During spring break this year, we – the whole circus that is my family – got to spend a super fun day at Foxwoods. They always do a ton of kid activities for spring vacation and this year I was lucky enough to be invited to a special blogger day that included visiting the Treehouse Arcade, seeing Clifford the Big Red Dog on stage and a delicious meal at California Pizza Kitchen. And there were cupcakes.

For children who only discovered video games 4 months ago and have only been to Chuck E Cheese twice in their life, my kids have an unnatural love of arcade games. They are terrible at them. Really, really bad. If E didn’t “help” a little, we would end up with a total of about 17 tickets which works out to three-fourths of a bouncy ball in the prize store. But armed with a loaded card and pointed towards the games, all three had a great time in the Treehouse Arcade.

Things I don’t love: shooting games. Things my husband and son LOOOOOOVE: shooting games.

Look, it’s Evan’s first swag bag! He was so excited they gave him a free bag he didn’t even look in it until we needed to find out cupcake coupons several hours later.

This game simulated being attacked by giant spiders. Linc did not love the spiders.

I also stick out my tongue while I am concentrating very hard.

After we turned in our (virtual) tickets for prizes (including plenty of snacks), we headed over to the Fox Theater for the Clifford Show. It was a musical, which all the kids loved, and had just enough audience participation that they stayed interested the whole time. Since the theater was full of parents with small children I didn’t even feel bad when Linc started screeching in joy when Clifford grew from a hand puppet to a giant two-person sized dog, or when he wouldn’t stay in his seat and bounced back and forth between E and I pointing frantically at the stage like, “GUYS DO YOU EVEN SEE THIS? THAT DOG IS HUGE!”

After the show, we got to meet a medium-sized Clifford at the step and repeat in the lobby. I’ll admit Evan and Caroline were a little bummed they didn’t get to meet giant Clifford, but they still enjoyed their hugs and autographed cast pictures.

Linc wasn’t quiiiiiiite sure about Clifford (although I am writing this with him sitting next to me and he’s SO EXCITED about this picture, obviously it’s a happy memory instead of a nightmare) but he didn’t completely freak out. That’s success when you’re talking about people dresses as character.

After the meet and greet, we went straight over to California Pizza Kitchen for some dinner. Back when we first moved to Connecticut, long before we had kids, E and I lived in the town right next to the casino and used to go to CPK for dinner alllllllll the time. Their hummus and warm pita is the best, the free table bread is amazing, and if we each ordered a personal pizza we had enough to take home for leftovers. But we’ve only been maybe once in the last seven years so it was a special treat to be back.

Evan and Linc ordered mac and cheese and Caroline ordered a kid pizza. Only Linc had leftovers, which we took home and Evan at for breakfast the next day (because carbs + dairy is always an appropriate breakfast). E got his favorite club pizza and I got the Thai chicken, which is the best kind. CPK was very family friendly and our waitress was quick to refill the chocolate milks, which is almost all it takes for us to enjoy a fairly peaceful meal.

After dinner we walked over to Cake by Franck to pick up our Clifford cupcakes. I could have spent much, much longer in that shop, looking at the desserts and making up reasons I definitely needed to buy ALL of them right at that moment, but the kids wanted to grab and go so we took our cake home. Well, Evan did, Caroline’s was gone by the time we hit the parking garage.

It was a lovely way to spend the day together as a family, I’m so glad E was able to come and enjoy it with us. Big thanks to the team at Foxwoods for their generosity and the invitation. When we get to do fun stuff like this I’m always super grateful that the internet is still a fun place to hang out and my blog has stayed alive for as long as it has.

This week was SPRING BREAK WOOHOO! We did a ton of stuff, none of which involved keeping the house clean or doing regular up-keep things like grocery shopping. Tonight when I made up for it at the store, the cashier said “Did you have a good spring break?” and I said “Oh, yes, it was really fun.” Then she said “I bet, you look exhausted.” She was absolutely not wrong.

Sunday:

The Velvet Mill is a super cool place

Girl date for mani-pedis

Doing important baby work

Monday:

Our day at the zoo was more insane than these children

That used to be a really nice dress

Brothers are helpful

Tuesday:

Booties

Family game time at Foxwoods

What nice polite children these are at this exact second

Wednesday:

They would have just moved in here if I let them

First nap of the whole week

Caroline is REALLY sure her next pet should be a duck

Thursday:

We love our friends

Respect the style

I’m not sure WHY, but they carried her around for half the day

Friday:

Back for a second day because they loved it so much

That’s 2 out of 3 looking at the camera

Not sure about this knot tying nonsense

Saturday:

5:30 wake up pleases NO ONE

Linc is READY for the pool

Summer can’t come soon enough

I am both totally ready for the kids to go back to school tomorrow and not at all looking forward to our regular schedule. Waking up early is not my favorite, especially since the earlier I get up the worse my morning sickness is. This weekend was all early mornings so it was really rough.

