Movie Under the Stars

Last night we drove up to Campbell River to take the kids the last Movie Under the Stars in our area this summer. Its pretty cool event...you sit outside on a sports field with camp chairs and blankets and watch a movie on a giant, inflatable, 3 storey high screen. Its free and there is no wafting smell of popcorn to tempt the kids. It reminded me of a drive in movie theatre. Who knew Grant would find the movie so touching. He quickly wiped a way a tear or two, while I reminded him that they are toys and real toys don't talk and the rest of the kidlets snickered at him. I love my tender hearted husband.

Shopping Done & The 10-Second-Rule Gone Wrong

Simpler Times...First Day of School September 2002....Bailey grade 2, Holly grade 3, Madison grade 1...Raymond, Alberta

Yesterday we finished back to school shopping with all the ankle biters,minus one. Holly was volunteering with Parks and Rec. Since our budget is limited(or if you ask the kids"Mom's CHEAP!") We buy new shoes, socks and underwear but the rest is all second hand. We live in a community full of great second hand stores so its easy to do. I can usually put the kids back to school for around $500 total. Shoes, Backpacks, Clothes, Supplies for all 5 kids. I think its a talent.


This is the first year I feel like I have had to really let go. We have two rules with clothes. It's modest...and you have to wear it more than twice. (my money, my rules) Bailey picked out ankle boots and gladiator sandals...not my idea of practical but I'm also not fifteen. Holly got Uggs and flats... (boots and dress shoes...age 30+ translation). I was told with a very grand eye roll that "Brown is not my colour mom." as only a 15 year old can. My eleven year old,the resident fashionista, is going for the run way look, trying to accessorize down to the coordinating scarf and earrings.Alex your going to sixth grade...not clubbing it. I miss the days of crayons and Old Navy hoddies. Madison will only wear plaid shorts and zip up hoddies...it does snow here...but apparently they don't feel cold. My only saving grace is that Dallyn will wear anything you tell him to...he hates shopping and mopes around like a little lost puppy. Boys are men from the minute they are born. I'm just glad they are all ready to go back and I have a few dollars left in the bank.


On a side note:


For lunch yesterday we stopped at Wendy's... We are all eating as we watch Dallyn drop a french fry on the floor....he bends down to pick it up (isn't he helpful, I think)...he looks at it and shoves it in is mouth , faster than I can anticipate what he was really doing. We all yell...DALLYN THAT'S DISGUSTING!!!! "The 10 second rule." Dallyn says, nonchalantly. "That's at home, Dallyn...Not. At. Wendy's! Grant and I say in unison. Dallyn: Ohhh....Boys are gross.

Dad Did What???

Notice the Orange Converse with the blue laces......

The Famous Track Suit and watch...I love that this picture shows my Dad's watch....you have to be a music geek to undrstand it, instead of numbers it shows key signature notations in the circle of fifths 12 being C major, 1 being G, 2 being D, 3 being A and so on...A music student gave it to him several years ago and he truly treasures it

My Dad is eccentric to say the least. Has always been that way and I love him for it. He does his own thing and marches to his own beat. I guess you would call him the "artsy" type. What other 75 year old man do you know that will wear purple or orange high top converse and pink hospital scrub pants in public or a black and red track suit to Church...Nothing he has ever does really surprises us

Its been hard over the last year or two to watch my Dad's zest for life decline...his eccentric nature has become more and more apparent and I'm not sure its always to his benefit. While his over all situation truly makes me sad there are moments that make me laugh and cry all at the same time and just shake my head...

There was the picture I received in the mail from him of an "It's a Boy" stork sign, sitting prominently in my Dad's family room (my sister had just adopted Zach a month or two earlier) On the Sign was the name "Zachary , Middle Name Crossed Out, Last Name Crossed Out...Les written in(Zach's Middle name)...my sisters last name written in. Birth Date crossed out and Zach's birth date written in...my dad had seen the sign in someones yard and taken it, taken it.Because it had Zach's name on it..(head shake)...

