My Funny Valentine

Yesterday, Norah and I had so much fun shooting photos to make her own, personalized Valentines. I thought they turned out pretty cute, though I can't take credit for being the creative genius who thought it up...I found the idea here earlier this week and knew right away we had to copy it!

If you're still looking for a fun, inexpensive, and super-easy Valentine idea, I highly recommend it. Just take a photo of the Valentine-giver with their hand (or hands) extended out, and balled into a fist. Add your message in a photo editing program (Photoshop, Picasa, etc.), upload your photo to wherever you get your pictures printed (I used Target through Shutterfly). After you pick up your photos, use a razor knife to cut small x's above and below the fist, insert a lollipop, and voila! (Norah helped me thread all of the lollipops through the x's, so she really enjoyed being a part of the project from start to finish)

Mr. Fix-It

Jason has been doing a lot of handy work around the house of late, and Eli has not missed one second of it. Unfortunately, Mr. Robinson doesn't always remember to clean up his tools post-project. (Or, if your name happens to be Eli Robinson, then, FORTUNATELY, Mr. Robinson doesn't always remember to clean up his tools).

I came down the hallway yesterday to discover my 2 year-old son giving his tricycle a tune-up, with, I should add, the correct size and head-shaped screwdriver. Is tool knowledge inherent in all males?
"Look, Mommy! I fix it for you!" He exclaimed. So proud of himself for his ingenuity.









When he was finished, he stowed the screwdriver in his tricycle trunk, next to his trusty, orange sippy cup. (After all, every good handyman knows that the key to success is good hydration!)

Happy 4th Birthday, Norah!

Happy fourth birthday, precious girl!

According to Dr. Ransom, you are in the 50th percentile for weight and height.

You have a beautiful smile and a definite opinion in every variable of your daily dress (from your hairstyle, down to the shoes and socks you are wearing!)

Pink is still your absolute favorite color. You also love ballerinas, princesses, singing, and dancing (especially in front of an audience with "real music")

Your favorite foods are macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, and especially "Eggy Pie" (translation: Quiche), which you requested for your birthday dinner this year. You are often skeptical about what Mommy cooks (even when you've had it and liked it a dozen times before), but you always try it and love everything. You love green beans and milk. You also love raw carrots, celery, and broccoli (but can't stand to eat them if they've been cooked). You often compliment my cooking (especially if you complain about it prior to tasting it, in which case you almost always apologize, unprompted).

You still love books and the ultimate punishment your father and I can offer you (even more revered than a spanking) is to deprive you of your bedtime stories. You have passed this love of literature on to your brother, and can often be found "reading" to him in his bed.

Eli adores you, and most of the time you are a wonderful big sister to him. You reach his drink from the "high" shelf in the refrigerator for him and play together (usually trains or trucks, because you are extremely concerned that "little boys should not play with dolls/princesses/dress up clothes/etc") every day.

You love to hear stories from the Bible, and to memorize scripture (you currently know over 60 Bible verses), especially if it is put to music. (And often times when it isn't, you make up your own tunes to help you remember, and sing them the same way, every time...I have to admit, you've taught me a few verses with your catchy ditties!)

At least one person considers you her "greatest prayer warrior", as you never failed to pray for her throughout her chemo treatments. You are extremely good about noticing the needs and hurts of others and remembering them in prayer. You are such an encouragement and inspiration to me in that regard.

You never meet a stranger, and if someone looks lonely, you can't stand not to strike up a conversation with them, usually leaving them smiling and grateful. (Just last week in Target you saw an elderly man sitting alone, probably waiting for his ride to return from shopping. You walked right up to him and started chatting with him as if you were old friends.)

You have a natural gift of encouraging others. I pray that God will grow this gift in you, and that you will allow Him to use it throughout your life to bless everyone around you, just as you do today.

Sweet Norah, has it really been four years since we brought you home from the hospital? Daddy and I never doubted for a second how much we would always love you, even though we hardly knew you then. Four years later, you still hold our hearts in the palm of your hands. Happy birthday, sweet girl. We love you and are so proud of the little lady you are becoming!

My New Favorite Photos

It was mid-December and I was bustling about in a feverish attempt to tie up loose ends on my many sewing projects, in hopes of making my Christmas deadlines. The house was quiet. Too quiet.

I paused and listened for the usual commotion that accompanies the children playing together, but to no avail. So, I stalked down the hall, assuming I'd find them buried in a heap of some dismantled closet, upended toybox, or amid a parade of stripped bedding.

But, as I neared Eli's bedroom, I heard it. The gentle, soothing, precious sound of a child (MY child!) reciting a beloved nursery rhyme, which just happens to be Eli's absolute favorite book right now.

Quite certain that Norah wouldn't be reading aloud to herself, I crept back down the hallway, retrieved my camera, and in-so-doing, captured my new favorite photos of the kids together.

They were so engrossed in their book that they hardly noticed my presence at first.(Giving me the opportunity to bask in the overwhelming joy of having two children who are best friends and love each other...at least for this perfect moment)


Norah read with so much expression, and Eli hung on her every word.

And then, the rhyme was over, and the official camera mugging began. Sure, I might have missed the rare opportunity to sew, uninterrupted for 5-10 minutes...but that would have been a lousy trade for the memory I'll always have of Norah and Eli reading together, at will.

Thank you, God for the blessing of two, precious children, who love each other!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Eli!

Happy 2nd Birthday, handsome, Eli! (I had some great photos of you with your Santa Claus birthday pancakes, but thanks to a computer crash, they may be lost forever. Thankfully, I did at least have some on my camera of you in your birthday pads and crash helmet )

According to Dr. Ransom, you are in the 50th percentile for weight and height. You are solid as a rock and 100% boy. (And you've had more than your fair share of bumps and bruises to prove it!)

