adam, suzi, rylee, & jackson

Oh my....where does the time go?

2009-06-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in 6 months! So sorry! Time sure does fly. Here is a brief run down of all the Kramer adventures since January.........

Rylee lost her first tooth!......

We went camping in Hell's Canyon and went cat fishing.....

My Grandpa's 77th birthday party......

Mother's Day at Terrace Lakes in Garden Valley......

A visit to Grandma and Grandpa K's house in Washington.....

Jackson's 3rd birthday and my ???? birthday!.......

Our first time flying with the kids (we went to Seattle).......

Rylee was sooo excited! When Adam told her we were over Olympia, she
thought we were flying over Olivia!!! (Olivia the pig is her fav!)......

Went to Seattle for cousin Jennifer's wedding....Rylee caught the bouquet!.....

Went to the Seattle Zoo.....

We found Rylee's long lost brother there.....

We went to the aquarium...but no sharks!.....

Rylee had her last day of school and it was circus days....she went as a ballerina! Of course!

In between times, Jackson has been to the ER for a band-aid up his nose....a home-made tissue plug up his nose.....a foam berry from a flower arrangement was stuck in his ear......VERY swollen tonsils.....he is such a boy! Sometimes I am thankful I don't have two!

Rylee has been great....reading up a storm thanks to Miss Becky and Miss Shelly at her preschool. She is so excited to go to kindergarten in the fall...she will be attending a private Christian school 8 minutes away! SCORE! She has lost her second tooth and is 5 going on 15.

Adam has switched jobs....he still works for St. Luke's, but now works in Meridian as a pharmacist instead of Boise as a manager (way too much stress....can you say cranky?!?). He just put in for a job in Fruitland working at MISTI doing oncology.....pray he gets this because he is very excited! He has been trying his hand a dutch-oven cooking....so far so good! His hand healed well and he has full use, just not full feeling!

I have been chauffeur, nurse, cook, maid, etc....but I love it. Right now, I am trying to get ready to go to McCall camping over the 4th of July. We will be gone 10 days! Woo Hoo! That's about it folks.....talk to you soon....hopefully before 6 months!

The Kramer Family Saga!

2009-01-06T20:44:00.001-08:00

Okay...here is the update....Adam's hand is doing great. He had his nerves, tendons, and a muscle reconstructed...and all went well. He was in a HUGE cast/splint thing for about 6 days and now has a more streamlined and funky splint. He can't move his fingers AT ALL! They are afraid the tendons will rupture...so it has been interesting watching him become a "lefty" overnight! :) He is definitely on the mend and hopefully will be back to work soon....maybe....not sure.....crossing our fingers! He can't move for 4 weeks and we are hoping that St. Luke's will find something for him to do? Be a gopher?

Needless to say, I have had an exciting life the past 2 weeks. Let's see....Friday (26th) Adam cuts his hand...Monday: Rylee has a cold...we see the surgeon for Adam...Tuesday: Rylee has pink eye in BOTH eyes...Wednesday: Adam has surgery...Jackson throws up all night....Thursday: Jackson now has pink eye in one eye...Friday: Jackson gets a severe ear infection...Saturday: Jackson now has pink eye in BOTH eyes...Sunday: Uneventful, except for the screaming and crying during eye drops! (Both kids, eye drops, total of 4 eyes, every TWO hours...not fun!)...Monday: Adam see the surgeon and they remove the cast and put him in a splint...Tuesday: We see the surgeon AGAIN for ANOTHER splint...Tuesday night: I am sitting here blogging about how exhausted I am when I need to be sleeping!:) So...that has been my life...fun huh?

This is Adam's new "club" after surgery...he won't need golf clubs anymore he now is one!

Here he is tonight with a new streamlined splint! (He wears this one at night.)

This is the very cool and hip splint he wears during the day! Nice pattern eh?

crash...bang....moan...."oh sh@*!

2008-12-28T19:05:00.000-08:00

Friday night, Adam fell down the stairs and tried to stop falling by reaching out for the other wall....right into a shadow box! He fell down the stairs anyway and severed an artery and tendons in his finger of his RIGHT hand! After an ER visit, a tourniquet, stitches, cussing, and yes...lots of blood....we are now waiting to see a hand surgeon tomorrow (Monday).

When the ER doc stitched him up, I was able to watch and it was disturbing to see him lift his whole finger away from the bone. I could see the severed tendon and his bones! Everything, but the bone was essentially cut off and connected by some skin on the front of the finger. He is now discovering that he may be out of work for quite awhile. It is very painful right now, even though he can't feel his finger...hopefully after the surgery he will?!?

