School Days

All three Hills go to School

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors
into windows. ~Sydney J. Harris

September 8th, 2009

The kids were excited to start a new year! Just looking at them in their big backpacks made me smile! They were so excited to start going to their new schools. Big smiles, new clothes, new school, new teachers, new friends to make and a new home to come back to at the end of the day-it was the first day of a pretty exciting new year for them and Jeff and I. I can't believe that they are all old enough to go to school from 3 hours to full-days away from me. They are growing up so fast and I wouldn't trade being a part of moments like this for the world. They are my world-when they smile so do I. I am thrilled that I have the privelage of seeing them as they experience the world, and being the one they're excited to talk to about it at the end of the day-at least for a little while longer.

Mr. Man's Kindergarten Teachers-Mrs. Jefferson
and Mrs. Edwards the teachers aide.

I am always ready to learn although I do not
always like being taught. ~Winston Churchill

Mrs. Bobnock's classroom, where Nana spent the first two weeks reviewing 2nd grade materials, before moving up to Mrs. King's 3rd grade class.

The best teachers teach from the heart, not
from the book. ~Author Unknown

"I don't know about this school thing dad!" Little Bubbers and Dad
take a moment to reflect on the impending orientation day
outside pre-school

Like father like son-Everything's Ducky!



The proud papa and son get ready to go

inside and see what lies in store for our last pre-schooler

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into

windows. ~Sydney J. Harris

Finally mama gets a photo-blurry or not I had to have
one of my baby boy ready to start his first day of school.

I have never let my schooling interfere with my
education. ~Mark Twain

Mrs. Ferris looks in the frog tank to see the class macsot-the Frog!
The preschool class are appropriately known as " frogs" around school-my own little frogger! :)

"It's a happy talent to know how to play."- Emerson

We met Sam- the 25 year old turtle- and didn't stop talking

about him for the entire week! Who says making friends is hard?!

Education is not preparation for life;
education is life itself. ~John Dewey

Education is what remains after one has
forgotten what one has learned in school-Albert Einstien

2008 Hill Portrait Picture Gallery


Little Bubbers Gallery
3 years old
39 inches tall
Fall 2008

What a Sweet boy!!! He is our
All American Little guy!
We are so lucky to have him in our little family!

Little bubbers is definitely his own man. Being the third
child, he is a calm presence to our party of five. He is
content to play with cars and trucks all day! He brings his cup
to mom and dad whenever he wants "chocwate" milk, and he loves goldfish cwackers! He has become fiercly independent
of late. So independent that he will move his bicycle (that he learned to ride this year!) back out from the garage where mom put it away, just so he can put it away himself. He wants to do everything he can hmself-everything except going potty and eating. The boy lives off of carbohydrates! Anything with the word cracker or chocolate is within his realm of nutrition-but he has to be forced fed when it comes to real food (it's always fun in public to have to hold your kids down to feed them a piece of chicken! Poor Guy!)



At three years old-he is addicted to cars and trucks! Anything that makes an engine noise or looks like it might move is immediately picked up and driven somewhere (usually into the wall).

He loves his big brother and wants to do everything he does, so Mr. Man has a lot of company and a constant playmate.

When he's not playing Hot Wheels driver with his brother or the wall, he is doing puzzles, playing with action figures like Buzz Lightyear and Woody, or fixing his brothers transformers! His favorite accessory is Woody's hat and he makes sure Woody has it before we go anywhere! We get to spend a lot of time together as his siblings are both in school. It's wonderful to see him grow into the sweet, independent little boy he's becoming-but no matter how big he gets-he will always be my snuggler-my "little bubbers". (And he has the cutest voice ever!)

Some memorable quotes:
"No! I don't want to!"

"Ok, sure sure!"

"Mama-can I hab mowk?" (or "milk" in english)

"To finit and bwond!" (to "infinity and beyond" from Toy Story)

"I wuv woo Mama!"

"Can I hab chocwate?"

"I don't wan eat dat!"

"Can I dwive?" (When were getting ready to go on an errand, he just decided he was ready to take on the challenge of driving and asked the question so casually - it was hilarious!)

