Tomorrow is Caroline’s birthday party. She probably won’t remember it since she’s only almost-two years old, but she is aware of what having a party means, who her friends are and that it’s her special day. “BIRT-DAY PAH-TEE!?!?!?” she says, “YAH PAH-TEE!” I’m hoping her head doesn’t literally explode from awesomeness when she sees the sheer volume of cookies available for her endless consumption.

I’m as on top of my 246 point to-do list as I can be at this point, and my self-induced stress level is hovering around a 3 on a scale of 1-10. At 10:30 on Saturday it will be at an 11, but that’s why I bought the BIG bottle of whipped cream vodka to put on the hot cocoa bar. Thank goodness my parents are here to help with everything. EVERYTHING. My dad has crossed more stuff off my “maybe someday we’ll do this” list than I’ve crossed out in months, including dealing with the basement freezer. I don’t even want to TELL you what happened to the basement freezer. But it’s OK now, and hopefully my nightmares will stop soon.

Besides the home repairs and shockingly clean kitchen, my parents are also kick-ass with the kids. Having them here gives me a tiny taste of what it’s like to live near family and I am wildly jealous of those of you who have grandparent babysitting services available all the time. My eyebrows would never look terrible again. I could get a lady doctor check-up without my children in the room. I might see a movie IN THE THEATER without it costing $120. The pitch black hours between 5 pm and 7 pm with no hope of my husband coming home might not seem so soul-suckingly dark.

Basically, I love my parents and I’m not letting them leave. There are a lot of ducks that still need to be fed, and doing it with Mormor and Bumpa is way more fun.

This might have been one of the most fun weeks ever. Or maybe my memory is skewed by the super fun day we had on Saturday. Also, HOLY COW, I’ve been doing this for one hundred weeks. 700 days. That’s a lot of iPhoning.

Sunday:

Caroline thinks perhaps this is not a good idea.

Proud to be a big brother, especially when his sister’s napping and he doesn’t have to deal with her.

She thinks the fake doll juice is HILARIOUS.

Monday:

Adorable child is adorable.

When do they turn into drooling messes instead of tiny angels when they sleep?

Preschool open house reveals Mommy definitely picked a fancier family photo than any of the other moms.

Tuesday:

If the iPad app is educational, I don’t have to feel bad about sleeping in for 30 minutes, right?

I believe that is called “nom nom nomming”

My 3 year old is a monster.

Wednesday:

My children are so attractive.

Gymnastics prodigy

She’s NOT. EVEN. TWO. YET.

Thursday:

I think this is love, not attempted murder.

Big boy haircut was a mistake. (I WANT MY BAYBEEEE BACK)

No, SERIOUSLY, when do I start worrying my kids might murder someone?

Friday:

Picking up brother from school-face.

Shut up, the Tinkerbell movies are awesome.

Daddy cuddles in a tiny bed

Saturday:

Grand Central Station is Grand.

Chilling out at Playdate In The City

Hiding from the paparazzi at Whole Foods.

It turns out taking 2 kids into NYC is a little bit exhausting, so I spent all of Sunday recovering. Also, someone smashed in my car window to steal my crappy $120 GPS from the train parking lot in New Haven, so I had a teeny tiny little breakdown trying to figure out how to handle it (answer: fill out paperwork for lot attendant, brush glass off seat, drive home with the heat blasting). I’m hoping it doesn’t rain until I can get it fixed. But BESIDES that, the week was all super awesome, so it’s easy to feel very glass-half-full. They didn’t steal the car! Or the car seats! Or any of the other stuff! My kids are adorable and everyone agrees! I really love my life.

I think I mentioned this is the best weekend to live in Eastern Connecticut a time or two hundred in the past couple weeks. Last year we were in South Carolina so we missed it (although I wouldn’t exactly say I was missing it, Bob). This year, E had to work all weekend but I was DETERMINED to do ALL THE THINGS with the kids. I’ve spent the summer learning to drag them both around plan fun outings with two kids on my own and this was sort of like the Olympics of solo-parenting. Three food festivals plus a town fair – and for the record, I only cheated on my diet a tiny bit.

The kids did a GREAT job the whole time. There were zero tantrums and only minor threats needed for cooperation. Evan did a ton of walking so I could use the stroller as a single (although I still got stopped at least once every 15 minutes to talk about my City Select) which was like a vacation for my arm muscles after pushing it as a double for 20 months. I feel sort of really actually completely terrible that we had so much fun while my husband toiled away at a job that’s driving him crazy. I know it hurts him that he’s missing so much. But I keep telling myself it’s not the kid’s fault that Daddy has to work so much and they shouldn’t be punished. I don’t even want them to REALIZE their grown ups are stressed and tired and miserable. All they should worry about is how they’re going to have room for ice cream AND funnel cake for breakfast.

