Classic Hilton's

The message at church yesterday was from Mark 11, when Jesus cursed the fig tree (not because of the lack of figs, but because of the pretense  of the leaves). So because we are very hands on and like the experiential element, during our worship and response time of communion, we had the opportunity to eat a dried fig.  My time of communion was exactly what I needed it to be. I took the time to pray over the coming week - one that I was feeling overly anxious about, not because of anything bad, but just all the details. I took the bread and the juice, and I thought about how Jesus poured himself out for me; how he humbled himself, becoming less than a servant. Broken. Selfless. Then I thought about my role as mother and wife, and the life I have been called to. I read somewhere once that motherhood is the perfect picture of that sacrificial love because every day you are dying to yourself in service of your children's needs. So during my communion with the Lord I prayed, sub...

My adventures at the Orange Conference, Day 1. *Note this and following blogs will focus largely on my experience at the event, not the teachings. Those will come later! So I've been feeling very grown up lately. I was invited to attend the Orange Conference. Orange is the ministry philosophy behind our preschool - college ministries and I adore it! Anywhoodle...grown up feelings. So I drafted a small army to cover me at work (aka take care of the three kids, dogs, and house), and last night attended the opening session of the conference. I met up with a couple other volunteers from Cumberland, but before that I checked in, walked around, viewing the exhibitors, and had a cup of coffee. See? Very grown up.  Then we got seated, the conference started, and I was immediately transported back to high school! We opened with slammin' rendition of DC Talk's "Time Is Tickin' Away". Balloons fell from the ceiling. Orange balls were tossed into the audience (and I...

Big things are happening in our house these days!  Grayson's ever expanding vocabulary now demonstrates his growing comprehension of the world around him. For example, at first he would say "punky" (monkey) when we said it, purely mimicking  Now he can point them out in pictures (photos and drawings), by sound, and even by silly behavior. He knows when he is telling a joke and how people relate to him. Today he got in the car after school and told me, "I jump!". It was the first time he's told me what he did at school (as opposed to answering the yes or no questions I usually ask him).  Madi is crawling! I was waiting to announce this for when she starts doing the traditional hands and knees crawling, but I'm not sure that day is ever going to come, and the point is that she is mobile! She roles and scoots and has now officially mastered the forward motion! She is now capable of seeing something she wants and successfully going after it!  Meanwhi...

...we had a really great day of celebration!  We started this morning with a girls only tea in celebration of Nana. Her birthday is the 16th, so we are quite accustomed to sharing our parties. Madi tore through a scone like there was no tomorrow and Brooklyn had so much fun dressing up with the hats and purses. It was a wonderful time and a delicious spread from Tea Leaves and Thyme! Birthday or not, I enjoy spending time with these people. The afternoon was spent mostly by myself. The adults were all out and about, doing their own things (Ray's "own thing" happened to be participating in a friend's flash mob marriage proposal at the Botanical Gardens!). Grayson and Madi took great naps. Brooklyn played. I worked on my meal plan/grocery lists for the April and even snuck in a 20 min yoga session!  We spent some time out in the beautiful (albeit yellowish green) spring weather, and then I went grocery shopping - by myself! Heaven!  Jenna brought my favorite Oli...

Feels like forever since I have sat down to blog...so much to say...so much to catch up on...so many thoughts demanding a voice...deep breath. Okay.  We kicked off birthday season last week with a celebration of my sister, Jenna, who turned the big ol' 26. It was a simply sweet* celebration with a special fondue dinner and dessert, and of course Moscato wine. Yummy.  Then Tuesday was Grayson's second birthday. Many plans were in place for a full week of celebration, but the stomach bug attacked and we were down for the count! Grayson missed his party day at school, and I missed a full two days of party related errands. But the great thing about two year old birthday parties is that they are very laid back. So with a determined yet "no worries" attitude, I set off this morning (Ray, Grayson, and Madi in tow) to accomplish all the errands and bake the most fabulous candy train cake a little boy has ever set eyes upon.  I have to say, the party was pretty close to ...

