I have something shocking to report. It's 9:45pm on Monday night and this is the first time I have opened my laptop all weekend.
I attribute it to three things:
1) a really good weekend
2) a newfound desire to have more time offline
3) Instagram (taking and posting pictures on your iPhone doesn't count as online, does it?)
Seriously. Instagram is my new favorite toy. I think it's the best thing since nap time. Since nutella and banana on toast. Since Emily taking the guys on super lame mom dates on The Bachelorette.
Below is my Memorial Day Weekend- told through Instagram photos. Which is to say— totally stylized pictures which have little resemblence to how things looked in my actual life.
We drove out to the Hamptons on Friday to stay at Grammy's house. There are no pictures to document the trip since Mazzy and I both spent the entire time sleeping. Car trip success!
On Saturday we went to a BBQ at my friend Seri's house who has a son in Mazzy's preschool class as well as a party planning business for small spaces. (Check her out at Little Miss Party.)
The dads took the kids in the pool while the moms lazed around drinking homemade lemonade, trying our best not to to scream things like, "Mike! She's running towards the deep end!!! You have to be faster! Why aren't you more on top of it!!!??? MAZZZZZZYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Or maybe that was just me.
After lunch, two things happened.
1) Mazzy KICKED ASS at football.
2) Banana Pudding and Snickers Pie from Magnolia Bakery. I finished my plate. And might have finished Mazzy's too. Shhhhh.
For the record, I brought Peach Pie from the Farmer's Market which may as well have been a plate of crudite next to the two delicious excuses to gain 20 pounds in one afternoon pictured above.
We left full, exhausted and with summer home envy (Seri's house is awesome).
On Sunday morning, it was raining so my mom and I took Mazzy to the Aquarium, where there was a butterfly and bird exhibit.
Mazzy loved getting up close and personal with the "birdies" and "blutterflies" while I discovered that if you take photos close enough and crop them within an inch of their lives, it won't look like we spent the day in a totally manufactured flourescent-lit environment. (That's how movies are made, right?)
On Monday, we took Mazzy to the local high school to go running. I had visions of us all jogging around the track together (I mean, the girl makes us chase her daily on the sidewalks of Manhattan) but Mazzy was much more interested in the football field.
She also had a blast jumping on the "BIG GREEN BED!"/high jumping pads.
In the end, we all got a workout even though it wasn't the one I intended.
The rest of the day was spent taking Mazzy in and out of the pool. She'd stay in there until her lips were blue and shivering or until the person tasked with making sure she didn't drown was about to drop dead from exhaustion.
But Mazzy could not get enough of the water.
She loves to stand at the edge of the pool, scream some crazy version of "Ready! Set! Go!" that sounds more like "Eek! Aah! Yaaaaaaaaaa!" and jump as high and far as her little legs will let her.
Never doubting that Mommy or Daddy will be there to catch her.
And of course, we always are.
Even if one of us is two catches away from throwing her back out.
Someone pass the advil.
(But I'd still do it again.)
(If you want to follow me on Instagram, I'm @mommyshorts. I promise to keep it cute and colorful.)
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What did you all do this weekend?
UPDATE: The photo of the car at the top of the post was taken because I thought the red, white and blue was appropriate for the holiday. I had no idea it was Herbie the Lovebug until someone pointed it out in the comment section below. I feel like I failed at television.
I wondered where you were! I was confused because I didn’t think NY was so GREEN and spacious. I’m still confused about herbie though.
Instagram is my new love too!! Though my pictures aren’t nearly as cute as yours.
Also? Monkey and Mazzy are like the same person (except Mazzy has a better vocabulary). He could stay in the pool all day long. Also, leaping off into the deep end with unwavering faith that someone will always catch him. Excuse me while I pick my heart up from the bottom of the pool.
Ha. I had no idea that car was Herbie until just now. Someone even said it on Instagram but I thought they were just making a punch bug reference. I took the picture because it was red, white and blue and I thought it went with the holiday.
I guess I didn’t watch enough TV in the 80s. And I definitely missed the Lindsey Lohan version.
That last photo is adorable!
I also have a desire as of late to spend less and less time offline. I have no idea where it came from and I keep thinking it will pass, but it’s still going strong after nearly three weeks.
I really want a smartphone, if only to use Instagram. Cute pics! We spent the long weekend at home, mostly, with Lil’ Bit playing in her little pool. We did head to a winery Saturday afternoon. That was the extent of our holiday weekend excitement.
Totally relate – recently shut down my fb account because I can’t not get obsessed with it … I will think of fb like television, spring and summer are for outdoors, fall and winter are for hunkering down with old friends – fb and TV ones that is! lol! Glad you had such a great weekend. I think your parenting wins more than make up for the Herbie fail – however epic it may be to be clueless to a classic 😉
Love this post Ilana!! So glad you guys came over and look forward to having you all over again soon!!
xx
Seri
Looks like a fun weekend! Maybe I missed an update, but I’m still curious about the offer your husband put on a property outside of Manhattan. Did he really?! Without you even looking at it?!
No, he was joking. I can’t even tell you how many angry calls I got from friends and family the day I posted that.
He did go to look at a place but thought the bedrooms were too small. I’d like to think he wouldn’t make that kind of decision without me but you never know…
It was at this age that we invested in a life jacket for our son because he loved water, pool and beach, so much. Best money I had spent. It really helped my peace of mind.
I’d hope he would consult you! Sorry about the angry relatives ha! If (big if) you’re even looking for a new home, I hope you find something perfect.
I’m sorry to say, well I worked the whole weekend, but you seem like you had a good time. By the way great pictures!
Love all the photos and the football collage is fantastic.
Love this. And how addictive is Instagram? I’ve become rather tragic with the way I view potential photos in terms of Instagram fun, and my DSLR isn’t even talking to me these days.
We had a fantastic weekend also, though I was home so the laptop was opened in the evenings. Hopefully summer is a natural Macbook wean. Also, banana pudding is my FAVORITE dessert, tied maybe with bread pudding. Were there Nilla Wafers?
My desire to spend less time online kicked in this weekend, too. Let’s see how long it lasts – I haven’t even posted since Friday.
Yay for offline time! I also take phone pix on weekends and then recap Sun night. Sat night is for the TV only ;). Great time at the Hamptons, sounds so posh! LOL on the screaming poolside!