Merry Christmas From The Robison's

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

My "Attempt"

Okay, so seriously, pee and poop are just horrible...or at least cleaning it up is!!! Emilee has been saying "I poop, Mommy" (which means she just peed--everything is poop to her) or she will start "grunting" and say "Poop, Mommy" when she really is pooping---so I thought she was ready to start the whole potty training thing...

NO!!! While she looks adorable in her little "undies" --we don't use the word "panties" in this house. WEIRD...WEIRD word and when my OB said that word to me when I was pregnant with Caleb---I DIED of laughter....right there when he was in the room with us. I can't handle and DO NOT like that word...(situations that I should be serious, I tend to laugh uncontrollably)

...anyhow, she wants to wear her Ariel "UNDIES" but she doesn't get the concept that she has to pee/poop in the potty--NOT in her undies and THEN go sit on the potty. We tried it for a week and it was getting worse and not better. Then she was crying and holding her pee ALL MORNING, even after I sat her on the potty for 20 min (3 times)...she held it until she fell asleep and then FILLED her diaper. Now she cries every time I mention going pee in the potty. ARRGGG!!!

Sooo, no rush. Hey, she still drinks her milk out of her bottle (yes, still), she is still in a crib, and she still wears a diaper. BUT she just turned 2!!!!-- and I'm really not worried about it. She will do all of these things (or not do these things) one day. For now...I LOVE HER! Isn't she just B-E-A-UTIFUL?!?!?!?!

Gingerbread Week At Caleb's School

Yesterday was a lot of fun. I was able to go to Caleb's school and spend the day with him. It was "gingerbread week" and they have been participating in lots of fun activities around the school to celebrate. So after lunch time...

We went into circle time where we sang a "hello" song , read the days of the week, the numbers up to yesterdays date (17), and then the months of the year. It was all done to fun songs and I was surprised to see how well Caleb participated and sang along with the teacher (he was one of only two who knew everything).

Next they got to go to different stations to play. First we were in the "block station", next we were in the "kitchen station"...

...and Caleb made me a yummy plate of food!

The third station this week was decorating a gingerbread man at the table. Caleb chose the strawberry frosting (he loves anything strawberry) and concentrated very hard on decorating it. He told me and his teachers that we weren't allowed to look at his cookie until he was done!

All finished!!! (We ate the cookies at the end of the day right before singing the good-bye song and heading home)

After we were done decorating cookies we got to go to gym class. Here Caleb is waiting with his class for the previous class that was in gym to be finished...

This is the gym where normally they have a pretty decked out obstacle course and exercises activities set up...but this week they had activities that had to do with the "gingerbread man".

Here is Mr. Jim (who teaches GYM) Kind of funny! When Caleb came home and said his gym teachers name was Mr. JIM I thought he was "confused". He is so much fun...the kids love him!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE THINKING!!!!

They had a HUGE bin with FLOUR in it for the kids to play in. Needless to say, it was everywhere! But they had lots of fun...and that's what it's all about anyhow, right?

The bean-bag toss into the gingerbread mans holes...by the way, that boy in the light blue shirt is Caleb's best friend at school...his name is Mikey and the day previous the boys decided to "borrow" some candy that was set out on the tables for the teachers and FILLED their pockets. They were told not to touch it, but they obviously didn't listen...it was kind of funny when Gene (who picked Caleb up from school that day) came home and told me about it, they were trying to be serious and I had to hide my face in my shirt b/c I couldn't stop laughing for some reason. I think it was b/c Caleb just kept saying the candy got in there "by accident"---BOYS!!!

Tossing a ball that was Velcro onto the gingerbread men...

I thought they were cute!

They got to roll a block that had numbers on it and hop to the gingerbread house at the end.

Here was play dough made out of cinnamon and nutmeg, and other stuff of course, but it smelled so yummy that if little hands hadn't been in it all day I would have tasted a piece.

All in all it was such a fun day! I loved spending the time I got to with Caleb. He is such a good boy and is growing up so fast. He is going to be 5 in just a few weeks!!! CrAzY!!!!

Getting Into The Holiday Spirit

On Tuesday I went to a cookie exchange that was so much fun! I have never been to one before and was a little hesitant is going to this one (I'm not really sure why...lack of motivation mostly) but I am really glad that I went. Caleb was in school so it was just Emilee and myself, and let me tell you, I love Caleb---but things are so much easier with just one kid!!! We had lots of fun socializing with friends (both Emilee & I) and we came home with a lot of yummy cookies!

