We Give Thanks & Happy Birthday!

When Emmett's Croup turned to pneumonia, we cancelled our exciting trip to CA and celebrated Thanksgiving locally with the Robinson side instead. Even though we were sad to not see Great Grandpa McGhie, we were so glad we stayed. Listening to Emmett cry the 20 minutes to Paragoonah was bad enough, we couldn't even imagine 12 hours!!

Right in the middle of Thanksgiving Dinner, I looked at Aaron and saw this!  He didn't even last for dessert.  Soon after he "went down", Elina said she was tired.  I told her to go find a jacket on the stage to sleep on.  I was amazed when she did just that...especially since it was in the midst of complete chaos.  I'm grateful for kids that can sleep anywhere...it's just too bad they don't sleep at night :)

 

Grandma Caine gave this "dress" to Elina on her first Christmas and 4 years later, she's still wearing it as a cute shirt! I love this Mommy/Daughter photo on Great Grandma Robinson's porch!

After eating, visiting, game playing, etc. we headed home for a small celebration of Aaron's birthday.  Ever since buying some light-up "Spiderman" shoes this Summer, Aaron has had a fascination with Spiderman!  I was excited to find a large Spiderman candle in the clearance bin while grocery shopping that morning!   After blowing it out, he kept it as a toy :)

Happy Birthday Buddy Boy....Here's 10 things I love about our Aaron:
1. I love how he soaks in knowledge.  We were reading a book the other day and he'd tell Elina the numbers she didn't know.  He's such a smart boy!
2. His fascination with how things work.  When Grandma Robinson gave him a "shake" flashlight, I turned around and withing seconds, he had the entire thing unscrewed, pulled apart and disassembled!  It's too bad it didn't work when I tried to put it all back together :(
3. The funny words that come out of his mouth.  When Elina asked if she could play with his toy, he said, "after I grow up and don't want it anymore!"
4. I love when he wakes up from his nap happy...he comes down the stairs and in a sing-song voice says, "Mommy....I'm done with my na-ap!" 
5. His new imaginary friend “Spyro the dragon”. If anything bad happens, Spyro must have done it!  He wants to go to his house, and even wants me to save a cookie for him :) The other day, I had a cough and Aaron said, “Mom, remember what Spyro said….eat yots and yots of cough drops!”
6. His "spit-fire personality".  When I ask him a question, ie. if he wants blue or red, or if Elina hurts him & I ask him what he can do about it, he typically shouts, "No...Nuffing, No Nuffing!!"
7. How sweet it is to sing his good night song.  Lullaby and Good-night, go to sleep little baby! 
Aaron: "I'm not a baby".  Mom: "Go to sleep little Aaron".  Aaron: "I'm not little".  Mom: "Go to sleep big boy Aaron!"
8. I love that he loves to read!  He and Elina can still sit for an hour reading!
9. That he's so cautious....although he is getting more brave!  He's starting to jump off the couch, will play on the playground w/ the small holes and even holds his mouth open so we can brush his teeth :)  ("I'm being bwave so you can bwush my teef", he said the other night)
10.  His awesome imagination and how well he loves to play with Elina & Emmett!

We ended our Thanksgiving with a fun game of bowling with Nathan & Kristy.  The kids had a great time spinning around on the slippery floor & practically scored higher then the adults (even with Elina bowling with her head!)
All in all, it was a fabulous weekend.  We're grateful for family who made what could have been a disastrous week a very enjoyable one!

Salsa Summer!

Bryce had great success with his "Salsa Garden" which included onions, purple peppers, tomatoes and cilantro.  Our neighbor also gave us a big bowl of tomatoes just before the frost.  We've enjoyed weeks of yummy salsa!

Every year, the IT Dept. has a chips and home made salsa day.  Here's the empty container Bryce brought home.  I laughed my head off when he told me the bar code (QR Code) was the recipe!  Wow, computer nerdiness at its best!  I love you sweetie :)

There's an eye in my nose!

