Summer ease – and boredom

Here at the House of the Hill-i, we’re enjoying a really laid back summer.  With no one in the ward being home for a month (excepting us, apparently), it’s pretty quiet around here (HAAAAAALLELUJAH!)  The big girls aren’t signed up for tons of camps and classes this year and Annie is in school most of the day.  All that makes things pretty quiet.

And when things are quiet around here, we can hardly keep ourselves from livening things up.  It’s a curse.

One quiet day, we decided to liven things up by shopping. We headed to our favorite hole-in-the-wall – Ross.    Other than the dirt cheap prices on reasonably attractive clothes, there is very little redeeming about Ross.  It’s sort of the garage-sale of discount stores. The carts have giant poles on them to keep you from thiefing them out the front door.  Said poles consistently catch on things like low hanging dresses and my very tall head.  None of the locks on the changing stalls work – ever. In any Ross.  In any state.  You can never get down an aisle easily and for every one nice thing you see, you’ll encounter a few dozen scary items.

But still, my family goes there – because we like an adventure and a steal. And Ross is both!!

So, off we tromped to Ross to see what we could see.  We were greeted by the friendly Security Guy who let us pass without the body cavity search.  SCORE!  We grabbed our wobbly blue cart and set off to scrape our way down the aisles, looking for a deal.

First, we spied THIS.

We immediately started scanning the racks for Johnny Depp!  I mean clearly – some pirate left his britches here in Ross and it could have been him!  We asked around – but arrrrr – I mean, argh – it wasn’t JD.  Apparently, Ross is niche-marketing to the Caribbean looting crowd.  Way to think outside the box during this rough economy, Ross. (Check out the great hook fingers on my girls – loved it!)

Next up, we saw these beauts.

At first, we were confused.  Who were these pants hiding from? Then we saw these and the picture became clear.

For all this to make sense, you sort of need to mind meld with a pair of capris for a moment. Just hear me out. Go to your imagination.  Are you there?

We’ll wait.

Ready?

OK – you’re a pair of cheap capris. You’ve already been banished from a department store, and have discovered yourself on a rack in Ross.  And now you are realizing, you are next to picnic table plaid pants. What can you do? You’re mortified – you were threaded in Taiwan for better than this.  All you can do is try to hide and wait it out until someone leaves with picnic table plaid and you can assume your regular identity.

Hence – the camo capri.

Which brought my girls and I to this question.  If you HAD and I mean HAD to wear one or the other styles of britches – which would you choose – picnic table plaid or peach camo?

We went with peach camo.  It was sort of a no brainer seeing as we don’t like ants and sandwiches with warm mayonnaise on them.

Fleeing from the capris from hades, we found ourselves right smack dab in the middle of something that was….

…a little bit lady – and a little bit lumberjack.

Now, before you knock this shirt, realize it could so work IF you had these pants.

Would you go with the blue pants, or for the added pop of color,  would you choose the purple?

Oooh! Is that a little acid washed rain I feel? I better top off the entire ensemble with a pint-sized fedora…

and you have yourself some Hillis Hilarity.

Next stop – WAL MART.

We were laughing so hard at all the horrible things we found at Ross, but still, we wanted to look for some shoes, because everyone knows shoes are where the TRULY good laughs are.  The floor at Ross was so littered with boxes and small children without their parents, we couldn’t get up or down the aisles. So we asked ourselves – what is a place in our town that has scary merchandise and clientele that we can mock like Ross?  And we came up with a few choices – Goodwill – Big Lots – and finally Wal Mart.   We were hoping to get shot at or run into some gang activity, so we went with Wal Mart.

I do not know that I can put into words how horribly gross and scary our local Wal Mart is. So I will not try. But suffice it to say, I – Amy-brave-girl-who-scares-at-nothing have the pepper spray in hand at that ghetto dive. Provided you make it in and your feet don’t stick to the ground from the massive amount of gum that has been spit on the road there – you are likely to witness a drug transaction once inside.