Well folks, Madi is now eight months old and quite frankly, ready for her own room. She is certainly beyond needing night time feedings, but she still likes to wake up periodically for snuggles. But then again, so does Grayson. Regardless, she needs her own space, so let the juggling begin.  We have three bedrooms allocated to us. Brooklyn was in one. Grayson in the other, and we kept Madi's corner crib in our bedroom. We shuffled around different ideas of who could room together and how to best fit cribs and beds and whatnot and ultimately have decided to think of the two bedrooms as more of a complete nursery area. So now Madi's crib shares space with Brooklyn's toys and clothes. We call it the dressing room. Brooklyn's bed is in Grayson's room (which you would think is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to him!). Grayson's room is also home to his toys, and his dresser and closet that he shares with Madi. The vacant corner in our room (where Mad...

I got so caught up in our weekend and winter break plans (aka a whole lotta nothin'!!) that I completely forgot to post about Brooklyn's spelling bee!!!  So.... MUCH to our surprise, Brooklyn came in second place for her class spelling bee!  I was shocked. The spelling lists came out of Christmas break and we barely looked at it once. Once back at school I encouraged Brooklyn to participate, but also made sure her expectations were realistic, focusing on things like, "just do your best", and "It's not about winning, it's about participating", and "it's just something new and fun to try". But she placed!  This meant that she was eligible to attend the district bee with three other girls from Cornerstone's first grade. Friday morning, she dressed in her uniform and we headed to Kennesaw Christian School for the bee. Brooklyn immediately found her friends and started having fun. Parents were not allowed to watch, so I kept Grayso...

It's not really a secret: I'm cynical. And really nothing gets me going like the commercialization of celebrations. Christmas, Easter...don't get me started! What is Valentine's Day even about? Let's be honest for a moment. Valentine's Day means whatever you want it to mean. It's an excuse to eat chocolate, be romantic, and out cute the other mom's in the class with your pinteresty crafts.   I griped and was grumpy all week in preparation for this day. I thought through ideas and second guessed myself until finally what was bought was bought and what was done was done. Things went off without a hitch. We celebrated with sweets, hearts, and all things pink and red. Everyone felt loved.  And here's where my cynicism takes a pause and I reveal what I truly love about this ridiculous (and increasingly stressful!) holiday: my mom.  This day could have been invented by my mom. She is Valentine's Day personified. What I mean is, she is all about s...

Okay folks, I'm officially frustrated with Valentine's Day. Now I'm not so cynical as to say we shouldn't have Valentine's Day, and I'm not even bothered by the greeting card industry and commercialism. I like cards and chocolates and flowers as much as the next girl and I'll take any opportunity, real or manufactured, to celebrate my sweet children with pink pancakes and sappy cards. My problem is with the school. The ritual of valentines in the classroom. Grayson is not even two yet. He has no understanding of cards and sentiment! Yet we were instructed to send in eight cards, addressed to "My Friend", "From Grayson".  He doesn't even sign his name yet!  Candy he understands. Cookies make sense to him as a gift and as something to enjoy and be shared. So in protest of this insanity, Brooklyn (and Madi) and I are going in to his classroom tomorrow to help the kids decorate sugar cookies. That's how I stick it to the man! ;0) ...

Praise The Lord - tech week is over!! Yesterday was opening night for Ray's show, Laughter On The 23rd Floor, at The Next Stage Theater. Thanks to Nana and Bob Bob, babysitters extraordinaire, and Jenna and Brett, my dates for the evening, I was able to enjoy the play and the cast party that followed. I love spending time with my children, and don't seem to need a whole lot "grown up" time, but this was nice. In other news, Brooklyn attended her first slumber party last night. Excuse me, her first slumber party, with friends! She has repeatedly reminded me that she has spent the night at Aunt Jenna's before. I'm not sure I can explain what my heart did when I received the evite for the party. The idea of a sleepover came up at the end of kindergarten and I have been pushing it off as long as I can. So when the invitation came, my heart sank a little bit. I guess it was an example, yet another in an ever growing mountain of evidence, that my baby is growing...