Yep, that's what Aaron told Bryce when he was found with his finger digging up his nose. At first Bryce thought he was being funny, until he said it hurt. After retrieving a flashlight, sure enough, there was an eye in Aaron's nose. It was one of those plastic craft eyes! After much screaming and kicking, it took Bryce, Annie and I holding him down to get it out (thanks to a bulb syringe, some tweezers and a big sneeze! Hopefully he was traumatized enough to not put anything else up his nose...ever!!

I LOVE my chore boards!!

I have always struggled in being consistent with anything! So, when my Mom gave me the book called Accountable Kids I fell in love with the idea. There's an entire website, chore boards, etc. to go along with the program but I just made my own! ($50/kid for chores is a little steep!)

First, we went around taking pictures of everything I want my kids to do on a regular basis. (ie. brush teeth, read for 10 minutes, scriptures, etc.) There's also a hook for extra chores that they can earn money. So, if they finish their morning "chores" before lunch, they get a ticket. The same goes for Afternoon and Evening "chores". They then can use the tickets for fun things they like to do (ie. 15 min. of computer time, play outside, paint, etc.) If they finish all their chores for the whole day, they get a sticker on their "date card". Once filled, they get to choose a date to go on with Mom or Dad. (That's my favorite part about the program)

The book/website gives a little spiel about disciplining with the tickets, but we decided to not do that. We only have this as a completely positive program!

We have had it up for two weeks and we LOVVVEE it! My house has never been so clean. I am fitting way more in my day, and my kids really are learning how to become "accountable".

$10.00 Swingset

Bryce and I had grand dreams for a play area in our backyard, so when I saw a boat sandbox at a yard sale, I pulled over. Unfortunately, it had already sold. Fortunately though, they had a swing set in the backyard they hadn't brought out front yet for $10.00. When I sent a pic. to Bryce, he said, "wow, that's the price of a meal...even if it lasts one week, it would be worth it!". I had no idea how I was going to get it to our house, but lucky for me, they happened to have a truck and lived just around the block from us. They threw the set over the front and had her two boys hold it down in the back. They slowly followed me home, and Voila!! Our Swing set! I just saved myself $200! Hooray! I love yard sales!

Collages, Collages, Collages!!

Soo much has happened this Summer, that I want to remember so here's a BIG rundown in Collages!!

The week after Disneyland, Annie & I took the kids for an exciting drive to see Scott's choir concert in Logan. Aunt Shelly graciously fed us dinner, let us sleep & even kept us updated on the "Royal Wedding"! lol. I'm very glad I went...not only did I get some great chatting time w/ Annie, but the concert was fabulous and I even learned a lot about myself in the process!

Bryce took Aaron to his first ever Father's & Sons. I don't know if watching Mater's Tall Tales counts as "roughing it", but Aaron had a great time! I think Bryce enjoyed himself too :) On the way to the tent that night, Aaron said, "That was a good camp out...now we get to sleep in a tent....I miss Grandma Caine!" (huh?)

We LOVED having Annie live with us for a couple months. Not only was she my daily "Mommy validation" but she was a great conversationalist and took some fabulous photos as well! Thanks Annie!

Some fun things I want to remember:
*Heather taught Elina how to "curl" dandelion stems in water. In the process, she somehow figured out that rubbing dandelion on your face, turns it yellow :) It's her new "lipstick"!
*Aaron came up to Bryce holding one hand over his eye and told him to pretend he was asleep. Pointing a spray bottle, he said, "Wake up Sulley" HOOONNNK! (get it...Mike Wazowski & the first scene of Monster's Inc.)
*Elina & Aaron have both LOOVVEED Tangled. Elina plays Rapunzel & runs around wearing a pink hoody towel as her "hair" and a bright tutu.
*Emmett LOVES riding around in his Snugly. When he sees me put it on, he starts giggling and kicking before I even put him in!
The First ever Alan & D. Anne Robinson family Reunion:
True to Robinson spontaneity, Carrie changed her son's baby blessing into a reunion! Every single family member was able to come. Despite the rain and children's endless energy, it was fun to see everyone. While the older kids fished, the families with younger kids enjoyed the Vernal dinosaur museum, rock painting & wheel barrow rides!

The Bean Museum & More:

On the way home from Vernal, we stopped in Provo to visit "Uncle" Jeremy. The kids had a great time feeding ducks, eating BYU Creamery Ice Cream & running through the rain to see the "stuffed" animals at the "Bean" Museum. We're glad we got to see Jeremy before he moved back to WA/Korea!

