Having Wednesday off for Veterans Day really confused me all week. I do not like random mid-week holidays.

Sunday:

The turtle’s name is Stretch, which Caroline forgets every time

Anyone need a really poorly made tutu?

Toddler nursing is a little like being mauled by an animal

Monday:

Everyone needed some love on Monday

And then he got stuck. Poor choices.

Probably the largest collection of Wendy’s kid’s meal toys in the world

Tuesday:

Shopping buddy

He is SO convinced he’s helping

Ballet has replaced swim as my least favorite activity (because I have to bring all the kids)

Wednesday:

My children asked to be locked in a closet

A friend asked me to take a picture of her bow

Evan asked me not to talk to him anymore because he was too busy

Thursday:

Bus stop weirdos

Partners in crime

The queen of snack-stealing

(FYI: That popcorn came from a free PINCHme box, which you can sign up for here. It’s free and they send you samples. I got some good stuff.)

(Also FYI: That’s not an affiliate link, they just sent me one so I would share, so I’m sharing.)

Friday:

Toddler Party

This appears to be a very low budget horror movie, filming in my neighborhood

(I think it is this movie, but there’s no real info on IMDB yet. There was a sign on the door that said Dark Pledge.)

Sleepy baby

Saturday:

Babies are not super helpful on photoshoots

I’m going to make-over that Cozy Coupe, but Linc already loves it

Caroline wants a pet “just for her”. I said no to rodents.

We had some amazing weather this week, especially for November. With the sun going down so early it is really important to my mental health that I get outside for some vitamin D at least a few times a week, or I start to go crazy. So it would be great if we could keep at least a couple warmish, sunny, non-snowing days a week for the whole winter. Then I could keep doing photo sessions too, which also make me super happy.

We had another mild-weather Halloween here in Connecticut. It’s sort of unfair that my New England children have never known the joy of wearing their winter coats UNDER their Halloween costumes while freezing to death for some candy. We had friends over for an hour of trick or treating followed by an hour and a half of handing out candy, because that part is just as good and you feet don’t get as tired.

The kids got enough loot that they don’t actually CARE about all the candy, so it’s been consolidated and will be rationed out until I end up eating most of it. I wish there had been fewer Whoppers (ew) and more Midnight Milky Ways (yum), but more than enough of it is high quality to make it a successful Halloween all around. If you recognize the shark in these photos, it was Evan’s costume from last year, lent to a friend who was SUPER excited about it. Everyone’s costumes this year were amazing (they were all from Chasing Fireflies, which is why. All the monies, but so awesome).

Our neighbors were projecting Hotel Transylvania onto the side of their garage. Two thumbs up.

So it’s November now, which is fine, we’re fine, it’s all fine. Except that in 6 weeks I promised Caroline I would throw her a Nutcracker-themed 5th birthday party and two weeks after that is Christmas and then it will be 2016 and  OMG. Let’s just focus on this past (excellent) week.

Sunday:

Getting as much costume time as possible this week

I got my first RocksBox! I’m really loving wearing fancy jewelry. My affiliate code good for 1 free month is bebehblogxoxo, if you’re interested in trying it out.

I brought Dorothy to help at a photo session and she charmed a farm dog, OF COURSE.

Monday:

NO PICTURES PLEASE (He’s kidding, he was an excellent photo subject)

DELIGHTED with our fake gravestones

HELP I’M BEING MAULED BY A NURSING LION

Tuesday:

I think he’s judging my hair.

Every day

Linc has a HUGE crush on all the tiny ballerinas

Wednesday:

Now he’s judging Aldi for being a weird grocery store

I might have been a LITTLE early with the reindeer leggings but WHATEVER

Helping himself to Caroline’s uneaten lunch. Caroline now BUYS her lunch.

Thursday:

OUTSIIIIIIDE

OOOOOOUTSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE

Not happy to be inside, sorting wraps

Friday:

Definitely my kid

LOBSTER TWINS

A scary monster/vampire

Saturday:

SO PROUD of her first trophy

Totally normal

Letting the kids hand out the candy so I can sit and drink my wine #excellentmomming

I did NOT watch the Walking Dead tonight, because my husband is forcing me to watch The Packers embarrass themselves all over the teevee, so I’m going to do the smart thing and pass the hell out. I’m going to make the end of daylight savings work FOR me instead of against me. Fingers crossed all the kids are on board with than plan. They should be, right? Kids are totes reasonable about that kind of thing.

We had absolutely STUNNING weather last weekend here in Connecticut. It was perfect for my photography business mini sessions and perfect for doing all the fall things and perfect for making me feel like Connecticut is a kick-ass place to live. IT’S A JOY JUST TO BE ALIIIIIIIVE.

On our lovely free Monday (you’re still a jerk Columbus, but I do enjoy a day off) we spent the morning at Creamery Brook Bison Farm taking part in a Walktober event with friends. They’re open on weekends in the fall for tours and I highly recommend it. They had a feeding and petting zoo as well as a chance to meet the bison up close.

In the afternoon we went to Buttonwoods for their corn maze and fall fun. It’s a tradition! We did both sides of the corn maze, the hay ride, the cow train, the hay tower and the kids went nuts in the corn pit. We all came home with pants full of corn and a zillion pictures. Don’t worry, Linc really liked the corn pit, even when we were pouring it on his head. He ate more than his share. Mmmm…roughage.

On Sunday morning, we participated in the Mystic Pirate Invasion. We did it last year too and the kids had a blast, Maybe next year I will plan ahead and find them pirate costumes that fit instead of cobbling together dress up from the last 4 years. They got a ton of treasure (candy + beads + plastic gem stones) and I got my 10,000 steps. Linc was strapped to my back (in our pirate/kraken themed carrier, obvs) the whole time, his pirate outfit went mostly unnoticed.

Look! Linc is in a picture!

Scary pirate faces.

Caroline felt is was VERY important that puppy come with us. The child-sized baby carrier was supposed to just be a toy but now it means I don’t end up carrying around the thing she insisted we bring and then loses/drops/wants me to hold. TOTALLY worth $30.

After we ran home and switched to regular person clothes, we headed to WeLiKit ice cream for their 25th anniversary celebration. A friend told me about the ice cream stand over the summer and I have to agree it is some of the BEST ice cream I’ve ever had. And what can be better than a waffle cone that is so fresh it’s still soft and warm when you eat it? It was a tiny bit on the chilly side for ice cream, but the kids did so much running around and general shenaniganery they were plenty warm.

Watching the waffle cone making. Obviously an ice cream stand is the best place to also buy beef.

Indian pudding, my new favorite flavor. It’s molasses and corn meal and if you think that sounds gross we can’t be friends.

p.s. They also sell clam fritters and chowder. Does it sound like the perfect place or what?!

And because I was so happy to be outside after a week of rain, I talked Caroline into playing model for a few minutes. I bought a set of Lightroom presets from Mastin Labs. They’re based on film (remember film????) and while I’m not going to switch over to ALL Mastin, all the time they are gorgeous. I love what they do to greens and shadows. The ones in her tutu were taken in the parking lot of Scotland town hall. The rest were in my yard.

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