If you tracked down a copy of my high school senior year yearbook, there’s a mini-interview with me where I declare I’m going to be a marine biologist when I grow up. I didn’t want to study dolphins or train whales or anything – I just really really liked the ocean. After just ONE college-level biology class I realized the actual sciencey biology stuff wasn’t something I wanted to make a career out of, but that didn’t changed how much I love the ocean one bit. It’s why we go to the aquarium at least once a week and why my kids have seen the episode of Diego with Baby Humpback Whale more times than any other episode and why Star Trek IV is indisputably the best (original) Star Trek movie. It might also have something to do with why I married someone in the Navy, but don’t tell him.

Sterling Publishing sent me – well, the kids – a copy of Shimmer & Splash: The Sparkling World of Sea Life a couple weeks ago and it’s been in heavy read and fake-read rotation ever since. Caroline likes to lie on the floor and open up all the cool fold-out pages while she points out all the animals she knows. “Look! Orca! Look! Barracuda! Look! Fishy!” (she’s only two, I can’t expect her to know the proper name for EVERYTHING yet.)

It’s more of a reference book than a story book, with interesting facts and information on various types of sea life from jelly fish to whales and everything in between. The pictures are very detailed and include cool stuff like life-size shark teeth and big fold-out pages. The drawings are gorgeous and life-like – besides the amazing color drawings there are pencil sketches of extras, like the anatomy of a sting ray. It’s like a visit to the aquarium without leaving our house.

I can already tell it’s going to be a much-loved book for many many years. I recommend it to anyone who has marine biologist dreams (past or future), loves the ocean or even just really loves beautiful drawings.

Sterling has kindly offered a copy to one of my readers. To enter just leave a comment on this post and I’ll draw a winner randomly on Monday. You can find the book on Amazon here, and check out the author’s website here.

Reading about whales in her narwhal shirt. LOVE.

I received a review copy of Shimmer & Splash for the kids but no other compensation was provided for this post. Links are not affiliate links.

Almost half-way through May? How is that even possible?

Sunday:

When the weather is this nice, it’s hard NOT to go to church – we can almost see it from our yard.

Carrying 40 lbs on my back definitely counts as a workout.

Explaining to Daddy that quesadillas are the best.

Monday:

READY TO GO

Hats

Spring cleaning my favorite room of the house

Tuesday:

Good morning!

I think this sign is in the wrong place.

Thinking about running away, as usual

Wednesday:

CANONBALL!

Good listener waits his turn

Sleepy girl

Thursday:

Rain isn’t so bad when your raincoat is this cute

He already thinks balls are hilarious

Cheeseburgers are always the right answer.

  Friday:

I don’t even know what this thing is.

Caroline’s definition of “playdate” is “push me on the swing for two hours”.

This does not seem fair.

Saturday:

Caroline has joined a penguin colony

I’M THE KING OF THE WORLD!

And then I died of cuteness.

It’s been pouring since about noon and I have a serious case of the “I don’t really want to do anything”s. Luckily tomorrow is Sunday and I can tackle the laundry, dishes, piles of toys AND get my plants in the ground. Probably.

SPRING!!! IT’S SPRING IN CONNECTICUT! We are officially outside-people until October. Feel free to join us at any park or beach within a 100 mile radius every afternoon.

Sunday:

This looks like the before half of a GIF where 4 kids fall into a stingray touch tank.

I’m sure kneeling on the state-of-the-art touch screen is good for it.

Mmmmmmm lemonade

Monday:

Bubbles bubbles bubbles bubbles bubbles my bubbles

A random fever on Sunday left someone exhausted on Monday

FLYING TODDLER!

Tuesday:

Really excited about school

Not super excited about her headband

The love throwing stuff into water. Keep your rock and antique coin collections far away from children.

Our evening walk as interrupted by FOUR firetrucks responding to a false alarm. Best walk ever!

Wednesday:

That is the face of a tiny temper tantrum over wearing her hat DURING gymnastics

Tiny girl, huge nuclear power plant

MOM. THERE ARE SPRINKLES ON THAT ICE CREAM CONE.

The most un-relaxing birthday dinner ever.

Thursday:

Gym self portrait

Dance party at the end of Tangled

This is the pirate ship that goes to find the treasure but they have to watch out for the SEA MONSTER.

Friday:

Tulip inspector

Hello money pit

Fancy.

Saturday:

Throwing food at some very uninterested ducks

Do they have chardonnay, dahling?

Once a year fancy hair for the Submarine Ball

That yellow medal is for shooting a guy at 50 yards. Or maybe for signing a piece of paper. One of those.

The MGM Grand ballroom is pretty fancy

That might have been the busiest weekend of our entire year. This week is spring break for the kids, which is a different kind of busy. I suspect there will be a LOT of photo posts this week.

I can’t even believe Easter was only a week ago. Longest week ever? Possibly. Another super long week starting tomorrow? Yep.

Sunday:

The Easter Bunny came!!!!

Walking to church

Model train building with Daddy

There’s a child eating a red velvet cupcake under all that hair somewhere.

Monday:

Plaaaaaaaaydate

THE GREEN ONE! I WANT THE GREEN ONE!

Facetiming with Daddy

Tuesday:

Tour of the charter pre-school includes this view

Dear pregnant relatives: Surprise! This is what you’re getting at your baby showers. What do you want the author to write in it?

Discussing the advantages of pressure treated vs. non-pressure treated wood.

Wednesday:

Successful forward roll…five seconds ago.

Library book reading to MorMor

Book reading with Bumpa. So many books!

Thursday:

Yard work! When my parents come to visit we (er, they) get so much done.

That is called a frog fish. Now you know.

Hello fish.

Friday:

Special Helper Birthday Ribbon at school!!!! So exciting!!!

Frickin mice chewed a frickin hole in the bottom of my dishwasher. GOOD TIMES.

Busy, busy, busy girl is tired.

Saturday:

Birthday time!!!!

Happy Birthday Evan!!!!!!

Friends 4 Life – or at least for 90% of Evan’s life so far.

And now I am going to collapse, just like my kids did 30 seconds after I tucked them in.

Apologies for that title, I couldn’t help myself. Our friend Amelia turned four last week and her mom scheduled a party at Mystic Aquarium to celebrate. It turns out letting someone else do alllll the party work is kind of amazing. Especially when they also provide pizza and cake and live horseshoe crabs for the kids to play with. There was also a puppet show. Basically, I’m one thousand percent impressed and questioning everything about my current children’s-birthday-status-quo. You just set up the whole thing over the internet and someone else cleans up. 

A small fraction of the bazillion photos: