Paige's 5th grade teacher had a brain tumor removed in December. Paige wrote this song and worked out the piano accompaniment with her piano teacher. Fun, huh?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTXiYS-YD9s
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Thursday, December 24, 2009
A Christmas Letter by Paige
Dear family and friends,
My mother gave up blogging months ago and did not write a Christmas letter. So as the oldest child I will take over this responsibility. This year my family has had some very exciting adventures. Now if my Mom were writing this letter, she would talk about herself and Dad first(so self-centered). But I am writing this letter so I am going to talk about ME first! And my fellow siblings, I guess.
Paige (10)
I have had a very enjoyable year.
Spring: This spring I had the privilege to be in my first musical production. As my Mother blogged months ago I got a good part with 2 solos which is quite wonderful considering I was one of the youngest on the cast. That was one of the most wonderful things I did that spring.
Summer: This summer we went to the Krumperman family reunion. One of the reasons I loved the trip was because we got to drive to Utah to see our wonderful Tueller family and from there fly to Nauvoo, Illinois. I had a great time driving in lightning, visiting historical church sites and watching the 4th of July parade. But most of all I enjoyed spending time with my wonderful family.
Fall: This fall I had the nerve-wracking experience of starting a new school. The first day of 5th grade was very frightening. But luckily I made good new friends and just so happened to get THE BEST TEACHER EVER! Another exciting thing that happened this fall is I joined Quest an accelerated program for kids who need to be challenged. So every Thursday I go to Ben Rush for school instead of Rosa Parks.
Winter: This winter my family and I went to go do our annual trip to Seattle for a evening of Carousel riding, Gingerbread speculating and family fun! Our good friends the Parrys joined us on our escapades through Seattle and for dinner at Red Robins afterwards.
Well now that I've finished bragging about myself, lets move on to...
Katie(9)
Katie had a great year!
Spring: This spring Katie enjoyed plenty of soccer. Dominating on the field is the perfect way to get your energy out. For Katie it's dribble, pass, run and SCORE! She can always act like a bowling ball, ready to knock any pin out of the way. If your looking for a girl to kick the ball hard, high and toward the goal, this is a girl for you.
Summer: This summer our family moved away from our little house to a big wonderful house aprx.5 miles away. Katie says that this is the most exciting thing we did this summer and she's probably right. Loading up the big truck sure is an exhilarating task. We had a good time at our old house but sometimes you gotta say good-bye.
Fall: This fall Katie did something so exciting she's going to tell you about it her self.Hi Katie here! I went to DisneyLand!It was so much fun!My favorite rides were Jungle Cruise,Star Tours,and Sorin' Over California.A ride I didn't like was Indiana Jones.Only dad and I went. It was the best vacation ever!
Winter: This winter Katie broke her first bone.She broke her right pointer finger and is wearing some splints. It's healing great but it still hurts her from time to time.
Well Katie's done so lets move on to...
Ryan(6)
Ryan has enjoyed much excitement this year.
Spring: This spring Ryan celebrated his 6th birthday. He told me his favorite part of his birthday was mini-golfing with Mom and Dad. They had a great time putt-putting and on the way home bought a new Wii game (Kung Fu Panda).
Summer: This summer we spent a large amount of time at our real estate agent's pool. Ryan loved it because he was able to practice swimming and Mom loved it because it shows how kind our friends are (and it was free). To Ryan a summer of swimming is a summer of smiling.
Fall: This fall at school Ryan has found a new hobby. Kickball! Ryan loves playing kickball with his friends at recess. In fact, I heard him tell Mom that he wanted to join a professional kickball team. Ryan says his favorite thing about kickball is " I like kicking homeruns."
Winter: When I asked Ryan what he did this winter he said that he waited for snow. Unfortunately no snow actually came so Ryan did things like doing snowangels in the carpet and riding in the wagon down the big hill.
Well Ryan's finished so here comes...
Tyler (3)
This year Tyler has had great experiences.
Spring: This spring, Tyler wore P.J.s and only P.J.s. His favorites were Batman and Car themed. Tyler would wake up say goodbye to us as we left for school and when we came back, Tyler looked like he had just woken up.
Summer: This summer Tyler learned how to swim and boy is he good. With his little swim vest, Tyler is unstoppable in the pool. He is the ultimate Swim Master.
Fall: Tyler has started preschool! He is having a great time playing with his friends Jackson, Leah, Cole and Jane. The preschool is a mommy school where each mom takes a turn teaching the 3 and 4 year olds. Tyler's favorite things to do at preschool are : eat snack, do crafts and learn different letters.
Winter: This winter Tyler has had a great time singing and learning Christmas songs. His favorite one is Jingle Bells. He has requested Mom to sing it every evening and sings it at every minute of the day. A few nights ago while we were saying prayer, Tyler began to sing Jingle bells. his joyful singing is not only funny, it gets us into the holiday spirit.
Well, check Tyler off the list so now...
We're done! Well, I guess I have Mom and Dad too, but you really don't want to hear about them so Happy Holidays!
From,
The Krumpermans
(more from Paige)
My mother gave up blogging months ago and did not write a Christmas letter. So as the oldest child I will take over this responsibility. This year my family has had some very exciting adventures. Now if my Mom were writing this letter, she would talk about herself and Dad first(so self-centered). But I am writing this letter so I am going to talk about ME first! And my fellow siblings, I guess.
Paige (10)
I have had a very enjoyable year.
Spring: This spring I had the privilege to be in my first musical production. As my Mother blogged months ago I got a good part with 2 solos which is quite wonderful considering I was one of the youngest on the cast. That was one of the most wonderful things I did that spring.
Summer: This summer we went to the Krumperman family reunion. One of the reasons I loved the trip was because we got to drive to Utah to see our wonderful Tueller family and from there fly to Nauvoo, Illinois. I had a great time driving in lightning, visiting historical church sites and watching the 4th of July parade. But most of all I enjoyed spending time with my wonderful family.
Fall: This fall I had the nerve-wracking experience of starting a new school. The first day of 5th grade was very frightening. But luckily I made good new friends and just so happened to get THE BEST TEACHER EVER! Another exciting thing that happened this fall is I joined Quest an accelerated program for kids who need to be challenged. So every Thursday I go to Ben Rush for school instead of Rosa Parks.
Winter: This winter my family and I went to go do our annual trip to Seattle for a evening of Carousel riding, Gingerbread speculating and family fun! Our good friends the Parrys joined us on our escapades through Seattle and for dinner at Red Robins afterwards.
Well now that I've finished bragging about myself, lets move on to...
Katie(9)
Katie had a great year!
Spring: This spring Katie enjoyed plenty of soccer. Dominating on the field is the perfect way to get your energy out. For Katie it's dribble, pass, run and SCORE! She can always act like a bowling ball, ready to knock any pin out of the way. If your looking for a girl to kick the ball hard, high and toward the goal, this is a girl for you.
Summer: This summer our family moved away from our little house to a big wonderful house aprx.5 miles away. Katie says that this is the most exciting thing we did this summer and she's probably right. Loading up the big truck sure is an exhilarating task. We had a good time at our old house but sometimes you gotta say good-bye.
Fall: This fall Katie did something so exciting she's going to tell you about it her self.Hi Katie here! I went to DisneyLand!It was so much fun!My favorite rides were Jungle Cruise,Star Tours,and Sorin' Over California.A ride I didn't like was Indiana Jones.Only dad and I went. It was the best vacation ever!
Winter: This winter Katie broke her first bone.She broke her right pointer finger and is wearing some splints. It's healing great but it still hurts her from time to time.
Well Katie's done so lets move on to...
Ryan(6)
Ryan has enjoyed much excitement this year.
Spring: This spring Ryan celebrated his 6th birthday. He told me his favorite part of his birthday was mini-golfing with Mom and Dad. They had a great time putt-putting and on the way home bought a new Wii game (Kung Fu Panda).
Summer: This summer we spent a large amount of time at our real estate agent's pool. Ryan loved it because he was able to practice swimming and Mom loved it because it shows how kind our friends are (and it was free). To Ryan a summer of swimming is a summer of smiling.
Fall: This fall at school Ryan has found a new hobby. Kickball! Ryan loves playing kickball with his friends at recess. In fact, I heard him tell Mom that he wanted to join a professional kickball team. Ryan says his favorite thing about kickball is " I like kicking homeruns."
Winter: When I asked Ryan what he did this winter he said that he waited for snow. Unfortunately no snow actually came so Ryan did things like doing snowangels in the carpet and riding in the wagon down the big hill.
Well Ryan's finished so here comes...
Tyler (3)
This year Tyler has had great experiences.
Spring: This spring, Tyler wore P.J.s and only P.J.s. His favorites were Batman and Car themed. Tyler would wake up say goodbye to us as we left for school and when we came back, Tyler looked like he had just woken up.
Summer: This summer Tyler learned how to swim and boy is he good. With his little swim vest, Tyler is unstoppable in the pool. He is the ultimate Swim Master.
Fall: Tyler has started preschool! He is having a great time playing with his friends Jackson, Leah, Cole and Jane. The preschool is a mommy school where each mom takes a turn teaching the 3 and 4 year olds. Tyler's favorite things to do at preschool are : eat snack, do crafts and learn different letters.
Winter: This winter Tyler has had a great time singing and learning Christmas songs. His favorite one is Jingle Bells. He has requested Mom to sing it every evening and sings it at every minute of the day. A few nights ago while we were saying prayer, Tyler began to sing Jingle bells. his joyful singing is not only funny, it gets us into the holiday spirit.
Well, check Tyler off the list so now...
We're done! Well, I guess I have Mom and Dad too, but you really don't want to hear about them so Happy Holidays!
From,
The Krumpermans
(more from Paige)
Sunday, May 10, 2009
My Mother's Day
Just a quick additional post to report on my mother's day. Katie told me that I got to take a 3 hour nap (I think that was the longest nap she could possibly imagine, so it was a huge gift). I laughingly said, Oh I never. . . . Turns out I was wrong, dead wrong. I took a THREE HOUR nap today! And Paul had to wake me up, because I was sound asleep. Of course, now it is approaching 11 and I'm up blogging, but that's ok.
For my mother's day gift to myself I made and ate (wtihout guilt, at least that is the plan) chocolate chip cookies. After having been on weightwatchers, I have discovered that cookies are what I miss the most. I can pass on ice cream, cake, pie, candy,donuts, etc. But man, a chocolate chip cookie is the best thing ever. I need to send a few in lunches tomorrow and then figure out who I can take the rest to, because otherwise, I will just finish off the batch.
I also wanted to add a Happy Mother's Day to Gwen, who I am so glad is my mil. Thanks for the great mothering that produced Paul, because we all know how much I love that guy. And thanks for being such a great friend. I miss having you a few blocks away.
Oh bummer, I just realized that I never told anyone what I wanted to do today, so it didn't get done. I got a nice new outfit and I had thought of having Paul take my picture with my four loverly childrens, but since I never articulated that plan, it didn't happen. Oh well.
For my mother's day gift to myself I made and ate (wtihout guilt, at least that is the plan) chocolate chip cookies. After having been on weightwatchers, I have discovered that cookies are what I miss the most. I can pass on ice cream, cake, pie, candy,donuts, etc. But man, a chocolate chip cookie is the best thing ever. I need to send a few in lunches tomorrow and then figure out who I can take the rest to, because otherwise, I will just finish off the batch.