So, we braced ourselves and went in. Because we’re not skeered.  Much.

And what to our wondering eyes did appear but?

VELVET CLOGS?  SHUT UP!

It’s like our feet were being rewarded for dodging the gunfire in the parking lot!  What a find!!!

Since I didn’t need any formal clogs, I kept my eye on these babies.

They’re a little spring-time – a little garden-y – and a whole lot of hutzpah.

We found some great flats to go with the capris we spied at Ross.

They were a little high-end for me at $13 – but maybe someday!  Don’t step on my blue slingback shoes!

Oh – we laughed and laughed.

If you ever need help shopping, the Hillis girls are here to help ya. We know how to have some fun and where the goods are, folks.  And this post proves it!

Don’t ever eat a sleeping pig

Annie’s pre-school is having a food unit this week.

If you know Annie – you can imagine the great lengths I am going through here each day to prepare the child for trying something new. (Mind you, these foods are new to no children other than Annie Ray – most kids have sampled a bagel pizza or fruit salad before – just not *my* precious lamb.) I have been working since last Friday to encourage her to try some new treats and I’ve been really pumping up how great this entire experience will be for her. I keep musing “communication is the key” – but then I think more that I’ve never heard that “communication is the key to eating new foods.”  Whatever – I’m still trying it.

On the way to school, I reminded Annie that all the brave, superhero-like students would be sampling pigs in a blanket today.  Annie is all about being brave and being a superhero, so I figured this angle would work.  Instead,  she’s seemed pretty unimpressed when it came to trying this delicacy  - and today, she was positively nervous about my mentioning it. She looked a little green, in fact.

Amy – Annie – do you need to talk about pigs in a blanket?

Annie – Weeeeeell, I have a question.

Amy – OK?

Annie – Will the pigs be awake when we eat them – or sleeping?

Amy – Totally awake, and they might scream.

Annie – Do I HAVE to eat their blanket?

So I didn’t tell her the pigs would be awake. But she really didn’t understand my laughing right then and she did ask if she had to eat their blanket.

I love that kid.

Surfing with the Jetsons

I need to get something off my chest this morning.

I have recently (like – this morning) switched to Surf. I have become cheap about laundry detergent seeing as I now know how to make my own.  I am cheap, but this week, am too lazy to make my own. So, I grabbed Surf.

Surf, decidedly, is the lowest of the lows when it comes to laundry detergent.  First, we’ve got granules.  Who wants granules now? We’re all about liquid happiness these days.

Then, there’s the embarrassment of the Surf purchase. You know Surf sucks because you see all the other chicas in the grocery store popping their Tide-for-really-cool-washing-machines-unlike-your-own up on that conveyor belt with a sense of pride.  These women are also dressed to the nines for the grocery store and they smell fresh.  You, on the other hand, go to the store after the gym in mismatched clothes, and you smell like a horse.  Ergo, Tide is better than Surf.

So, you get the Surf and realize the GINORMOUS box will no way fit on your shelves in the laundry room like the cute little Tide container will. Oh no – the Paul Bunyan sized Surf box is going on the floor or on top of the dryer for aaaaaaall the world to see that you scrimp and save – and that apparently, your shelves are puny.

I can take all of this pain. I’m tough.  But this is where I get angry. And we’re not talking righteous indignation – or maybe we are as I’ve never completely understood it. But this ticks me off nonetheless.  Makers of Surf – hear me out. In case it isn’t enough that I get a hernia and a self-esteem-complex toting your product out of the store – do you have to put the scoopy cup in the way down bottom of the flipping box?  I don’t particularly enjoy digging up to my elbow in sparkling ocean crystals for the scoopy. And I especially did not enjoy soap diving not once, twice, or even three times for the scoopy and not FINDING IT.

Unlike George W, I was never able to utter “Mission Accomplished” on that one.  That’s right – a measuring cup is in there now. A Pampered Chef one, at that, which cost way more than the Surf, I might add.