What I hope for him:
That he manintains his sweet boyish charm
That he grows up with a desire to go on a mission and be obedient
That he remains independant but still needs to talk to me about important stuff
That he is confident
That he smiles often
That he keeps making us laugh
That he keeps having fun
That he finds a talent that he's passionate about
That he's always friends with his brother and sister
That he is kept safe and watched over by his guardian angel always

You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes. ~Walter M. Schirra, Sr.

Mr. Man's Gallery
4 1/2 years old
Summer 2008

"Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable." ~Plato

Well, have you ever seen a more handsome red-head in your life?!!!
Our redhead! What can we say about our Mr. Man? He is certainly one of a kind in every way! He brings to our hearts joy and laughter. For when he laughs, it comes from a place that only a truly innocent child can conjure up-it comes from a the belly and a genuine hearty sense of good humor. And although it is difficult for others to make him laugh, he is quick to make others break into smile with his witty and intelligent sense of how his world works. Over the last four years he has become such a caretaker of me when his Dad is at work.
He is careful to not hurt me and careful to say kind things to make me feel loved. He is so sensitive to the words and tone in which we speak to him, that when being disciplined, it is not the discipline that throws him into despair-but rather the way in which we impart that discipline upon him. From a very soft and sweet heart, he shows me everyday some act of wanting to please me. The simple act of picking a flower for my hair and taking the time to pay attention to detail by saying, "You look so pretty with that flower in your hair mom!" is the exact example of my wonderfully gifted oldest son.

There are no words to describe the way a mothers' heart feels to have her sons near her, and for them to show only love, forgiveness, patience and a desire to protect and please their mother. He brings to my heart a happiness and sense of pride that I could not imagine before I had a son. To see his curious and determined eyes, make me remember why I chose to stay at home and be present in my children's lives.

The list of things
that Mr. Man can do is enormous and ever growing.
From back flips and bike trips to writing his entire alphabet perfectly,
he continues to amaze us everyday!

Here is a list of things that he likes:

Chicken Noodle Soup
Riding his Spiderman Scooter
Riding his Bike without the training wheels and scaring the entire neighborhood by doing pop-wheelies off of their curbs
Playing Baseball
Playing Wii
Doing flips and handstands at will and everywhere
Writing his letters
Reading books about the ocean
Swimming. diving, doing flips into the pool and generally giving the life guards a real worry while on duty
Building houses with blocks (but houses that have driveways, bushes and doghouses)
Ice Cream
Transformers
Playing Race Cars with Austin (but only if he wins)
Racing, running and generally being in perpetual movement
Science Experiments
Collecting Bugs for our habitat
Giving Hugs (the best tight hugs in the world)
Doing nice things for mommy
Cooking
Cool Shoes (ZStraps are the new favorite)
Hanging out with Oma and Opa
Generally teasing his older sister
Jumping on the trampoline
Last but not least-anything with sugar in it!


Here are some memorable quotes:

When finding out his friend was bleeding from a cut, and entering the room after her mother had cleaned her up, he said,"Oh! I missed all the good blood!"

"Mom-I want to get a new 'Bruela' please!" which is funny to us because he hardly ever mispronounces words.

When given a present from our neighbor while playing outside at 3:30 p.m., he was told he could open it later after he took a shower. About five minutes later, when I realized he wasn't outside with us any more, he appeared-newly showered with pajamas on and said,"I took a shower mom. Can I have my present now?" (he is too quick for me!)

When getting into the goody basket on top of the refrigerator, I walked into the kitchen and promptly told him to get off of the counter, when he interrupted me and said, "But mom-you looked hungry, so I got you a treat". "I said,"Son. I am not hungry right now." He said,"Then it's okay if I have it right?" (is anyone else thinking Bill Cosby in the cookie jar right now?)

When told it is dangerous to do back flips on the bed-he said,"You're right mom. It is dangerous for you, so you shouldn't do it. But I am smaller than you are, so I can fit on the bed."

When told to be careful at our first trip to the pool this year because I didn't think he could swim without a life jacket, he was in the water like a fish, before I could even finish my sentence-and has been swimming ever since!

What I hope for him:

That he grows up to be sensitive and strong
That he takes care of his friends and family
That he utilizes his drive for perfection to accomplish whatever dreams he has
That he discovers who he is early in life and never forgets it
That he uses his wit and charm to astound people in humor and academics
That he know how deeply his parents love him, and how much of a fan his mother is at all of his games
That he knows how amazing a person he is in the eyes of God

These lists are just a few reasons that Mr. Man is one of a kind! My little personal Opie in my very own, slightly twisted, Mayberry world. He is our red head!

