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Despite the fact that it rained – a lot, or at least it felt like a lot – this week, we certainly made it out of the house every day. Which is why I just ate a giant ice cream sundae to celebrate surviving.

Sunday:

Tiny hockey player

I cleaned Caroline's room. It lasted 45 seconds, until Evan found the puzzles.

What, you don't plan your garden while watching Game of Thrones?

Monday:

We borrowed this stroller from a friend and Caroline is in LOVE with it. If anyone knows where I can get one, please let me know.

Playdate lunch - mac'n'cheese and watermelon

WHOA, WHAT IS THIS?? (Answer: soft serve from Sea Swirl)

Tuesday:

A rare moment of peace in a shared cart

He used his magic ginger powers on me. Kid is unstoppable.

Evening self portrait

 Wednesday:

Oh looks, it's raining! Wet!

I've put this damn floor puzzle together every day this week.

Sure. Whatever. Just get out of my house.

Thursday:

POOR CHOICES CAROLINE

Form a line, please! I'm in the front!

Giant bubbles are fun

Friday:

E wore his fancy clothes for a boat thing - I lay in bed.

Beautiful day for Stroller Strides

Caroline learned to say "quack quack". It's the cutest thing ever.

Saturday:

For Mother's Day, I bought myself flowers that will last a lot longer than a bouquet

Caroline was unimpressed by the dinosaur tracks.

It would have been cooler with a voiceover that said "WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH!!!"

Despite getting to sleep in Saturday, it was a REALLY long day so as soon as I finish typing this post I’m going to bed. I dragged my very patient husband off to meet my internet friend Kim – who was just as awesome in real life as she’s been online for the past 3 years. The boys had an amazing time running (away) together and Evan cried all the way home because he didn’t want to leave his fwiends. It was adorable. And also exhausting. Sunday is more hockey, more gardening and my first attempt at making artichokes for dinner. Happy Mother’s Day!

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.

For possibly the first time ever, I feel like Caroline ISN’T getting too old too fast. She’s been doing all the BIG milestones – walking and climbing and communicating well – since she was 10 months old (braggy mom blogger is braggy!) and the little ones don’t change much about our day to day lives. It helps that she’s still approximately the same size and weight as she was 4 months ago too, so it’s easy to pretend she’s still a baby. It also helps that we still call her “the baby” – the other day I was trying to teach Evan our full names and he keeps insisting her’s is “Baby Sister Davis”.

It’s totally cool though, because 16 months is a good age to stall out. She thinks she is a big kid but isn’t actually a big kid. She can tell me when she needs something but she can’t sass me (I don’t know how I am going to survive sass from TWO children). She sleeps through the night AND takes a nice long nap. Although there are other ages I realy like (eight months is a huge one, and honestly 3 isn’t so bad most of the time) this is our sweet spot. The perfect balance of independence and neediness that makes me feel important but not trapped in a constant cycle of baby demands.

It doesn’t hurt that she’s so adorable. At the store the other day she wandered over to a group of teenage boys with sideways baseball caps and wallet chains (basically kids that make me scowl and think “PULL UP YOUR PANTS, JERKS”) I had been trying to avoid and within seconds they were all crouched down to her level talking in baby voices. It was AMAZING. I suppose it would be possible to ignore her when she walks right up and tries to be your friend, but if you can you’re probably dead inside.

She is still wearing mostly 12 month clothes (although I am buying 18 month stuff now) but wears a size 4 shoe (which is big for someone so tiny). She loves wearing a different pair of shoes every day, which is possible thanks to a zillion hand-me-downs. She also wants to wear hats all the time, which is Very Exciting for me, since I love babies in hats but never fought a battle for them with Evan. Bring on the adorable sun bonnets!

Likes include hats (HATS!!), tickles, gymnastics, jumping, shoes, being naked, her brother, phones, yarn, hugs, talking, chocolate, cereal, juice, her baby doll, water, sand, messes, swinging, going fast, danger, sleeping, books, Daddy, being upside down and The Fresh Beat Band.

Dislikes include her seat belts, posing for photos, being hungry and being told no.

I love them together

Hold up, bro. I got this.

LOOK at those lashes!

16 Month Milestones (from BabyCenter, as usual)

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Turns the pages of a book – Yes, and is much gentler with books than Evan was at this age.
Has temper tantrums when frustrated – AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I mean yes.
Becomes attached to a soft toy or other object – Her baby. She LOVES that hideous thing. LOVES. IT.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Discovers the joy of climbing
Stacks three blocks – YES. I saw her do it today. BOOM.
Uses spoon or fork – “Tries” is a better word than “uses” but sometimes some of the food does end up in her mouth.
Learns the correct way to use common objects (e.g., the telephone) – Loves to “talk” on the phone, throw things away, help with the dishes and feed other people.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Takes off one piece of clothing by himself – Caroline can get herself entire naked in less than 30 seconds.
Gets finicky about food – She has preferences but still eats almost anything.
Switches from two naps to one – Wait, I was still supposed to getting 2 naps out of her? Crap! She’s been on a one nap schedule since she was about 9 months (because of our Stroller Strides schedule).

Driving home on Sunday, E and I were talking about what we would do if we won the $130 million Powerball, and I said “You know, I think I’d stay here in our house.” Of course, I’d ALSO buy a fabulous beach mansion so I could skip November-March in New England. But April in Connecticut kind of rocks.

Apologies for the ridiculous number of pictures.

Mystic Seaport:

She INSISTED on wearing this hat all day

An extremely true-to-life family photo

E’s hockey game:

This just cracks me up

Playing on the patio:

Practicing her balance beam skills

I have no idea what she's doing. Weirdo.

Evan learned how to skate:

He did so well for his first time!

It’s supposed to be 85 degrees today, so we’re going to a playdate, taking a nice long nap and then playing in the sprinklers until it’s time to make burgers on the grill. That’ll do, Connecticut, that’ll do.