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!

Yesterday, E took a much needed vacation day so I could wrangle the dog to the vet without wrangling two kids as well. And then I took the bigger child with me anyways because he asked really nicely. It actually worked out great. Brutus had to get a couple of shots, some blood drawn, and a dental exam, which are all things Evan is going to have to get in the next couple of weeks and it was nice to be able to say “Look how brave Brutus is! Just a little poke! Now you can give him a hug and he feels so much better!” I’d like to say I’m brilliant and that was the plan all along, but really I just thought it would be fun to hang out with my kid for a while. Three is a pretty great age (insert a zillion instances where 3 year olds are AWFUL right here), and getting to take just ONE kid with me is such a special treat.

When we got home, I suggested we not sit on the couch all day and remarkably everyone agreed. So we loaded up the stroller and uh, strolled down to the town library. When we bought this house I was SO EXCITED to live “walking distance” from “downtown” – and honestly, before kids I did do a lot of walking. I could walk to the YMCA, the post office, the library, 2 bars, and 3 restaurants. Of course “walking distance” is a relative term because the sidewalks are terrible (old, broken, uneven, slate that has shifted, blocked by cars), the neighborhood between my house and the stuff is kind of scary, and it is all down a BIG hill…which means it’s all up hill on the way home.

ANYWAYS, what I’m saying is we don’t walk much anymore but it’s something I’d really like to start doing again. Too bad our YMCA went out of business (did you even know that could happen?) and the post office is completely inaccessible to strollers (which I’m pretty sure is illegal, since it’s also handicap inaccessible?) and day drinking when you’re caring for 2 small kids is frowned upon (I know, right?!) so the library and food are pretty much our only choices. So that’s what we did! Books and Irish pub food for everyone! And like a good mommy blogger, I brought my camera along to take pictures of our Fun! Family! Outing! And because I’m actually NOT a very good mommy blogger all the pictures are kind of terrible. Still not going to stop me from posting them.

Our favorite place in town - and I'm not just saying that because it's the ONLY place in town. There are at least 3 other places.

I should have taken a video, because this is both Evans jamming out to the Dropkick Murphys

Caroline was also a Dropkick Murphy's fan. The waitress looked at the kids and said "They must be Irish".

Here, I’ll do you a favor and link the song. You’re welcome. “DROPKICK MURPHYS 4 EVA!!1!!111!!!!” – 1oth grade me.

Town Hall is pretty

Flowers and rocks. And E pushing the stroller up the giant hill.

Me, pushing the stroller the rest of the way up the big hill. And yeah, Caroline needs to SIT DOWN. She is a buckle escape artist.

My birthday week is ending tonight with a husband-acquired babysitter and a viewing of The Hunger Games in an actual theater, which might seem lame but is pretty much the best thing ever. The weather today was amazing and is supposed to be even MORE amazing tomorrow so it’s easy to avoid looking at the piles of laundry and dishes I’m supposed to be doing by staying outside.

Sunday:

CUDDLES

We're letting him practice with the toy mower now so we can put him to work for real when he's 4

Yoga: Yur doin it rong.

Monday:

Lazy baby slept until 8:15

Practicing our kissy faces

The jets in the tub turn a bubble bath into a BUBBLE BATH

Tuesday:

My birthday present was a baby who refused to wear clothes

I took a birthday nap. Sort of.

Purple roses from my sweetie

Wednesday:

Crafty like a fox

These are all gone now

Couch naps have turned into floor naps

Thursday:

Poor feverish baby slept late

Toy box nap? Weirdos.

Single-parent bedtime means sometimes you carry a naked toddler on your shoulders

Friday:

This is actually her happy face

Chalk & toes

Outside is the BEST side

Saturday:

Hmmm, maybe the peanut shells really aren't for eating

Practicing his slapshot

I enjoyed the sunshine for exactly 6 minutes before I felt my skin starting to fry.

 Now I’m going to go re-pink-ify my hair and take a nap so I don’t fall asleep half way through the movie tonight. Happy weekend!

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 sort of hope my sister is currently in the part of Africa that doesn’t have an internet connection, because she’s going to think I am intentionally posting bad pictures of her on the internet. The truth is ALL the childhood pictures of her are bad. See? Not my fault! Much better! Apparently she did not like being told to pose, while I was practicing smiling with my eyes by the time I was 4. That comes as a surprise to absolutely no one who knows us.

And now, a brief history of Easters Past in the Glidden Household:

1987? 88?

