Toque Overload

So I asked mini Superman to sort through the winter box and match up and fold everything....

Twenty minutes later, this is what I find....SIGH! And you wonder why he still needs adult supervision. I think he is just trying to keep his remaining brain cells in. I did make him finish the job which took WAY too long. And they wonder why I'm krazy!

Awkward DNA

Not even sure what I think about this..... The fact that this is the  same unnamed child who wants to marry a HAWT, Italian, vineyard owner, who loves Jesus (please appreciate the "where have I gone wrong as a mother", sigh) worries me..... Not sure what I should be more concerned about...the fact that she thinks its hilarious to write this as an answer on a biology exam or the fact that Holly's (oops, let it slip) teacher shared her creativity with the entire class or the fact that she actually got a mark for this answer.

Clearly my soon to be adult daughter is taking life very seriously lately. She wants to be a nurse when she grows up. It might take a while, the growing up and the degree...Unless her professors have the same sense of humour has her high school teacher :)

On a positive note she did spell AWKWARD right, something I still can't do without spell check :)

The PERF Guy.....

 A daughter who shall remain nameless, had a lesson on "finding an eternal companion" in YW's yesterday. Clearly she took the lesson very seriously ;). Way to make your momma proud and good luck with that. :)

We Survived Summer of 2011

Not going to lie, but I will not miss this Summer. Let's just say that the last two months have been full of life's lessons....

 

Although I hope by next summer this summer is just a distant memory. I am sure I will still be grateful for the things we have learned now.

Gratitude List

An eternal perspective.

The fact that I laugh at inappropriate times, and can find humour in anything.

The constant assurance that we will survive and things will get better.

My children's infinite capacity to love and understand.

All those who loved with understanding and listened without judgement.

Competent supportive medical professionals.

Copious amounts of diet Dr. Pepper and Stand-up comedy 

It would take a 1000 page book to list all of the tender mercies we have experienced this summer.

We are now on the road to recovery, with a new understanding and perspective. Our future is both hopeful and bright.

I come away from this Summer with the absolute knowledge that none of us walk alone, ever.

I love my superman and I continually marvel at his humility and courage.

So farewell to this.....

Happy-crazy-funny-scary-soul searching-rollercoster ride SUMMER.

I think an

"The Krazy Kramers

Survived the Crazy Summer

of 2011"

T-Shirt ...is in order!



Meet Our Newest....Band Geek.

So most of the Kramer household are currently walking around with headphones on and I just turned the news up like I suddenly have the ears of an eighty year old. Why might you ask....

Alex just came home from her first day of band class and will not let anyone pry her alto sax from her cold, soon-to-be dead fingers.

Dallyn: "Mom are you going do something about the moose dying in Alex's room ?!?!"

Its been a few years since a rug rat has started a new instrument and oh how I had forgot the assault on the eardrums that we must endure for a month or two. {Here's hoping?}

Alex learned three notes today..... C, D, E. or let me just say C HHOONNKK, D SQUEEEEEEK, E BBBBEEEELLLCCCHHH!

Way to go Alex, our newest little band geek!!! And may God bless band teachers every where. How my Dad taught High School Band for 35 years, I'll never know.

Our Starter Child + Grad Dresses

So this whole "being the parent of a daughter graduating" is new to me. Grad is not until June 27th and so the thought of a grad dress for our starter child hadn't even crossed my frontal lobe. It probably wouldn't have even entered my psyche 'til like April... But no, our nearly adult child came home on Monday (her 9th day of classes) and asked the Superman "Can we please go look at grad dresses, daddy please?!"

Notice that she asked her Dad before even mentioning it to me?? When it comes to the shopping-fashion-ballgown-patience department, my skills are remedial at best. My Superman is the best dad any daughter could ask for. When they were toddlers he could do a better ponytail than I could. When they were little girls he would play barbie or dress up. When they were tweens he took them to Disney Princesses on Ice and now he wouldn't miss taking his first born grad dress shopping....

As a courtesy I was invited to tag along....

The dress show was at the swanky golf resort at the top of our hill. As we entered the club house I was surprised that they allowed us country bumpkins in the door. We  awkwardly climbed the stairs. The room was full of girls, moms and sequins. A women looked at our Superman and said "Well aren't you a brave soul!!" He just smiled. Holly wasted no time trying on all the different styles. Clearly she did not inherit my aversion to dressing up.

