I actually saw my husband this week! On more than one occasion! It was actually the best week we’ve had in a really long time, even if the kids were so exhausted by Sunday they both passed out at 5 pm.

Sunday:

Early morning photo session at the arboretum

Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream at Taste of Mystic

More perfect weather. Well done, Connecticut.

Monday:

Playing SO NICELY together before school

Daddy met the bus for the first time ever

GO TO CHILI’S AND ORDER THIS THING IMMEDIATELY

Tuesday:

Still wicked happy to get on the bus for school every day

Twirling is her favorite

Squeaky clean

Wednesday:

I AM READY FOR THE BEACH WHY ARE WE NOT AT THE BEACH?

NOW we are at the beach. He spent 2 hours in the (cold) water.

FASHUN

Thursday:

Imaginary hopscotch

Basically all my pictures are waiting for a bus these days.

Hide and seek! BET YOU CAN’T FIND CAROLINE.

 Friday:

Eat this with cream cheese and/or honey.

BFFs

I can’t help it, this might be my favorite set of photos ever (also, Evan took this, he was like “TAKE A PICTURE OF THE PRINCESS!!!”)

  Saturday:

“Daddy made yummy pancakes!” he says in the pancake restaurant.

Fairy Princess Caroline reads to Candy Crush Dragon Daddy

And Daddy reads to the gingers

I had forgotten how nice it was to have someone to help with bedtimes or go out to dinner with or help wrangle the kids at the apple orchard. I know I’m not a single parent – NOT EVEN CLOSE – but doing all the parenting on a day to day basis was really starting to wear me down. But a week of school and TWO meals out (not to mention a beach day where the kids built sand castles while I read a magazine) plus seeing my husband enough times that our conversation didn’t go like this: “HiIhavetobebackatworkinsixhoursbutIneededtotellyouIamoutofdeoderantandalso
canyoufindmykhakihatIloveyougoodnightzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.”

I don’t have a lot of hope the next week will be as nice, but I have two super fun things coming up (a Saturday in NYC with the kids and THREE DAYS in Atlanta without the kids) that are going to make September just totally fly by.

Once again the best weekend of the year came and went and I ate all the things. We did exactly the same stuff as last year – Greek Festival, Ledyard Fair, Taste of Italy, Taste of Mystic – except my kids are a full year older and easier to take places. LOOK AT HOW SMALL THEY WERE LAST YEAR! SO SMALL! The only real change was this year Evan could go on the giant slide at the fair, which made him the happiest kid ever. And also they ate a lot more, even if most of it was ice cream.

I’m very proud of myself for doing the whole weekend alone with the kids (E had inspections at work), not missing any of our plans, and fitting in three photo sessions. Working (or “working” as I am still calling it for now) is something I love, but I don’t want it to come at the expense of all our family time. The Best Weekend Of The Year only happens once a year, I can’t let photography get in the way of ALL THE EATING.

p.s. Too tired and lazy to make any collages, so be prepared for one million photos. At least Connecticut is pretty and my kids are cute, right?

Thursday:

Ordered the kids a gyro but they didn’t like it. Such a tragedy I had to eat it.

SOMEONE GET THAT KID A BARRETTE

Awwwwwww

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

OMG AAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Saturday Morning:

Riding the bus shuttle, which is very exciting when you watch your brother get on a bus every day and you NEVER GET TO RIDE ONE.

Evan picked almost the EXACT same horn as a prize this same weekend last year. Shockingly, that one broke. Even more shocking, this one “broke” too!

What up, Goat?

This lady said “Do you want to sit on the cow?” and just popped Caroline right on it.

Future rodeo star?

Root beer float. NO WONDER these kids were insane all day. I don’t think they even SAW a vegetable.

Saturday Night:

While I was taking their picture a lady came up and said “HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO STAND THERE FOR YOUR PICTURES????” I said “Practice”. But the truth is Evan would have done ANYTHING for that bubble gun.

Black olive calzone and fried ravioli

BUBBLES BUBBLES MY BUBBLES

Sunday:

Ginger Baby: The Return Of The Hat

Crab and crawfish cakes

Hush puppies

I will take two of everything.

We had a choice of cookies – Patriots or Jets. This was the last Patriot cookie because OBVIOUSLY they are more popular. GO PATS.

MESS.

