Weekend Roundup - Band, Pumpkin Carving and Game

Post really late today but need to stay on my blogging game!  

Happy Halloween!

We had a weekend full of excitement.  Friday night Kevin and I went to a hole in the wall type place to watch his friend's band play.  They were awesome and we had a really good time with some new friends!  

Saturday morning Molly Anne and I had a little girl's morning in Southpark shopping!  We got her some new shoes first then strolled around Phillips Place which is a cute shopping area here.  All of the ladies in the shops loved talking to her!  Oh, she did not like getting measured for shoes.  She cried yall!  And she doesn't really cry...well unless I leave!  Anyway, I told her that in 20 years she'll be begging for me to go buy her shoes!  Ha!

After her nap we carved a pumpkin!  She wasn't really that interested in touching the gooky stuff!

But we had fun talking all about the pumpkin and shapes for his eyes!

Saturday night we had a low key night at home which was needed because of Friday night and our plans on Sunday!

Sunday we went uptown to tailgate early while Molly Anne got to hang out with Kathryn!

These are what the northern folks call a Speedie!  Anyone ever heard of them?  Marinated chicken with special sauce on Italian bread.

Most every year (except last year) we go to a game with one of our vendors from work.  Bill is so fun and we love his whole family that tailgates.  They have the best set up!

Wayyy too much fun!  We ubered home and got to have dinner with our favorite little girl!  Good times!

Today we had a Halloween playdate and we will trick or treat to a couple neighbor's homes!  

Molly Anne the Duck

Molly Anne had her picture taken last weekend by Kimberly Gaulin Photography!  As I mentioned before, we haven't gotten many professional pictures done in our family but Molly Anne hadn't been photographed (professionally!) since she was born so this was the perfect excuse to sign up for a costume mini session with Kim!  And yall, she was SO sweet and easy to work with.  Molly Anne loved her!  She has that Mama thing down pat so children love her!  Highly recommend if you're in the Charlotte/Fort Mill area!

Take a peek at Molly Anne the baby duck!  I'm just so thrilled with how they turned out and mpix is going to have an order from me this weekend!  Thank you again Kim!!!  Can't wait until next time!

Love my little baby duck!!!

Pumpkin Patch

We go to Hunter Farm twice every year to visit their pumpkin patch.  Once with our friends and once with Ms. Becky and some of her past and current children.  This was the trip with Ms. Becky!  We went after work last Wednesday and it was so nice that Kevin got to come with us!

We took the hayride to see all of the animals.  Molly Anne loved the cow Maggie the best again this time!  The bunnies were a close second.  Afterward, Ms. Becky had packed dinners for all of the children and they ate at the picnic tables there.  And of course she gave them goody bags too.  She's SO good to them all.  We love Ms. Becky!

Talk Talk Talk

One thing my Mom has always told me to do with Molly Anne is talk to her.  And you better believe I haven't stopped talking since she was born.  Haha.  We talk about everything.  And it's starting to pay off.  In the last two weeks her vocabulary has started to explode.  

Last week she started saying:
Thank you
Please
Good girl
Nannie
Shoe - she'll pick it up, say shoe and try to put it on
More
Mine (trying to eliminate this word ha!)
Coo = Cool
Ca - Car
Bubba  = Mills
I know I'm forgetting some..

Before that she knew how to say:
Hi
Bye
Eyes
Turtle
Mama
Dada
Nana
Poppa
Ball
Mill (Mills)
Coco - dog next door
Row Row Row....your boat
I love you (prompted for each word on this one)

She knows what a cow, snake and fish say.  She knows where her ears, eyes, nose and mouth are.  She'll kinda blow you a kiss or she'll just crack up at you.  She'll wave hi and bye.  

And she'll repeat any word you tell her to say.  She'll try to say anything.  I love it!  She has SO much to say and I can't wait for her to keep on talking!

If I say how are you?  She'll say "good."  or "fine".  I'll ask if she's ready to go do something and she'll say "yeah" (we're working on "yes ma'am") Ha!

A huge shout out to Becky who really has made a lot of this happen!  I got there one day last week and Molly Anne was outside swinging and Ms. Becky was handing her a ball after she would say please and then Becky got her to say thank you every time she handed it to her too.  It was such a cute and fun way to learn.  

My child may not walk but she can talk haha!

Meal Plan

I really feel so much better about my week when I meal plan.  This week I wanted to use stuff we already had in our freezer then regroup with grocery shopping for next week.

Every Sunday some of my friends and I have a big group text of what meals we are planning for the week.  It helps to get new ideas.  Highly recommend you start this with your girls!

Here are my four easy meals for the week.

1.  Chicken with green beans - I used this below marinade that my friend Sarah recommended.  I literally threw two frozen chicken breasts into my crock pot, poured this all over it and left it there for 6 hours on low.  You can serve it over rice (I didn't to save the carbs) and I added canned green beans (microwaved) to our fancy dinner haha.  It was easy and tasty and Molly Anne liked it!  Kevin on the other hand was not interested in it because he's gotten weird about chicken but oh well ha!