It was a surreal moment as parents. All the special dresses in her life flooded my mind....Her blessing gown, the first dress my mom sewed for her, the dress Grandpa Bruce bought for her first birthday, the matching pioneer dresses  Grandma Lynette sowed for her and her sisters, her baptism dress....

For the first time I realized that this was going to be one of those special dresses. Each dress Holly tried on was beautiful, an outward expression of her inner beauty. I caught the Superman tearing up (I know, shocking!!) thankfully he managed to maintain composure. I could never even imagine this day would ever come and in the blink of an eye here we are. Being the mom of not only one daughter but four, is such a blessing. And thankfully they put up with my fashion awkwardness with very few eye rolls :) and at least they have the Superman to make up the difference. I guess I better get used to this I have been informed that hand me down grad dresses are unacceptable. And the price of dresses makes me slightly regret never learning to sew....shhh don't report me to the RS president ;)

Eating Out = Someone Save Me!!!

After four hours of back to school shopping in Nanaimo my brainiac Superman had the ingenious idea to take the little hooligans out to eat at Montana's. Much to my protesting. After spending nearly two hours in the teenage tight shirt mecca known as Urban Planet, my parenting skills had reached a non existent level and now I completely understood why certain rodents eat their young. I just wanted to hit the Costco snack bar and head home. But nooo going out to eat as a family is a unifying bonding experience that the Superman insisted on happening...

So as we walk into Montana's the hostess says "I guess I can push two tables together..." (No we would like to huddle around just one table, more bonding that way)....Much to Dallyn and Alex's chagrin they get handed kids menus, I will take advantage of 12 and under for as long as possible.

After they spend 60 seconds squabbling about who's sitting where and the Superman threatens to send them all to the loser cruiser, we finally sit down. They are all busily drawing on the table....

They waitress comes to take our order:

Grant: Steak
Robin: Chicken
Holly: Chicken Fingers and Fries
Bailey: Chicken Fingers and Fries
Madison: Chicken Fingers and Fries
Alex: Chicken Fingers and Fries
Dallyn: Chicken Fingers and Fries

You've got to be kidding me!!!! Out of a thousand menu options ya'll get chicken fingers and fries. What is wrong with you. We just spent $55.00 on CHICKEN FINGERS and FRIES!!!! It would of cost me less than $20 at Costco.

As we wait for our elaborate meals, the Superman notices that two unnamed offspring are drawing inappropriate pictures and confiscates their crayons. He then tells me to stop laughing, "You're just encouraging them". (I admired the accuracy of their depictions...we'll just blame that on their public education;). 

Our meals finally arrive and my only vindication for the evening is that D and A's meals came out in this....

Apparently when you are almost teenagers having your chicken served in a red cardboard truck is humiliating....ah my poor children. I make it through our family bonding experience without a major mommy melt down. Dallyn then spills the chocolate ice cream off his cone right into the superman's lap just as we get the bill....who wants to take them out to eat now Grant?? He he he.

Just because we hadn't punished our selves enough for the evening... we rounded out the night by taking all the girls bra shopping at once. Let me just say THAT. WAS. FUN!!! 

Food Drive

Yesterday was the BC wide Thanksgiving food drive sponsored by the church.

We collected bags that had been dropped off earlier in the week.

It was touching to see how generous everyone was.

Courtenay Ward collected 2500 lbs of food for our local food bank.

Look Dallyn's helping!

Great way to spend a Saturday morning as a family.

Way to go Courtenay!

The Latest News :)

For the first time in several weeks I feel like I can finally take a deep breath, that I can finally see some purpose in the deeply personal heartaches our family has faced recently. Only a few know the true nature of our struggles not because we are trying to hide anything its just that you either get it or you don't. And I don't have the strength right now to explain our lives to anyone. We don't need judgement or pity. We need support and understanding.

I am super-sensitive right now and I am the first one to admit it. I find myself retreating from people who while well intentioned say dumb or insensitive things (Amen to Caller ID). {No I'm NOT depressed} {Yes We are still HAPPILY Married} {No none of my rug rats NEED treatment centres, at least not yet} {No I HAVE NOT started drinking, but will admit to slight diet Dr Pepper addiction} {YES, we are still active at church, but I do think testimony meeting recommends would be at times appropriate :)} You can always tell when people are enquiring about your lives because they honestly care about you or when its because they want to be in on the latest gossip NEWS .

