Party prep

Awesome parenting 101: don’t be afraid to use your sleeping daughter as a mouse pad.

Mr. Sparkles McBear

Stretches during Stroller Strides

Because obviously you need a helicopter when you go shopping.

I have no idea why I owned so many creepy dolls as a child

I woke up to silence & found them like this in Caroline’s room.

Buying Mormor a Christmas present in Mystic

Sharing hugs and a calculator

Caroline demanded the huge car cart then refused to ride in in. Oh, 2 year olds.

Apparently they think the grocery store is really cold?

Part prep #2

Solo grocery shopping with a peppermint mocha = dream come true.

We’ve never been in this toy store before. We will DEFINITELY be going back.

I kind of want a monkey riding a bicycle for my front yard.

Up before the sun, but at least he has a cat to keep him warm.

Bumpa made a joke about putting the children to work. The children insisted on following through. Note the jammies under her coat and boots. Note to Bumpa: Toddlers don’t understand sarcasm.

The last photo I took on Friday was at preschool drop off. The rest of the day I checked out of my phone.

Checking out the candy selection on the Frost Your Own Tree table

Someone please come over and help me eat leftovers.

A bathtub tea party requires your best necklace

Goldfish crackers – Pretty much the same as lidocaine when it comes to relieving chin pain in toddlers

Waitress, this coffee is TERRIBLE.

Get in my face.

Wall painters

This pizza place had a bin of toys for the kids. And also really good pizza.

No filter

Does my fancy hair distract you from my exhausted, dirty face?

Dashing through the family room

Magical winter scene, complete with giant jingle bells and pine cones? Sure!

No words.

Hanging twinsies

Evan is making that face because Caroline is SCREAMING her head off. The grocery store is torture.

Weirdos.

My favorite and my best cookies

Glow-y

Pantsless emergency!!

See my beluga, Mom? DO YOU SEE IT???

Evan acted as photographer while Caroline had her stitches out. There was video too, but I deleted it because OMG WHO WANTS TO RELIVE THAT?!

Too early for life.

I mean, yeah, it’s gorgeous. But who’s kid could wear that without RUINING it?!

Last of the party prep. NEXT WEEK!!

Football!!!! Oh wait…zzzzzzzz.

First non-screaming bath time in a week. Good thing I stopped using acid to wash her instead of water (Note: no acid was actually used)

I mostly take photos so I can play with Photoshop.

Thanksgiving leftovers on my poor swollen face parts.

Couch potatoes

One day, this will be dining room curtains

Evan made that thing at preschool and apparently it’s Caroline’s new BFF

Snooooooooow!

Catching snowflakes on her tongue. From inside the house. YOU argue with her.

Insisting that it’s time to build a snowman

Good dog

Help, I’m being buried in crap you insist on buying at Target even though you know perfectly well you don’t need it!

Little red goldfish hood

The house is a sparkly disaster

I don’t CARE if you like it, just wash your hair.

Fake candles and Ikea holders = HOURS of fun

Practicing for her job as one of Santa’s Elves

Oh no, where is Caroline?! I can’t find her!!

Horsies!

Spinning!!

Santa!!! I know him!!

Operation Find The Dining Room Table commences

Armed and dangerous

I asked her to play me a song. She plotted my death.

I think we’ve reached aquarium saturation for this month.

Beluga watching

Caroline watching Caroline

I did all my shopping in 25 minutes (it’s SO much easier when you’re kid-free)

Oh no, he’s being sucked out into space! What a horrible death!!!

Tandem Disney watching

WAY too much energy for 6:30 am

Finally finishing one of the 13 things I’m in the middle of knitting

Let the baking begin!

She’s practicing for her own parade debut

So thankful

Cider + rum = YUM

Off to get our tree!

Admire the tree, ignore the weirdos blowing into a plastic ornament

The opposite of Black Friday morning shopping – 6 pm at an almost empty Target

They came downstairs and yelled “IT’S CHRISTMAS!!!!” Actual Christmas is going to blow their minds.

Local parades are weird.

God bless washable paint

The kids built steps to reach the clementines. Evil geniuses.

“Mommy, why don’t we have ponies???” “Because your father isn’t Mitt Romney, honey.”

Painting the dining room seemed like such a good idea at the time.

Sorry, can’t get up, it would disturb the cat.

We went to terrorize, uh, visit my friend Megan’s yarn store.

I love you, iPhone panoramic thingy.

When you clean out the toy box, you discover toys you forgot about and it’s like getting NEW TOYS (p.s. My aunt made me that dress when I was a baby)

I got the box closes and we haven’t opened it since. TRUE STORY.

Pretty much how I feel every night by 8 pm.

Caroline chose to sit on the bench with her blankie instead of doing gymnastics for the first half of class. Then she remembered OH YEAH I LOVE GYMNASTICS.

SUPER GOOD BRAVE BOY at the dentist

Clean teeth make you very tired.

Hmmm…do I look 8 years old today? Yes, I think I do.

What do you mean I can’t do pull ups on the stroller???? I hate you you’re ruining my life!

Cat nap (sorry Instagram friends, I just love this one)

Trying to climb into the house

The only time we saw Daddy all week…and he’s leaving for work.

My Friday nights are very exciting.

Insisted on getting up at 6:30 am, only to climb into her brother’s bed and insist it was time to go to sleep. That face says “I DARE YOU TO DISAGREE”

3rd batch of scones in 2 days. Recipe on Tuesday.

Oops?