Posts Tagged ‘mystic’

Best Weekend Of The Year 2018

Monday, October 1st, 2018

Previous years: 2017, 2016, 2015 part 1 and part 2, 2014, 2013, 2012

I really love the best weekend of the year. It kicks off the season of How Many Different Seasonal Activities Can We Fit Into Just Two Days? I love being able to walk to two different food festivals from my front door. I love taking the same photo of the kids at the fair every year. I love running into people I don’t get to see very often but then our kids are instantly best friends again. I love not cooking all weekend and saying yes to everything.

And I love looking back at the other Best Weekends and seeing how our family has grown.

In order: Greek Food Festival, Ledyard Fair, Taste of Italy, Mystic Eats

 

Things I Am Giving Up And Things I Am Not

Monday, December 4th, 2017

So here’s the thing: I am not a quitter. I have kept up my 365 project for 3 full years now, and I plan to do it again next year. I’ve been trying to catch up on laundry since 2008 and I haven’t given up on that even though I’m pretty sure it’s hopeless. And I made it through 362 weeks (that’s almost 7 years) of iPhone photos. But I don’t think I’m going to catch up. My phone isn’t making it easy to move my photos, the program I use to resize them isn’t recognizing the folders, and the amount of work it takes to get it all together just doesn’t fit in my schedule anymore. I’ve also completely failed to take photos with my phone several days in the past few weeks because if it’s in my hand the baby tries to steal it and if it’s in my purse I’m not taking pictures.

This iPhone review will focus on my experience of using the iPhone, but please keep in mind that this is only my opinion. If you have any questions, comments, or experiences with an iPhone that you would like to share, I would love to hear them! Please don’t hesitate to visit Gadgetsfind if you are interested in any specific aspects of the iPhone or technology in general.

That doesn’t mean I’m letting the blog die. I’m going to go back to more life-documenting with my real camera. I take photos literally every day for my 365 but haven’t been sharing them here. In 2018, the plan is a weekly/bi-weekly post of those pictures, so I have all my projects (years of pregnancy, baby and kid stories, adventures and thoughts +daily life photo documentation) in one place. I’m just working on not letting myself feel like a failure over something as stupid as blog posts, so I feel like making an announcement that I am quitting officially will help.

Besides letting my iPhoneography slip, I’ve actually been holding things together pretty well. Mostly.There was a day last week where I got off the phone from discussing one of the many adult problems I am currently juggling and I briefly considering just canceling everything. Like, just not doing any of it. Not taking the babies to their doctor’s appointment, not calling the plumber, not doing the dishes, not moving the laundry to the dryer, not taking Caroline to ballet, not putting Lincoln on the bus to school, not making dinner, not taking a picture, not changing the dog’s foot bandage, not taking out the trash…nothing. LIFE IS CANCELED.

Unfortunately, that’s not how this works. None of those things go away and dealing with the consequences of not doing them is going to be more annoying than just doing them. Plus my four small humans don’t let me get away with skipping meals or bedtimes or activities they want to go to. It’s good, really. If I didn’t have all these kids I might let myself slip slowly – instead of just wearing my slippers to the bus stop, I might not leave the house at all. Instead of having a fun day baking with the kids and then eating a handful of mints, I might sit on the couch and eat a pint of ice cream every night. Instead of spending maybe probably definitely too much on presents to make this Christmas extra magical, I might let the sadness of missing E this month overwhelm me.

Speaking of E, I finally had a chance to talk to my husband over Thanksgiving. It was such a relief. Even if we don’t get him back for a lot longer, being able to update him on everything that’s been going on and let him know that we’re OK.

And we are. Ok, I mean. Operation Keep Them Busy has been a raging success. December is officially here and we have plans almost every single day. We kicked off the month with the train to the North Pole followed by a day of holiday fun in Mystic. We haven’t been to the aquarium in a couple months and Finnegan was REALLY into it. We’ll be headed back soon so he can run around squealing at the fishes.

Oh and we saw Elsa. Caroline and Linc were in heaven.

