Public Service Announcement! Today is April Fool’s Day, DON’T BELIEVE STUFF. Especially on the internet. This is not an April Fool’s Day post, just lots of pictures.

2013 is officially the best Easter I can remember. E got an (almost) 3 day weekend, the weather warmed up, and my children were adorable. My only complaint is that church didn’t have Sunday School during the Easter service, which means I heard exactly none of the sermon because I spent the entire time “shushing” two gingers who can’t sit still for an entire hour. They did, however, sit reasonably still for Fancy Brunch. The unlimited bacon and cupcakes definitely helped.

Busy week #1 complete! SUPER busy week #2 activate!

Sunday:

Easter egg hunt at church is less fun outside playground at church

“Mommy, it’s time to lie down”

Caroline says the Easter bunny goes “Pop pop pop”

Monday:

Doctor Panda’s Hospital means Mommy gets to sleep in

When I came to get her out of bed she was doing this.

Caroline hearts hoodies

Tuesday:

The Navy is finally taking down their Christmas lights. Government efficiency!

Target sells everything

BARNEY TRANCE! NOOOOOOOO!

Wednesday:

Practicing her handstands

This is not what they were supposed to be doing, but it was too cute to stop them

TERRIBLE CHILDREN ARE TERRIBLE AT THE GROCERY STORE

Thursday:

These are ugly and do not have sparkles.

Toys R Us TOTALLY blew Evan’s mind

Much better!

Friday:

Kicking ass at the ball popper game

OMG WHAT’S HAPPENING

EXHAUSTED

Saturday:

We were 2 minutes late to the town Easter Egg hunt and they were all gone – but some nice kids shared with my children.

Mexican food & a library visit is the traditional way to spend the Saturday before Easter, right?

Adorable new shoes gave me wicked blisters from 5 hours of shopping.

This week is Evan’s birthday! Good thing I’ve had the house decorated for the past month. I’ve got some cookies to make and a super amazing cake to order and some train tracks to lay down and maybe a train crossing sign to build and…wow, I really need to get some stuff done. My folks are coming up to help (yah!) but my husband’s going to be away for training (boo!) so the best word for my current feeling is “overwhelmed”.

We had a really, really busy weekend followed by a not-so-great night’s sleep so I’m dragging today. But I don’t want to miss another week of iPhone photos so forgive me for being unfunny and the terrible typos I am sure I won’t catch.

Sunday:

Climbing on the extremely patient Brutus

This is how they chose to watch TV.

Practicing her lock-picking skills

Monday:

A FLOWER A FLOWER LOOK IT’S SPRING

Indian Leap Falls, my favorite photo spot

Warm enough for some sidewalk chalk

Tuesday:

iPad sharing

Preschool drop off

Sneaky Snacky Squirrel is Caroline’s favorite game

Wednesday:

Checking out the basketball court next to gymnastics

Yarn store visit

Cashier: Whoa guys, that looks dangerous! Maybe you should sit in the car? Children: *blank stares* Me: Yeah, that doesn’t work.

Thursday:

SNOW. IT’S SNOWING. SNOW.

New pink shoes

Coloring while I begged for antibiotics from the doctor (not really, he took one look in my ears and said WHOA, You need DRUGS)

Friday:

11 am nap for the child who runs in circles all day

Picking out colors for a spring dress

Rescue bots, roll to the rescue! Maybe they can rescue Evan’s hand from his pants.

Saturday:

Working as a baby model while I practiced back-lighting photos

Mommy-only time at a bridal shower

My friend moved this house from Rhode Island to Connecticut, then furnished and decorated it with genuine 1700’s stuff. It’s like a museum. (p.s. She lives on the Christmas tree farm where we get our tree every year – and took that family photo up at the top of my blog!)

Next week I promise to do this in a more timely manner – although I can’t promise more interesting content. We’re all still recovering from a busy weekend, although Caroline seems to be “recovering” by only sleeping 7 hours a night. Pray for couch naps and early bedtimes.

You can leave a link to your week in iPhone photos in the comments on on my Facebook page if you want to share!

I have sworn up and down and sideways that even though I REALLY LOVE taking pictures I have no intentions of become a professional photographer. Not even a “mom with a camera” who starts a business as a hobby after all her friends demand she share her talent with the world. (Sidenote: no one has demanded any such thing from me. I’ve had exactly one friend ask if I could take a headshot, and only because she didn’t want to pay a REAL photographer.) And I’m serious: I do not want a photography business. But I do love taking pictures and I have this fancy camera and at this point no matter how I fancy them up in Photoshop my adorable gingers still just look like my gingers.

So what I’m saying is hey, friends, anyone want to schedule a playdate where I can take pictures of you and your family? I make no promises and I’m bringing the kids and you’ll have to work out prints and stuff on your own but I’ll bring the camera and the person to press the shutter button so ALL OF YOU get to be in the photo. Or just your kids, if that’s who you need pictures of for Christmas cards.

We can go to one of the local parks or ponds or your back yard. I know of some really cool spots. Like an old train bridge for example. (Don’t worry, they don’t use those tracks anymore. Probably. I’m like, 99.99999% sure.)

p.s. That’s a poofy skirt under a dress. She picked it out.

This place is called Indian Leap. There is a tragic story involved, but it’s pretty self explanatory.

Caroline suspects this is a stupid idea. I’ll let you know soon.

P.S. Email or text or Facebook or whatevs if you want a playdate.

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.

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