So please, Surf manufacturers, throw me a bone and glue the scoopy to the top of the box. I’m a simple woman – with simple needs. Hear my cries.

(Amy clears her throat of her hysterical voice now.)

In better news this morning.

I’m fixing to leave for pool group.

I’m playing on my laptop before I go.  In the background, I hear the kids watching a TiVOed show and the dishwasher is running. In the distance, I hear the rumble of the washing machine (don’t start) and the dryer.  I’ve got the Roomba cleaning the Man Room (aka “Pool Table land”) and not one but TWO Scoobas are whizzing about the floors.

I love technology.  And apparently, I’ve become Jane Jetson.

A Banana’s Birthday

That’s our Annie Bananie – and she just turned 5 at the end of May. (Thanks Amy Lopez for the great photo!)  Annie is a funny kid and a frequent star of our blog with her entertaining Annie-isms.  

Annie is happy and headstrong and likes to skip. She is very determined and she loves to be funny. She thinks a joke makes everything better – and she always has a joke or a silly action ready to make you laugh if she senses any tension.  

She hates most food but that’s just as well as the child could live on  ”healthy chicken nuggets,” yogurt, popcorn, chocolate chip pancakes and waffles.  Syrup should be her middle name.  Nothing fruity or vegetable-y or nutritious will pass through the child’s lips. I say, “Save where you can.”

Annie loves orange and that is the color of her room (oh – yes it is!) and she loves stuffed animals and books and her Lambie. And we love her.  Thanks for being in our fam, Ann!  How exciting to have a 5-year-old around here!

Take a peek below at Annie’s little birthday party.  She got a “swimming puppy” and a “swimming baby” which she had been looking forward to for months.  SCORE!

The Von Trapp Family Singers, we are not

 

 

I had this vision that when I had a family of my own, we’d tour the country sharing inspirational music with the masses – each of us entertaining humble crowds with an instrument of our own mastery.   I’d, of course, be the narrator, emcee, ringmaster, lead vocal, and self-deprecating, yet engaging, mother of the performing band. Nightly, I would introduce each of our numbers with wit and polish. In my mind, my family would be a little bit Osmond, a little bit Patridge Family, sort of firesidey, with a splash of nerdy thrown in for good measure.  I envisioned a tour bus for us – with food storage cans rolling around under the bunks.

You might have guessed by now that that’s not really where my life headed.  There’s no tour bus, no fireside invitations – but I will admit to some nerdy-ness and food storage cans rolling around (in the pantry, though.) And we do have a budding musician!!!!!

I am happy to readjust my Hills Are Alive dreams when I think of the kids I am getting to know. There are days that I cannot believe Abby Hillis is my child. I feel like the luckiest mother in the world to have the chance to raise her. She is brave and strong and quirky and so talented. Abby is a good student, she is good at making friends, she is a good dancer, scientist, mathematician, and story writer and  - she’s even a good pianist.

And an especially good daughter.  Who knows if we could have gotten that should we have been roadies?  She’d probably have left me at a truck stop ages ago.  This life is far better.  And best of all – we don’t have to wear matching clothes (did that once for Annie’s baby blessing – giant mistake – never ever ever again.)

Abs recently had her second piano recital and  I enjoyed the music she and her friends shared with us that day. My only wish was that it had been even longer. It was just lovely!

 

Cupcakes and Chuck

To be more specific.  ”Cupcake earrings” and “Chuck Norris.”

Yup – THAT Chuck Norris.  Need a reminder?

Today, I found my freckled dollbaby, Maddie,  lying on the sofa watching TV. I paused to smooch on her and admire her new cupcake earrings.  We talked about her favorite purple shirt and how the cupcake dangly earrings were just the perfect compliment.  As I left her, I turned and finally noticed what she was watching on TV.

Walker, Texas Ranger

  Methinks the child is frosting on the outside, but brass knuckles on the inside.