Grayson was doing something he wasn't supposed to do for the hundredth time that day. I was trying to get the kids out the door, running around as usual, so when I saw him, I barked a warning in my scariest, "I mean business", mom voice. He got the message and his feelings hurt. He put his little hands to his face, started crying, and made a beeline for the open arms of his big sister.  If that weren't enough to melt my heart, what happened next certainly did.  Brooklyn hugged her little brother and spoke to him sweetly, saying, "Mommy just doesn't want you to get hurt. That was dangerous and you have to be careful."  Yep, I melted. She comforted him, while respectfully validating my authority. She acknowledge that he had made a mistake and loved him through it. I am so proud of her. I wish with all my heart that I could rewind time and do that for my brother. All too often I took on the role of judge, jury, and executioner rather than friend,   ...

Time really does fly when you're having fun, but even so, January has been a long month!  We are on the cusp of birthday season which means that over the next few months the Hilton's will be comprised of a two year old, a 31 year old, a (gulp!) 30 year old, a 7 year old, and a 1 year old. Hard to imagine! So here is a snapshot of now, before everything changes.  Madi is mobile! She can roll easily from back to front or front to back, and does so constantly. Bedtime has become of bit of an issue since a) she has trouble staying still long enough to fall asleep, and b) the bumper that should be in place to protect her rolling head from hitting the bars is constantly being pulled down. We've had to take out everything but her bedtime lovey, which makes the crib look very lonely and cold, but gives her lots of room to wiggle.  She has two little teeth peeking through her bottom gums and started eating solids earlier this month. Her diet now consists of apples, oatmeal...

Parenting is a huge commitment. Whether you want it not, whether you try or not, it is a lifetime of loving and teaching and influencing the little person who has irreversibly changed you forever. Today we stood up with our family, before our church, our friends and community of fellow believers, and declared our intentions to raise Madi to love the Lord. It's not a traditional christening or infant baptism. Someday she will have to make that choice to follow the Lord in obedience. It is simply us, celebrating the gift God has given to us, and committing to provide her with a home where she can learn and grow and be loved as God intends for her to be. Our community stands with us and says, we will be with you on this journey. We will love you and your children and we will help when you need it. Our children will never not know the name of the Lord. They will never not know His love. They will be surrounded by people who Will show them what love looks like, encourage them to fol...

Folks, it's January, and you know what that means, right?  Yep. It's time to start planning for your six year old's May birthday! She's been dropping hints and ideas since June and you told her over and over, "let's get through Christmas"...well Christmas is over! It is time to get serious! I am actually very excited by the plans that have started coming together, and let's face it: I love celebrating Brooklyn!   Ever since she was three years old and took a little weekend trip with Nana and GG, Brooklyn has been enamored by Panama City Beach, FL. In fact she has been known to ask why other hotels don't have tiki torches and hula dancers? Don't those come standard? So plans are in the works for the family to gather in Panama City Beach to make this little girl's dream come true.  Oh, and also a Princess Sofia Flying Horse Cake. With flip flops (for the beach). It's going to be fun!

This is my dream... It is dinner time. We've had a relaxing afternoon of nap and play. I'm finishing dinner preparations while Brooklyn sets the table and the babies are playing contentedly. Ray walks in the door no later than 5:45. He has time to put his things down and say hi to everyone before we sit down to eat. We all sit at the table, sharing pleasant conversation and delicious, healthy food. When we are finished, we all pitch in to clean up the kitchen and then have time to play together before baths and bedtime. This is my reality... It is 4:30pm. The kids are whining for their eight billionth snack. I am counting the minutes until we can pile into the car to pick Aunt Jenna up from work, trying to time it perfectly so neither of us is waiting on the other. By 5:30 we are home and I begin my final dinner preparations. No matter how prepared I am, I always find myself running around the kitchen like a chicken with my head cut off, practically throwing food at Grays...

