What's up Wednesday - June!

How has it already been a month since my last "What's up Wednesday?".  This month FLEW by.  Probably because I wasn't in the country or state hardly at all - but summer is in full swing and again, I am joining this fun "What's up Wednesday" link up on the last Wednesday of the month with some of my FAVORITE bloggers.  Mix and Match Family, Pinterest Told Me To and the Larson Lingo.

What we are eating this week...

Sunday (Father's Day) - we went to my in laws house and grilled out

{Jimmy was in Seattle this week M-W, so we took it easy}

Monday - Turkey and cheese sandwiches

Tuesday - Chicken, broccoli, brown rice

Wednesday - CHIPOTLE!!

Thursday - Pulled Pork (thanks to my freezer meal exchange club!)

Friday - Eating at the church picnic food trucks

Saturday - Miss Maddie's birthday party (Grilling out with family/friends!)

What I'm reminiscing about...

My sweet girl turning ONE in just a week and a half. 

How were these pictures taken just a year ago?  Miss Maddie has grown into the quite the sweetheart in the past year and what a year it has been for our family.  I really think the first birthday is just the hardest for me - I thought it would be easier with #2, but man....it just is that definitive date in the sand where your baby is no longer a baby and I can't quite handle it!!

What I'm loving...

I'm loving be at home.  

Even though my kids wake me up early and throw their food on the floor, I love them so so so much.  And being home with Jimmy!!!  Making me happy is their job and they do it pretty well!

Pot roast....eating pot roast!!

What we've been up to....

I just got back from a work trip to London (and Paris!) that my parents and sister tagged along on and we had so much fun!!!!

My kiddos had a blast with their dad too.

  

What I'm dreading...

Adult decisions.

Had to make a hard one last month about our two adorable dogs and this month having to finalize more of them.  Sheesh.

What I've been working on....

Trying to figure out what to do with some of our decor.  

I have been a spray painting machine since I got back from Europe.  I am still working on this window that I hung up and hung the shelf on to make it so I like it.  I spray painted the bottom row with chalkboard spray paint and I'm liking it so much more!  I think the words "Happy Birthday Maddie" will look great :)

What I'm excited about...

1) Seeing our family and friends for Maddie's birthday party this weekend!

2) Fourth of July (aka Maddie's birthday!!!!!)

3) A long weekend with our family (finally all 4 of us together again!)

4) Trip to the lake with the Carter family

5) Charlie's BIRTHDAY!!

What I'm watching/reading...

Bachelorette!!!  

I missed the last two weeks watching with some awesome girls that live in a neighborhood nearby and I'm so sad.  I am finally catching up on it (watching the episode from this Monday with her and Nick - WTF!!)

Read a book called Big Little Lies while traveling last week too by the same author I read in Mexico:

I liked the book a lot but it was sad too.

What I'm listening to...

Haha - does Charlie talking non-stop count? Lol.  I haven't listened to much music this month, but seriously, my child will not stop talking and he is just so so funny.  I love it and could listen to him all day long.  Especially when he tells me he loves me, wants me to crawl in bed with him and says things "oh mom, you're hilarious".  He's my favorite little man!

What I'm wearing...

OMG it's so so hot in KC.

So I would prefer to only wear a swimsuit at the pool.  However, I cannot wear a swimsuit to work.

I did also just see these linen pants that look pretty casual and would seem like they would be comfortable and good to wear to work. And they were on Old Navy as a hot deal for $12 today- so I thought, what the heck and bought them.  We will see what i think!

What I'm doing this weekend...

Going to a fun event at our church on Friday night with food trucks and water things for kids to play with, then baseball on Saturday morning...then celebrating our sweet one year old on Saturday after naps.  I for sure did not go overboard with this girl's party and even more disappointing, our backyard is still a disaster (yeah - I'm NOT very happy about this.  The weather or the speed of our workers....), so it will not actually be a "back yard BBQ"...but I'm trying to have a great attitude and just go with it.  A party is a party and you can't stop us from celebrating this adorable girl!!!

