In our effort to carve out time for both the kids and ourselves over the weekend, Mike and I often end up dividing and conquering. I’ll watch the kids while Mike runs some errands or he’ll watch the kids while I try to write some of my book.
Switching off who is watching the kids is a great way to get stuff done, but what sucks is that really, my absolute favorite time is when the four of us are spending it all together.
No, it’s not particularly PRODUCTIVE, but what’s life when you’re constantly checking things off a list? Sometimes you just have to set the to-dos aside and spend time together as a family.
This past weekend, we did that in spades.
On Saturday, we went to a festival in South Hampton with Poppy and Nonna.
The festival included live music, a chowder competition, pumpkin decorating, a juggling act and face paint.
Poor Mike waited about an hour in line for face paint while I sat with the kids at the juggling show. But as we’ve come to learn over the years, roughly half of parenting is holding your kid’s spot in the face painting line.
Ultimately, Mazzy decided on Minnie Mouse and Harlow made a last minute decision to go as Elsa. It was the first time Harlow ever got her face painted and below you’ll see the face of someone who is not sure she liked the experience.
The face painting artist, who had been creating stunning work up until this point, did a hatchet job on Minnie Mouse. Mazzy hated it, wouldn’t let me take a picture and I can’t say I blame her.
Next, Mazzy and Harlow decorated pumpkins but when Mazzy picked hers up, the stem broke off and it fell to the ground, which was too much for poor Mazzy to handle. She claimed the pumpkin was now RUINED.
I tried to make her feel better by picking her up and standing her on the back of the pumpkin truck. There were other kids standing on there, so it seemed fair game but we were quickly shooed off and told that the kids on the back of the truck were “working the festival.” AWESOME.
Poppy gave Mazzy and Harlow both lollipops to try to turn things around. He chose purple Dum Dum wrappers for both of them because he wanted to make sure they had the same flavor so they didn’t fight.
Smart thinking.
Except the purple Dum Dum wrapper is actually the “Mystery Flavor” so Harlow ended up with a pink lollipop while Mazzy was stuck with a blue one.
That’s when the crying started.
Picture Mazzy standing in the middle of a festival in the Hamptons, wearing Minnie Mouse face paint, holding a balloon dog in one hand and a lollipop in the other, crying that she was having THE WORST DAY. With a bright blue tongue, no less.
Quality family time, am I right?
Let’s just say Mike and I were happy to head home.
And no, I took no pictures of Mazzy’s meltdown.
Thankfully, Sunday proved to be a MUCH BETTER day. We went apple picking at Seven Ponds Orchard. The weather was perfect, the kids were in good spirits and it was awesome.
We picked apples (which Harlow took VERY SERIOUSLY)….
Walked through a field of sunflowers…
Picked green beans…
Got lost in the corn maze…
Milked a wooden cow…
Played in their playground…
…and took a hayride.
There were no tears on Sunday. Only sun and smiles and good times had by all. It was family time at it’s finest, which totally made up for the day before.
Even though we have no idea what to do with all those apples.
“But as we’ve come to learn over the years, roughly half of parenting is holding your kid’s spot in the face painting line” Truer words…
Those damn mystery flavor lollipops! I have been in that situation more times than I care to count…
Oh, I love this post! Reminds me of the “quality family time” weekend we just had. We went to Yellowstone and my kids spent the entire time either a) complaining, b) crying, or c) watching the iPad. However, it did get me a fun video of the Old Faithful geyser going off with my son Nate screaming in the background: “Nate watch Diego!! No geyser, Nate watch Diego!!”
http://www.thesparklylife.com
Oh my gosh!!! Yes! There have been days when we’ve tried to do a fun family activity when everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong and my oldest has been in massive meltdown mode and I’ve felt like slinking away with my face hidden behind something… but then when it all goes right it’s amazing. Sigh. I just wish parenting were a little easier to predict… ya know?
BTW – make homemade applesauce with your apples… it’s super easy and really yummy!!! Or apple butter… hmmmm… yum.
Here’s what to do!
12 apples, peeled and roughly chopped
100 grams of unsalted butter
50 grams of sugar (or less, or more! )
1/2 teaspoon of cardamom
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1. Melt the butter
2. Add cardamom and vanilla
3. Add the apples, stir to cover with melted butter.
4. Pour sugar on top of the apples, simmer for 10-15 minutes or until desired consistency is reached!
I usually blend it because I like it smooooth, but you could mash it with a fork to keep some texture and it would still be delicious!
If Mike feels like it, he could also make apple turnovers!
5 apples, peeled and roughly chopped
sugar and butter to make caramel
1 package of puff pastry dough
1. Heat sugar until it melts and becomes brownish, add butter and whip to make caramel
2. Add apples and cook until the liquid has evaporated
3. In a bowl, combine apple mixture with 1 cup of apple sauce (that you made or that you bought)
4. Roll dough until it’s 3mm thick.
5. Cut circles in the dough, I usually use the rim of a large Mason jar.
6. Further roll the cut up dough circles to make them a little thinner.
7. Drop a spoonful of apple filling in the middle of each circle, dab the contour with water or egg wash, fold in half and crimp the contour to close the turnovers.
8. Brush egg wash on top of turnover and sprinkle with sugar.
9. Bake in oven at 375 F until ready!
Enjoy!
Pardon my english, I’m from Montréal!
I totally understand and respect why you didn’t POST pics of the meltdown, but did you at least take one for yourself?! Those are the funniest to look back on!!
We’ve had many of both types of family days. What makes me feel better and “normal” is knowing that Mazzy still has moments like that. My daughter is 5 1/2 and while her meltdowns (at least public ones) are less frequent, they can be quite the scene.
Hi! How do I contact you? I tried the contact link on the blog, but it’s giving me an error every time.
Smitten Kitchen’s “Mom’s Apple Cake”.