Can you believe I’ve done this nonsense for 250 weeks? Caroline wasn’t even BORN when I did the first one. So I suppose I can’t even think about quitting, despite the fact that I can barely remember to do them. This one is late and I had to check my dates three times because it’s so hard to believe a week ago we were still on vacation. Real life happens SO FAST.

Sunday:

Evan is doubtful that 3 people in a one person kayak is wise.

Linc loves vacation

Caroline is ALWAYS ready for more pictures

Monday:

If you look hard enough, you can almost see New York down the river

I liked the reflection in the back of that tanker

Linc is happy to see all his stuff again

Tuesday:

Caroline is writing a song

Grumpy pants needed a walk to get ready for bed

I really, really love this front porch.

Wednesday:

The zoo was so fun.

I will never get tired of these photos.

I had three ladies tell me they liked my hair and none of them even notice I was nursing a baby.

Thursday:

Lunch at Quincy Market should always involve a lobster roll

Boston Children’s Museum

Linc was over Boston (and I was over my poor choice of shirt on a 90 degree day)

Friday:

SUPER COOL PRESS EVENT POST COMING SOON

I was really good at juggling, if my really good you mean terrible

Red Lantern at Foxwoods = ORDER ALL THE SUSHI

Saturday:

They must have bought those water bottles at Target. Poor confused children.

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaap

What? I’m hungry.

I forgot I had Virginia vacation photos to post, plus I have the post about our fun date at Foxwoods, so as long as I don’t die of heatstroke (we’re on day 5 or 6 of 90 degrees plus) I’ll have more new blog stuff up soon.

Vacation is over as of bedtime tonight, so back to regular life we go. But if ever my children say we never did anything fun with them, I have tons of photographic proof their childhoods were MAGICAL.

Sunday:

Linc felt he needed a snack JUST as the tide started coming in.

Boogie boarding

The Russian judge only gave them a 8.7

Monday:

It’s Pims O’Clock – time for Pims Cups and cards

He likes the beach house

I love the beach house

Tuesday:

Good bye bunk room

Good bye pluff mud

HELLO LAKE HOUSE

Wednesday:

Topless at Walmart, because we’re super classy

Drinking and boating (when you’re 4.5)

Drinking and boating (when you’re 1)

Thursday:

Water fun

Bucket head

Poor baby has no idea he isn’t a big kid who can kayak

Friday:

Linc loves the ugly couch

On your anniversary you don’t have to split a dessert

Happy 11 years to us

Saturday:

How many guys does it take to deflate an air mattress?

It’s a good thing he was wrapped or he would have climbed right onto that horse

Evening cruising and tubing and water skiing and kneeboarding

Want to hear something crazy? Even though we’ve been on vacation almost 2 weeks when we get home we get to have a staycation for a few days. We plan to alternate between doing all the things and doing nothing (preferably at the lake) so we can enjoy the last days of summer before school starts. I’m not ready for school. This year I have two lunches to pack every day and there is nothing I hate more than packing lunches.

This week Lincoln turned 1 and I started freaking out because summer feels almost over.

Sunday:

Target is easier when you can tie one kid to your back and bribe the other two with Icees.

All the kids love the Boppy

Lake Baby

Monday:

Sunflowers for Wishes is beauitful

Caroline dressed up for our wagon ride

I made the mistake of asking them to take a nice picture.

Tuesday:

Party planning

We have a LOT of clicky things from Wendy’s kids’ meals now.

This might have been the last time he napped nicely.

Wednesday:

If you look closely you can see my baby playing with his new 7 year old BFF.

Baby’s first deli cheese

It turns out clean and shopping is pretty good exercise

Thursday:

OK, I’M ONE NOW, I’M GOING SWIMMING

Birthday’s are exhausting

Bumpa will read you alllllll the books

Friday:

The bones of The Australia at Mystic Seaport

Figureheads

Using my camera to check and see if Linc is asleep yet. NOPE.

Saturday:

I’m proud that all my party guests noticed my sling matched the decor

He had a really good day

He has sad eyes because he tried to eat the lit candle, but eating an entire mini-cake cheered him up.

