I started and ended my week with beautiful photo sessions where everyone wore short sleeves. The heat in my house is still kicking on most nights but I am almost confident I can put away my winter coat. Which is good, because today starts soccer GAMES in addition to practices so we’ll be spending even more time outside…

Sunday:

My new favorite beach spot for photos

Another week, another goat

After a very full day we still managed to grocery shop thanks to a happy back wrapped baby

Monday:

OUTSIIIIIIIIIIIDE

She’s such a pro

Catching up on Scandal (ugh, why do I bother?) while editing

Tuesday:

This wrap is called Arendelle’s Meadow and I HAVE to own it (I’m just borrowing it right now)

Her happy place

Evan was complaing it was too sunny to see the iPad screen so he put my jacket over his head. Kids these days.

Wednesday:

Let me oooooouuuuuut

I had to pin him down with my foot and then pull it out of the picture really quick

Swinger

Thursday:

BEST wrap meet-up ever

Practicing

Love soccer practice because of the dirt-eating opportunities

Friday:

This face was temporary…

…because this is what he wanted

Mommy, I’m a koala!

Saturday:

BFFs

Cheese, guacamole, bacon, and chipotle sauce from The Whey Station

Perfect evening for some photos

Today we went OUT OUT OUT to enjoy the 75 degree weather and now we are all tired tired tired. We just at dinner (it’s 4 pm) and I’m counting on a 6:30 pm bedtime for everyone – probably including me. 12 hours of sleep (even interrupted sleep) sounds amazing. The only family member who isn’t tired is Linc, who is currently out on the porch screeching at anyone who walks by and shoving push-cars around. I WISH he was in here nursing to sleep in my lap – because that’s always a nice excuse to sit on the couch instead of clean stuff – but he has an endless amount of energy. I’m actually looking forward to him walking so I can wear him out more.

I am apparently allergic to everything that is blooming/growing at the moment. I ran through all the OTC drugs I had and I’m afraid to buy anything else in case the cops show up to look for my meth lab. Plus I can’t take any GOOD stuff because I’m nursing. If spring is going to kick my ass this much I would really appreciate it being warm enough to actually BE OUTSIDE.

Sunday:

Those are actually suck pads for my Tula, not elbow decorations, but don’t tell her.

I’m not exactly sure WHY Anna and Elsa were at the horse farm, but Caroline enjoyed it

Stop being a jerk, Zebra-Donkey

Monday:

He’s pleased with himself

She said she’s building a fairy house

Swim girl

Tuesday:

How does a baby who can’t dress himself lose so many shoes?

Look at the little fox with the camera!

First day of soccer

Wednesday:

I did a LOT of babywearing this week

It was not actually as warm as it looks. He just really wanted to touch the grass.

He nurses like this every time.

Thursday:

It SNOWED while we were outside

Evan switched to the U8 soccer team instead of the beginners, so we’re at soccer for 2 hours. Which is NOT FUN when it’s SNOWING.

Sight words today, learning about copyright infrigement tomorrow

Friday:

Practicing

Happy baby

Unimpressed with the outlet mall

Saturday:

Helping me with the seasonal clothing switch

Very excited about Moe’s

THIS BRUSH IS DELICIOUS

This is our second week with our new very busy schedule. I really hope the baby and my allergies let me sleep enough to survive it. I would give almost anything for 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep. It’s amazing how quickly a few bad nights catch up with you. I should in fact be sleeping right now but I was a) finishing this post and b) watching episodes of Call the Midwife I didn’t realize were new and my DVR was kindly recording for me.

I don’t often have a favorite child. Sometimes I have a least favorite child (defined as the one who is currently misbehaving/throwing a tantrum/crying/keeping me awake at 2 am) but that only lasts for a few minutes. Mothers have an infinite amount of love, so loving one kid infinite plus a little bit more is almost impossible.

That being said, I’ve been finding myself scheduling extra time with Caroline whenever possible lately. Four and four months seems to be a nice age for her. I mean, she’s still FOUR. Life is hard when you are four and you have to wear sneakers instead of sparkly shoes or can’t have candy for breakfast or have to go to bed when it is still light out or when the half-zebra is too far away from the fence and you can’t pet her. Caroline is the middle child, my only girl, the one who I worry about the most as she moves from being a baby into real life. She has so much confidence and curiosity and willingness to try new things right now but I know the day is coming when being herself will feel harder than going with the crowd. I want her to hold on to herself and be fearless as long as possible, so if she’s up for an adventure, I am up for an adventure.

She wakes up every day and wants to Do Fun Stuff. As soon as she hears about a cool place or fun activity it goes on her mental list of Fun Stuff We Should Do so if we have a whole in the schedule she is ready to fill it. And on the way to Doing Fun Stuff she wants to grab a frappuccino. Because who doesn’t love a frappuccino?

