After a boring first half of the week, we went up to Rochester, New York for my grandfather’s memorial service. It wasn’t exactly a super fun good time!!! but it was nice to see so much of the family and talk about all of our wonderful memories of Grandpa. The kids were remarkably well behaved despite missing naps two days in a row and all of us sleeping in one hotel room. They were both too young to understand what was going on, but they were REALLY happy the hotel had a “water cool” – aka swimming pool.

Sunday:

She's getting good at watching sports - snack,drink, belligerent attitude.

We glued down some of the tracks to prevent another Epic Train Disaster of 2012.

Stop screwing around with your phone and READ ME MY STORY, WOMAN.

Monday:

Her favorite game at the playplace is Try On All The Shoes

Evan thought kitty looked cold, so he tucked her in for a nap.

HUGS!

Tuesday:

She must really like Tuesdays

Or...not. This was because I insisted on paying for the grapes before she could eat them.

I think he's Mousekercizing

Wednesday:

It won't be long before she's doing backflips down this thing

Hoarder in the making

This is such a mess it's not even cute anymore.

Thursday:

Evan "helped" me take Brutus to the vet

Library turtle is exciting for exactly 42 seconds

Veggie Taaaales, Veggie Taaaaales, Veggie Taaaaaales, VeggieTales!

Friday:

Hotel curtains are the FUNNEST

My favorite picture of Caroline, maybe ever

What do you MEAN they're out of the sea bass? Unacceptable.

Saturday:

Hotel beds are for jumping

Please, take my picture.

Caroline fully accepted the pack'n'play as a nice place to sleep and suddenly I am looking forward to vacation a whole lot more.

Now we are back home and I have an enormous pile of laundry to slog through although going to Mystic to feed the ducks and visit the whales sounds like a lot more fun, so maybe we’ll just turn our underwear inside out tomorrow. It was an emotional weekend and I could use some sunshine and fun.

Did you take any camera phone photos this week? Link up with one or lots using the linky below and grab the code (so it shows on your blog too!) over at Amy’s . It’s really fun!

I’m not actually here because, oh, have I mentioned? I’m going on a cruise. The Ruby Princess to Princess Cay, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Grand Turk with two days at sea for nothing but drinking relaxing. My folks are here in Connecticut watching the kids, the pets and the house so don’t bother trying to rob us. And my brother is at THEIR house, so no robbing in Virginia either. You can go ahead and rob my brother though, since a) he’s like 22, he owns nothing of value and b) I don’t actually know where he lives. True story. I’m not a very good sister.

Sunday:

Waiting at the spa for my very, uh, personal appointment

Totally engrossed in a super hero movie

Someone REALLY liked the (plain, greek) yogurt

Monday:

We left the house early so I could get a giant coffee - which means the kids get a bagel for breakfast

Eating the grapes while I'm trying to check out. She's OBSESSED.

I'm hoping a picture taped to the window will stop Mr. Cardinal from trying to bash his little birdy brains out all day.

Tuesday:

Brutus: I didn't do it!

Blushes: Your photo taking it disturbing my nap

This kid sleeps through ANYTHING when he's couch napping

Wednesday:

Foot war!!!

YEP. I ate them all.

Evil baby is evil

Thursday:

Yoda baby is the cutest

Are we gonna shake some crap or what?

Look, Ma, warm weather! What is that giant blue thing over my head?!

Friday:

A week ago she hated those things. Now she's a bag-a-day addict.

Emergency pre-vacation pedicure

There's a little Caroline on the menu tonight (BA-DUM-CHING)

Even though I’m cruuuuuuising, dahling, I scheduled a few posts to go up this week so you wouldn’t miss me. Or more accurately, so my mom won’t go into blog-withdrawal and get so bored she accidentally scrubs all the grout out of my kitchen tiles. My parents don’t really know what “sitting still” means (which is good, with two toddler to watch). I, on the other hand, plan to have moss growing on my north side by Wednesday. Happy Weekend!

It was a good week! We had a lot of adventures, made some progress in the sleep department (going to bed at 9 pm helps), and it’s ending with cake and a date for E’s birthday.

Sunday:

I bought some Jason Wu at Target - one of these days I might even WEAR it

Lazy toddler is lazy

I brought my knitting to a Super Bowl party. I'm so cool.

Monday:

15 Weight Watcher's points. Totally worth it.

I am amazed at how quickly she fell in love with this seahorse

I'd call her a genius artist, but she keeps trying to draw with the wrong end.

Birthday crafting has begun! I got all 45 flags made this week.

Tuesday:

Beeyotch, don't be lookin' at my grapes.

Car naps FTW

Nice healthy dinner, until I ate like FIVE portions.

Wednesday:

Still having mixed feelings about gymnastics

Oh hey, whatcha got? Can I see it? Can I can I?

Adorable toddler photo opp ruined by my lazy housekeeping

Thursday:

Library turtle! Meaning a turtle at the library, not some sort of special species

The entire top floor of our town library is for kids. I feel like a total idiot for not going sooner.

Library train table. I'm surprised I EVER got Evan to leave.

I'd actually been in bed for at least half an hour when I took this. My life is so exciting.

Friday:

Evan and T sharing a hiding spot

Smug elevator face

This look is called "The Lazy Mother's Smock"

Sometimes, everyone gets along

Saturday:

I'd like to speak to a manager about this restaurant - there's a weird guy lurking in the corner

Someone was a little confused about whose birthday it actually is

Do I LOOK like I'm enjoying this, Mother?

I am a wee bit overexcited about tonight, because E and I are going OUT with NO KIDS because I found a baby sitter. We’re actually paying her an obscene amount of money to just be in the house – we’re not leaving until we put the kids to bed so they won’t even know we’re gone. It’s too bad we don’t live in the 1950’s when we could have just locked the door and told the neighbor to call the fire department if it looked like the house was burning down. Then we could afford to play a few more hands of blackjack tonight. Child endangerment what?

Did you take any camera phone photos this week? Link up with one or lots using the linky below and grab the code (so it shows on your blog too!) over at Amy’s . It’s really fun!

Poor, poor Brutus. He’s such a great dog and we take him so much for granted. Clean up this mess Brutus! Watch the baby while I run upstairs Brutus! Let the toddler jump on you like a trampoline Brutus! Fetch me a drink Brutus! (Still working on that last one, sadly.) He’s amazing with the kids and lets them climb all over him or ride him like a horse and never complains. He gets fed last and let out to pee last and almost never gets real walks anymore. He went from full-person status in our family with his own spot on the couch to low dog on the totem pole who isn’t even allowed to eat food off the floor without permission. And yet he continues to be the best dog ever.

We let him off leash on our walk yesterday and he was in doggy heaven smelling ALL THE THINGS and marking ALL THE THINGS and eating ALL THE THINGS. He loves all the things.

After our walk, Brutus was exhausted and barely moved for the rest of the day. He turned 6 in October – which is CRAZY because I remember getting him here in Ohio like it was yesterday – and he’s starting to show his age, even though I still think of him like this:

WOOK AT DA WIDDLE PUPPEH!!!

PUPPEH CUDDLES!!!1!1!1!!

Today I am thankful for a loyal, patient, dog who makes me feel safer when E isn’t home and I hear scary noises and who barks REALLY REALLY LOUD when strange people ring the doorbell. We are so lucky Brutus is part of our family.