My Week(362) in iPhone Photos

Tuesday, October 31st, 2017

We had a storm Sunday night. I ended up sleeping on the couch because it was so windy and loud on the top floor where my bedroom is. Then the cable and internet were out. Then the basement flooded. On the other hand, we didn’t lose power here at the house, but because it was out in other towns our super crazy busy afternoon ended up being a pretty relaxed afternoon. I’m still so tired I almost fell asleep in the McDonald’s drive thru.

Sunday:

My little pirate tried her first macaron

The face is part of the costume, he liked the cookie

Why does Linc look like he’s 10?

Monday:

Literally the only photo on my camera roll from this day

Tuesday:

Playing trucks while we wait for the bus

Package protector

I bought 4 of these in August when I heard they might be popular. I guess they’re not THAT popular.

Wednesday:

Hello gorgeous

He’s getting so LONG

Things that went through the washing machine this week

Thursday:

HUGS

Friday:

Caroline’s teacher suggested she might want a retake. Caroline couldn’t figure out why, she LOVES her picture. So we’re keeping it.

 

Fell asleep face down in the cookies.

Saturday:

Fancy fall hair

My little monkies on their favorite boat

He demanded I take this photo

I have this horrible cough that will not go away. I think it’s allergies causing post-nasal drip that’s clogging up my lungs, but whatever it is it’s ruining my week. I have these coughing fits that sound like I’m an old-fashioned lady dying of consumption. It causes a pounding headache and keeps me from sleeping. MOST of the time I’m totally fine and don’t feel sick at all, but then I get hit with an episode. Too bad I can’t take the nighttime cough meds during the day, That stuff is amazing.

My Week(359) in iPhone Photos

Wednesday, October 25th, 2017

I think a month is the longest I’ve ever abandoned this blog since I started it 9ish years ago. I didn’t do it on purpose. I actually wrote a bunch of things that totally would have been blog posts in 2009 but ended up as Facebook posts because it’s 2017. We’re not even close to halfway through with this deployment and although we’ve found rhythm and a schedule that works, it’s exhausting being the only adult in charge of 4 small humans. Even when they have playdates or activities – and I am SO grateful for everyone who has helped – I play chauffer and social planner.

But it would be unfair to quit trying to document everything now, when I know E is looking forward to catching up on everything he missed as soon as he can. So onward and upward, once again.

Sunday:

All three, living their best lives

Mystic Seaport is our happy place

My eight year old beat me at bumper bowling

Monday:

We made slime every day for a week, then I got tired of scraping it off the floor

When both kids are awake and insist of being held at the bus stop

The CUTEST little soaps from The Rubber Ducky Soap Co

Tuesday:

Checking out the candy deals

Pretending he’s a big kid

Watching sissy do cheer

Wednesday:

I WON THE BUS WAR THEY MOVED IT HALF AN HOUR EARLIER

Trashing the car while waiting for Caroline outside ballet

Thursday:

I have a peach vampire in the house

OK, bye, just go be a big kid

Trampoline heaven

Friday:

The first of many, many vet appointments

HAPPY to go to school! YAY!

We put all those rocks in the kindness garden

Saturday:

Who can resist a selfie with a cow?

My little lambs

Another year at The Big E with friends

My Week(356) in iPhone Photos

Thursday, September 14th, 2017

This was not my favorite week.

Sunday:

All my guys

Future so bright, you better wear shades

When Linc says pants are a shirt, he refuses to back down

Monday:

NOT HELPING

That’s the eclipse, I swear

Doesn’t know how to cart correctly

Tuesday:

I don’t know what this show is but I never want to see it again

I miss lake life already

Progress!

Wednesday:

Rocking the Seaport

Getting in some daddy cuddles

Such a big kid

Thursday:

Stupid submarine

Eating our feelings. They taste like frosting.

Goofball

Friday:

Bunny Caroline

Alien attack

Evan on the grown up rides

Saturday:

Before the mud at the Mud Run

NEW BATHROOM

More new bathroom! I love my new bathroom!

I’ve been having a bit of a battle with the school slash school bus company and today I won. I’m so relieved. As much as we really like being busy and on the go, I don’t like being late, breaking rules, or writing bitchy emails. Ok, I SORT of like writing bitchy emails, but not over and over. But starting next week we should just go back to regular busy – now with 100% more karate for Evan!