The combined Boyd & Hazel Jean/Davenport Reunion!

Nothing beats a Robinson Reunion up at Little Creek Ranch! Aaron plopped himself down in a pile of dirt and didn't move the entire reunion :) Elina loved playing with her cousins, the water balloons, dancing and Great Grandma's saxophone! She got such a kick out of it's "honks"! The younger cousins all showed off for Great Grandma during her "sing and get candy" spontaneous talent show! It's always a "proud Mommy moment" when my kids are brave enough to preform in front of others (even if Aaron had a rough start and after much coaxing sang the opening song from Lion King....AAAAAAAHHHHHH sa-baya..etc. at the top of his lungs)

Easter Weekend Spontaneity

When Grandma Caine flew in for an Easter visit, we suggested taking advantage of "free National Parks week" and possibly go to Zions or even the Grand Canyon. "If we're going to drive 8 hours...we might as well go somewhere awesome, like Disneyland!", she replied. So, thanks to a very spontaneous Grandma, we found ourselves driving to CA for a three day visit. (Besides, the perfect circumstances are never going to be found and sometimes you just have to jump at the opportunities!) Elina, Aaron & Emmett handled the trip amazingly well. I'm grateful for the fabulous adventure and fun memories made. We even almost reached home before they decided to sing the Lion King's opening song at the top of their lungs...over and over again!! Great times!

We couldn't just drop traditional Easter though. The week before Easter, we took each day and read what the Savior taught/did on the coinciding day. It was nice to focus an entire week on the true meaning of Easter. Of course, we celebrated w/ the fun traditions as well. Decorating bunny cookies & dying boiled eggs landed in our family festivities :)

*Elina did her own hair so grandma could take her "pretty picture" as she called it!

*Thanks Annie for running out in the rain to capture our family pic. during the tiny glimpse of sunlight!

I am a Beautiful Cookin' Mamma

Elina handed me this dress from the dress-up box and asked me to pretend with her. Once on, she said, "there...you are a beautiful cookin' Mamma!"
I'm still laughing, and just had to share!!

Go Green!

Our computer screen broke before we could post about St. Patrick's Day. We've never actually celebrated this strange "green" holiday before, but I'm trying to create more fun family memories! We dressed in green, ate a delicious dinner and danced an Irish jig in the living room! The kids LOVED the green foods. Hooray for random holidays!
* Whoever can correctly identify all the food first gets a prize :)

The Transition

Many have asked how Aaron & Elina are handling the "new baby transition". I think these photos speak for themselves!

(This is our bed)
Maybe one day, they'll be happy in whatever stage they're at and not try to be the baby... I guess that's advice I could use as well :)

Birthdays!!

We completely forgot to post for Aaron & Elina's Birthdays. Last year I started writing 10 things I love about the birthday child. So, here goes:
Aaron (11/25/2008):
1. When he saw his birthday cake, instead of "diving in", he excitedly exclaimed, "Oh....little tiny candies!". He proceeded to pick the sprinkles off, one by one.
2. When he is "soft" around Emmett and pats his head & kisses his cheek
3. That he repeats what we say in the form of a question. ie. Daddy: Come get a cookie. Aaron: Come get a cookie?
4. That he plays sooo good with Elina (most of the time :)
5. When he comes up to me and says, "Mommy, can I give you a hug?"
6. His (manly) rosy red cheeks!
7. When he insists he's right. For instance:
Aaron: (pointing to his knee) "I found a knuckle!"
Mommy: "That's your knee".
Aaron: "NO, it's a KNUCKLE!"
8. His fascination with Nemo. He started calling me "Marlin", the blocks turned into fish and he wanted to name the baby, "baby bruwer Nemo"
9. How he loves to be thrown in the air, fwipped (flipped), swung & walk on the ceiling...oh, & dragon back rides (Horsey rides were too tame for our wild children :)
10. His soft expression and lulling eyes.Emmett (12/17/2010):
1. He is so gentle and calm.
2. When he falls asleep while I'm holding him. There's nothing more sweet then holding a sleeping new born.
3. His deep "silver-water" eyes.
4. When he sleeps for longer than 2 hours at night! :)
5. When you can tell he knows so much more than we do because he's that much closer to the veil.
6. Being a Daddy to a brand new baby full of wonder.
7. When he just starts to hint at a smile.
8. His perfect little baby hands & feet!
9. That he is completely content to just sit and look at the world around him.
10. The peace and excitement he brings to our home.

