More January pics

• "I'm just checking to see if any of these dust bunnies doubles as the Easter Bunny."
• "Yeah, Mom, I thought I was ready to sleep on a big boy's bed, too — guess not, huh?"
• "Mom, it's no fun when you bring along the camera when we play hide-and-seek, because you document all my best hiding places."

• "Don't you mean to say 'Carter, do you like to roll around in what USED TO BE the clean clothes fresh out of the dryer'?"
• "I thought I would dress up as a load of laundry for Halloween and I'm just trying on my costume a little early."

New Years Eve

• "Listen, hugs from an aunt are good and all, but I'm really hoping to spend time with the confetti cannons and noisemakers before I go to bed."

• "This looks like a really nice New Year's Eve meal, but I don't see a place for me!"
• "I don't have the heart to tell them I just ordered five large pizzas to be delivered — and charged it on Dad's credit card."

December 2010 — Carter in Utah: Quiet time with the Taylors

• "Grandpa, if we watch the 'Elmo had four ducks' video on YouTube one more time, I can break my all-time single-day record of 47."
• "Oh, so this is what an ESPN web page looks like that DOESN'T have any mention of the New Jersey Nets. Interesting!"
• "All these old images you have on iPhoto of what my Mom looked like when she was my age is starting to scare me."
• "You know, Grandpa, if all I had to do was lay around in bed, read books and look at the laptop, I think I could go for some back surgery myself."

• This "brown bear, brown bear, what do you see stuff?' is OK, but what I'd really like to do is be back with Grandpa in his bedroom on the laptop."
• "Come on, Auntie Bree, you can't fool me — you're just trying to get me to fall asleep for the night. There is nowhere on any of these pages that it says, 'Carter . . . you are feeling tired . . . you are getting sleepy . . . close your little eyes . . . ' "

• "No, Grandma, you've got it all wrong — the Eentsy-Weentsy Spider went like this up the waterspout."
• "Well, this is all well and good, but I'd really like to see if Grandpa is watching those Elmo videos back on his bed."

December 2010 — Carter in Utah: Kissing the sleepers

• "Okay, Taylors, let me show you again how I've learned it from Dad and Mom. You pretend you're asleep, and I pretend I'm the prince waking up with a kiss Sleeping Beauty — and Dad, in your case, I'll make an exception. The best part is that while you've had your eyes closed, I've pilfered through your pockets, wallets and purses for loose change, so I really love this game."

• "Excuse me, Auntie Bree, but I've got this really bad runny nose and am wondering if you can help me find a Kleenix after I 'wake you up' with my kiss."

• "Uhhhhh, so tired . . . can't seem to keep my eyes open . . . but must not fall asleep . . . because . . . I worry Braden will try to play the sleepy/kissy game with me."

December 2010 - hanging around

• " 'Uh, roger, Houston, Astronaut Carter Jensen here in the command module. All the systems and signals are a 'go' and we're ready for countdown to blast off on the first space mission to Mars. But, uh, wait, Houston, my Grandma's at the module door wanting to say goodbye.' "

• "Hey, Dad, there's plenty of exposed skin up front and I'm not getting any warmer. How about a re-wrap job?
• "Excuse me, but age one is NOT to early to start taking about modesty. How about some help covering up - - and get that blasted camera out of here. This ain't no free peep show!"

• "OK, let's see, that's one ornament behind the couch, one in the produce bin in the refrigerator, oh and the one in the toilet, another in the glove compartment of Grandpa's truck, that one buried out back with the tulip bulbs . . . let's see, what's another surprise I can leave everyone?"

• "During lunch last week with my stockbroker, we opted to invest in the Walt Disney Company, which together with its subsidiaries is a diversified worldwide entertainment company It's the second-largest media conglomerate in the world, behind Time Warner, and the world's seventh most valuable brands. Relative to other businesses, Disney is more insulated from the general economic . . . hey, look what happens when you touch that red stuff and I twist this green thingy!"