School Program

2008-12-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

Rylee had her winter program at school last week...and it was awesome! She is definitely a performer! We took Jackson with us and toward the end of the program they were going to sing "Jingle Bells". Rylee shouts out, "Here is your favorite song Jacks!" Of course, every one burst out laughing...especially Jackson! The big finale was a visit from Santa Claus himself!

We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

What we have been up to...

2008-12-22T15:36:00.001-08:00

Jackson thinks he is a cowboy now. He is always demanding to wear his hat and guns! (A gun holster with 2 pistols!) He was very upset the other day because he has no boots...I look over and he put on his blue bunny slippers instead(or slippys as he says) . He thought they were mighty fine "slippy boots"!

Rylee and I spent a girls day together and went to the zoo. She was very impressed with the new giraffe and lions. The male lion yawned bearing HUGE teeth...she kind of jumped back. She had to ride the merry-go-round...her absolute fav!

The true meaning of Christmas

2008-12-10T21:01:00.000-08:00

I found this video on our friend's blog and thought I would pass the message around. It really makes you think twice before buying Christmas gifts!

Birthday Spotlight!

2008-11-25T10:24:00.001-08:00

This morning, Adam and I went to Rylee's school for her birthday spotlight. She got a birthday crown and got to tell everyone her favorite things: animal, book, activity, etc. She was so excited! She had to tell everyone why she was special and she said, "because there is only one me!" Too cute! (For those of you that know her, Rylee's teacher is Becky Petrie! Small world!)

Hi Ho, Hi Ho...it's off to work we go!

2008-11-25T10:19:00.001-08:00

Jackson informed me the other day that he was going to work with his "helmet and backpack"! He even tried to go into the garage to drive daddy's truck to work! Then after his nap, he found my shoes and thought that was pretty fun. He is sporting his pj shorts and "helmet" along with mom's heels!

I'm a little tea pot...

2008-11-25T10:07:00.001-08:00

Rylee had a tea party for her 5th birthday. It was really cute. Gigi (my grandma), even came dressed for the occasion with a fancy hat and gloves! Rylee thought that was pretty cool! She had 6 friends and we hired a clown, Miss Petunia. She was a hit! She did a comedy show for 30 minutes and the girls giggled like crazy! They were awed by the magic that Miss Petunia performed. It was a very special party...for a very special girl! Happy Birthday Rylee! We love you more that you will ever know!

Santa's Helper has Arrived!

2008-11-17T20:52:00.000-08:00

Don't know if you heard or not but....sh, it is a secret...Santa has helpers this year. I guess there are too many children now and it is such a busy time of year that Santa needs help watching all of the children around the world. So he is sending elves to some houses so they can keep tabs on all of the unruly kids. Some houses won't have one because Santa cans still watch SOME kids, just not all of them! Duh! So on Sunday, Ruddy came to visit us for the holidays! He is an "Elf on the Shelf". (Courtesy of Hallmark!) The doorbell rang and (conveniently) I was busy so Rylee had to answer the door. Low and behold....no one was there! I went to investigate and curled up in a ball was a little elf scared out of his mind! Sadie (our dog) ran out the door before Rylee and tried to eat our friendly helper! Rylee was kind of concerned that Santa might not send her a gift because she let his helper get mauled. After reassuring her, we set him on our shelf. Every night he flies to the North Pole to let Santa know if there are good children in our house.....but we can not touch him because his magic with disappear and he will never be able to see Santa again! The kids have been thrilled to get up every morning and try and find Ruddy....because when he gets back from the North Pole, he sits in a different spot! Hopefully, he will be a great childhood memory for my children.

Here is Ruddy this morning...he decided to perch on our lamp! The kids were so excited! They have been disclosing secrets and telling him to be sure and tell Santa those secrets when he goes to the North Pole! I think tomorrow he will be sitting on my espresso machine...wonder how I know that?!?

Playin' Catch-up!

2008-11-17T20:38:00.001-08:00

Okay, so here is the scoop. I have obviously missed posting a few moments in our lives. Here they are....

Rylee received her "Alphabet Crown"! A very big deal! She knows her letters and all of their sounds...knows the vowels...knows lower case and upper case...blah, blah. In other words, she is amazing!

Took a road trip to Washington to visit Adam's family. This is the kids after 8 hours on the road, very bored (lots of wheat fields!), and tired. And we still had another hour to go!

Here we are gearing up for Go Fish and Candyland! We have game night every Friday night and Rylee and I are the "Queen" team. We win all the time...thanks dad! Jackson usually wants Rylee to win because it is more fun to clap and cheer for her!

Halloween!

