Brookie and Johnnie Concert

Brookie and Johnnie are two sisters who are from Gilbert and are trying to work their way up to Jonas Brothers status. They are cute but definitely not as good as the Jonas Brothers. Carlee loved them though. We went to a free concert they had at Freestone Park and she got two of their CD's and got them to sign some stuff. It was a fun family night out together.

3rd Grade Field Trip

Will went with Carlee and her 3rd grade class to a museum as a chaperon. I think the teacher assigned all the naughty boys to their group along with Carlee and her best friend Kayla so Will (and Carlee) could keep them in check. (My biggest pet peeve is when Carlee's hair is down in her face, I know I put her hair in braids the morning before they left for school so it urks me that she took them out!!!)

after the field trip in the classroom

Carlee's Veteran's Day program

I thought I had previously blogged about this but just found that I hadn't.

The entire 3rd grade at Carlee's school had a Veteran's Day program that they prepared and practiced for and then they performed it for their families one evening. Each class was assigned a different branch of the military. They made their own costumes to fit according to their branch. Carlee's class was the Navy. She told us she wanted "the Army so bad because I wanted to represent Daddy since he was in the Army before I was born." She was able to have a poster board full of pictures from when Will was in the Army and it was displayed at the front of the cafeteria for all to see when they first walked in. She was proud of herself and we were proud of her as well. She did so great and we really enjoyed her performance.
On the way home Will and I were able to talk to her a little bit about our country and express to her how extremely grateful we are that we live in a wonderful country where we are free to choose what church we go to, how we dress, where we go, etc. It was good communication. We all felt good to talk about these things.... (
Until Cade piped in and said his country didn't let him stay home from Carlee's boring program. That's Cade for ya!)

Carlee and her good friend Lilly

Carlee is on the top row at the very right of the picture

Carlee Got Braces

Carlee is disappointed every time she gets her school pictures back because she hates her teeth (and her double chin, but one thing at a time here). She is at the perfect age to fix these beauties! Only the top teeth needed braces. 6-12 months. Should look fabulous until age 12 when they sometimes start to get misaligned again- but in a different way. Here are pictures from the big day.
By the way... when I got my braces over 15 years ago I swear it took forever to get them on- like 2 hours. It took about 15 minutes for these babies!!! And they had to get a mold of my mouth by putting that goo in and it choked me for the entire 3 minutes until it was set. Now everything is digital. It's so fabulous. The way things change over the years.... my goodness!

The story of my life

How was school? Let's get out your homework. Carlee, where's your homework. Carlee, hurry and eat dinner. Carlee, turn off the TV. Carlee, did you get your shower? Carlee, is your homework done? Did you wash your hair good when you took a shower? Is your homework done? Did you put your backpack away? Carlee, turn off the TV. Carlee, let me see your homework. Caaaaarleeeee, get downstairs, NOW! Carlee, did you hang your towel up after your shower? Carlee, go get me another gallon of milk from the garage fridge. Carlee, where's your homework? Carlee, go brush your hair. Carlee, get your shoes out of the middle of the kitchen. Carlee, your hair is drying and it still isn't brushed. Carlee, where's your bath towel? Carlee, let me check your homework. Carlee, it's time for bed. Carlee, give kisses and go get in bed, and DON'T turn on your tv when you get up there. Carlee, why are you still downstairs? Good night Carlee!

It's the same thing every single day after school. Carlee does her own thing. She's always on HER time. Drives me nuts!!! Can hardly wait until she's a teenager because I know it's only gonna get worse. AHHHH shoot me now!!!!

Sticker on the apple

Carlee says the most random things. She was cutting an apple and said to herself (when I was close enough to hear), "That's stupid to put a sticker on an apple when people are just gonna eat it. Now I have to peel this thing off and I'm having a hard time doing it. If people would just not put it on there then I wouldn't have this trouble. Geez!" She cracks me up.

My Gutower (Guitar)

Carlee wrote this at the beginning of 3rd grade. Carlee has a very hard time spelling but can read almost anything. I get the feeling that this was written quickly or while she was distracted. I had her read it to me and I typed what she said below the one she wrote.

I got my gutower at crismis. I awes wonted a gutowe becuse when I was 3 I wunted to be a rock star. After that I stared sining. I sowed my flamy and freds. Then I trned 4 thats when I got my micfond. Ii takes a lot of work you don't want to noiw how hard it is. Frst you think of wods then you got all your words. You haf to make toon you allsow need a band.
Then you haf to got a recred dell when you pform in front of the odes. It is rely scery but wont you do it agen and agen and agen.

I got my guitar at Christmas. I always wanted a guitar because when I was three I wanted to be a rock star. After that I started singing. I showed my family and friends. When i turned four that's when I got my microphone.
It takes a lot of work. You don't want to know how hard it is. First you think of words. Then you go tell your words. You have to make a tune. You always need a band.
Then you have to get a record deal. When you perform in front of the audience it is really scary but when you do it again and again and again you won't be nervous.

Carlee's 8th Birthday

Carlee invited Maggie, Mikayla, Kylie, Ashley, and Sean (who is one of her and Cade's best friends). He played with Cade a lot and then Cade had a sleep over at Sean's so he wouldn't bug the girls.
Carlee wanted a swim party. We started off by eating Barros Pizza and then heading over to Sandy and Randy Carder's house for the kids to swim. (Carlee called waaaay ahead of time all by herself and asked Sandy permission to have a swim party at her house- was really cute!) They swam for a while and then we headed back home. I unfortunately didn't get any pictures of this.

When we returned home the kids painted some little plaster animals.
Sean and Cade- still in swim suits

Kylie, Mikayla, and Carlee

Carlee chose an ice cream cake this year.
Ashley, Carlee, Maggie, Kylie, Mikayla, Sean, Cade


Carlee and her cake

Then Carlee opened presents.
Carlee, Mikayla, Ashley, Maggie, Kylie



Will got the fog machines out and turned out all the lights and then we couldn't see at all- not even the lights shining in from outside. Then he started throwing glow in the dark necklaces into the fog and the kids were screaming - they were having so much fun. But then the smoke detectors started going off. The kids had a blast. They painted pillowcases. They all turned out really cute.
Ashleigh, Mikayla, Carlee, Maggie



After that I tried to get them to watch a girly movie but it didn't work very well. At 3 am I was still yelling downstairs to tell them to be quiet. They were really pooped the next morning when their moms came. Carlee had a GREAT time at her slumber party!

Carlee's Baptism/Family Birthday Party

The family before the baptism

Carlee- all dressed and ready

Carlee and Daddy

After Carlee's baptism with her congratulatory flowers

Carlee, Hannah, Tasha, Sophie, Cade, Connor

Carlee, Sophie, Cade, Connor

Carlee and her cake

Carlee's cake

Tiff, Grammy, Mommy, Grandma Joann, Tricia

Gami, Ashleigh, Grandpa Ron

Grandpa Ron, Grandma Joann, Laurie, Uncle Mark

Disastrophe

Carlee just said the funniest thing to me- she said it was a "disastrophe" (disaster and catastrophe combined, I'm assuming) that a long time ago she had her soccer games at the same time that Cade had his T-ball games. I love it when she comes up with these new words- but she gets so offended if I say anything about them being funny or cute so I've learned to just keep my mouth shut.