Elina (1/12/2007):
1. That she'll forgo the dolls to play "Toothless" (the Dragon) for hours.
2. She'll stand up for Aaron after I've scolded him. I'll usually get a 10 min. lecture on how I made a bad choice and instead of yelling, I need to speak quietly and ask him nicely, and I need to repent, etc. etc. :)
3. Her vivid imagination. I love to listen to the creative stories she can tell.
4. When Bryce is "helping" her eat, she'll say something like: "be a kitty-airplane!" Huh?
5. Her deep fascination with books...especially her new "Brite /Standn' Tall" Books
6. Her funny logic. ie. Once she mentioned that my eyes are getting puffy and that if they get too puffy, she'll have to get a new mom. Another time while saying the prayer she said, "please bless everyone we know...except Jenna"
7. When she gets our names mixed up. ie. Mommy...uh...no I mean Daddy!
8. Her zeal for learning. I'm amazed at how much she picks up from my conversations and she's constantly asking questions!
9. That she'll hide from Daddy in the exact same spot every time he comes home! (under her bed)
10. How sweet & cuddly she can be. Sometimes, out of the blue, she'll surprise us with a big hug and kiss and say, "I love you"!

Blessing Day

Thanks to our good friends the Wiley's, Emmett's Blessing Day was saved. On Thur. night, I realized that we had absolutely nothing to bless Emmett in. Aaron had worn the outfit Bryce was blessed in, but Grandma Caine didn't even think to bring it down, and I didn't even think of reminding her. Luckily, I remembered that the Wiley's had recently blessed their little boy and they, very graciously, let us borrow their tux. At only two weeks old, this is the closest we could get to a smile, but he sure is a handsome boy!!

As Bryce took Emmett up to be blessed, Aaron, with great concern, cried out, "they're taking Emmett!!" After hiding a few smiles, we were able to calm him down in time to hear the blessing! Great Grandpa Robinson said Emmett was the best behaved baby he's ever stood in a circle for. (He didn't even need the binky) Grandpa Caine said he peaked during the blessing and Emmett was looking up at Bryce, eyes wide open, as if he was understanding everything Bryce said.
As I sat and listened to the words of the powerful blessing, I was reminded of how strong these children are and will need to be. As he was blessed to have a strong testimony, to be married in the temple, etc. I thought of my role as a mother in helping those promises be fulfilled. I was struck with the importance of teaching the gospel by example & word. They are going to need every ounce of spiritual strength they can obtain!

Happy Holidays & Happy Baby

Hooray, the Holidays are upon us. The greatest gift this year came on Dec. 17th. Our little "Emmett Alan" made his first appearance into our family. I was determined to get some Christmas caroling in before he was born, so that night found me having contractions while singing at the nursing home. It was worth it. I love singing at the nursing home...such a sweet spirit there.

Elina & Aaron love their new brother. In fact, as soon as Aaron saw him, he said, "There's my baby!...Hi baby!" He can't get enough of him & wants to know where he is at all times! Elina told the nurse that we got a new baby brother and if Aaron tries to hurt him, she'll protect him! Yay for big sisters :)

This was our first celebration with our own little family. We tried to keep Christmas simple with only a few gifts w/ the focus on the gift of the Savior. I did get it together enough to make us matching pajama pants! (Bryce's are a little short & wide, (probably could fit santa clause) but fit enough to at least take a picture :) We had a beautiful morning complete with a nativity play. Elina being the angel/star. Me as Mary. Aaron doubling as Joseph & a Shepherd. Bryce as a Shepherd & the Donkey (Aaron got to ride all the way to Bethlehem) The kids loved dressing up and playing the parts. I think we'll have to make it a permanent tradition. Later in the week, we enjoyed spending time with both sides of our extended families and had a beautiful season!