2008-11-17T20:32:00.001-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted Halloween pics yet! Here are the kiddos in full gear. Rylee was a witch (duh!) and Jackson is a spider. They had loads of fun and came home with loads of candy. Rylee's basket was spilling over and we had to empty some out in order to get it all home!

What child labor laws?

2008-10-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

Last night after dinner, I thought that Rylee would be old enough to learn how to do the dishes. She thought it was awesome! (Oh to be four again and to think the most mundane chores are wonderful!) She was humming and in la-la land most of the time. It was really quite something to see my four year old doing my dishes! Awesome!

'Lil Monet!

2008-10-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

Now that Rylee is in school, Jackson and I have lots of fun at "school" too! He now knows his alphabet, shapes, colors, and we are working on numbers. He can count to 15, but doesn't know what the numbers look like. He thinks a number 3 is the letter E! But for a 2 year old, I think he is doing great! I am so terrible though...when you have your first child, you are so excited to have them try everything and anything. Their first food, first word, first step, first art project, first learned letter....well, their have been a few times that you just forget to have your second child "try" anything!

I got out the paints the other day and thought "Oh my God! I have never let this child paint!" So terrible, I know. (Just kidding!) Needless to say, Jackson had a ball painting. Now he begs to do it everyday that "Sissy" is in school!

Sometimes it sucks to be a woman...but the reward is great!

2008-09-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

It is so funny. I checked my friend Aimee's blog and she got the same e-mail forward I did and posted it on her site...so I thought I would do the same.

Remember when you were in labor and how it all went down?

How long were your labors?
Rylee: 22+ hours
Jackson: 4 1/2 hours

How did you know you were in labor?
Rylee: My water broke Thanksgiving night (almost 3 weeks early!) at 10:00 and I delivered her at 8:16 the next night!

Jackson: Rylee woke me up at 6:30 am and I was in labor! Went to the hospital and was dialated 7 centimeters!

Where did you deliver?
Rylee: St. Luke's (downtown)
Jackson: St. Luke's (downtown)

Drugs?
Rylee: I finally had an epidural 16 hours later...still had 6 hours to go!

Jackson: He was drug free. He came so fast the doctor wasn't even in the hospital yet!

C-Section?
Neither

Who delivered?
Rylee: Dr. Carter
Jackson: Dr. Anstine

I want to hear everyone's saga!

Suzi Q Dolls

2008-09-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

I have been sewing rag dolls for my kids and nieces for a couple of years now. A few people have seen them and ..... bam, I have a new business! I am now sewing rag dolls (in my spare time!) for other people. Anyone want one? There is a link to my web site over on the left under LINKS. Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

labor day means LABOR DAY!

2008-09-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I would kick it into domestic mode and start canning! My grandma came over and we canned ....ready..... almost 100 quarts of peaches! Next are pears! It was a lot of work, but it was kind of fun. Now my kids can have fresh peaches all winter long! The only place we have to store them is under the house. Rylee is thrilled because she loves going under the house(ew! bugs!)and when I need a couple jars of peaches it is her job to go get some. She is excited and so am I...I hate being under the house! It is a win-win situation!

First Day of School!

2008-08-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today was Rylee's first day of pre-school. She had so much fun. Miss Manners even visited! She instructed the kids on classroom behavior and etiquette. She learned that this month was August and next month is September.....so then we had a long discussion at dinner about time. Minutes, hours, days, months, and years. She was fascinated to learn that her birthday was only three months away, but when she thought about how many days that was, she was kind of bummed! I think she will give Miss Becky (her teacher) a run for her money!

A New Addition!

2008-08-26T19:38:00.001-07:00

We have adopted a new family member, Sadie. She is a Shih Tzu that was very neglected and was in need of a good home. She has been such a wonderful dog. She and Emma play everyday and the kids love her. Rylee calls her "pretty girl"! Poor Adam and Jackson are now outnumbered!

Where does the time go?

2008-07-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

So sorry, so sorry. I haven't blogged for awhile now. Shame on me! Well, I went to post this morning and guess what....drum roll.....I don't have my memory card to my camera! I left it at my grandma's. So I am posting without pictures. I probably am breaking some cardinal rule that says the only "true" bloggers post pictures too....well nanny, nanny this time I don't have pictures! Just close you eyes and imagine. Wait, open your eyes so you can finish the rest of this post!

Let's see......we have had Father's Day and Adam got a new BBQ. Yippy! We have gone camping twice now! The kids were mud balls but they were content to have sand in their underwear and dirt up there nose. If they're happy, mom's happy! The bathtub had a really gross and grimy black ring when they were finished scraping the dirt off!