Besides seeing how much the kids have grown, comparing last year’s pictures to this year’s is really eye opening. I was SO PROUD of them last year, and now all I can see is the flaws.  I figure the same thing will happen next year, but the way I look at it as long as I’m getting BETTER instead of getting worse I’m doing great.

And now I’m super hungry from looking at all those photos. Mmmmmm…crab cakes and frozen lemonade.

I keep thinking I must be getting close to my 3 year anniversary of these posts, but I am too lazy to actually do the math in my head. This week has been exhausting in a good way (work!!) and a bad way (when did my children go deaf??????) and next week looks exhausting too (NO REALLY, WHY ARE THEY DEAF????) so basic math is one of those things I can’t be bothered to care about. I really am just that lazy and stupid.

Sunday:

My very make-shift newborn set up in a client’s apartment. I’m pretty proud of my fake-studio skills.

BABY FEVER: LEVEL CODE DOUBLE RED ACHIEVED

Dancing to the band at Hot Summer Fun on the roof of the Mohegan Sun parking garage

Monday:

One of those Top 10 for Kids is probably a bad idea.

Surreptitious grilled cheese eating

For someone who BEGGED for mac and cheese, that face is not happy enough

Tuesday:

She said her first day of school sign says “Caroline goes to big girl school”

A pumpkin mocha iced latte, that’s what

Hand stamping some thank you cards to go in my fancy professional type photographer packaging

Protecting Brutus from a thunder storm

Then we went to the beach…

Then we went to the country….

Wednesday:

…so it’s not surprising Wednesday looks like this….

…and this. (They both went to school Wednesday and I went to work, there are just no iPhone photos.)

Thursday:

The definition of “partly cloudy” – and pretty good for a family session

Greek food, get in my face

Sun-streaking

Friday:

Because that’s what stickers are for.

The pavilion at Rocky Neck all opened up for a wedding

Well done Connecticut (with an assist by Long Island in the background)

Saturday:

Model poses

She would ride the carousel ALL DAY if they let her

I promised him a bouncy house but it was gone, so I finally FINALLY bought him the light up bubble gun he’s asked for at every fair and carnival and festival and parade we’ve been to for the last year.

We successfully ate ALL THE THINGS this weekend, so I’m totally stuffed and feel like I could sleep for a million years. Considering it’s 6 pm on Sunday and Caroline just put herself to bed, I think the feeling extends to the whole family. Even E, I guess, although we’ve literally only seen him for 15 minutes since Tuesday, so who knows. I’m hoping next week gives us a little more family time, even if there is less deliciousness.

Last week of summer, first week of school! Except I just realized today Labor Day means no school for anyone tomorrow, so we can fit in one more beach/fun day before we start a regular schedule.

Sunday:

Apparently this is the only photo I took on Sunday. I can’t even remember Sunday. Did Sunday even happen?

Monday:

Nothing like a nuclear power plant to add to my scenic beach photos

I love this beach

The most adorable ice cream and candy store in the world

Tuesday:

She changed her mind about the birds. NO BIRDS, MOMMY.

Sea lion show. My kids can name all the sea lions.

Grilled cheese of the day: Basil pesto, artichokes, tomatoes, mozzarella on Italian bread.

Wednesday:

In this episode, Spiderman joins S.H.I.E.L.D. I had to Google to find out if that was accurate (it is).

Evan’s favorite part of his new school: cool sinks.

Orientation is EXHAUSTING.

Thursday:

Ready to go!

The cat loves Caroline

This is her “WE’RE GETTING CHEESEBURGERS!” face

Friday:

Playing “Tick-tock croc eats Captain Hook!” while we wait for the bus

She is loving our outside play time while we wait for the bus. It makes me feel bad we never use our (very tiny) front yard.

What do you wear when it’s 80 degrees?

Saturday:

Craft store…

…pretzel burger…

…and Sherlock. PERFECT SATURDAY.

I’m so excited Evan likes school, the bus situation seems to be working out, and that when Caroline starts school on Tuesday I will be able to get back to a regular schedule for me too. I loved going to the gym last year, but totally failed during the summer. I need to get exercise back on my list of priorities, if only because I have to be in better shape to work as a photographer. Taking newborn photos is like doing 200 squats. I’m going to have buns of steel if people keep hiring me.

When I put these on my computer I put them in a file called “End of Summer” but I withdraw my assessment. It’s going to be 80 for at least the next week, we will beach it up again.

p.s. It was pretty cold for a beach day, but the gingers do not care.