Our Sunday included TWO frappuccinos. We went to Target with the Starbucks at 8 am for the Lilly Pulitzer collection release but failed – our store didn’t even get any kid sizes in stock and the first 10 crazy women in the doors bought EVERYTHING else. There was one beach towel and a couple of glasses left at 8:05. Luckily Caroline found a couple of Easter dresses on clearance that she was perfectly happy to accept instead of Lilly (because she’s 4, she doesn’t care). Then when we came home she begged to do more fun stuff. I heard from a friend there was a fundraiser at Ray of Light Farm, so Caroline and I jumped in the car and went, leaving the boys at home. On the way back we had “frappuccinos” i.e. Coolatas from Dunkin Donuts and talked about what we would do for our next adventure.

I made the mistake of telling her people sometimes have guinea pigs as pets, so obviously now she wants to know when she can get one. Maybe I should have told her some people eat guinea pigs instead.

More goats. We really like goats. Also, they sold us that food for the special fundraiser day – I’m not THAT much of an a-hole to just feed animals right next to the sign that says don’t feed the animals.

This horse was named Belle, which made her Caroline’s favorite.

Waiting patiently for the half-zebra to wander over. She eventually did so our day was a success.

Caroline’s outfit:
Hat – Gymboree outlet
Dress – Target
Leggings – BabyLegs
Boots – Zulily
Sweater (in the other pics) – J Crew Crew Cuts from the consignment shop
Glasses (in the other pics) – Zenni Optical

For the record, Caroline is only allowed non-coffee drinks. I’m not pumping my 4-year-old full of espresso – it’s mostly whipped cream and ice. And delicious.

This week was spring break. We didn’t go anywhere in the stay-over-night-on-vacation sense, but we did go do a lot of things. Especially Caroline and I – we are cut from the same cloth that refuses to just sit on the couch on a sunny day. We need to go “do fun things”.

Sunday:

Can’t stop won’t stop visiting the goats (except probably now, since all the baby goats are getting big)

Treat yo’ self

Evening walk

Monday:

Not a real cow

So excited about the zoo he fell asleep

Art in motion

Tuesday:

Band-aids are really exciting

This is not a good wrap job but the wrap is so pretty I don’t care

If you give a baby a flashlight, he will think that is the best thing ever

Wednesday:

During the treasure hunt, a pirate asked them to sing a pirate song, so they both sang “Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!”

That hat though

Seriously. The hat.

Thursday:

I thought a nice long walk would be fun. They disagreed.

Caroline arranged her own storytime at the library, despite the fact that a) she can’t read and b) she doesn’t know that girl

Don’t let the cute messy face distract you from the path of destruction behind him

Friday:

Maybe I should try to teach her to read

Hide out

That’s his concentrating face

Saturday:

She is very disappointed that no REAL birds will get to enjoy the houses she decorated for them

Wearing his new hat while we enjoy dinner on a deck

These kids, you guys

I am BEAT and I feel about a million years old. I wish I could sleep for 24 hours straight. I feel like I’m right on the edge of getting sick and I do not have TIME to be sick. The kids are supposed to start soccer this week but somehow soccer (which is supposed to be Monday/Wednesday) is now on Thursday during the same time as swim. Obviously they can’t be swimming WHILE playing soccer so I’m going to have to get swim moved (there are other swim classes, there’s just one soccer team). But this swim session is really full and it’s going to be SUCH a pain to work out. I’m dreading making that phone call but both soccer and swim cost too much money to just skip. Stupid sports.

The weather is finally warm enough that I’m confident it’s time to switch out everyone’s wardrobes, but that means it’s time to sort out the donate/consign/pass on piles. Just ONE kid’s clothes could keep me busy for a week – and I have 3 kids with way too much stuff. I suspect absolutely nothing from last year will fit anyone (especially Linc, since he didn’t exist this time last year) so I will be forced to buy EVEN MORE stuff. Stupid stuff.

Thank God spring break is over. I’ve become just a whiny as my children.

This week (the one I am typing in, not the one in the pictures) is spring break and the weather finally got the memo so I am tempted to turn off my laptop, toss it in a closet and not look at it again until the weather gets back below 50 degrees. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen again until October.

Sunday:

Grumpy baby wanted to walk around instead of sit through Easter service

Brunching

Evan picked this one from ALL the grocery store cakes

Monday:

No match for fresh air

I MISSED 100000 EVEN

Grocery store assistant

Tuesday:

Best Legos Ever

Style

Attention Target shoppers: Adorable baby in the main aisle

Wednesday:

More Style

DEFINITELY GINGERY

He’s pretty convinced that is his bed.

Thursday:

Thoughtful baby

Her style now extends to swim class

I am not sure why this is necessary

Friday:

Terrorizing the ponies

Terrorizing the dog

Terrorizing himself (your doing it wrong)

Saturday:

Uptown Fairy

Wallet thief

They demanded I take their picture next to this “sports dog”.