Max is 8!!!

Well once again Max chose to have a smaller party at a cooler venue this year:)  He invited his very best friend, Michael, to come enjoy a day at Golfland Sunsplash in Mesa!!!  Max's actual birthday landed on Martin Luther King day this year so--NO SCHOOL!!!  Of course according to Max, there was NO school because it was HIS birthday.  He may be sorely disappointed next year:)

At Golfland the kids got to golf, play a round of Laser Tag, ride the go-carts, and the bumper boats!!!  (Carlie had a friend join us because we are part of a carpool for theater and it was easier to just have her join us than to drive back to our neighborhood to get her afterwards--WHY not?!)

The Birthday Gang

Michael & Max

After spending a day with Michael, I totally understand why he and Max are best friends.  These boys both have the most VIVID imaginations!  They thoughts and ideas they come up with....HILARIOUS!

Oh yeah...we all got our butts kicked by some 9 year old boy!!!

Carlie & Lois

After Golfland we came home for pizza, cupcakes, and presents!!!

The traditional Birthday Crown!!!

Max got what he asked for:)

 

Max has been asking for a "DSLR" camera for months now.  I have NO idea what that ACTUALLY means so I probably messed up the initials.  Chris and I have noticed that this boy CONSTANTLY has a movie going on in his head!  Anywhere we are--just walking in the store he'll be making sound effects like explosions or gunshots, making funny faces and movements, etc...all to himself.  He and his brother have been making stop-motion videos for the past several months--they have like 60 videos on my Youtube account.  For Christmas, Max received some animation software and a green screen so we topped off his obsession--YES...OBSESSION--with his own camera (mostly so he'll STOP using mine:)  I love that he loves making movies.  This is definitely something I want to encourage.  So whatever it takes, I will help him along this path:)  So now, all I know is that Max has a WAY better camera than me so I may start borrowing his:)  Just love this little guy!  Happy Birthday Maxwell!!!

Ethan's Arrow of Light

Well!  We got one boy through cub scouts!!!  Woo hoo!!!  I laugh because 3 years ago when Ethan turned 8, Chris and I had NO CLUE what went on in scouts.  We both grew up in New Mexico and in my town, scouts was optional.  Chris was raised by his wonderful single mom but no scouts:)  Well shortly after Ethan turning 8, I was called to be the Bear den leader and Chris was called over the 11 year old scouts.  And here we are almost 3 years later still in scouts--but now I'm over the Wolf den and Chris is still over the 11 year olds.  WE GOT THE MESSAGE!!!  Scouts is important and we have definitely come to appreciate and love it over these past years.

So here is my super HANDSOME son getting his Arrow of Light award (Chris is FIRED from taking pics ever again:)

So I have 1 son entering Boy Scouts in February and my other son, Max, is entering Cub Scouts this month!!!  (It was an expensive trip to the scout store this past weekend:)

Congrats to our Ethan!!!  We love you tons and tons!!!

The Little Mermaid:)

So let me tell you about my Christmas break.  The day (Friday, Dec. 21st) before we headed out to NM, all 3 of my kids auditioned for the upcoming show, "The Little Mermaid Jr."  We were just hoping for all 3 kids to be cast.  Well, late Sunday night (Dec. 23rd), we found out that ALL 3 kids made it.  We were absolutely relieved and excited.  Carlie got the role of "Carlotta" who is the head mistress of the palace where Prince Eric lives and Ariel's best ally when she becomes a human.  My boys were cast as sailors/chefs.  Great.  Done.  Happy.

BUT....on Monday morning I received an email that Carlie needed to come back in for a "callback" on Wednesday (yesterday) an hour before the first rehearsal started.  Okay...weird, but okay.  When we got there, we were told that the original girl cast as "Ariel" lied about her age--this is a junior production which means all of the actors are between the ages of 8-13.  Well, she was 14 and it was somehow discovered.  So OH MY GOSH!  The part of "Ariel" was back on the line and it was up to 3 girls to battle it out.  So to say I was nervous is a SERIOUS understatement.  Carlie does NOT get nervous--definitely one of her best traits.  It is good that she doesn't get nervous because I get nervous enough for the BOTH of us for sure!

