Once again, I love fall. I also love staying home and not doing things for several hours a day while the big kids are at school. It’s a good balance.

Sunday:

Pirates at the cider mill

Pirates at the paddleboard rental place

Tiny pirate at the ice cream stand sandbox

Monday:

I suspect the farmer actually paints these himself

Linc is very helpful while I’m editing #not

Wait. No. Stop. Come back.

Tuesday:

Applauding for The Price is Right because he’s a GOOD BABY

This corner of my house = a snapshot of our life

Yo ho ho and a bottle of milk

Wednesday:

Shopping cuddles

Brutus likes the new rug

This is not what I mean by babycakes, babycakes.

Thursday:

Wait for new IDs is way more relaxing when someone else can walk the baby up and down the halls

My bloggy thing at Boscovs was fun and delicious

Linc loves headbands

Friday:

Yay SPORTS

Fridays, man.

FRIDAYS, MAN.

Saturday:

Peewee soccer is adorable

My assistants waving goodbye to a mini session

Saturday mini session success, even with a nursing break in the middle.

So E was gone on an underway this month that ended up being twice as long as it should have been because of the hurricane. To apologize for the unnecessary sea time, work gave him a few days off, which means not only has he been home to help/enjoy all weekend, he gets Monday off too! That means a whole extra day of FALL FUN to do FALL FUN THINGS.

Pretend today is Sunday instead of Monday and this isn’t super late. Except that if it was Sunday I wouldn’t be getting this nice 60 minutes of quiet to watch Dateline repeats and blog because my baby decided sleeping was stupid and we spent the whole day outside trying to wear him (and the big kids) out. So just forgive me for being late.

Sunday:

It’s a whole set for playing while moms take photos

We agreed that painting pumpkins was OK even though TECHNICALLY it wasn’t October yet

Someone was really sure he didn’t need a nap last Sunday too

Monday:

ONCE AGAIN, not sleeping during assigned sleeping times

Checklist for the next house: Climbing Tree

This is why Linc still has his own room

Tuesday:

rain OH SO YOU WERE TIRED? I’M SHOCKED.

Yesssssssssss

Real Life Babywearing: Toddler lies on the floor next to my $350 wrap

Wednesday:

They like the rain because they love umbrellas

At least the cat like the new rug

Their relationship summarized in one photo

Thursday:

I’m sort of trying to sell some wraps, but I hate selling wraps so I’m not doing a great job.

That face is because he wants to be in the pool with the big kids (swim lessons)

So, I did some stuff to my hair.

Friday:

Brutus crashed our playgroup

This color with his eyes = A++++

Someone seems to have left my snack smushed on the couch.

Saturday:

LOOK AT THAT BABY PRETENDING HE IS A BIG KID SILLY BABY

We found a Pinkberry

Sleep! That’s where I’m a protractor! (Most random kid’s meal toy ever.)

My computer just decided NOW would be an ideal time to start acting up, so I’m going to go bang my head against a wall and moan. Seems like the best use of my time. I would really like it if things could just be NORMAL and BORING and AVERAGE for the rest of the week. Boring sounds really nice right now.

FALL FALL FALL IS HERE. I LOVE FALL.

Sunday:

PUNNY LICENSE PLATES ARE MY FAVORITE

Empty baseball stadiums are cool

Somehow a grocery trip still costs $100, even when I buy hardly anything

Monday:

Beaching it up

So happy when Sissy comes home from school

I love his little Judo outfit so much

Tuesday:

This week’s weather can stay forever

Prima Ballerina attitude already

Dogpile on the baby seems like a fun game

Wednesday:

HALLOWEEN AND CHRISTMAS WHAT IS HAPPENING

I went just for swim diapers

More soccer

Thursday:

View from the top

I bought a basket AND a cart to organize my stuff…so why isn’t it organized?

Setting up a new reward system

Friday:

I did not go chasing any waterfalls

Grump faces

Winner of the farmer’s market

Saturday:

MORE SOCCER

Important errands

A very windswept session at the park

It was our first week of All The Stuff and it was pretty much as exhausting as I was expecting. On Thursday morning, I got the kids on the bus then crawled back into bed with Linc until he started hitting me in the face at 9 am. I’m actually HOPING for some rain this week, because if the weather is bad I don’t feel guilty staying home all day. If only I could convince Linc the TV is super interesting and he should sit still and watch it for an hour or two…

Some of my weekend plans got derailed because the US Navy doesn’t actually believe skipping work to attend the Eastern States Exposition (aka The Big E) is a priority. They are obviously wrong, but that doesn’t change the fact that they wouldn’t let E go. But there was still plenty of weekend fun had by all.

Greek Food Festival:

One of the best parts about the Greek Food Festival is that we can walk there.

Linc ate more than anyone else (besides me).

Caroline was pouting, so Evan went to cheer her up.

Still loving our Joovy TooQool, even the 6 year old wants to ride in it.

Those things are called pineapple ground cherries and are actually delicious.

I wish I had taken more photos, there was so much cute stuff, but it was unexpectedly warm and I had a squirmy baby on my back and a 4 year old who needed to get to soccer practice.

I bought her that chair.

Norwich Auto Show:

A tiny train set on the train set! It moved and everything.

Slightly terrifying. Evan declined to go anywhere near them.

The handmade blanket that matches the car is amazing.

Poor Linc hangs out on my back, so he never gets to be in photos.

In the back of an old Chicago police car.

Mystic Garlic Festival:

Garlic ranch fries and clam fritters

Bacon & cheddar hush puppies that actually melted in my mouth.

We still haven’t even gone apple or pumpkin picking yet, on any hayrides, to any corn mazes, or any of the other fun fall stuff. Technically fall starts tomorrow though, so we have time!

Once again I DID a lot more stuff than my photos show. When I have my big girl camera with me I have a hard time remembering to use my phone to also take photos so you get a lot of babywearing selfies in this post.

Sunday:

When you are a grumpy mess by 7 am, you get to hold your blankie even when you’re wrapped

Monkey see, monkey do

Caroline looks like she’s about to fly right off that swing

Monday:

Airplane watching

He rode the whole way in the stroller, but is too tired to walk 10 steps to the car

They have a case of the Monday’s

Tuesday:

That’s a really brave fishing spot

Little boy in the big woods

He really, really loves my wallet?

Wednesday:

His first time ever in the mall playground, poor deprived child

WATCH OUT IT’S A BOUNTY HUNTER

We’ve been eating a lot of pasta salad

Thursday:

He’s not a huge selfie fan

STILL NOT A FAN

Sqeeeeeezing out one more beach day

Friday:

He loves traffic

Editing is fun again, because I get to do it kid-free during nap time

AND I can edit while watching EXCELLENT MOVIES

Saturday:

He kept trying to play peek-a-boo behind the chain link.

OH GOODY WE’RE DOING SOCCER AGAIN

She wouldn’t even let me wash it off before bed

This week is our first full week with EVERYTHING: Judo, ballet, swim and soccer. It’s good and bad. I like keeping the kids really busy even in after-school hours because if they’re doing an activity then they’re not staring at the ipad or the tv. But when they get really tired they’re walking time bombs of tears and disappointment. We’re still working on the balance, especially because our weekends have also been really full. Maybe once the weather isn’t so fantastic we’ll stay inside and all take naps on Saturdays.