What I'm looking forward to next month....

July is the birthday month in the Carter house.

Maddie turns ONE on July 4th and then Charlie turns THREE on July 31.

The problem is though - I spent all my time planning for Maddie's first birthday and have no idea what to do for Charlie's.  He went to one of his daycare friend's party's at a local gymnastics and will NOT stop talking about it.  Seriously.  I think our family is sick of birthday party's by now, so we might just do something with a few of his friends and school friends, but I need to figure out what!!

And considering his birthday is in a month - I need to get ON it!!!

Also looking forward to the Carter family trip to Branson.  We are going a whole week this time and staying in a huge house together with all the cousins.  Charlie is going to be in heaven and I cannot wait to see how much fun Silver Dollar City and Whitewater are with everyone!!

What else is new...

I'm just so excited that I get to be in KC with my family at home this month.  Even if work is crazy, at least we will all be together.  The last month was SO hard traveling all over to Orlando, Mexico and London...then I got back in town Saturday night and Jimmy left for Seattle for work first thing Monday.  Ready for some family time!

Bonus: What are we doing for July 4?

Besides celebrating my sweet baby girl turning ONE on July 4??

We are planning on going out to the campground with my brother and sister-in-law and their family.  Just so hard to believe that July 4 we spent last year in the hospital with our baby girl.  Wahh!!  Time flies!!!

Organized sports: Mini & Me soccer

Ok so forgive my timing of this because Charlie’s first taste of soccer seems like ages ago.   As he’s already halfway done with mini and me t-ball, but this is a must to document because your first experience of organized sports is always fun….and interesting.

But where we live, you can start doing “mini and me” sports at the age of 2.5 through the city.  When I first mentioned wanting to get Charlie involved in soccer, Jimmy said “no” because he said he a) didn’t like soccer at all and b) Charlie was too young to get it.  However, I kept pushing the conversation because I felt like it was a good age to start to try and get him used to the fundamentals that every organized sport/event brings.  Mainly listening and taking directions from some other authority figure (other than his parents he sees every day and his teachers at school he sees almost every day), waiting his turn (aka patience) and eventually growing into understanding what it means to be on a team.  The first two I think he will learn in everyday life of growing up, but the third thing – understanding what it means to be a team – I just think is crucial to learn and understand because for the rest of his life…he will be expected to work in a team environment in some way.  Through all ages of school and then well into the working world.  I’m pretty persuasive when I do want something, so Jimmy finally agreed I could enroll Charlie in Saturday morning mini and me soccer.  And then I told my friend, Vanessa, about it and Arden got enrolled in the fun too.  Because no one wants to be a soccer mom alone, right? 

Not going to lie, buying the equipment needed was so fun for Jimmy (they just needed shin guards and socks…but Jimmy really wanted him to have cleats, so whatever dad’s want).  However, Charlie was not a fan of any of his new equipment at first at ALL.

Luckily, as you can tell from the pictures, he finally decided that the new shin guards and socks were “ok” and then became obsessed with the cleats and wanted to wear them nonstop.  I guess there could be worse things, right?

Each Saturday morning, starting the last Saturday in March, at 9:15, we headed out to the soccer park for some “fun”.  I missed the first week for my girl’s weekend in Manhattan…but super dad took Charlie to soccer (even on a chilly morning) while my mom hung out with Maddie in the back of the van.  This was the picture I got and oh my – what a handsome little devil he is.

Overall from the first practice, there was only up to go.  Ha.  My dad was very excited and brought over a pop up soccer goal and came to “practice” with him on the commands and actions to do when coach Jackie told all the kiddos what to do.  He started to catch on and some weeks he was excited and others, he wasn’t.  Luckily the weather got nicer and then Maddie got to come watch and hang out together too, so it was a family affair.  Even better when your best friend is there to talk to as well, right?

