This was not my favorite week.

Sunday:

All my guys

Future so bright, you better wear shades

When Linc says pants are a shirt, he refuses to back down

Monday:

NOT HELPING

That’s the eclipse, I swear

Doesn’t know how to cart correctly

Tuesday:

I don’t know what this show is but I never want to see it again

I miss lake life already

Progress!

Wednesday:

Rocking the Seaport

Getting in some daddy cuddles

Such a big kid

Thursday:

Stupid submarine

Eating our feelings. They taste like frosting.

Goofball

Friday:

Bunny Caroline

Alien attack

Evan on the grown up rides

Saturday:

Before the mud at the Mud Run

NEW BATHROOM

More new bathroom! I love my new bathroom!

I’ve been having a bit of a battle with the school slash school bus company and today I won. I’m so relieved. As much as we really like being busy and on the go, I don’t like being late, breaking rules, or writing bitchy emails. Ok, I SORT of like writing bitchy emails, but not over and over. But starting next week we should just go back to regular busy – now with 100% more karate for Evan!

The very best part of the year in Connecticut has just started. The weather is gorgeous. There are so many fun things to do we can’t possibly do them all. We’re just two weekends away from The Best Weekend Of The Year. We can be out of the house 12 hours a day easily, so when we get home all the children are exhausted and go right to bed.

On the one hand, this is perfect. The United States Navy called in their claim on my husband, and we won’t be seeing him for a while. Operation Keep Them Busy is my only hope to avoid sad, crying children every day. It’s lucky that this drastic family change happened during a time of year full of activity and changes. It’s easier to adjust when you’re already adjusting to new classes, new teachers, new schools, new routines and plenty of fun.

On the other hand, participating in all that fun without a second set of adult hands is taxing mentally and physically. There’s no one to go with the kids on rides the babies can’t ride. There’s no one to watch the stroller while I run to the bathroom. There’s no one to help carry plates at a food festival. There’s no one to wear an exhausted toddler when I’m wearing a nursing baby. There’s no one else to drive when I’m super tired. There’s just no one else. We’re going to miss some of the annual events we “always” go to because my sanity is more important than doing everything.

To kick off the best part of the year, we went to the Brooklyn Fair and it was wildly successful. I basically said yes to everything, including throwing a ton of money at stupid carnival games because my kids love those cheap, gross, horrible, trash stuffed animals so much. We were there for almost 5 hours and I think I only threatened to abandon them once. Maybe twice for Lincoln. But they had a super good time and said I was the best mommy and I got to eat the cotton candy they forgot we bought so it was a good day.

The kids went back to school this week, which mean my photos are going to be Linc-heavy for next…forever.

Sunday:

SO READY

Grocery store assistant

High chair? Why would I need a high chair?

Monday:

Where am I?! What year is this???

Preparing for her show

I bleach shampooed my hair. I’ll do a real post about it but the short review is A++

Tuesday:

Babies are hilarious

Evan agrees. Babies, man.

How we got through Back to School night

Wednesday:

First day of school! BUH-BYE!

A rainbow wrap and a pink truck. MY KID IS DOOOOOOMED.

The Book Barn is my new favorite

Thursday:

Aquarium playdate

IT’S SO QUIET

Starting her young

Friday:

Waving bye-bye to the bus is super fun

Living the toddler dream

Fair Life

Saturday:

I’m not sure we brought enough watermelon

He’s going to miss eating sand SO MUCH

Blankets are pretty much his favorite thing in the whole world

I am SO happy to have the kids back at school, even though school brings a whole new level of stress and deadlines and homework and one zillion pieces of paper that need my attention. They need the structure of school and the friends and the break from me (and my often short temper) right now. I figure by Christmas we’ll all be super excited to hang out together again. Right now I’m just going to enjoy the crap out of my one tiny baby who can’t talk back.

And if I say “Christmas” again before December, please punch me in the face.

The Brooklyn Fair is the oldest agricultural fair in the country. But don’t worry, besides the adorable little fair museum building everything else was the true country fair experience. I don’t really mean that as a compliment, but it still makes me happy. People watching and deep fried stuff are two of my guiltiest guilty pleasures.

Linc was a champ, hanging out on my back almost the whole time. The kids liked the animals and teh food but they mostly wanted to go on rides. Since I am the meanest mother in the world I only bought a book of tickets, not wristbands, so they each got to go on a few things. As far as carnival rides go, everything seemed really sturdy – sturdy enough that I actually went on one of the high swinging things with Evan. No one died!

The Brooklyn Fair was the warm up for September, which will be absolutely full of fairs, food and long fun days with a baby on my back.

The boys at pizza and nachos…

The girls (and the baby) had clam strips.

We don’t know that girl. Evan just asked her to pour corn on his head. Of course she said yes.

Caroline was really good at milking the fake cow.

Those are apparently the biggest whoopie pies in the state. Country? World? I just remember they were very proud of them.

She would have watched the horses all night.

I love love love this picture. I’m going to enter it in next year’s fair’s photography category.

The big kids wanted to go on the “roller coaster”. Caroline was technically too short to go without a responsible person, but Evan was good enough for the guy working the gate.

She did NOT love the roller coaster. Poor child.