I suspect I had white patent leather shoes, a matching purse and possible a pair of gloves to go with this outfit. I also suspect we lived in Long Island and it was 30 degrees on Easter. My folks still have that clock.

April 15, 1990 - Monterey, California

Awkwardly posed photo is awkward. It looks like I’ve Instagramed this photo but I assure you it came by its faded, aged look honestly. If Instagram wants to steal that specific yellow tone they could call it “Shoebox”.

April 15, 1990 - Monterey, California

Hey, remember when you had to take pictures with film you then had to have developed at a store and sometimes people screwed up your photos? If you say “no, I’ve always used digital” we can’t be friends anymore. I am not sure why my mom dressed Drew in a football sweatshirt for Easter, but I’m sure Jesus understood it was meant as a compliment. The dress I am wearing in this photo is in Caroline’s closet upstairs.

April 1993, which makes me 11

PROOF I WAS WEARING MILK-MAID BRAIDS BEFORE THEY WERE COOL TAKE THAT HIPSTERS. I thought that dress was the bee’s knees. I remember thinking the only thing that could possibly make me look any cooler was pierced earrings and how it was SO UNFAIR my mom wouldn’t let me get my ears pierced until I was 13.  The piano in the background is the one I have now in my dining room.

I sort of suspect frilly dresses and bonnets and flowers tucked into braids weren’t on everyone’s Easter to-do list so Amy and I might be the only two joining this linky, but if you can track down your spring-type pictures please feel free! We’ll leave it open for a week.

I’m cheating a little bit here, because I made it 71 weeks without missing any and I hate to ruin my picture-every-day record. But with vacation last week I didn’t get one up (and I missed a couple days) – so lucky you, this week you get a dozen pictures of blue water and self portraits PLUS a regular boring week. Try to contain your excitement.

Sunday:

I am amazed at how close they get this REALLY BIG BOAT to the pier.

I told you there was champagne.

Happy to be on vacation

Monday:

Oh look, another ModCloth dress. SHOCKING.

Tuesday:

Oops.

Wednesday:

Blue on blue

I'm on a boat

Thursday:

Our view during breakfast

Excuse me, you have a palm tree on your face

Can I go back now?

Friday:

Ok, that's just unnecessary. STOP SHOWING OFF, ISLAND.

AND YOU. Stop taking so many pictures of yourself. GOOD LORD.

You can see the footing of that pier all the way to the bottom. It's deep enough for a cruise ship to dock. That's some clear ass water.

Saturday:

I SAID KNOCK IT OFF. (p.s. I'm totally in love with this dress)

Sunday:

Tan (well, at least less pale) and relaxed

Fly over

That's Manhattan, right behind the window specks

Monday:

To celebrate being back from vacation, I went to the dermatologist and had a chunk of my ear removed (it ended up being nothing serious)

My boys caught up on their naps

Celebrating an early spring with bubbles

Tuesday:

A picture of me looking at my vacation pictures. I'm TRYING to make you leave at this point.

The Very Hungry Toddler

I acknowledge your request to "Please sit in my chair" and I reject it.

Wednesday:

Ready for gymnastics

Fire truck at Stop & Shop was the highlight of Evan's YEAR

I'm not exactly sure what game they're playing, but I love it

Thursday:

This face, all morning. Her life is SO HARD.

Even Evan was exhausted from Caroline's tantrum

Showing us how eating his dinner makes his muscles big and strong

Friday:

Peek a Boo!

Hey kid, throw some Cheerios my way

Redneck in training

Saturday:

I think this means she's hungry

My to-do -list for Evan's birthday - I'm not sure how that ruffle dress ended up in my cart but I assure you it was a totally necessary purchase.

It's important to transport your Girl Scout Cookies safely.

Come back you cowards! I want a rematch!

Frozen fruit, pina colada mix, and mango rum. Vacation rewind!

My plans to get all the things done this weekend were derailed by too much Saturday morning dawdling at Target, a cook-out all afternoon, and sleeping in on Sunday so my week is going to involve much birthday crafting and baking. We have family coming to visit next weekend so in between all the dinosaurs I also need to clean the entire house. Thank goodness my mom did indeed scrub all the kitchen grout (and the bathroom grout and the laundry room and the yard and and and…) Fortunately (unfortunately) the weather isn’t supposed to be as nice as last week so I won’t be tempted to ignore my housework in favor of patio sitting.

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!