Last week my dad's cat died. A cat he had for more than 10 years. It was his only companion and truly devastated my dad. I felt so bad for him and told him when he was ready we would help him get another cat, if he wanted. Two days later he called and announced he had a new cat...a "stray" he had "found." and took home.My dad lives in the middle of California Suburbia and the likely hood that a healthy cat with a collar is a stray is very unlikely. My Dad swears its a stray and no amount of convincing has changed his mind...My only hope is that the cat escapes and find its way home. Not sure if it's old age or late on set kleptomania, but I'm still shaking my head.

(***after I posted this I found out that the cat was indeed the neighbours and has been returned home...thank heavens***)

The "Back to School" Happy Dance!

Grant & I will be doing the big time HAPPY DANCE in ten days!!! Why? The Rug rats are going back to school. Don't get me wrong I love summer and I love my kids. But I am ready for the routine and some peace & quiet. Keeping the pantry stocked will be less of a challenge too...I think I understand the phrase "eating us out of house and home" now. 48 Eggo's waffles gone in 12 hours...5 gallons of milk in 3 days...4 jumbo boxes of cereal in 5 days, sometimes I think they needed a snorkel. I won't miss the constant refereeing because "shes looking at me " or "he won't get of the computer." I will miss the kids sleeping 'til the crack of noon while I lazily read a book or the days relaxing on the beach or staying up all night for a "Harry Potter" marathon. But I'm ready for the change...even the kids are looking forward to a new year. So just one more hurdle until "the most wonderful time of year" The 164 item school supply list.... (not including clothes, shoes, or back packs)...but in my mind its a small price to pay for 7 hours a day of peace & quiet for the next 10 months. I guess that makes me one of those Moms but I'm perfectly ok with that. And kids we promise to wait until we are off school property to begin our much anticipated "HAPPY DANCE"

SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST 2010

Lined Paper...15 pkg

Duotangs....30 Kleenex...2 boxes
Oil Pastels (24pk)...2
Markers (12pk)...2 (thin)
Pencil Crayons (24pk)...5
Glue Sticks...6
Pencils (12pk)...10
Red Ball Point Pens...2 pkg
White Erasers...14
Fine Point Permanent Marker....6
Plastic Pencil Box....2
Scissors...2
Ruler....5
Pencil Sharpener...5
1” Binders...1
Key Tab Exercise Books...12
Unlined Paper...1 pkg
Black/Blue Ball Point Pens...5 pks
Highlighters...4 pkg thin
8 Digit Calculator...2
Notebooks....8 (150pg) 2 (80 pg)
Graphing Calculator...2
Sticky Notes...2 pks
Geometry Set ...3 sets
Graph Paper...3 pks
Dividers...5 pks
2” Binders ....6
Pencil Case...3

Berry Pickin'

Yesterday the kids and I went blackberry picking with the Hodacseks....Blackberries grow in abundance here on the Island, so it was easy to find a spot. We spent an hour in the bushes behind Superstore .....that sounds a little creepy Madison with the homemade berry pickers Maggie made.

....We then went to Air force Beach (part of 19 Wing Comox military base) to pick some more. ....Bailey enjoying the view.

Holly and Kaili

At least nobody was complaining about the view.


This little bunny wouldn't leave my bucket alone.

After an hour or so at the beach we had more berries than we knew what to do with. By then we were hungry, over heated, and nursing a multitude of scratches. An appointment with the river was the only solution so, we decided to show Hodacseks our new favourite swimming hole, Angel Falls on Browns River. We stopped at Little Caesars on the way. 40 pieces of pizza gone in six minutes. They were like a pack of peronas, I'm surprised they didn't eat the boxes...

Angel Falls was the perfect remedy.

All of them were dare devils...even Dallyn jumped off the top.

Madison, Dax, Brian, Alex, Holly, Elizabeth

Dallyn, Kaili, Bailey

Alex ....After a good long soak we head back to Hodacseks to make Jam, Jelly and Pie filling.

For the next six hours we washed, cooked, canned and processed the berries, outside, on a covered deck, using a pretty sweet camp stove. It was a great set up. Towards the end though, I started to think the berries were self replicating...But at 10:15 we filled the last jar. This is the results of our efforts.......

42 jars of blackberry jam, jelly and pie filling. Well worth the effort.