What else? Um...Rylee found a praying mantis in our flower pot yesterday and it has become her new best friend. She couldn't wait this morning to go out and see if her "frying man-tees" was still there. Sure enough it was! Your world is right side up when you find a creepy bug!

We are leaving on Sunday for a week. We are camping in McCall this year. Usually we have a week's vacation at the Oregon coast, but the gas prices are crazy. It would deplete my parent's retirement fund to pull their trailer down there so we could camp! I would rather they keep their money so they don't have to live with us when they are old and needing their toenails cut for them!

So that about sums it up. Rylee is thrilled that her friend Sophia invited her to her birthday party. She can't wait for her own so she can invite all of her friends (Sophia included!). She even has invited kids off the street. You think I am joking, but this is no joke! What will I do when children from unknown places and planets shows up at my door? Do I turn them away or make my house into a orphanage? Hopefully, I won't have to find out. We have had a long talk about not inviting anyone until she asks me first!

I promise pictures next time!

Okay...now you can close your eyes and create pictues in your noggin about the Kramer post!

Better late than never!

2008-06-25T19:55:00.000-07:00

I really am going to update our blog....I went to do that tonight and realized I left my camera in Jackson's room and well....he is sleeping for the night! Maybe I will have time tomorrow! Sorry.

Our June calendar is full!

2008-06-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Check out our crazy schedule!

June 2nd: Taylor's (My niece) B-day
June 5th: Suzi's B-day
June 7th: Jackson's B-day
June 15th: Jen's(My sister)Wedding Anniversary
June 16th: Our Wedding Anniversary (8 years, by the way!)

So, we had the kids' birthday party (Jackson & Taylor) and I made both of their cakes. (As you can see we had a Dora/Diego theme.) Soon we are celebrating my birthday...oh so not looking forward to being another year older!

Happy Birthday to Us!

On top of all of that, Rylee had her final recital yesterday at The Little Gym. She did great and was so excited to receive a rose from Daddy and Gigi.

Turn Up Your Volume!

2008-06-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

Finally...I figured out how to add audio to our blog...whew! Thank you very much Katy Erickson!

Work, work, and more work!

2008-05-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

Kramer Family Ditty
Old McKramer had a house
EIEIO
And with his house there came a yard
EIEIO
With a work, work here
And a plant, plant there
Here a weed, there a weed
Everywhere a mow, mow,
Old McKramer had a house
EIEIO!!!!!

So...we have been doing yard work. And the kids have been helping too! Jackson thought he would try out the dirt to see if it had enough nutrients for our new plants!

We are now camping professionals!

2008-05-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

We made it! Jackson slept through the night in the tent...finally! They had a blast. We had 'smores and sang campfire songs then the kids actually went to sleep! Mountains here we come!

Welcome to Camp Kramer!

2008-05-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well, my family has decided to start camping this summer. I grew up camping and was all for taking my kids into the wild blue yonder. We thought we would start with baby steps and try pitching a tent in the backyard and sleeping out there one night to get the kids used to it. So we set up the tent last weekend. What a joke! Jackson was so freaked out he kept crawling out of his sleeping bag to join mom and dad! We weren't going to start a bad habit and let him sleep with us......so we tried and tried and tried to get him to stay in his bed to no avail. Finally at midnight, Adam took him in the house to sleep in his own bed. Rylee and I finished the night in the tent. She did great and was so proud of herself for "camping". Needless to say, we are dumb......because we are trying it again tonight! Pray for us!

Happy Mothers Day!

2008-05-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of you hard working moms out there! My own mother's day was wonderful. We went "camping" at grandma and grandpa's house. Complete with 'smores, a camp fire, dutch oven cooking, and sleeping in the camp trailer! We had a blast! We even went fishing the next day...but we came back empty handed. Maybe next time!

Before I was a Mom

Before I was a Mom -I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom -I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

-Author Unknown

Grandma's 31st mother's day!
2 Kids
4 Grandkids

Gigi's 51st mothers day!
3 Kids
5 Grandkids
4 Great-grandkids

Happy Mother's Day Grandma, Gigi, Aunt Jenny, Grandma K, and Grandma Phyllis! We love you! Rylee & Jackson

A Monet in the making!

2008-05-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

Well...my sister talked me into taking painting class with her every week. She has been painting since she was 12, so I was a little nervous to be painting with such a master! This is a picture of my very first oil painting! I was excited that it actually looks the way it is supposed to...pretty much. I see a lot of flaws, but then I probably always will no matter how long I paint!

Photo Shoot!

2008-04-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

Rylee had her pictures taken on Sunday at Portrait Innovations. She did pretty well...considering that mom had to practically stand on her head to get her to smile! Smile naturally that is! She has a fake smile that she inherited from her dad. Overall, they did a great job capturing her personality.