If a man has been his mother's undisputed darling he retains throughout life the triumphant feeling, the confidence in success, which not seldom brings actual success along with it. ~Sigmund Freud

Nana's Gallery
6 1/2 years old
2nd grade Fall 2008
"A daughter is a mother's gender partner, her closest ally in the family confederacy, an extension of her self. And mothers are their daughters' role model, their biological and emotional road map, the arbiter of all their relationships." ~Victoria Secunda

Nana's life as a 7 year old fills our family with smiles and happiness! She is developing a character and personality that is so diverse and free.

Yet she is grounded and strong in spirit, seemingly able to fight off the forces of an imaginary evil stepmother or witch, with a friendship spell from her pretend potion pots, that magically morphs evil into love! I often wonder if spend enough time with her-do I know her like I should? Do I know what her favorite color is this week, or what she thinks about when she is alone? Do I know her facial expressions in the capacity that a mother should be able to read her daughter's face? Does she know that she can come crying to me, without judgement, for any hard decision she is faced with, and any consequence of a decision she has already made? Do I pay enough attention to the little things that make up the minutes of her life with me? Do I give her enough credit when credit is due? Do I listen to what she does not say? Do I love her enough, that everyday she leaves our home without any doubt that she is safe here?

These questions will only be answered in the years to come, when we sit down after she has her own children and talk frankly about how she remembers me! Wow! I have so much work to do in order for her to have the memory I want her to!!!!

Over the last year she has come into her own as a young citizen in this world, and as I look at her, I see the world as it should be-simple and innocent and filled with uncomplicated answers to problems that seem so difficult to the adult world that she lives in.

Below, I have listed some of the things that make her so unique to us and qualities that remind me of what I need to work for in this world, to make the world of opportunity everything it can be for her future.

Nana's Developing list of amazing characteristics:

-She loves reading science and cooking books
-She loves doing science projects (volcanoes are her favorite!)
-She loves history (George Washington at Mt. Vernon and Abraham Lincoln are her favorite so far)
-She is a talented artist (pictures of me, flowers, fairies and self portraits are her niche so far)
-She is a good example of sportsmanship, even stopping mid-soccer game to help a fallen player up
-She is a good friend to those around her
-She is is thoughtful and aware of the importance of service
-She is aware of the world around her and is a forward and analytical thinker (i.e. after reading an article in the National Geographic together about child labor in India said,"Mom, children should not have to work all day without food and with their fingers bleeding! If we stop buying things than maybe we could give our money to help them so they won't have to work.")

-She is a continuous fashion statement for the Nana School of Design (pink and brown checked skirts with a pink and turquoise flowered shirt, and her Great Grandmothers clip-on earrings and pearl necklace!

-She has a great imagination as demonstrated by her most recent book "The Crab and the Magic Hat"!
-She loves her daddy
-She loves writing songs and singing melodies
-She loves Sushi and going out to eat with me and any friend of mine
-Last but not least, she is an amazing attribute to the world and believes that she will be an astronaut, an author, an illustrator, a teacher, a vet. and a photographer-and I believe she will be all of those too!

There is a light to her eyes that reminds me everyday of her inherent goodness and desire to make the choices that will bring her happiness. I am truly blessed to have her sweet spirit in my life, and I hope I can retain her respect and friendship as we grow as mother and daughter on our path together. I love her so much my heart hurts!


Two hours after these pictures were taken by our good friend Cherie Napoleon, Nana's two front teeth fell out! The tooth fairy had hoped they would hang on until the pictures were over-some wishes do come true!!!

Some Memorable Quotes:
"Why don't you ever like me to wear stripes with plaid?"

"I hope Santa brings me the doll chair-since my brothers were so heavy that their big bottoms broke it when I tried to do their hair!"

"I am going on a date with Daddy!"

"I can't believe we're going to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! I love that man!"

"I hope they give me some pain medicine when I have a baby or there's no way I am ever doing that!"

"Thank you mom and dad for taking me to the movies!"

"I just love you so much and I am so glad you are here to feed me!"

"I fell off the bed lastnight-AGAIN!"