Sure, I could post real stuff

My kid had a birthday – school is out and I loved our girls’ teachers – it’s dance recital time and I have a MOUSE performing this year (candy coated cuteness, I must say.)  But we’ll get to all of that later.  Because this is way funnier.  

Come and laugh.  (If you aren’t Mormon, you might not laugh so much. But if you are LDS, you’ll howl. Not a Twilight-y howl – a really funny laugh-howl.)

An almost Mother’s Day baptism!

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, turning 8 is a BIG deal.  At the age of 8, you can decide if you’d like to be baptized a member of the church.  It seems like yesterday that our little family planned its first baptism since the 1980s…that being – SHAWN’S!

Then came Joanne, Bill, Ed and Abby. And then, the day before Mother’s Day, it was our Maddie’s turn to be baptized.

Our family was lucky enough to share Maddie’s baptism with the Helmses.  Their Matthew was planning to be baptized on the same day. I began affectionately referring to the event as “M&M’s baptism.”  

Our families went to the temple one gorgeous, breezy evening to review with the children their decision and to go over any questions they might have. That was such a special evening and will be a treasured memory of mine for a long time. It was great to hear from them why they thought families are important. I especially enjoyed hearing them answer questions about the gospel, the importance of what they were going to do, and their understanding of this covenant.  Clearly, they’ve been paying attention when they’ve been taught – and that is always inspiring to parents, isn’t it?!

Additionally, that night, we had the opportunity to meet another family who was preparing for baptism and it was exciting to hear of their happiness and the wonderment of it all (since then – we were able to go to their baptisms too – hurray!)  It was inspiring to me to hear their stories and to share their joy.  

Before we knew it, it was time for a baptism!  Matthew and Maddie were radiating that day and I couldn’t take my eyes off of them.  Their joy was contagious!

Maddie was very concerned with the level of water in the font and the temperature. She turns blue from cold water very easily and was adamant she didn’t want to contract hypothermia during her baptism. Luckily, we were all on the same page – the font was very full and the water, I hear, was pretty warm.  

Matt and Matthew

happy brothers

A baptismal service is about taking upon yourself the name of Christ and covenanting to be like Him.  We had pictures of Him about and I think that added a lot to the feeling of peacefulness.

Bill, Ed, Mom, Dad, and Becky were all able to attend and that meant a great deal to our family. It was an honor to have them there!

As part of the service, my mom spoke to all of us about the importance of baptism – what it means, why we do it, and how our lives change because of it.  An especially moving part of her remarks, to me, were when she asked the children to look around and see everyone who was there that day to support them not only on that day – but throughout their lives.  We had not anticipated that very many people would be able to attend the service and were pleasantly surprised to see so many people there to support the children in this large, once in a lifetime decision.  It was humbling to see how many of our friends took the time away from their busy Saturdays and squeezed this special event in to their schedule. I do believe that my children will be supported in their decision making through life by the good people who came that day and it is an honor to know them.

Interestingly, in a strange turn of events, Shawn had been able to welcome Abby into the ward when she was baptized. Like my mom, he pointed out to her how many people had come to celebrate this occasion with our family. I was humbled then when he spoke and when my mom shared a similar sentiment, I was humbled again.  (Now, for Abby’s baptism, he’d been insanely sick with diverticulitis for days before the service, so I think there was a certain element of “let’s-see-if-Bro.-Hillis-lives-through-this-event-or-if-his-gut-explodes-some-more” going on.  he he he)

The children were baptized and we don’t take pictures of the actual ordinance.  But I did get this shot of Maddie straight out of the font.  She was so happy and relaxed and she was a joy to be with – I love that I have girls and I get to help them out of the font and to get changed. It’s a special time.  To be baptized, Maddie wore the same dress her sister wore, and it was extra special to me to see if hanging there for Mads like it did for her sister. I am excited for Annie to wear it, too (let’s just hope she doesn’t get too tall!)

