgery (his first rotation) is living up to that reputation. Rick left the house at 5:15 a.m. every day and got home at around 8:30 p.m. That means the kids literally did not see their dad, with the exception of Everett who is a bit of a night owl. 

The positive of this is that today (Saturday) seems like a major holiday around here: the one day Daddy is home! 

So, without a Dad we didn't do much to celebrate Independence Day. We went to the church for a delicious breakfast, and then that night I let the kids have a treat and watch fireworks... on YouTube. It was great: the kids enjoyed the fireworks and were in bed at 7:30.

Our church here puts on a great breakfast for the fourth! 

Making flags on graham crackers turned out to be a really great learning activity: count three rows of three blueberries, patterns with the stripes, etc.

I am not a big fan of the way my boys choose to pose for photos these days.

See?

After letting Faye sit on a bar stool a few times, she's not a big fan of her high chair anymore!

Watching the low budget fireworks.

I showed Rick this picture, and he swears Faye's hair had grown a ton since he saw her last (a week ago). It is true that she changes a ton in just a few days... every night I tell Rick the new words she said or new things she did. She is seriously seeming like a big girl now!

I did promise the boys they could stay up next year to see real fireworks!