Alternate title: The first week after the time change so all my photos are dark and blurry because I haven’t gotten used to the sun setting at 4:30. I’m going to schedule a nice, colorful, sunny photo post to go up tomorrow morning because this is too depressing to leave at the top of the blog for long.

Sunday:

They both love this

OMINOUS ORCHARD IS OMINOUS

Putting the kids to work making a pie they refused to eat

Monday:

Toddlers on the loose

Riding the dog like a small horse is frowned upon in this establishment!

Stupid time change

Tuesday:

Why look at fish when you can hang out in the aquarium reading area?

$3 worth of dead fish make the stingrays way more fun

The force is strong with this one

Wednesday:

He’s plotting how to knock the largest number of things off the shelves

While the sun is up the weather is GORGEOUS

Poor ear infection girl

Thursday:

Matching leggings 4 life

MUCH needed nap time

Super ambitious sewing plans (so far so good)

Friday:

Wearing two babies instead of one

Suspicious baby is suspicious

Sleeping like he’s posed for a newborn photo

Saturday:

Weirdos

Bacon crackers. So simple. so delicious.

Playing cards is my favorite

I was really confused when I realized today is November 8th, which means November is 1/4th over already. HOW is that POSSIBLE? As ready as I am for Christmas decorating, I’m not actually ready for Christmas. I still have to plan Thanksgiving and Caroline’s birthday, schedule our family pictures, order Christmas cards, and buy all the presents. Plus E has a bunch of travel for work, which means I’ll be doing it alone. At least that means I can have cereal for dinner along with the kids.

I was going to do this an hour ago but then I decided to watch The Walking Dead and (no spoilers) now I don’t  really feel like it. EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE.

Sunday:

Ok, sure, I GUESS you can bring that birthday party snack in the car

BEEP BEEP

Sunsets this week have been amazing

Monday:

He would sleep in a mountain of blankets

I let Evan walk to the end of the street to put something in the mailbox and he was really excited

Being a big kid

Tuesday:

A murder of crows, circling the bus stop.

He’s reaching for a leaf in my hand, he doesn’t actually know how to look at a camera

This is their new favorite game

Wednesday:

This was outside my house all day, and after a lot of peeking out the windows to see what happened I think the elderly man who rented the apartment in that house passed away. So not interesting, just super sad.

Bare feets

Being a scary ghost

Thursday:

View from Bluff Point

View from Avery Point

Very nicely sharing the Panera buzzer

Friday:

Toddler friends

It was VERY COLD by the ocean for my evening session

Even my husband got this right, and he doesn’t even care about my garden

Saturday:

The faerie village was amazing

Oh ok, go ahead and look 15

ORCHARD WEDDING YOU GUYS SO MANY PICTURES COMING SOON CONGRATS JACKIE I NEED TO STOP YELLING

I am seriously drowning in photography work, which is both good (yay money! yay doing a thing I love!) and bad (my house is a disaster! we have no food!). I have a dress I need to return – by mail! I don’t even have to go to the store! – and it’s been sitting on my table for a week because remembering to put it in a package is too much. I suppose I could stop planning any fun fall stuff for the family and JUST take care of my messy house and grocery shopping, but that doesn’t sound fun either.

Just a couple more weeks and then it will be way too cold for anyone to want photos…right?

I read a thing the other day that said October is for photographer what April is for accountants. It’s absolutely true. I love being busy but this time of year Ginger Snaps sort of takes over my life and I’m working constantly to keep on top of my editing. What I’m saying is, this post (and probably every other post until Christmas) is late.

Sunday:

They could do this for hours

Church fashion (and cookies)

Caroline’s scarecrow is named Olivia and is truly terrifying

Monday:

I am unable to do anything but sing Home on the Range when I see these photos

Linc has already perfected his photobomb skills

They did this for a good 10 minutes straight

Tuesday:

Rainbow – and a super high tide – at Bluff Point

No nap grumpy pants has to come to the bus stop

THERE’S the nap. At 5 pm.

Wednesday:

Shopping for tunic tops to match my crazy leggings

Swinging

Great sunset! Too bad it happened 10 minutes into soccer practice.