Take a Hike!

Today was Grant's first day off in the last fourteen so we decided to invite some adventurous friends and go some where we hadn't before... we had seen pictures of some cool waterfalls a couple of days ago...but had no idea where they were or how to get there....So after a few phone calls these are the directions we got...

"Turn left on Forbidden Plateau Rd, The first bridge you cross is Browns River(not marked), Park on the shoulder before you cross the Bridge, the trail is unmarked on the downstream side of the bridge, follow the trail along the river for about ten minutes to Angel Falls."

It was actually straight forward... The trail wasn't too difficult...but there were lots of downed trees to climb up and over or go under

Madison & Tater... The river was extremely low so we were able to hike down it to the top of the falls

Angel Falls from the trail above

Bailey in the Falls...there were deep circular holes you could stand in

Dallyn & Riley at the top...Bailey half way up...Alex and Lauren at the bottom

Alex

Riley, Alex, Lauren, Me, Dallyn, Michelle......Using the rope to get back up to the top of the trail...it was steeper than it looked (at least I thought so)



Don't look at the next two if you're squeamish.....

Bailey slipped on a log and this was the result...I know a Kramer kid getting hurt, shocking. It was a pretty good gouge. We ripped a towel into strips and wrapped it up. When we got home and soaked it...it definitely required butterfly bandages (you were right Michelle)

Dr. Grant's handy work...poor Bailey

Browns River looking upstream to Angel Falls

I Will Not Self Destruct Entering a Nursing Home...

Serving in Relief Society is a huge blessing to me and my family but I have learned quickly that our Church callings often bring us out of our comfort zones. There are many things I have done in the last several years that I would have never done or learned to do on my own. Coordinate a table centerpiece to correspond with a monthly theme(Sisters here think its quite funny that in a big ward we lived in their was a "table centerpiece coordinator" and seriously she was awesome at it)....Assemble a hanging basket out of chicken wire & burlap using only pliers...Became computer literate by doing my Family History work...Understand the fine workings of my garden composter, not that I use it, but at least I understand it....

Monday, when the other counsellor in the presidency asked me to set up appointments for our Presidency Visits this week I didn't mind. But when she listed off the Sisters names, my heart sank. "Oh no, not the sisters in the Nursing Home" I thought.

I know that sounds terrible...but I have not set foot in a nursing home in 6 and a half years, not since my mom died. Not that I haven't tried, we took the kids trick or treating, at a facility, in Port Alberni a few years ago. I made it past the double doors and turned around leaving Grant with the kids. Something about the environment and the institutional smell instantly brought back the guilt and the vivid memories of my mom dying alone in a similar place...

I almost bailed on Sister Creaser this week, thinking of various "flu-like" symptoms I might suddenly acquire. After a few minutes of talking myself into it I picked up the phone and made the necessary arrangements. Things were set for this morning, but all week I wondered if I could do it. I was definitely going out of a sense of duty, but not desire.

As we entered the first Sisters apartment today, I started to relax,as she cheerful told us of all she was able to still do even though age and injury were working against her. "I hope I have this attitude and tenacity at that age " I thought. As we entered the second Sister's apartment, I instantly forgot were I was and felt I was in the home of an old friend. She told us how her testimony of tithing had help her, her entire life. Reaffirming my own testimony of tithing. " I hope I have her grace & elegance at that age" I thought... As we entered the part of the facility were our third sister resided I was amazed at the similarities between it and Saint Mike's in Lethbridge (the last facility my mom lived in). Decor, layout, everything was similar. The furniture in this Sister's room was identical. I admit I had to take a deep breath as I sat down. The memories of my mom came flooding back but the guilt and pain did not. As I listened to this Sister relentlessly tease my companion (they have been friends for decades) I could not help but laugh and relax. As we left this Sister in her gruff way said to me "Well I'm glad you came, But I'm not to sure about her! (pointing to Sister Creaser) I couldn't help but laugh. "I hope I still have my sense of humor at that age" I thought.

Today I was why out of my comfort zone but I learned two things....I will not self destruct upon entering a nursing home and the bonds of sisterhood in Relief Society are universal.