"Why do I have to do these words? I am never going to use them!" (writing out her spelling words for school)

What I wish for her:
I hope that she is always smart in her decisions
I hope she always maintains the spirit
I hope that she stays funny
I hope that she stays innocent
I hope that she continues to be thoughtful
I hope that she loves her life
I hope that she loves her body
I hope that she learns from he mistakes
I hope we remain close
I hope she has a best friend for most of her life
I hope she falls in love
I hope she marries her love
I hope she knows how much we love her
I hope she is happy and holds on to her dreams

"A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future." ~Author Unknown

Pictures that make me smile

Look at this face!!! Is there a better feeling than to see your children smiling in a candid moment? His smile warms my heart and makes me think of all the wonderful happiness there is in being an innocent soul-free of the troubles that come with growing older. What a gift!

Jeff and Austin were sharing a moment of father/son laughter and the camera just happened to pick it up-much to my pleasure!

"Hello! Gammy-how you?" Just one of those cute phrases that he said on his 2nd Christmas morning!





Jackson's Photos
Is this the cutest red-head you have ever seen or what!
This is my Mr. Man! We had such a great time at Water Country in Williamsburg.



First Day of Pre-School for Jackson was October 1st! He had so much fun and looked so small compared to his backpack! Here he is with his proud Papa!
Here is his Proud Mama thinking "What a good looking little guy I have!" Apparently all of his highschool teachers at the pre-school program thought he was good-looking too-they all loved him and hugged him all the time! (I think I'm in trouble for the next 12 years!)
What a stud eh! Check out that smile-it says "I am here to be cute!"
Right for the toys-that's the best part of pre-school right!!! He was so excited to be in school like his big sister Briana!
Halloween was pretty fun-he went trick or treating as a Power Ranger at school and played some games! He didn't get to go trick-treating that night though-apparently mom let him too much candy earlier in the day because he was so sick that night. He laid on the couch looking so sad and kind of green in the face! Maybe this year will be better!


Santa came to visit the Stone Bridge little Bull Dog Pre-School! "I help my mom take out the trash!" was what he answered to Santa when asked what he had done to help around the house.
He got a cool dinosaur in return.
What a pair! The lights at the D.C. temple really put us in the Christmas spirit in 2007. We saw the live nativity and Jackson loved looking at all the different trees in the visitors center. Christmas is just magical for kids isn't it? When you have children to make it magical for-it becomes even more memorable!

Pictures of Everyone


The three Hill kids on our doorstep for our very first snow of the season!

Washington D.C. is so beautiful at Christmas! This is a picture of the Capitol Building and the national Christmas Tree that Jeff took when we went down to sightsee last holiday!

This is another gorgeous picture of the D.C. temple at Christmas that Jeff took. We go every year to enjoy the beautiful atmosphere and the holiday programs that go on at the visitor's Center.

Jeff and I at Christmas! 10 Christmas holidays together and we're still looking happy!

All the Hill's at the National Botanical Gardens for the electric train display that comes almost every year. It is a favorite thing for us to do-it has all the magic of the holiday season.

Briana and Jackson drooling over the candy displays at the mall before their Christmas picture with Santa. They looked like something out of a 40's movie-like Andy Rooney and Judy Garland.
Jeff and Austin at the National Zoo for Austin's 2nd birthday!

Mom and Austin just sharing a smile while looking at the animals.

All three kids looking at the Meerkats.
Just a Dad and his sons-what could be more special than seeing a father spending time with his kids?!


Mom and Oma at Austin's birthday party. We really know how to make a birthday hat look fashionable!
Easter pictures are always fun, but these turned out really cute! Grammy hill really knows how to dress her grandkids!

Jackson and mom just chillin' for a minute between the Easter meal at Oma's and Opa's house. I went to Costco for groceries and came out with these three kids. They looked pretty helpless so I thought I better help them out!
Briana and mom on the shoreline of the Sarasota Bridge in Florida earlier this year!

Carrie Brings Project Moby to the News

I had a chance to meet with moms who are living in residential facilities undergoing drug and alcohol treatment with their babies in tow in May. This event took place at the Haven House in Denver, CO and was a wonderful experience for me and the women involved! Click on the title above the photo to see the news story.

Go to Moby Wrap.com to enter your moby story for a chance to win the greatest Summer Gift Basket ever! (I put it together as the Public Relations Coordinator for the company-so I know what's in it!).

