The Hill Family Blog: November 2015

4 and 6 but yes, they still ride in a stroller!

I can't believe another year has flown by! (And yes I say this every year but seriously... it's insane.)
I have lost my blogging momentum as the years go by (also because Instagram and Facebook are much easier) but the kids love to go back and watch videos and see pictures of themselves so I've at least got to keep up with the important things... like BIRTHDAYS!

Carter Francis Hill... 6 years old! I will never forgot what he looked like when he was born. It's burned into my memory... especially because I had to wait days before I ever got to hold him in my arms. Today, he is thriving in life. He has many friends, loves Kindergarten, is learning to read and write, and is becoming more independent each day. He is definitely a mini-Dave and loves to tell jokes and even scare and surprise people. But he is sweet and empathetic and always makes sure everyone is happy and having fun.

Archer Anderson Hill... 4 years old! This kid is pure excitement and energy and he definitely has the most amazing memory. He makes us laugh daily with the silly things he says. He still loves all things Batman and Star Wars and knows everything about every character and every story line. He is super outgoing when he is comfortable but tends to get very shy and reserved and grumpy when he is feeling out of sorts or nervous. He is starting preschool next month for just a couple of weeks as a trial run. We'll see how he does away from home and me and in a new environment!

The best attribute of both boys? Their love for each other! They are truly each other's number one defender. They both have the "don't mess with my brother" attitude and honestly, they really do get along very well. I hope this lasts forever!

This year we bought Disneyland annual passes for the boys' birthday. It's been a year since we've had passes and with the crazy price increase, this will be our last year of Disneyland (at least until the new Star Wars land opens up!). The magic hasn't faded but the crowds are a little crazy which can make things frustrating (I refuse to wait in a line that's longer than 30 minutes!) When I told the boys that instead of a party, we'd be going to Disneyland, they were thrilled until they realized that we were the only ones going. They were bummed that they didn't have friends joining us.

So I pulled together a very last minute birthday party in the park. In the midst of a horribly hot fall season, the day I chose to have the party was freezing cold and nearly rainy. It turned out great though as the kids pretended to be jedis and ran around the park for hours and never complained once about being cold (us adults were freezing though!) We had some humorous moments (I made light sabers out of bubble wands by painting the handles chrome. They looked awesome but the silver spray paint stained everyone's hands! Not sure why but oh well. Pinterest fail.) I also brought a Keurig machine to make hot cocoa and coffee to combat the cold weather but despite all of our valiant attempts at getting electricity, we never managed to get enough power to brew one cup! Ugh. That being said, everyone had a blast and the boys were so pleased to get to spend some time with kids and not just boring old mom and dad!

Rebel Alliance cupcakes vs Dark Side cupcakes

Star Wars snacks, decorations, and bubble wand light sabers

I laugh every time the kids wear this mask!

Basketball with the guys

Everyone looks ridiculously bored here but it really was fun!!!

Disneyland was a big hit too because they opened Seasons of the Force in Tomorrowland. Dave ate a Jedi chicken sandwich served out of a Han Solo carbonite box, we had popcorn served in a tie fighter, and we watched a cool Star Wars video and explored all the new Star Wars merchandise. We met Lord Vader and the boys were super nervous to talk to him! The biggest hit of the day was Archie's first ride on Star Tours. He is still under 40 inches and isn't a fan of fast rides so he's never cared that he can't go on certain rides. But he begs for Star Tours. So we gave him some boots, put extra socks and an orthopedic lift inside, spiked his hair, and told him to use the Force and stand as tall as possible. He was height checked twice and they were extremely hesitant to let him ride but we managed to get him on! He LOVED it. Seeing his grin as he got in his seat and put on the 3D glasses was priceless. Definitely my favorite part of the day.