Linc’s first birthday party is over and it was SUCH a success. We were completely done and ready for our guests before they arrived (this never happens) and I got to relax and drink champagne while the kids screamed their heads off on the bounce house. My parents and E’s parents were both here which meant we had TWO grown ups per child – not to mention all the dads that Linc conned into picking him up and carrying him around. He’s really good with dads.

We’ve got some vacation coming up and I cannot waaaaaait. But first I have to get all those party photos sorted and posted, or they’ll end up in the file with the rest of this month’s fun activities and no one will ever see them. What good is a cool party theme without a blog post?!

We went to the lake 6 out of 7 days last week. Then we went again today. When I wrote the (large) check to pay for our membership for the summer I thought “Ugh, this is so much money just to sit on a beach when we could go to so many other beaches for free.” But I am eating those words for sure. I’m eating them right along with the beer I drank on the beach today while I watched my big kids play in the water and the baby chewed on a shovel and I chatted with my mom friends. It’s perfect. It’s my favorite place in Connecticut. And next year it is the FIRST membership we buy instead of the last.

Appologies this week and every week for the same 5 lake pictures over and over and over.

Sunday:

Never tired of lap naps

Wine, baby, kids in the lake

So many of my favorite things in this one photo

Monday:

Unimpressed baby is unimpressed

BFFs

She calls this Mommy Hair

Tuesday:

Don’t tell the big kids we went to the lake while they were in school

Waiting for roadside assistance (aka Daddy) to fix our flat

I’m going to make his hair do this all the time

Wednesday:

There weren’t any store windows on my walk home so I used my phone to see if he was asleep. He was.

3-6 month shirt

Begging for cheese from the deli guy (obvs it worked)

Thursday:

I let him have half an oreo while I put away a giant pile of laundry

100% Linc

A beautiful day for soccer. Why doesn’t it ever RAIN?

Friday:

We walked down to pick up a friend at preschool, so Caroline dressed appropriately

I found this on my phone. I did not take it.

So many fish!

Saturday:

Laaaaaaaake

Running away to go eat rocks. Whatever kid.

The rare big kid smile!

We have a packed week coming up with end-of-the-year school stuff, appointments, regularly scheduled things, field day, plus at some point my husband is going to get promoted and we’re all supposed to go. Since he’s currently on night shifts and we’ve barely seen him I’m not EXACTLY sure when that’s going to happen, but I’m told it definitely will. Probably. Maybe. All I know is in between a zillion must-dos this week I will be at the lake.

Holiday weekend = I don’t even know what day it is anymore. E had Friday off but is at work today, but was home for Saturday and Sunday so we were out of the house the WHOLE time. This is the first time I have even touched my laptop. I sense that might happen a lot this summer, since our default activity is “swimming at the lake” and that means way less screen time. Not a bad thing.

Sunday:

Sleep in the morning

Sleep in the afternoon

Party all night!

Monday:

If there is water around, this child will end up in it.

Downtown New London

This is her swim pose, according to her

Tuesday:

Shouting at the neighbors

I’m hoping the baby is cute enough to make up for my crow’s feet. SHEESH.

LOUNGING

Wednesday:

So pale he’s translucent

There were like 50 of these photos on my phone. I’m guessing Caroline took them.

Freeze pop time

Thursday:

Those socks are ridiculously small

IS THIS SCHOOL YEAR OVER YET?

Boys hanging out, Caroline practicing

Friday:

Princess Caroline wears high heels AND kicks your butt

Getting his summer reading started?

That’s Caroline up in my custom wrap. We ALL love it.

Saturday:

Shoe thief makes a break for the exit

New photo opp at the aquarium

They are both fans of dads wearing babies

I can’t believe I have to pack THREE more weeks of lunches for Evan. I am so, so ready to have the kids home for the summer. I realize in a month and a half I’ll be screaming “OMG WHEN DO THEY GO BACK TO SCHOOOOL??” but right now the beautiful weather + wanting to sleep in + our new lake beach club membership = ready for summer. I just need the water to get a TINY bit warmer so Linc and I can swim/float around. Right now he’s mostly eating sand, which he enjoys on the way in but does not enjoy on the way out.

I’m already 2 days late for Linc’s 10 monthday update post, but I swear I’ll do it this week. I also have two posts with actual words almost done, so this might be a record week for me – I haven’t blogged that much in years. CAN YOU HANDLE IT, INTERNETS? Of course you can. It’s not that interesting.