I’m not going to lie, I am not a huge fan of Thanksgiving. I feel very meh about all the traditional food (except for pie #teampie) and if we aren’t going anywhere I end up doing A LOT of work for people who also feel very meh about the food. It ends up being much more about the tradition of making the food – being in the kitchen, letting the kids help, timing everything perfectly – than the actual food.

This was the first year I enjoyed having the kids participate in the cooking. I really WANT them to have good holiday memories of togetherness in the kitchen but sometimes I just want to pour a cup of flour without anyone dumping half of it on the floor. I am TRYING. I am allowing the floor to be flour-covered and the pie to be over-cinnamoned and my patience to be stretched thin in the hopes that they will one day face the same thing with their children and realize “Wow, my mother really loved me.”

In the spirit of accepting that the holidays don’t have to be perfect to be special, here are some photos from our Thanksgiving weekend. We went full Christmas on Black Friday – tree shopping trumps gift shopping – although I’m not happy with my current decorations. Caroline’s mermaid birthday is clashing with my previous princess/woodland fairy themes. I need a LOT more silver and pink. But in the meantime, enjoy pictures of dirty dishes instead.

/

The aquarium always does fun stuff for Halloween and we’ve been going since Evan was a baby. This year the costume dress up weekend was “Pirate and Princess” themed. Unfortunately, I spend a bazillion dollars on costumes that are not pirates or princesses but were TOTALLY aquarium appropriate…so the kids dressed up anyway.

Although they weren’t eligible for the pirate/princess costume contests, I can promise you Evan won Unofficial Best Costume, just based on the fact that EVERY person we saw commented on it. Because it’s AMAZING.

p.s. The weird spacing thing on photos with captions makes me crazy but I cannot fix it so try not to let it drive you crazy too.

She traded her mermaid crown for one she made in the craft room

LOOK AT THAT COSTUME

They loved all the throwing games to win “pirate gold”

I wonder if the seals are getting nervous about the shark staring at them.

There’s an art installation set up about ocean pollution. This one was adorable/sad.

He’s goldfish. FYI.

Evan saw the pirate and yelled “JACK SPARROW!” and the pirate said “CAPTAIN. It’s CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow!” This was like the 5th time we ran into him just walking around, obviously they’re BFF’s now.

This is the best I can do for family photos right now.

Sorry Linc.

Then we went home and painted/carved pumpkins, something we never managed to get around to last year. Painting is genius, since carving is such a PITA.

It’s October, but that’s not going to stop me from posting these photos I took in August.  Maybe I’ll have the Kiawah trip photos done by Christmas.

They changed the name of Taste of Mystic to Mystic Eats, but besides that it’s the same weekend we’ve had for 3 years now. And it was just as delicious and fun now as it always is. (For reference: Post from 2012, Post from 2013. I am once again really please with how my photography has really improved. This year’s photos are in focus!)

Greek Food Festival:

Ledyard Fair (free rides Saturday 9-10 am! Every year!):

Taste of Italy:

Mystic Eats:

This week features an abnormal number of photos of Caroline sitting at tables. It was really really really hot for most of the week, so sitting was about all we managed.

Sunday:

Didn’t even get out of her jammies before she needed a nap.

Dudes chilling on the couch

Waiting by the door. For cheeseburgers, obv.

Monday:

Nice view. Terrible, rocky beach.

Sleeping through me things.

Really excited about fried clam strips

Tuesday:

She apparently turned 15 overnight.

Mommy, are you SURE I can drink this beer?

Homework. AND SO IT STARTS.

Wednesday:

Stroller Strides! He slept through it. Obviously.

Lipgloss obsessed

Tubby baby

Thursday:

Caroline gets on the bus an hour later than Evan, but insists on waiting with him.

Skeptical of the babycage aka shopping cart

Her face after like TWO sips of soda

Friday:

Chatting with a babyfriend

Napping on the porch

NOT NAPPING at bedtime

Saturday:

FAIR-ly Fun

I have not yet mastered the “look at the camera” part of a selfie

Waiting for her meatballs at the Italian Food Festival

The humidity has been INSANE this week, like swimming through the air instead of walking, and without A/C our house has been miserable. I’m so ready for actual, real fall to start, despite the fact that I own ONE pair of pants that fit. No one will notice I’m wearing the same jeans everyday when I’m also wearing a super cute baby in a super cute wrap. (Warning: I’m currently obsessed with woven wraps, I’ll probably bore you talking about them.)