Thursday:

Elf baby

Post swim fashion choices

He is convinced this is his new chair

Friday:

We’re about 2 weeks away from pitch-black morning bus stop

Both of these toddlers were pretty pleased with themselves

That corner of his blanket is SO GROSS

Saturday:

I can’t remember the last time I was actually outside and happy to see sunrise

Dadding like a boss

The most amusing part of our casino date night was this glitter alllllllll over the floor of the women’s room

I have like a billion phone photos I didn’t post this week, just because no one needs to see EVERY kind of beer I drank at Oktoberfest or ALL the corn maze selfies. But if you like these posts and don’t follow me on Instagram, you should do that. I try not to repeat stuff, so my feed over there is generally better than these.

Now I’m going to try to edit three photo sessions AND clean my house while Linc hangs on my knees and begs me to help him put a hat on so he can rip it off over and over and over. I’m optimistic.

On Sunday morning, we participated in the Mystic Pirate Invasion. We did it last year too and the kids had a blast, Maybe next year I will plan ahead and find them pirate costumes that fit instead of cobbling together dress up from the last 4 years. They got a ton of treasure (candy + beads + plastic gem stones) and I got my 10,000 steps. Linc was strapped to my back (in our pirate/kraken themed carrier, obvs) the whole time, his pirate outfit went mostly unnoticed.

Look! Linc is in a picture!

Scary pirate faces.

Caroline felt is was VERY important that puppy come with us. The child-sized baby carrier was supposed to just be a toy but now it means I don’t end up carrying around the thing she insisted we bring and then loses/drops/wants me to hold. TOTALLY worth $30.

After we ran home and switched to regular person clothes, we headed to WeLiKit ice cream for their 25th anniversary celebration. A friend told me about the ice cream stand over the summer and I have to agree it is some of the BEST ice cream I’ve ever had. And what can be better than a waffle cone that is so fresh it’s still soft and warm when you eat it? It was a tiny bit on the chilly side for ice cream, but the kids did so much running around and general shenaniganery they were plenty warm.

Watching the waffle cone making. Obviously an ice cream stand is the best place to also buy beef.

Indian pudding, my new favorite flavor. It’s molasses and corn meal and if you think that sounds gross we can’t be friends.

p.s. They also sell clam fritters and chowder. Does it sound like the perfect place or what?!

And because I was so happy to be outside after a week of rain, I talked Caroline into playing model for a few minutes. I bought a set of Lightroom presets from Mastin Labs. They’re based on film (remember film????) and while I’m not going to switch over to ALL Mastin, all the time they are gorgeous. I love what they do to greens and shadows. The ones in her tutu were taken in the parking lot of Scotland town hall. The rest were in my yard.

‘

Summer summer summertime! So much summering going on around here.

Sunday:

When there is a sleeping baby on you, you sit.

I tried to tell him biting an inflatable was a poor choice, but he didn’t listen.

Fruit pizza is my new favorite kind of pizza

Monday:

A++++ WOULD RECOMMEND

He’s becoming a Stage 3 leaner

Big kidding big kidding around!

Tuesday:

Making sure we got enough sticks in with the blueberries

Having big kid friends who can read is cool.

My husband made a table.

Wednesday:

Practicing her name while we wait for car repairs

Blueberry almond cakes

Took a walk ALONE because that’s not happening again for a while

Thursday:

Buying a toilet seat LIKE A BOSS

We picked up a friend from horse camp so Caroline could meet some horses

Surfer Dude

Friday:

Linc smashed it 10 seconds later

Cool kids wear hats

The view from the hill behind my house

Saturday:

Lake…

…Target…

…Ice cream. REPEAT.

Linc turns 1 on Thursday and I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. His party is Saturday, and I have a bazillion things to do before then, including create a menu. I have never been this unprepared to feed my guests. I’m keeping my everything crossed that we have beautiful weather for the party, because I am counting on the bounce house and some bubbles to keep the kids entertained all afternoon. I don’t know what I’ll do if we have to be inside.

If you need me, I’ll be keeping as busy as possible so I can IGNORE THE PART ABOUT LINC TURNING 1.