• "Santa Claus nothing — I believe in Elmo!"
• "Here's the thing — I thought I heard a voice in one of the packages under the tree. So I took off the bow and the wrapping and out popped Elmo! But to explain how the other five packages got opened — I got nothing."

December 2010 — Chores

• "Honest, Mom, I was just minding my own business as I was walking past this open box, and all of a sudden all these packing peanuts jumped out and started attacking me. No, really!"
• "Just great! All I do is scatter a handful of styrofoam peanuts around the living room floor, and I've been been grounded to do a lot of chores, . . .

• " . . . first, my mom made me vacuum the whole house . . .

• ". . . and then she made me bring in and stack all the wood for the wood-burning stove . . .

• " . . . and finally — and this one I don't understand — she sent me out to the backyard to pick up all the leaves. Man, I'm praying for a big snowstorm soon to cover these all up."

November 2010 - shoe time

• "Uh, Mom? How small do they make odor-eaters?"
• "No shoe laces? No Velcro? How helpless do my parents really think I am?"

• "Hey, Dad . . . Mom just said something about sticking your foot in your mouth. Need a shoe?"

• "OK, that was loud enough. But how much do you think you'll scream this time when I hold your shoe this high over my head and drop it on your big toe?"
• "Hey, Mom. Since you and Dad both ran for BYU, does that mean I inherit your athlete's feet?"

November 2010 - out and about

• "So many swings, so little time."

• "No, I am NOT going to play aliens in the flying saucer with you."

• "He grabs the loose ball, turns, dribbles down the court and — pardon the pun — leaves the rest behind."

• "Hey, why do we park in a driveway and drive on a parkway? "

• "How am I expected to sneak up on the squirrels when with every step I take, there's a crackling sound?"

• "So this is early morning seminary? Wow-de-dow, please put me back to bed and let me work on my beauty sleep."
• "So, where are the Krispy Kremes Mom promised me if I came to seminary?"

• "No, Grandpa, I think the coach ought to go for two if they score a touchdown here."
• "Hey, hot dog guy! Two with the works over here — and charge it to the big guy behind me."
• "Yeah, I'm trying to watch the football game, but I think the head cheerleader's still winking at me."

November 2010 - 'to top it off'

• "Am I feeling sick and lethargic today? No, Mom, to tell you the truth, I'm just bothered by the fact that you'd stick this silly cap on my head that makes me look like I've been swallowed by some Japanese anime dog, with my face sticking out of the pooch's mouth. I'd rather stay strapped in the stroller and hide rather than get get made fun of by all the other kids in the park. So, I'll just hang out here, thankyouverymuch."

• "Of course, I can't run away with embarrassment because I can't even walk yet — but if I could I would. So, maybe I'll just crawl away instead and hope nobody notices me in this canine cap. In fact, if they do see me, I hope they confuse me with some stray dog and I can live another day with my reputation intact. Arf, arf, arf!"

• "Listen, Mom, how can I play it low-key and not get recognized if you keep following me around, taking pictures? And, try this, maybe you can call me 'Spot' or 'Prince" instead of 'Carter" — especially if you're thinking of us ever coming back to this park in my lifetime!"

November 2010 - doctor's visit

• "Oh, no, Mom, I'm always thrilled to come to the doctor's office, to get my clothes stripped off me, to get put up all by my lonesome on some table and then to get poked and prodded by someone I don't even know."
• " 'Are we having fun?' If this is so much fun, why aren't you up here instead of me?"
• "What do you mean, you've got to take my temperature?"
• "I was worried I was in for some shots, but thank heavens they're only talking about 'injections,' 'inoculations' and 'vaccinations.'
• "Where would I like it? Oh, about three weeks long in Utah this summer? What? Oh, I thought you said 'vacation,' not 'vaccination.' "
• "Wait a minute — that's not a needle, that's more like a javelin!"
• "Before we get started with this needle thing, I'd just like to tell my mom that we're going to have some serious trust issues after this. Yes, some serious trust issues, I say."