Another breakthrough from this weekend: I threw out all my shame regarding hauling my giant camera around and acting like I had a press pass allowing me to shoot whatever the heck I wanted. Which means I took an epic number of photos. I’ll try to keep this post down to a semi-reasonable number but I’m going to add a break after a couple so the page isn’t INSANELY long. And be sure to check Facebook for the whole album – I mean, if you’re interested in gingers and food porn and New Englandy stuff.

Friday:

I gave the bread to the kids and ate the insides. Go paleo!

They both got COVERED in powdered sugar eating cookies

We walked home across the Chelsea Parade (it’s a big empty square of grass where the militia used to muster) and the light was SO PERFECT.

(more…)

I seriously don’t even REMEMBER the beginning of this week, it’s been so busy. Which is good, since I’m still solo-parenting these munchkins and the more I wear them out the easier bedtimes are. You will notice a distinct lack of couch naps in this week’s photos.

Sunday:

Those are my children, that is not our stroller.

Hockey Fans

Why don’t pirates eat peanut butter sandwiches? Because they can’t open the jAAAAAAARRRRRRGH!

Monday:

Adorable tunnel vision

Too much cute on one swing

Obsessed with Chuck the Truck

Tuesday:

She’s worried about falling behind now that Evan is in school, so she’s working on her math skills.

TOO MANY PICTURES, MOM.

Cart safety experts!

Wednesday:

Tiny gymnast

Practicing his balance beam skills in the real world

Gorgeous evening for a walk

Thursday:

Are you done Mom? School is way more exciting than you.

This Paleo thing makes grocery shopping interesting.

Modeling the latest knitting fashions during our yarn store playdate

Friday:

Visiting her friends at the duck pond. “HAI DUCKS! KACK KACK!”

My view of Friday’s playdate. I guess my kids are over there somewhere.

I’m pretty much useless these days.

Saturday:

Ferris Wheel stink eye

Skeptical of a guy holding a frog

I think it’s time to move the kitchen stool

And now it’s 8:15 on Saturday night, I’m in my jammies and eating cheese like it’s my job. We have ANOTHER full day tomorrow followed by a week of our new, busy lives and I sort of feel like I’m going to blink and it will be Christmas so I better start planning even MORE fall things to do but I’m pretty sure if I try I actually will keel over from exhaustion. True story: I fell asleep sitting up on the couch today and woke up to Evan shouting from the bathroom to come wipe his butt. Exciting days, y’all.

Did you take any camera phone photos this week? Link up with one or lots using the linky below and grab the code (so it shows on your blog too!) over at Amy’s . It’s really fun!

I’m not going to lie, things are not going great around here. We see E for less than an hour a day (which will happen every day for at least the next 36 days) but to see him at ALL means we have to skip our morning activities. Caroline has decided napping is for the birds, but so is going to bed before 8 pm (those last 2 hours in the evening are ROUGH). And Evan is still three, which means he recently learned the word “attitude” – literally, he now tells me all about his attitude – and I’m about ready to sell him to the circus. Our week felt a bit like Groundhog Day – the same things over and over and over – so I’m REALLY looking forward to the end of this coming week, when we head off to Long Island for an end of summer adventure.

Sunday:

Exhausted from a weekend with friends, THANK GOD.

HAHA JAY KAY MOM! I’m not exhausted I’m trying to give you a heart attack!

Hand washing device aka drinking fountain

Monday:

Fish through a fish-eye lens are fun

Giant Oreo cupcake is no match for two toddlers

Then I almost killed myself trying to do C25K Week 5 with a stroller on a hilly path.

Tuesday:

Cheeeeeese!

Filling out pre-k applications for NEXT year. Cross your fingers (it’s a lottery).

Dream big, little ginger

Wednesday:

I asked her to put her jammies in the laundry basket. At least she followed directions?

That blur in the middle is Evan jumping off the tumble track all on his own for the very first time!

Not impressed with BJ’s

Thursday:

Oh no it’s a ghost! A friendly ghost – It goes “woooooo!” and tries to tickle you.

Evan is obsessed with his shadow. Time to watch Peter Pan, I think.

Those popsicles were a mistake.

Friday:

So happy to be back at Stroller Strides!

Sharing!!!

I’m starting a diet challenge in 2 weeks. Guess I better order BOTH of these sandwiches NOW!

Saturday:

He says this is much more comfortable. Whatever.

Me: That’s you Caroline! The baby in the pictures is you! Caroline: *mind blown*

After ALL THIS she still refused to nap.

In case that last picture isn’t clear, it’s Caroline in MY BED with two dollies, two blankies, two stuffed mice, her water, her baby laptop, her sound/light machine AND Daddy’s iPad. She insisted I drag it all up to my room and then lay in bed talking to herself for 90 minutes (even after I turned off the iPad). It was a really long day. So now I’m going to bed – good thing I never took off my pajamas! – and hoping we can get out of the house tomorrow for something that takes a LOT of toddler energy.

I’m guessing since Amy had a baby (!!!!!!!) this week, the linky will be off for a while. But feel free to leave links to your iphone posts in my comments, I love looking at them!