Kramer Household Update

2008-04-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

I seriously thought our family was cursed! We have been sick so much lately that I did a thorough cleaning, blessed the house, did feng shui, and crossed my fingers, toes and eyes that we would not get sick for a loooong time! So far, so good!

We've been able to work on our yard and build our fence this past weekend...thanks Uncle BB (Brandon) for your help! We even went to the circus! What fun that was...the look on Jackson's face was priceless! Rylee has been to the circus before so it was old hat for her, but she still had a great time! She rode a pony and they got to see an elephant!

Whew! We made it!

2008-04-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

Finally, both kids are getting well! Jackson is feeling much better, but we are skipping Rylee's dance class tomorrow...hopefully it will build their immune systems back up by not being around so many sick kids! Fingers crossed! We are soooo tired of being sick around here. Maybe spring and summer will be better!?! Needless to say, mom and dad are hanging by a thread. I think having a new born was easier than the last 4 nights! Jackson was up every hour! Repeat: EVERY HOUR FOR 4 NIGHTS! Thank God the worst is over...until next time!

Two Sick Monkeys!

2008-03-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

Rylee is sick...

now Jackson!

We have had two sick kids! Rylee started last Wednesday with a 105 fever and headache...she went downhill from there. Now this morning, Jackson has a fever and when I went to get him, he was crying and said, "head, head"...apparently his head hurts too! Rylee if finally better...just in time to help me with "mister". She has been a big helper and when I can't sit with Jackson, she sits with him and holds his hand and tell him, "it's okay mister, sissy is here"! Sweet moments in troubled times!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

Easter was eventful, to say the least. Rylee was really sick. She had a 105 temp and just laid there and cried. She was sick for a week and our Easter was spent in quarantine! Except for the Easter Bunny, of course! They were able to dye Easter eggs and that was about it!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Today we had the leprechauns visit us. They bring small inexpensive gifts that are always green! This year he even left a trail of shamrocks! Rylee figured it was probably "because he had a hole in his pocket"! We also had shamrock tatoos "magically" appear in our mailbox.

Of course, what breakfast wouldn't be complete without green oatmeal and juice! Those tricky leprechauns!

what a big boy!

2008-03-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

This week was big...Jackson got a big boy bed! We thought it would be good to get the bed and put it in his room along with his crib. That way he could get used to the bed. Well, we received the bed and Jackson would not get off. Apparently, he was excited for this new phase of his childhood. So that night we braved the unknown and let him sleep there! He did great! Slept all night, slept his entire nap, and slept the next night too! Needless to say, the crib has been taken down and Jackson is thrilled! Mom and Dad are a little sad because they no longer have a "baby"!

Same 'ol thing

2008-03-05T16:26:00.001-08:00

Thought we would update our blog. Seems like everyday is the same. The highlight has been Hannah's birthday. Hannah is Rylee's best friend and cousin.(Jen's little girl.)They have quite the time playing and getting into trouble.

adam kramer

2008-03-05T16:24:00.001-08:00

Adam is very busy at the moment. He is now the pharmacy manager at St. Luke's Hospital. He is involved in Toastmasters and seems to be doing well. His down time seems to be hanging with his family and terrorizing his kids. Rylee and Jackson idolize their dad,therefore, chaos arrives at the Kramer house when "daddy" comes home after a long day at work!

suzi kramer

2008-03-05T16:23:00.001-08:00

Suzi is just doing the "mom" thing. Everyday rolls into the next, it seems, with very little variation. Hard work...no time to herself...pulling her hair out...and loving every minute. I guess that describes her life!

rylee kramer

2008-03-05T16:22:00.001-08:00

Rylee just got her hair cut and it definitely fits her sassy personality. She is a handful and seems to have more energy than the entire family combined! She is four, going on fourteen. The other night at dinner, Adam was telling her to eat and she replied, "Whatever!" It didn't go over well with her father! It seems like when you want to strangle her, she comes up with the sweetest things. The last time she was in trouble, she told Suzi that she loved her and that she was "her best friend and made her heart happy". I guess we will keep her after all!

jackson kramer

2008-03-05T16:20:00.000-08:00

Jackson is the comedian in the family. He is forever laughing and making us laugh. He is potty training now and seems to be doing well. Hopefully, that continues! His idol is his "sissy". He follows her everywhere and destroys everything she tries to play with. Typical boy! So far, he doesn't drive her crazy...give it a few years!

emma

2008-03-05T16:19:00.001-08:00

She is our ball of fur. She is the kids best friend and play mate!