It's pretty amazing to see that all moms want to be good mothers-even if they don't know how to be. It was really special to see how much one piece of cloth can do for a mother who has yet to connect with their baby.

May we keep all mothers in our prayers as we all try to figure out how to mother with the skills we have-and let's all help one another raise our world's special spirits, who come so innocently into our lives and rely on the strength of our hearts to help grow into spectacular individuals with courage and confidence!

Thanks to all my friends who are doing the best you can do to raise your babies in a home that edifies and lifts them to be better than we are (or at least as cool!).

On the Road Again . . .

"Mountain Mama-Take Me Home"-John Denver

Welcome on our road trip to the Smokey Mountains! definitely one of the most beautiful places in the USA. These pictures were taken at the Appalachian Trail crossing at one of it's highest elevations. It sure was beautiful to look out at one of the most famous places in our country's history. We almost broke out our banjo and harmonica to play a little bluegrass with the local folks down in the valley!

There was something very touching about being in a place that has seen so much history in such a short amount of time. There was a feeling of peace and wonderment at knowing that the Smokey Mountains have seen such diverse people come through her trails. To some extent the mountains still hold mysteries about the people that settled there; who were they, how were they able to know what to do to survive the seasons, what did they know about the outside world as they were secluded for many years at a time? What is not a mystery is why they chose to settle in the Blue Ridge range-the scenes are breathtaking and serene. It is little wonder they chose to shut out the world beyond the mountain valleys they had discovered for themselves.

Great Falls National Forrest (like going hiking in a valley out West-but still nice!)

Look at my kids-Could they be any Cuter?! (Of course, I am totally unbiased)

We spent one Saturday at Great Falls! We hiked a little, stopped a lot and ate in between. We had a lovely day and it was great to get out and see a little corner of our neck of the woods. The kids had a great time looking at the waterfalls and pretending to be on a Mountain Adventure, jeff and I enjoyed the time outside of our house and Austin enjoyed the scene from the Moby Wrap on Mom's back! The biggest excitement was the Helicopter that buzzed around the falls for about 20 minutes trying to help some stranded Kayakers! That was the real highlight of the boys trip of course! Allin all we had a great afternoon just hanging out together.

Uncle Lawton Comes to Town

Lawton: "What are you doing tonight Sis?"
Carrie: "Oh, I don't know, just probably hang out and catch up on some T.V."
Lawton: "Well, do you want to pick me up at the Airport at 10:00 tonight instead?"
Carrie: Silence
Lawton: "Sis, are you there"
Carrie: "Well, that depends on if you are actually going to be at the airport tonight at 10:00. Are you serious?"
Lawton: Is your natural hair color something other than brunette?-Yes I'm going to be there. Can you come get me?"
Carrie: Screams of happiness and joy. "Yes! I am so excited!!! See you at 10:00-Rock on!"

This is how Lawton's surprise visit to VA started out sounding-it pretty much continued in that format until he left! The kids and I had such a good time hanging out with Uncle Lawton (even if it was only for a day and 1/2).

Here's to spontaneous family visits!

The Hills Celebrate their 3rd Annual Walk in A Rainstorm

In April 2004, mom and Nana spent some bonding time, spontaneously playing in the driveway during an unexpected rainstorm, while newborn Mr. Man slept soundly in his room.

It is a memory that Nana still talks about, and for the last 3 years I have managed to accidentally get all of us Hills, caught in a spontaneous rain shower. This particular shower was extremely drenching (especially because we walked about 1/2 mile in it before we got home)! We had so much fun splashing and soaking each other, that I have decided to make playing in the rain a Hill family tradition! I remember what a great time I had playing in the rain when I was little and how my mom would just look out the window and think we were crazy-but she never made us come inside. It could have been that she didn't want water all over her house, but I prefer to think it was because she too was a kid at heart and knew how much fun we were having.

So for any of you that want to join us in our tradition, in the spirit of innocence and childhood, just go outside in a spontaneous rainstorm and treasure the raindrops, while you enjoy the laughter you'll hear from your kids! If you don't have kids, do it anyway-you will enjoy feeling uninhibited for a little while and you will already be in practice to do it when your children come!

Make sure you write us and tell us all about it too! Happy 3rd Annual Walk in a Rain Shower Everyone!