On Wednesday night, after gorging myself with pizza and cinnamon roles at our YW presidency meeting, we had a combined YW/Relief Society night of decorating gingerbread houses. I built mine out of graham crackers...and yes, I glued it together with a hot glue gun instead of icing.

As you can see from the pictures, I am NOT crafty AT ALL!!! It really looks horrible. My kids haven't even asked to eat any of it. Maybe its because it has a "fiber" roof top (made of triscuts) and red hots all over the dang thing, but by the time I went to decorate it (I wasted a TON of time gluing it) there weren't very many candy options left...

...Oh well, it was my first attempt and I'm not sure if there will be a second.

Then tonight we made (from a pre-made tube) Christmas cookies. This way the kids feel like they "made" them and I don't have a mess to clean up. Always a good thing...

Emilee and Caleb saying "CHEEESSSEEE"!!!

I Am Going To Go PSYCHOTIC CRAZY!!!

What have I heard for the last two days??? A little girl who has turned 2 and thinks that the world revolves around her...and an older brother who LOVES to torture her. SCREAMING, WHINING, and WAY TOO MUCH CRYING!!!!!! I am ready to go psychotic CrAzY!!!!!!!! Needless to say it is 6:30 pm and as of right now they are BOTH in their room...

White Chicken Chile/Book Club

We had book club at my house today and they wanted my white chicken chili recipe...so that's why there is a double post on this recipe. It is really yummy!!! If you didn't try it the first time I posted it...now is the time!!! (If you weren't able to make it to book club today our books this month are going to be by James Patterson and they are called 1st To Die and 2nd Chance)

This recipe is soooo yummy! My mom made it for me for the first time when I was pregnant with Caleb and it has been a favorite of mine and Gene's ever since! I hope that you all try it and enjoy!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
Half of an onion (can use a whole small onion if you want)
3 jalapeno peppers w/ seeds from jar
1 tsp minced garlic
4-5 boneless chicken breasts
6-8 cans Northern White Beans
4 cans chicken broth
1 lb monterrey jack cheese (I always use more)
1 Tbs cumin
1 Tbs oregano

Mince onion/jalapenos...saute onion, jalapenos, minced garlic till onions are clear. Cube chicken and add to mixture. While chicken is cooking combine beans and chicken broth in a large soup pan. Once the chicken is cooked add it to the beans and broth. Stir in cheese, cumin, oregano and cook until cheese is melted. Serve anytime.
We love it! And it is great with french/italian bread or grilled cheese.

We've Been Around...

Well, things have been crazy around here since the week before Thanksgiving. I was sick the week of Thanksgiving with a ruptured ear drum/ear infection...now that we have ALL been hit with something, I am hoping that the rest of the winter we are "germ free"...

One night we got to play with our good friends Abby and Eli. My kids are always begging to play with them. They are in our ward and Jennifer and I serve in YW together. Every week during sacrament Emilee is on the prowl looking for Abby...once she finds her she bounces up and down screaming "Abby, mommy!!! Abby, mommy! There she is!!!!" So sweet...

(Above: making books-marks one night while Jennifer and Chuck got to go on a well deserved date)

Eli wasn't interested in stickers and book marks, so he hung out playing with Caleb's tools and monster trucks.

It's definitely winter time!!! Caleb wants "lots of snow to come" but I am glad that it hasn't hit us yet. I HATE snow...cold I'm okay with...snow I am not. I hate it when you walk outside and it gets places that it shouldn't. Like, behind your neck in between your jacket and shirt or in your shoes/socks...anywhere pretty much. And I don't like driving in it either.

We were really lucky to get a TON of winter coats, scarfs, hats, etc from a friend of mine from Youngstown. Emilee loves them and she looks adorable in them also... :o)

Caleb loves to "fix things". He is always busy working on something...when the men were here putting new siding on our house he was out there with them EVERY day. One of the guys took a special liking to Caleb and would give him scraps of stuff they were working with all the time. One day he gave Caleb one of his "special" pencils that he used to mark things with and Caleb still carries it around with him in his tool box.

So, HORRIBLE picture and I am wondering why I am putting in on here, but this day was so much fun. The kids and I spent the day together just having a "Mommy and Kids Fun Day". We played arcade games, ate junk food, played at the mall, went out to dinner (at a real restaurant) and this was us after baths right before bed! I was tired by the end of the day but it is these days I will always remember and I hope the days they will remember also!