This week is a pretty good example of my new normal. Except for every photo of anyone looking happy, imagine 15 photos of me shouting at them for being feral monsters.

Sunday:

Antique car day at the seaport!

The new exhibit building was…underwhelming

Successful fun day achievement unlocked!

Monday:

Very normal toddler for sale

Taking up as much space as possible

It’s a good thing I can drink again

Tuesday:

Rainy morning bus stop

Wasted a LOT of time trying to make this photo work

Wednesday:

Still surprised by elevators

Old Man Grumps

Bedtime snuggles

 Thursday:

Everyone goes to school with leaves in their hair

We found a use for the giant bear

Too cute for words

Friday:

YAY FRIDAY!

Whats up?

Linc REALLY loves Finn

Saturday:

Watching movies with his camel

Very scary Halloween decorations

Hunting Pokemon in Mystic

This current week is going to be the opposite of normal. It’s going to be bananas. I might not even try to do a week in iPhone photos until next weekend. Although I’m pretty sure I triple booked myself for THAT weekend so it might be bananas too. Basically, everything between now and Christmas will be bananas.

Right now I am going to go clean up some of the house disaster and switch the laundry because the baby is asleep and if I don’t do those things now we’ll be one step closer to the spiral that ends with me being crushed to death under a pile of clean laundry that no one has put away for 4 years.

It’s fallllllll! (Imagine me saying that in my best Oprah voice.) But that doesn’t mean it’s time to hide inside. It’s the most magical time of the year here in New England, where the days are still warm enough to be by the water but you have to close the windows at night or you can’t feel your nose in the morning. There’s chowder and donuts and cider and wine and oysters to enjoy outdoors. And it’s the perfect time of year to have a backyard campfire, right on our own patio.

You can check out my idea board at the end of this post for links to items (or similar items) from Wayfair. They’ve got just what you need.

Cozy, easy care cotton throws and fun pillows gave our old furniture new life.

Lantern string lights add ambiance and warmth while you’re waiting for the fire to warm up.

Plastic wine glasses = no chance of shattering them on the patio stones.

Same deal with the tray – looks like rattan, but it’s actually plastic for easier clean up and no chance of breaking it.

We’ve had this fire pit for years now and every time we use it we think “Why don’t we do this more often?!” Now that the cool nights are mostly bug-free, I see a lot more s’mores and wine in our future.

This metal wall art makes our outdoor space feel more like a room.

One of the best parts about a backyard campfire is the ability to leave my newborn sleeping in the house while we roast marshmallows. Newborns near the fire pit seem like a poor choice – it’s hard enough controlling a clumsy toddler near the fire pit – so it was nice to be able to relax a little. In previous years, the kids seemed to like the idea of s’mores only in theory, but this year they ate as many as we would allow.

Those blankets are my new favorite thing and I can’t wait to use them for lots of fall photo sessions. I’m sure the wine glasses will find a way to be useful as well. A big thanks to Wayfair for sponsoring this post and encouraging us to get out and enjoy our backyard campfire!

End of Summer Patio Campfire

SuzanneD

Keep Calm And Eat A Smore Textual Art Plaque

Click Wall Art

Spanish Wall Décor

World Source Partners

Outdoor Natural Slate Wood Burning Fire Pit

Pleasant Hearth

10-Light 7.5 ft. Lantern String Lights

DEI

Lone Star Electric Hurricane Lantern

Leigh Country

Leaf Sequenced Decorative Throw Pillow

Artistic Linen

Multi Diamond 100% Cotton Throw (Set of 2)

Amrapur Overseas Inc.

Dongan Stemmed Wine Tumbler (Set of 4)

Varick Gallery

Photoreal Rattan Serving Tray

TarHong

See Idea Board on

So much baby(toddler)-wearing this week! Linc needed the cuddles and Finn was still so sleepy he doesn’t care. He’ll be attached to me all the time soon enough.

Sunday:

There are approximately 500 of these on my phone

This is not how you ride a horse

My super professional newborn studio set up

Monday:

Post office assistant

Where’s Lincoln? No really, where did he go? I keep losing him.

Best photo of the week

Tuesday:

Linc calls him “Ev” and loves him so much

New ups!

He doubts my choices

Wednesday:

Picture Day!

More toddler ups!

Climbers

Thursday:

Morning light

Bus stop selfie

I need to try this shot again, but for an iPhone photo it’s not bad

Friday:

House status: trashed, forever

Where is that baby rolling to? (Also, What is resistant?)

HATES YOU HE DOES

Saturday:

We need a 3rd Plasma Car

PERFECT day for a family fall session

This Pop2K radio channel gives me life

My baby currently hates everyone and everything, so I’m doing a lot of one-handed Facebooking while I nurse him. I keep running out of Internet, so if you know of any really good drama to read about, let me know. I love a good internet drama.

I thought I did really well this week, but a) my mom was still here and b) I somehow totally forgot Wednesday? The real test will be this current week, when I’m left with 4 children all day. Will they make it to school wearing clothes?!?! Will Linc try to sit on the baby??? Will the cat finally give up and run away forever??? WHO KNOWS!!

Sunday:

That’s how you know it’s good ice cream

Sitting so politely

WHICH CHILD EVEN IS THIS IT LOOKS LIKE EVAN BUT IT’S TOO SMALL

Monday:

She’s so fancy

Tantrum toddler is tatruming

I should probably just burn it down

Tuesday:

Checking out the other patients

Is he sleeping yet??

It was less than 80 degrees, so she needed a blanket

Wednesday:

All I have from Wednesday, which explains itself

Thursday:

So nice

Cider Mill haul

But WHY can’t the cows come home with us???

Friday:

I caught you helping!

Tired baby

All wrapped up

Saturday:

Soccer is boring

Go Blue Monsters!

New lights!

We got SO many things organized/cleaned/put away/straighten/throw out/fixed while my parents were here. It’s always amazing to have them here and my house no longer looks like the trashiest one on the block. Now all I have to do is stay on top of laundry and dishes for…the rest of my life. That seems unlikely, but at least now the ice maker works, I have a wine fridge plugged in, and my guest room is useable.

The best weekend of the year, when New England finally remembers what makes it the best – fall weather! food! small town fairs! – and gets its act together for the next 2 months.

Past years: 2015 part 1 /part 2  2014 2013 2012

Friday: Greek Food Festival

Evan hatched some Pokemon eggs on our way home.

I can’t pronounce the Greek name of those cookies, but I imagine they translate to “OMG SO MUCH POWDERED SUGAR”.

DO YOU SEE IT? FALL IS COMING.

Saturday: Ledyard Fair & Taste of Italy

‘

Her best life, for sure.

Giant meatballs!

Seafood ravioli in lobster cream sauce!

Garlic knots!

Sunday: Mystic Eats

Abbott’s lobster roll

Del’s frozen lemonade

Mystic Pizza

Carolina pulled pork slider with sweet pickles

Clam fritters with garlic aoili

Mystic Drawbridge ice cream

I’m pretty sure when your face looks like that after the weekend, it’s been a good time. Poor Finn was either attached to my body or sleeping the the stroller the whole time and is in none of this year’s photos. Just think, next year he’ll be able to eat most of this stuff and enjoy himself much as we do!