I think all vacations should automatically come with one at-home recovery day, where no one is expected to do anything but the bare minimum of feeding/clothing themselves/dependents and lying on the couch checking email is a perfectly good way to spend 6 hours. Unfortunately, despite making wise choices before we went away for the weekend (all the dishes were clean! all the laundry was put away! the toilet bowls were scrubbed!) I’m already behind on my to-do list for the week so I’m wearing my running shoes and blast through these dirty clothes and floors while the kids fall asleep sitting up watching Disney Jr. Caroline begged for a nap starting at 11 am and has been asleep for 3 hours already. I’m going to throw dinner at them at 6 and then crash for the night by 8. (I feel even worse for my husband, who has duty today into tomorrow and gets ZERO couch-sitting-email-checking time – at least at home I don’t have to wear real pants.)

We had a great weekend at Sesame Place. The ratio of 4 grown ups to 2 kids is MUCH more relaxing that the other way around. Caroline realized Elmo probably wasn’t going to try to eat her and loved every character, every show and every ride. The weather was glorious – 60 on Saturday and close to 70 on Sunday.

But, oh guys, it was so so so so SO crowded. I wasn’t prepared for quite so many people. Large groups of people suck, since statistically speaking you are bound to run into more Jerky McJerkfaces the bigger the group gets. It’s science: Out of 20 people, maybe 1 is the kind of self-entitled a-hole who thinks cutting in line in front of preschoolers is cool. So if you have 40 people, 2 of them are a-holes. In a super crowded amusement park where everyone is tired and wrangling toddlers and there is absolutely no beer, that number soars to approximately 17 bazillionteen. The park wasn’t prepared for that many people – let alone that many jerks – so by the end of Sunday we were glad all the “fun stuff” (tm Evan) was over and we could go home where there were no lines to ride the King Sized Magical Bed To Sleepytimes.

Although on the way out I added Christmas to our season passes so obviously it wasn’t TOO traumatic of an experience. Maybe I’ll knit us all matching wool hats and we’ll plan to go when it’s freezing and miserable so we won’t have to wait in so many lines.

Caroline’s reaction to the line at the spinning teacups

My week was going really well until Caroline’s accident on Friday. (In case you missed my Tweets/FB updates/Instagrams she fell at the playground and broke her collar bone.) It was pretty traumatic for all of us. It’s also put a damper on our fall plans, our playdate schedule and Caroline’s budding gymnastics career. Poor thing. So we’re taking things easy and cruising right through our Disney DVD collection.

Sunday:

He insisted my boots fit him just fine.

We made it to church! And it didn’t burn down or anything!

I love this stroller but it REALLY NEEDS A CUP HOLDER.

Monday:

MORNING toothbrushing? Whose children are these?

Lion fish are badass

Hi Beluga, I love you.

Tuesday:

Sewing helper! Tuesday was GET THIS DAMN COSTUME DONE Day.

Mostly done…

…THERE’S my magical pixie!!

Wednesday:

Color matching uneven bars foot bean bag toss – he rocked it.

BOOTY BOOTY BOOTY BOOTY – Caroline

He transferred from a car nap to a couch nap that lasted 3 hours. I have NO IDEA why.

Thursday:

Easily distracted by things in the dirt

22 lb baby vs. 10 lb kettle bell. She is SO STRONG.

Scenic, tragic waterfall

Friday:

I took a picture to commemorate NOT wearing yoga pants.

That slide in the background is what she fell off the top of, 2 minutes after I took this photo.

Sponge Bob in the ER – I hate the damn show but it certainly kept Evan quiet for 2 hours.

Saturday:

The patient demanded a popsicle for breakfast, the patient gets a popsicle.

Tired from a day of doing…nothing.

Cheerful enough for a bath. Thank goodness, she was covered in popsicle.

So if you need me, I’ll be over here feeling like the world’s worst mom. Good times.

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 decided Caroline should be Tinkerbell for Halloween because, hello, the child practically IS a magical pixie.

Shut up.

And in typical Suzanne-fashion I also decided I should MAKE her a Tinkerbell costume. Because this one with the light up wings from the Disney store is too gaudy (it’s not) and this one in the baby-size isn’t pretty enough (it is) and this one is too yellow and the wings on this one aren’t cute enough and GOSH, if I’m going to end up spending $30 on a costume I might as well just sew it myself! That will be cheaper, easier AND cuter! I’ll just check Pinterest for a pattern.

Go ahead and punch me in the face now, since anyone with half a brain can tell you “I’ll just do that thing I saw on Pinterest” NEVER ENDS WELL.

I started with this pattern from Make It Love It and…improvised. I might rock a party or a bake sale or a set of knitting needles but I am TERRIFIED of my sewing machine. Luckily, I’ve never let being terrible at something stop me from trying again. I’m slightly oblivious and stupid that way.

So instead of writing the blog post I was planning to write yesterday or working on the sponsored post I have due Wednesday or making a healthy family dinner for my kids or doing the breakfast dishes or any of the other things that actually need to get done I dragged Evan and Caroline to the craft store where I spent $65 on supplies and then wasted 4 hours attempting to sewing a green leotard I probably could have ordered from China for $12.

Well, that’s not strictly true. I spent like $40 on fabric (it was on sale!) and $15 on the CUTEST Tinkerbell-green wings and headband and wand they were selling in the pre-made costume section and another $10 on random craft supplies because that’s what happens when you go to Joann’s with a bunch of coupons.

The good news is Caroline is SUPER excited about her costume. I had her try on Attempt #2 and she refused to take it off. After I put the kids to bed I got Attempt #3 sewed and hemmed (note to self: YOU ARE TERRIBLE AT SEWING. Next time pick something easier to work with that lycra) and the ruffled sleeves done. Then my machine started jamming and I almost went blind with rage so I’m giving myself a break before I attempt the 3 layer petal skirt. Maybe I’ll make the sparkly green tutu tonight (at least I know the tutu doesn’t involve any sewing!!) and try the skirt again tomorrow.

Second-worst case scenario is I throw the whole mess in a box and mail it to my mom to fix. Truly worst-case scenario is I throw the whole thing in the trash and just order that dress from the Disney Store. Although those shoes are super cute.

————————————UPDATE————————————

BOOM.

This week was fueled by left-over party food, lots of Stroller Strides to balance out the party food and plenty of begging my children to behave themselves so I didn’t have to drag them home and entertain them myself all afternoon. But even on the days when I resorted to bribery, tears, screaming and more screaming we had tons and tons of good moments. Today I am thankful my iPhone gives me an easy way to capture those moments, so once a week when I review them for this post I pretty much forget all the bad stuff. It is extremely good for my sanity.

Sunday:

Nursery floor pillows are probably never going back up to the nursery. SO COMFY. (Sidenote: not my kid)

After finally sorting all the baby clothes, Caroline's room looks like a real playroom

Mmmmm...dirty, soap filled water is the BEST.

Monday:

Oh no! I'm being attacked by the tiniest most adorable dragon ever!

The button on that bench at Old Navy didn't do anything. Best toddler toy ever.

My I got new boots boots! (They're miraculously large enough for my huge calves and were only $25 at Old Navy)

Tuesday:

My kid might be the only person on the planet who gets one of those "part of a complete breakfast" cereal commercial breakfasts...and then doesn't eat any of it.

This buckle? Is NOT OK. It totally doesn't match my outfit.

I'm kind of obsessed with taking sleeping pictures of Caroline, since Little Evan was such a picky sleeper I never got to take any.

Wednesday:

SO EXCITED. And it's not even on.

Sinking her teeth into a little vampire fiction (IT'S TWO JOKES IN ONE!)

Cut up food. Throw it in a freezer bag. Add mustard and rosemary. Freeze. Voila, easy peasy dinners.

Thursday:

Overdramatic toddler is overdramatic. NO MAMA, NO WALK DOWNSTAIRS. FOOT HURT. (He has a hangnail.)

It made my house smell like CHRISTMAS.

Four children. Two shopping carts. WHO WILL BE THE FIRST TO FALL ON THEIR HEAD?

Friday:

I take your picture take my picture, mama!

Using the ball winder at the yarn store is oddly thrilling.

"Evan, what are you doing?" "Fire truck! Weeeoooooh!" "Uh, ok."

Saturday:

Clyde's. Pretty much the best place ever on a Saturday in November.

This is what 1 dozen apple cider donuts look like after I've shoved half of them in my face.

I just don't even know.

Now we’re going to go cram a week’s worth of family time in less than 48 hours. There will be forts, dancing, messes and pizza with our weird, wonderful kids. I am thankful for ALL of those things.

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! (linky up on Sunday!)

There’s a thing in the month of November called “National Novel Writing Month” where people who are writing novels all get together to motivate each other and write 50,000 words during the month. It sounds impossible to me (especially because my first and only attempt at a novel was 200 words about a fictional version of myself sitting on a plane. I was wearing a scarf. The stranger next to me was mysterious. AREN’T YOU JUST DYING TO READ IT NOW?) so I won’t be participating. But some genius came up with the idea to also make November “National Blog Posting Month” which is something I CAN get on board with, although for me that’s not much of a challenge. I post an average of 27 times a month, and have for almost the entire time I’ve been blogging. And yet I STILL WON’T SHUT UP.

Instead of JUST planning to post something every single day, I am going to combine NaBloPoMo with being thankful which is an idea I got from Nick Jr I really love. I lean towards whininess in my online life (and my real life) and it’s about time I shake some of that negativity off. So for November I’ll be posting about something I am thankful for every day. Sunshine! Rainbows! Unicorns! Oh God the energy it’s taking to be that positive is making me exhausted already – especially since it is 8:55 on November 1st and I haven’t yet published this post. It is DAY ONE and I am already behind. Best blogger ever???

Don’t worry, I have all sorts of excuses. My computer is broken, the kids won’t let me use the iPad when either of them is awake (what is WITH that?! is there a sticky-finger-magnet in the screen or something?!), and I’ve been up since 5 am without a single adult conversation besides “cash or credit?” while running errands. There’s also a 55 lb bag of dog food in the back of my car I really need to get into the house but OMG 55 POUNDS IS A LOT OF POUNDS. Maybe I can just lock the dog in the van every time he needs to eat for the next couple weeks until it gets lighter? That’s either a totally genius idea or just about the laziest bullshit I’ve ever come up with.

But right now both kids are sleeping, I’m wearing my comfy pants and I have a whole bag of Milky Ways left over from trick-or-treaters to keep me company and help sooth the rough edges from a stressful day.

So today I am thankful for candy.