More often then not I have been overwhelmingly humbled by the actions of our friends. From the boss who offered to drop everything, in the middle of inventory, to take my Superman to the hospital. To the friend who phoned at the exact moment I thought I couldn't take another step forward. To the "Robin, maybe there isn't anything for you to learn, maybe that its that you have so much to give" comment, in the middle of my whining, that instantly changed my perspective, from another dear friend. Our lives are continually blessed and We know it.

One of my favourite talks by Joseph B Wirthlin is "Sunday Will Come". When things seem at there darkest and I am losing faith and hope in the future, I remember this quote from that talk.

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.

Things will get better of this I am sure.

That'll Learn 'em :)

So this morning was an epic fail....The house did not survive everyone getting out the door. If messing up a house was an Olympic sport I gave birth to 5 gold medallists. So this is the note my Superman left for our athletes.....

Some how coming from Dad, they knew he meant it. My superman has such a way with words :)

What's Shaking!!!

Grant's cell phone rings while we are picking up lunch....Alex:"Dad we just had an earthquake!" "I thought I felt the bench move" Grant says. " Alex calm down, you need to move closer to the house, the phone isn't working".....

We get our meals to go and quickly head home. All while fielding multiple phone calls from our High School kids who had been evacuated from school. It seemed that the East Courtenay hill that we live on and where the kids schools are felt it much more intensely than where we were.

We got home to two freaked out kids who had done all the right things. After the shaking they waited outside until it was safe to go back inside. Grateful for good neighbours who come over to check on and reassure them. They told a scary tale of the tv bouncing, the blinds swinging and the doors rattling (proof that they don't zone completely out while watching tv).

When the older kids got home we had similar accounts. "It sounded like someone was walking on the roof, and then everything started shaking" " The principal came on and said "We're having an earthquake, everyone under their desks!" Holly, who was in the gym was told to run out side. After, the school was evacuated as a precaution.

The earthquake was centered off the west coast close to Tofino. 6.7 on the Richter scale, later down graded to 6.4.

Read the news report here

This is a great opportunity to discuss "what to do" with our kids and maybe check on those 4 year old 72 hour kits ;)

Back to School Happy Dance!

Back to School could not come fast enough this summer.{I know bad parent!} This morning was pretty uneventful other than I was informed by my oldest that this is the last time they will all start public school together. Holly is a senior this year, something that seems impossible. Didn't we just drop her off for kindergarten last year?

They were all as happy to go back as I was to send them.

My elementry kids were up at the crack of dawn, couldn't get the darlings up before the crack of noon all summer. At one point I got up to tell them to shut up please be quiet so the rest of us lazy people could sleep. When we dropped them off, they both jumped and ran, refusing to let us help them find their classrooms...I guess they are all growing up...ahhh shucks.

Nothing says welcome back to school  on the Island, like a cougar sighting!!! This is on the way that the kids take to and from school (just blocks from our house). The kids will be staying off the trails for now, unless they really annoy me ;)

The "Fast Food" Haircut



BEFORE

my hair is tucked behind my ears



Well the superman and I both needed haircuts so we ran to the place just a minute from our house. Our whole family has gotten our hair cut there for more than a year and never been disappointed once.... 

So I go in with the above hair and ask for the same style with the back shaped up and the same style in the front just slightly shorter. I mentioned that I liked my hair to sweep in front of my lazy eye.  Ever other haircut,  they cut the back first then blend in the front. So the hairdresser starts at the top of the back of my head, holds up a piece and asks "is this how much you want off" "As long as the back doesn't stick up" I say. "Don't worry it won't"  She proceeds in four chops to take more than 4" off the top of my head right to my hair line, before I realize she is moving forward than back....

I am horrified, realizing that she had wrecked my hair....I realized I had to say something...."Umm this isn't what I wanted ?1?" "Well I asked you" "I thought you were cutting the back first." "I only did what you told me to, what do you want me to do NOW" she had become very defensive... I knew the lady cutting hair behind her was the manager{she had cut my hair half a dozen times before} so I asked to speak to her. The manager came over and asked my stylist to leave and take care of something in the back....She acknowledged that this was not what I wanted or asked for. She led my to her chair to try to fix it...I did something that shocked even me. I started to cry and the more I tried to stop, the worse it was. As I sat down I noticed my superman at the door trying to decide whether to escape to the car or not. He understood my leave and die glare, and I his stop embarrassing the family name glare....