2.  Last night I went to the freezer and got these few things out from Trader Joes and popped them in the oven while Molly Anne and I played.  It was easy and good.  

3.  Pork chops with an Asian salad (premade from Teeter - just mix and serve) and some veggie from our pantry.  Kevin isn't usually into pork chops but I am trying to transform him to like them.  He likes bbq so why not?!  Plus, now that Molly Anne will eat anything I eat, I have an excuse to cook things other than tacos ha!  (Can you tell Kevin is a picky eater, lawdy be!)  Anyway, I asked my girls what their go to pork chop recipe is and my friend Kristen sent this which I plan to try soon.  Mom told me to marinade in Worcestershire, garlic and a little honey then grill and Katie told me this one:

Take bone in pork chops, place in a casserole dish with a slice of lemon over each chop, take 1/2 bottle of Heinz chili sauce, mix with 1/2 cup water and 2 TB of brown sugar.  Pour over chops.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

4.  Skinny Taste Tortilla Encrusted chicken tenders with a salad on the side.

That's all I've got.  Usually we've been breaking up the week by going out one night on Wednesday or Thursday.  Then the weekend we usually just wing it.  Share your meal plan!  Ahem Tess, ahem!  I miss your meals!

Cookout, Fall Activities and Bday Party

We had a big weekend full of lots of activities!

Friday night we headed to Kevin's parents where they were hosting a cookout for his Dad's Sunday school class!  Kevin's Uncle was there so I just had to take a picture of he and Molly Anne!  

Saturday morning Molly Anne slept in until 7:30am but we got up and at 'em early and went to Blakeney shopping center for their "Boo Bash."  Basically it's a big fall festival with jump houses and a bunch of other activities.  Molly Anne was a little young for it but next year she'll be able to do more.  Still, we have fun walking around and checking things out.  PS - this is her 6 month coat from last year haha!  It still works so we'll be using it again this year!

After boo bash we ran over to SAS cupcakes where we met up with Gigi and Ella for decorating cupcakes and meeting princesses!  It was the cutest little event!  

My child downed the two cupcakes before she barely got them decorated.  Haha.  

I look forward to lots of girly events like this in the future!

Princess Gigi!

Then we left the cupcakes and drove to Dilworth to have costume pictures taken in Freedom Park.  This was baby duck on deck!

Kimberly Gaulin had the cutest set up for a Halloween costume mini session!  This is a little preview (via my iPhone ha!) but I will post all of the images when I receive them...she said before Halloween.  I can't wait!  I loved meeting her and can't wait for her to take more pictures in the future of little Molly Anne!

We headed home for a long afternoon nap!  Mills always naps when Molly Anne does.  Haha.  Usually he's outside of her bedroom door.  Today he was using a pillow for his very heavy head! ;)

After nap we had a visitor!  Here we are waiting for her.  

Doesn't everyone need to carry a pumpkin, beach shovels and a water table toy around with them when they play in their convertible?!

Lindsey came to see us while she was in Charlotte for the weekend!  It was SO sweet of her to make time as I know how it is when you're trying to see a ton of people in a weekend that already has planned events.  So thank you Lindsey!!  Here's Molly Anne and her son Jack skyping!  PS - I got Molly Anne that tiny pumpkin and she has loved having it on her high chair.  She thinks it's fun to hold and touch when she's eating her meals.  #random

Lindsey used to live in Charlotte but moved to Dallas.  You may remember that we went to their Vero Beach wedding here and when I was doing my project in Dallas last year I got to see her a lot when I was there.  She and I got married a few months apart then had babies a couple months apart.  I guess we're on the same time schedule haha!  

Oh something funny - Molly Anne kept calling her Mama!  Maybe it was the red hair?!!  Too cute!

Loved catching up with you.  Now move back to Charlotte!!!

Best little friends.  Gosh I don't know who loves who more.  

Kevin and I went out on Saturday night to Vine for dinner.  We had never been but it was really good!  Kevin got the ribeye and I got grouper.  Next time, we're going to go for brunch because we've heard it's awesome.  

Sunday morning we lounged and enjoyed some family time.  Then we got to go to a birthday party for Maggie and Teddy!  She turned 4 and and he turned 1!  It was at Carmel Road Park which is the perfect spot!

This squirt had straight apple juice for the first time in her life.  Usually it's a splash of apple juice with 90% water.  Ha.  Of course she drank it quickly ha.  Special occasion!  She just looks like such a big girl sitting on the picnic bench.  Ahhhhhhh.  

The big kids painted pumpkins and the little ones put stickers on them.  It was the cutest craft.  Rachel is so good at all of that stuff - former teacher so she knows what's up!

We loved celebrating these two cuties!  Teddy loved digging into his cake!

Seriously adorable little set up right?!  

We came home, had a little dinner then Molly Anne crashed hard.  The weekend ended with a trip to the ER for this one.  She had a super high, scary fever and it turns out she has strep!  I made her wear this mask when we left the hospital mainly for this picture haha!  She's fine but Mamas don't have time to be sick right?!!  I hope she gets better quickly!

Happy Monday!