Oh these are sweet days! After the bustle of the holidays, activities have started back  full swing, and we are settling into something that almost feels normal. Of course "normal" is a funny word that doesn't mean too much, but suffice it to say that we are in a good routine. I like to rise before every one else and enjoy one hot meal that isn't rushed or interrupted. The kids get up around 7:15 for breakfast, just about the time Ray is out the door to work. By 7:45 we are out the door to take Aunt Jenna to work and that's where things get interesting! Throughout the week we juggle school and naps and chores and errands. I'm still trying to get a better handle on dinner time. We pick Jenna up from work at 5, and Ray is home around 6:30. Somewhere in there I get the kids fed. Ray and I either grab bites as we can, or wait for the bedtime routine to be finished. This is probably my least favorite time of the day, because it is always chaotic, and we...

I'm not usually ready for the weekend to be over, but this one was a doozy! Mom, Dad, Jenna, and Brett were all out of town, so we kept the puppies (hey, it's the least we can do - they babysit for free!). It rained all day Friday, and with the three dogs cooped up in the kitchen and the three kids running around the rest of the house, things were a little crazy. I actually lost count of the poop messes I cleaned up (between the potty training puppies and two babies with some kind of stomach virus, it was a lot!). I made one feeble attempt to get Brooklyn through her school day, then gave up in favor of play time. It was just that kind of day. Saturday was warm, sticky, and muddy. We played around the house (Daddy gave Brooklyn and I time to knock out the school work) and then I kicked everyone outside so I could sweep and mop the now sticky kitchen floor. Sunday Ray sang, so I got the kids ready for church and we went to the 10:30 service. I'm in the nursery this month...

I'm so thankful for Cornerstone. I have such lofty ideals, about how I want to rise early, homeschool my kids, bake my own bread, raise chickens, garden, and write the next great American novel which I will then adapt to stage and screen. Ha!! My reality is much different! I have allergies and live in the suburbs, so the chickens and garden are out.  I'm still working on getting dinner out on time every day, and as for writing? I can barely finish a blog these days let alone a novel! But the desire of my heart is to do my best with what God has given me, particularly when it comes to my children. In Cornerstone I find a comfortable meeting place for my ideals and my reality. I love that I have room to be a parent. I can expand projects, take field trips, apply character building truths to Brooklyn's education. But if I get caught up with the babies, I can stick to the lesson plan and know she is still getting an exemplary education. I love the accountability provi...

We were playing together in the nursery, the three kids and I. Grayson brought me a book, and said, "ree!". We had literally just read that book, so I handed it to Madi and said, "Madi, do you want to read the book?". Then Grayson said,"No baby ree, mommy ree!" I love hearing his thoughts communicated so clearly!

I start this blog with a giant sigh of exasperation. I roll my eyes heavenward and shake my head with a chuckle as I tell you,  This boy is driving me bonkers!! We've reached the "terribles", that joyful time in a toddler's life that is absolutely defined by selfishness, stubbornness, show offing, and sweetness.  It's a critical phase of development as the toddler learns to express himself as something of an individual, while we mold him into a socially acceptable human being. Brooklyn went through it,though she asks me not to talk about it, because she is in the phase of development where she feels shame and embarrassment...a whole other ballgame, let me tell ya! But anyway, she not only survived, but managed to turn into a lovely, well mannered little girl. All it took was painstakingly consistent discipline, heaps of patients, lots of laughing, and a fair amount of grace. Of course Brooklyn wasn't competing with two other siblings for mommy and dadd...

This post is long over due. I've had it in my head to write for months, but there is always something else to write about. But since I'm wide awake at 2am with aches and chills, I may as well say what needs to be said. I don't think I've ever had such a clear example of unconditional love than I do in our Achilles.  He's been with us for about nine months now, and while I have not always liked him, he has, from day one, adored me. He is incontinent, under foot, and neurotic. He is mostly an afterthought, if he is thought of at all. But despite how little I show him I care about him, he just lives to be near us. He is so much more patient than I give him credit for. He really is a good dog.