The good news is if the big kids go to school Linc might actually take a nap so I can too. Or at least I can eat chips alone while I watch child-inappropriate television and finish editing my last photo session. Both of those would be a good Monday.

This week is Spring Break WOOHOO and we have a very full schedule of things to do. Last week I turned 34 fairly uneventfully, but there was cake which is all I need.

Sunday:

Spent 2 hours organizing ALL THIS

We both love naps

She lost count because 34 is a lot of candles

Monday:

“Helping”

Just letting you know, I’m totes going to eat this crayon

The most perfect Tula I’ve ever seen

Tuesday:

He wanted me to put the lid on it

He loved looking at the chicks. Not so much holding them.

Never not reading

Wednesday:

This is not how that toy box was intended to be used

Again, NOT HOW YOU USE CHAIRS

Play-doh on my back. Sure, what could go wrong.

Thursday:

Very interested in Multicultural Night at school

Visiting their lobster friends

I don’t do newborn photos anymore, except when I actually do.

Friday:

I will not steal this baby. I will not steal this baby. I will not…

Front porch sitting

Caroline is a very patient sister

Saturday:

The biggest bag of dirt I’ve ever seen

Grocery store: pregnancy craving edition

Game night = best night

Because I can’t seem to actually write a real pregnancy update: here’s the latest. I’m 21 weeks pregnant today, everything is totally normal, I’m going to do a gender reveal for the kids sometime this week because we know what we’re having but want them to get excited about it too. I’m slightly too pregnant to be totally comfortable anymore, in almost any situation. I need half a dozen pillows to sleep and I could sleep 12 hours a night AND still take a nap. I cannot wait for it to be summer, not because I like being hot but because then I can go float in the lake as much as possible.

If you like my week in iPhone photos and don’t follow me on Instagram, may I gently suggest this is a good time to do so? It’s a beautiful time of year here in New England so most of the photos aren’t the inside of my house anymore.

The weather was warm enough to get outdoors this weekend, which was a nice change. I truly LOVE spring in New England, except for when it thinks it’s winter. Luckily I have tough, Connecticut children who don’t think 54 degrees requires jackets and are happy to spend a few hours at the zoo. We love the Roger Williams Park Zoo – it’s a nice size to do with the kids and the zookeepers are all happy to answer my curious children’s 10,000 questions.

His favorite zoo animal was the chickens. I don’t know why my baby is so weird.

This is Bert. He eats peanuts out of your hand.

I wear Linc 90% of the time (usually because we’re by ourselves) but it was SO NICE to have someone else to do it.

This week was very long. Or at least it felt very long. I think all the weeks feel long when it’s SNOWING IN APRIL.

Sunday:

Morning baths are hilarious

Can you see that? Bright blue sky, GIANT SNOWFLAKES.

I took all of the ugly shirts out and replaced them with Mini Boden, because I am a kid clothes snob.

Monday:

Go home Connecticut, you’re drunk.

All my children should wear this color always

We made cupcakes for Evan’s birthday and I let them eat all the leftover frosting for dinner

Tuesday:

Too many fingers

Take all these cakes right over there to the checkout. All of them.

Neither of us is thrilled that he is NOT napping

Wednesday:

Linc agrees The Price is Right is the best way to spend the morning

The most delicious food you can eat – Fried Chicken Benedict from Hash House a Gogo

Casinoing like a champ

Thursday:

Loves his new diapers

Also loves plain grapefruit for breakfast

Better than snow?

Friday:

Linc is stalking my flowers

Everyone loves whatever this pointless game is

This is why I never have any water

Saturday:

Elephants

He would pretend to collect eggs and pretend to milk cows all day

GIANT BIRD WATCH OUT FOR THE GIANT BIRD

There is no snow in the current forecast. I feel very hopeful that we might actually get some spring in the near future, or at least less snow. I can’t handle much more snow. I’m too pregnant for snow. My entire maternity wardrobe is maxi dresses and cardigans, so it has to be at least 60 degrees as soon as possible. OK THANKS GOOD TALK.