After the baptisms, Matthew’s grandmother, Twyla gave a lovely talk about the Holy Ghost.  She reminded us all about the comforting power of the third member of the godhead by comparing his abilities to those of a blanket – he can soothe – he can calm you – he can offer your protection – he can be with you always.

 Then, Matthew and Maddie were confirmed members of the church and received the gift of the Holy Ghost.  That was a special time for all of us and there were not many dry eyes.  Maddie’s grandfathers were all there to confirm her as were some extra special family friends who mean so much to us.  It is not every day you can feel the love that others and your Father in Heaven have for your child. I wish everyone could have regular experiences like that – because it makes all the difference in your life – and theirs.

After the service was over, we all, well – flaked out, ate treats, and enjoyed ourselves for a while. 

Luke and his dad, Matt, sat behind me during the baptismal service. I was so impressed with Luke’s excellent behavior and how observant he was to the entire ceremony. I shouldn’t have been so impressed – he’s a great kid who has been well taught by his parents! His attentiveness gave me such heart – it’s wonderful that someone so young would listen closely to all that was going on. What an example.

 

Above are some shots of our family – chilling and relaxing.  Below – meet some of the littlest – and CUTEST – members of our ward family!

What a wonderful day to share with our friends!

 

And welcome to the church, Madeline!

E. F. Hutton has nothing on Annie.

When she speaks, you really REALLY listen.  Mostly that’s because you have to if you have any hope of comprehending, but whatever.

Annie (to her cousins)  - My last name is Hillis.

Cousins – Ooooh.

Annie – And my dad’s name is Shawn.

Cousins – Uh huh.

Annie – And my mom’s name is Honey.

Amy – Annie (laughing) my name is not Honey.

Annie – Mom.  (sighing at me) You call Daddy, “Shawn.”

Amy – Yeeeeeeeeees, and I know where you are going here…

Annie – Mom – Mom – Mom – listen to me!  He says (she shares this in a gooey, syrupy voice), “Hooooooney” and that means you is to be listening.  It’s not like a honeybee or a honey pot – it’s like your NAME!

 

In case you were wondering, I gave up.  Do you think I need to change my name with the DMV?

We’ve been married a long time

Shawn and I took a break from celebrating Maddie’s eighth birthday and we instead celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary.  Phew – when you’re tired from celebrating, all you can do, really,  is re-coup and celebrate something else. 

I guess compared to most of the world, I’ve been married a long time for someone who is not yet 35.  (By LDS standards, it’s no big deal, though.)  While I never intended to marry young, I did and must say, it’s worked out well for me.  In many ways, Shawn and I have grown up together.  Looking back, I feel somewhat lucky (there has GOT to be a better word than that) to have had some major garbage dumped on us early in our marriage as it made most of the rest of life’s dramas seem like small taters.  We know we can handle much because we had to at such ridiculously young ages. Maybe it was better that way – we learned early on that life isn’t fair, but that doesn’t mean one has to be bitter.  

Every year on our anniversary, I like to reflect on our past for a bit. At least once a year, I need to remind myself that we have been blessed beyond imagination when there was no way we could exhaust any more resources or try any harder.

My best laughs have been with Shawn as have been my happiest moments.  He gets that I am quirky and he balances out my weird parts. He keeps me sane and is the best listener. If things are ever overwhelming or frustrating to me, I can turn to Shawn and he’ll pick apart the situation and quickly help me see what needs addressing. In return,  I help him with important things like matching his clothes and reminding him to wear sunscreen.  As you can see, this relationship is totally even steven.

On our anniversary, we snuck away to Disney and the Buena Vista Palace.  This was our view for the weekend (below).  The rectangle pool was the spa pool and we looooooved it and the goodies they had for us inside!  As usual, Shawn planned the entire trip, coordinated dog care and babysitting, and I packed my clothes and went.  See what I mean about our even steven relationship?

Like us, our vacay was a light-hearted, goofy (no pun intended) time and we just enjoyed being best friends for a couple of days.  Thanks, honey! You don’t suck!