You are our resident comedian, making us laugh daily with the creative sentences and words you string together. (You have recently taken to saying, "Hi Grandma" to any elderly women we see in public)

You love riding your tricycle (or "my bike" as you call it), playing with trucks, trains, and are extremely adept at making a phenomenal mess in a very short amount of time. (You're also a great helper when it comes time to "Clean-up, clean-up")

You have inherited your father's love of technology, and manage to navigate the computer, telephone, and tv remote with ease, in spite of the fact that you aren't supposed to be touching any of these devices.

Your favorite foods are meat, cheese, and chips. You despise bread (even cinnamon rolls!) and usually find creative ways to eat around it, even if it is part of the main course (such as pizza or quiche). You ask for a "hog dog" for lunch nearly every day, but thankfully will eat most anything I give you. You love fruit, especially oranges and blueberries.

You have been potty trained during the day since you were about 18 months (and it came even easier for you than your sister, despite the rumors that boys are harder to train). You are very proud of your "Choo-Choos" (Thomas the Train undies).

You love your big sister, "Norwah" with all your heart, and want to be with her almost all the time. (Unfortunately, she seems to value her solitude more than you do on some occasions, but you take these instances in stride, and play very well by yourself). You cannot stand to see her punished (even if it is for hurting you), and you beg for her pardon often times when she is in trouble.

You love sleeping in a deep, dark room...but will forsake your own, dark den for Norah's bright bedroom when she's afraid in the night and wants someone to snuggle with her. (She often relies on you to protect her from darkness, scary sounds, or simply the throes of loneliness)

Your favorite books are "The Tale of Tricky Fox" and "The Three Little Kittens". You've requested them so many times that you can pretty much recite them to yourself, but prefer to have company when you read.

Your favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 40:31 (thanks a song Norah taught you), and you like to say The Lord's Prayer at bedtime.

You have the most kissable cheeks in the entire house and you love to cuddle. Nearly every time you take a nap or go to bed you implore me or your daddy to "Cuddle me...please!?" (And I am thankful to be able to hold you in my arms for a little while longer.)

You are extremely obedient (most of the time), and can stand in the corner better than most 5 year olds I know. Your personality is very much that of a people-pleaser. You seem more injured by disappointing us than by any other form of punishment (though you still see your fair share of those) you receive.

You have a naturally gentle and hospitable spirit. You (without fail) invite company to "Please have a seat" and are always sad to see them leave. If our company happens to leave while you are sleeping, the first words from your mouth when you awaken are, "Where's ________ gone?"

You seem to grow even faster than your sister did and if I weren't so proud of the kindhearted, big boy you are becoming I would probably shed a lot more tears at how quickly you are leaving your infancy behind. Happy Birthday, sweet Eli. I love you!

From the Mouthes of Babes: Eli Edition

I've been told by several friends that Norah is an endless supply of funny quotes, and I agree. Here lately though, little brother is giving her a run for her money in the quick quip department.


Case in point, yesterday, during Sunday morning worship, a baby was crying on the other side of the auditorium. Eli's response:
"Momma, 's that baby Jesus?"

Last Christmas Uncle Grant and Aunt Paige gave Norah a little, red tricycle, and it has been a favorite for both kids all year long. Eli has recently really taken to it, as evidenced by the following declaration, overheard yesterday:
E: I wuv you. You my best friend, bicycle.

Tonight, Eli got in trouble for climbing on the back of the couch (a big no-no in Robinson County). After being corrected, he cried in protest, while at the same time exclaiming "HAPPY!" in a miserable voice, as if willing himself to cheer up. And within a few seconds he was back to his normal, smiling self (probably,in some part due to the fact that we were laughing so hard at his "get happy" tactics)

(The photo, by the way, is just one of MANY great shots the amazing Jenny Livingston managed to snap of my uncooperative little man.)

From the Mouthes of Babes

Eli's speech has been growing by leaps and bounds in the past few weeks. He's starting to speak in short, choppy sentences, and he repeats almost every word he hears (even 3-4 syllable ones), whipping his new vocab words out at the most hilarious moments. He has several new expressions that I wanted to record before he outgrows them.

Some of our current favorites:

"Cud-dowl me!" (Requested each time he goes to bed...and I will take it for as long as he offers!)

"Hungwee, eat!" (Pretty much all day, every day. He is, after all, a growing boy)

"At's dange-wuhs" (Usually in response to my telling him not to touch something)

" I hep you!" and "I do it!" are also big favorites.



Overheard at dinner...
Norah: Mmmmmm! Mommy, I LOVE the chicken!
Eli: Mmmmmm! Kitten!
(I should mention we were having BEEF tacos on this particular night. I have never served my family kitten.)

Overheard while Norah and Eli were playing together:
Eli: Like big trucks!
Norah: You wanna be a big truck driver when you grow up?
Eli: Yes!
Norah: When I grow up, I'm gonna be a mommy and go to Bunko!

We've noticed that Eli is ALWAYS in tune with what is going on in our house, whether or not he's included in the conversations/planning. Case in point, last week, we were planning for a camping trip and it was a popular conversation topic between Jason, Norah and me. One night that week, Eli woke up around midnight and we had the following exchange:
E: Hi Momma.
A: Hey buddy. What's wrong?
E: Hungwee, eat!
A: Ok, you can have one little snack and then you're gonna go night night.
E: Otay.
A: Alright, so, you're gonna get one _______...
E: Spanking?
A: No, buddy. One SNACK. And then you're gonna go ________...
E: Camping!

In route to the camping trip...
N: Daddy, I think our campsite is in a far away land.