So they put these girls through the wringer!!!  Calling them in and out one at a time to sing, read lines, and then call them in and out again, and again, and then again.  I thought we would be told who got the part BEFORE the first rehearsal began, but NO!  They weren't decided yet. Chris met me up at the studio and we went to get dinner why the kid's were at rehearsal.  I could barely eat.  I felt like throwing UP!  I was absolutely DYING!!!  We went back to pick them up at the end of the rehearsal thinking for SURE they would tell us who got the part at this point, but NO!  Carlie said they would probably tell us before the next rehearsal on Friday--ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!  At this point there was a mandatory parent meeting that I stayed for while Chris took the kids home to feed them dinner.  Well after the meeting, the 3 sets of parents were asked to stay.  OH MY GOSH AGAIN!  Are they ACTUALLY telling us now???  I had already sent Carlie home!  UGH!!!

So we were told that it was a really tough decision but that the part of Ariel was going to............

CARLIE!!!!    AHHHHH!!!!!  I held it together until I got into the car and then I bawled!!!  The amount of stress just over-whelmed me at that point.  I'm pretty sure that this experience took a couple years off my life!  HUGE CONGRATS to my daughter AND my boys.  I couldn't be more proud of any of them!  And Tatum will be the best little cheerleader EVER!  LOVE YOU GUYS TONS AND TONS!!!

Zoppe Circus!

I was sitting in Ballet Etudes a couple weeks ago when a man came in and asked me if I wanted free tickets to a circus coming to Chandler.  Sure!  Why not?!  I'll take anything free:)

Well I am sure glad I did because this was the coolest little circus I've ever been to!  Just a good old-fashioned circus that had us entertained for a full 2 hours!  It is an Italian circus--Zoppe Family Circus--and they were performing in a tent set up behind the Chandler Center for the Arts.  SUPER cool acrobats and tricks!  And the main clown--Benito--was HILARIOUS!  We had such a great time!  We went on New Year's day--GREAT way to bring in the new year:)

My own circus act:)

This is my kids with "Benito" the clown:)

This pretty lady was the horse trainer/rider:)

Christmas 2012

Ever since Carlie was born-12 Christmases ago--we have stayed home for Christmas.  Well this year was a bit different.  We always try to hit NM sometime over the break but with my parent's travel plans along with Chris' travel plans, there was NO time.  SOOO  we loaded up Christmas and headed to Papa and Grandma's for Christmas!  (If I'm being totally truthful, we will probably NEVER do this again.  It is a TON of work to pack up Christmas for 4 kids!)  But good company and lots of good New Mexican food made it all worth it:)

But as always we had a great time.  Here are some pics of our New Mexican Christmas:

New Christmas PJs!!!

Eating all their goodies from their stockings!

Gotta LOVE 4-wheeling!

EVERYONE loves Papa Frank!

Tatum just bit Santa's head off:)

Family football game

My super studly nephew--Cassel

Jolly's Toyland!!!

It was showtime again already!!!  Carlie managed to squeeze in 4 shows this years and man...I am EXHAUSTED!!!  But what do you do when your kid absolutely LOVES something and is completely PASSIONATE about it???  I do what any parent would...I make it work:)

Jolly's Toyland is about a toyshop owner who just wants to go to the Bahamas for Christmas--he wanted a "Coconut Christmas."  At night when the shop owner leaves, the toys all come to life.  Carlie was a "Caroler."  This was definitely her most challenging role up to this point because there were only 4 carolers each singing their own part a cappella.  Carlie was the alto and was AMAZING!  Here are the carolers who started their parts before the show singing for all the people coming in to the theatre--they also entertained at intermission.  They were definitely the hardest workers of the show!

Carlie has definitely found her "group" of people.  She is my oldest child and she is just growing up so fast.  All these theater kids are sooooo "touchy" and "huggy" and "lovey" with each other that it just cracks me up!  She just LOVES her peeps:)

Adam and Carlie

Carlie and fellow-Caroler Sarah

Savvy, Carlie, & Kayleah

Carlie & Rhett

Kale & Carlie

Carlie, Thommy, & Kayleah

Christmas Piano Recital 2012

Well another recital DONE!!!  This was a super special recital for Tatum because it was her FIRST one!!!  So proud of these kids: