Another Year Older and Wiser too...

My little baby Carter just turned SEVEN!!!  I can't believe it!  We usually have a couple of parties since Randall and I both have HUGE families, but this year Carter really wanted one big party.  We decided to be CRAZY and let him have his way.  It was tons of fun, even though we had 17 kids here (15 of them boys), all armed with light sabers.

I originally started making my kids Birthday cakes to save money.  However, when you buy 3 cake mixes, a box of rice crispies, 3 bags of marshmallows, Crisco, corn starch, 5 tubs of frosting, 2 bags of powdered sugar, 2 Wilton food colors, writing icing, a package of dowels, and who the heck knows what else...you may as well just buy a cake from the store. But where are you going to find a cake as cool as THIS:

That's right folks...it's time for my annual Birthday cake brag-a-thon.  Only this time, I actually made it myself!  (Okay, so I did have a little help from Tara, Bob, and BreAna, but I really did most of it myself. Ü)  Carter and all the kids LOVED it!

 

That being said, it took me HOURS to make...most of which I thought it looked like total CRAP.  However, I am pretty happy with the end result.  I guess it's sort of  like labor,  you eventually forget about the pain and agony because the final product is so adorable.  

The main event at the party was Uncle Jay and his awesome light sabers.  Each child got a turn to try to defeat Jay, and it was the highlight of the evening.  I'm kicking myself because I was videotaping instead of taking pictures.  The rest of the party was kind of a blur, but there was some present opening, cake eating, and crazy loud kids running around the house-ing.  As Carter says "It was good."  

That's A LOT coming from him.  Most of the time when I ask if he had fun at the zoo, Lagoon, etc. he says "not really" because "Lydia was just annoying me" or "I was just so tired of walking" even when he really had a great time.  Don't ask me why he does this, because as a mother who spends endless amounts of time and energy planning activities for nothing more than to see a smile on my kids' faces, it's VERY frustrating.  Carter even went so far as to thank Heavenly Father for his party during his bedtime prayer and also thank him for "Uncle Jay and his light sabers." 

 

 I can't think of anything better to showcase Carter's personality than by sharing his valentine to his Dad.  

 

They have actually never been ice fishing before, but they talked about doing it someday. 

 

Very short and to the point.  Not overly cloying or affectionate.  Carter actually hates kisses unless they're from girls his own age (which doesn't include his sisters).  I am fortunate enough to be allowed to kiss his cheek or his forehead, but Dad is not given that privilege.  Of course, Randall just considers this a challenge and wrestles him down to kiss his cheek every night.  Thus, the valentine.  

Carter can be very sweet, however.  He loves to take care of his little brother, and he can't wait for the time when Cameron's old enough to really play with him.  He also has a routine of saying "I like this better than Dad" every night at dinner.  Randall of course disputes this, and so the argument continues...

He and his Dad can often be found debating about subjects.  The latest one is whether his "real" Birthday was on Thursday or Friday of this week.  Randall tried to explain that he was born on the 25th, so even though his party was on the 26th this year, Thursday was his real Birthday.  Carter rebutted that he didn't have nearly enough people over/presents given on Thursday to make it his real Birthday, and thus he dubbed it his "fake" Birthday.  No amount of explaining will make either of them budge on this issue. 

FAVORITES

Food - "Chicken Fettuccini"  This is what he requested Grandpa make on his real fake birthday only over mashed potatoes instead of noodles this time.  

Movie- "Buzz" 

Color - "Red, Purple, and kind of white"  Is it weird that it bugs me a little that all the kids at school have finally convinced him that pink is a "girl color"?  

Toy - "DS"  His Birthday gift from us.  (Thanks Rach!)

What do you want to be when you grow up?  "A cop and science teacher"
TV Show - "Tom and Jerry"

FUNNY PHRASES

"I can't wait til I'm a human (grown-up)."

"CarTeR means the same as CTR."

"I'm going to go to my mission to the rainforest."

"I like it the last number percent:" (Try and beat THAT Dad!)

Carter may not be the cuddliest kid I've ever met, but he makes me smile every single day.  I love you Car2-D2!