In less than a minute I regained my composure all while the manager is apologizing profusely and complementing me on what awesome hair I have. {Like she dare say anything else}. She "fixed" as best she could. Compt the haircut and gave me a bunch of free cut coupons. I apologized for crying and explained that I am just super self conscience about my lazy eye and used my hair to cover it {when people can't tell who I'm looking at.} I hadn't really ever acknowledged or realized how much it can bother me...She again apologized.

As Grant and I walk to the car he says"Well it doesn't look that bad.."

As we drive home he his chuckling to himself.."What's so funny!!" 

"Well I hope you will stop getting Fast Food Haircuts!!" "What?!?" Now I'm annoyed...."Well complaining about a haircut from there, is like taking your hamburger back to McDonald's and saying it's too greasy!!!" And then he won't stop laughing and by the time I got home.... I was laughing too. He was right it is just hair and it will grow back. Grant also suggested I could tattoo an arrow on my right cheek pointing up {suggesting which eye to look at}. So glad I married a comedian.

AFTER

Gotta love it!

That's Gotta Hurt

Well we almost made it the whole summer with out a Kramer kid injury....We were 21 hours and 35 mins from a major accomplishment. It would have been the first summer since 1994 we didn't have a kid injury requiring medical attention....Of coarse Dallyn had to ruin it for us.

 

This afternoon Dallyn some how managed to slam his own hand in the sliding glass door on our deck...I even watched it happen and still can't figure out how he managed it. At first I thought he had slammed the palm part and thought that's gotta hurt...Then I realized he was hyperventilating and his fingers were dripping. 

I grabbed the ice and a rag all while Dallyn was reaching a new level of hysterics I have never before witnessed, in any rug rat let alone my boy....Dallyn had the injured hand in a vice grip with the other hand and would not let me look at it.

In the couple of quick glimpses I did get I realized this was clinic-worthy. The one of three cuts was pretty deep and I worried he might have broken them.

the other side of his index finger also has a nice gash on it

At least he had stopped screaming "I'm going to die, please call Dad" by the time we got to the clinic.

No stitches needed or breaks. Just two very sore fingers...and the defeat of an almost perfect record.

Draining Our Bank Account and Sanity in Less than an Hour....

So we headed out this yesterday to start and finish our back to school shopping...More than two of my children said "You mean we're going as a family, all together, at the same time??" Something I have decided to not take personally. {Maybe if you didn't fight we would love you more take you'll places}.

The fact that we drive the world's largest passenger vehicle that doesn't require a bus license, does nothing for us in the KWWF {Kramer World Wrestling Federation} department. Madison and Dallyn we both told "Touch each other again and you're walking home" before we even pulled into the gas station...sigh.

As we headed to the store I explained, there will be NO begging. Its supplies, shoes, socks and underwear. That's it. New clothes will wait til next month. I told them I would help them one at a time....Right in the middle of my rant....the boy asks "What's a hickey??" {I'll never understand how that boy's brain works} So I launch in to a detailed explanation until Dallyn said "Dad, make her stop!" That should learn him.

As we walked into the big box fun house. I instantly felt my bank account draining and my blood pressure rising.  I made it down to Dallyn's glue sticks and handed Dallyn and Alex's lists to an older sibling and said just help them find the cheapest price and pick out your own crap. Even this Mother-of-the-Year knows her limits and 3 and a half minutes in I had reached mine.

We then headed to find shoes....The child that I bought a size 5 for last year I bought a 9 for this year. Holly some how convinced me that denim boots were practical. Madison now wears the same size shoe...as her DAD. And I let one of them get white shoes? {even though I know they'll look bad in two days}...They all knew that I was at my breaking point and took full advantage of it.

After 30 minutes at the check out,we had dropped just under $400 in less than an hour and we haven't even started on the clothes yet. If spending money was a sport....sigh.

And yes I came home and took a NAP!

I Love to See the Temple

My Superman and I had the oppurtunity to go to the Vancouver Temple this week with the other members of our ward's bishopric. I hate to admit it but this is the first time we have been back since the open house more than a year ago.

Its been a long,trying month around here...which  made me even more grateful for the peace attending the temple brings.  

It was also a unifying experience for our new bishopric. 

I love to see the temple, I'm going there TODAY.

This was the sunset back on the Island has we drove home. 

A beautiful end to a beautiful day. A perfect reminder for me that life is beautiful, even in the midst of trouble, worry and heartache. Our Heavenly Father is always there for us. The blessing of this last month have been humbling.

Ever wondered why Mormons build temples? watch this.........