He got MUCH better and more used to the whole thing as the “season” went on for sure.  But being an almost three year old is rough and some Saturday’s he just didn’t like life in general – including soccer.  So the cheerios I was using to entertain his sister were a bit more appealing some moments then playing soccer, but we made it until the end.  And, of course, in today’s fashion – every kid got a medal for their participation.  Charlie liked getting the medal, but didn’t like wearing it at all.

However, all the parents did attempt to get a cute “team” picture.  And apparently one lesson that Charlie needs to learn is that you stand WITH your team.  Oh man.  This kid.

We are not in the midst of mini and me t-ball with his friends Jackson and Brantley, which is also on Saturday mornings and he loved getting the glove and loves practicing hitting – so I’d say it’s a success so far.  However – the weather has been cold for the first two practices…weird Kansas weather.  But off to a good start becoming a soccer/baseball mom…and Miss Maddie already getting used to getting dragged everywhere and rolls with it.  Love her.

Maddie’s one year photos

All right my sweet girl is not quite one yet (but only 2 weeks away – how is that possible??), but the first weekend in June (in the midst of crazy schedules), we went off to Wichita to visit Lauren and David and hang out with the Moore family – AND have Ali take Maddie’s one year pictures.  I was nervous about scheduling them a month before she actually turned one because I really wanted her to at least be standing.  And just in true fashion with my children, she wasn’t only standing, but walking.  So even though she was only 11 months…she’ll never know.  Just like Charlie was 13 months+ when we finally did his one year pictures.

Ok a few things you must know about these pictures:

1 – Ali did a FABULOUS job of coordinating this shoot from start to finish.  We talked about outfit ideas and colors and she went above and beyond and send me outfit suggestions for my crew that included links to the clothes online (and that they were on sale), so all I had to do was order them and DONE.  Seriously, I think my least favorite but most stressful thing about having professional photos taken is decided the outfits and actually buying them…

2 – She came prepared.  She had already scoped out the shoot location (and she brought bug spray!) and knew what she was planning to do for all the pictures and to get the best light (and boy she did!).  She even brought a blanket – a blanket in which Maddie stood and peed on within about ten minutes of taking pictures.  OK I’m NOT kidding on this one.  I will post the hilarious picture she got of it – but she rolled with the punches and luckily I had another outfit for her to wear that was just as cute!!

3- Realistic expectations and timing.  It was June and it was hot and there were bugs all over.  This whole thing was done start to finish in just an hour.  She has two (almost 3) kiddos of her own, so I appreciated that she was patient but fast all at the same time.  She has such a great demeanor with the kids and doesn’t make them feel rushed.

4 – UMM – she was like 7 months pregnant when she shot these and she never complained once.  I swear she is the cutest and best pregnant lady.  I love it!

5 – She gives you fabulous results.  I don’t know who doesn’t walk away from a family photography session thinking “well that went GREAT, I just know that she got so many perfect shots.  No, pretty much I think the norm is you end the session and are exhausted from trying to make your kids smile, sit in one place, etc. and you are convinced the photographer got NO good pictures.  But she delivered…again!

Thank you Ali so much for these amazing pictures of Maddie as she is about to turn one and of our family!!!

Look closely - this is where she started peeing!!!

This picture of them - just cracks me up.  I foresee lots of mischief between this two in the years to come.

The cupcake was quite the hit I will say – so I’m interested to see what she does with her smash cake at her birthday party!!  However, since Maddie decided to pee on Ali’s blanket, we didn’t have anything to set the cupcake on but the ground – so in addition to sugar, Maddie also got some dirt.  

What are you going to do?

Seriously cannot believe this sweet girl is going to be one year old.  Where does the time go?  Her personality is just so fun and it comes out so well in these pictures – thank you Ali so much!!  If you are in the KC or Wichita areas – be sure to check her out!