I also wanted to add a Happy Mother's Day to Gwen, who I am so glad is my mil. Thanks for the great mothering that produced Paul, because we all know how much I love that guy. And thanks for being such a great friend. I miss having you a few blocks away.
Oh bummer, I just realized that I never told anyone what I wanted to do today, so it didn't get done. I got a nice new outfit and I had thought of having Paul take my picture with my four loverly childrens, but since I never articulated that plan, it didn't happen. Oh well.
A Tribute to JMHT
So I wanted to do a shout-out for Mama Jean, because in the vernacular (tee hee), she rocks! A few favorite stories:
One time, Mom and Dad were trying to remember someone's name. Dad, frustrated, said: Jean, help me out here! Mom, equally frustrated responds: Blaine, I've always been ahead of you--and now I'm ahead of you forgetting things as well. Classic!
Mom telling me that she had already done fourth/eighth/eleventh grade (and done them well, let's never forget that) so she didn't need to do my work.
Playing the piano, singing with tears in her voice: Help Me, Dear Father to freely forgive. . .
The stories of all the sick kids--5 kids under six, all with chicken pox. Mom survived (and thrived) in the most difficult situations I can imagine. I remember the first time I realized that Mom actually saw (in her rear view window) Jim and Rachel getting hit by the taxi. Incredible that she didn't completely lose it and was able to function.
A tender story: soon after we moved to Spain, Mom was getting ready to go out to some reception with Dad. She must have had a hard day, I think particularly concerning Grandpa's death and the struggles with Myrtle's kids, and I have a vivid visual memory of Mom putting on her makeup with shaking hands as she cried. I remember telling her she looked really pretty. I can only imagine how tough it must have been to keep on going--but she did, she always did. Thanks for being vulnerable in front of me then--that memory sustains me, because it shows me that being a mother doesn't mean you have to be 100% tough, impervious to struggles and pain.
I'm reading a book about the brain right now (Daniel Amen I think is the guys name) and it amazes me how much seems so obvious because I learned it from Mom. Tuna is brain food. Get enough sleep. Eat all the colors of the rainbow (what a pretty plate!). Practice, practice. Music makes you smarter. Simplify. Eliminate stress. Look to serve others to get your mind off your own problems.
Thanks for the super mothering.
One time, Mom and Dad were trying to remember someone's name. Dad, frustrated, said: Jean, help me out here! Mom, equally frustrated responds: Blaine, I've always been ahead of you--and now I'm ahead of you forgetting things as well. Classic!
Mom telling me that she had already done fourth/eighth/eleventh grade (and done them well, let's never forget that) so she didn't need to do my work.
Playing the piano, singing with tears in her voice: Help Me, Dear Father to freely forgive. . .
The stories of all the sick kids--5 kids under six, all with chicken pox. Mom survived (and thrived) in the most difficult situations I can imagine. I remember the first time I realized that Mom actually saw (in her rear view window) Jim and Rachel getting hit by the taxi. Incredible that she didn't completely lose it and was able to function.
A tender story: soon after we moved to Spain, Mom was getting ready to go out to some reception with Dad. She must have had a hard day, I think particularly concerning Grandpa's death and the struggles with Myrtle's kids, and I have a vivid visual memory of Mom putting on her makeup with shaking hands as she cried. I remember telling her she looked really pretty. I can only imagine how tough it must have been to keep on going--but she did, she always did. Thanks for being vulnerable in front of me then--that memory sustains me, because it shows me that being a mother doesn't mean you have to be 100% tough, impervious to struggles and pain.
I'm reading a book about the brain right now (Daniel Amen I think is the guys name) and it amazes me how much seems so obvious because I learned it from Mom. Tuna is brain food. Get enough sleep. Eat all the colors of the rainbow (what a pretty plate!). Practice, practice. Music makes you smarter. Simplify. Eliminate stress. Look to serve others to get your mind off your own problems.
Thanks for the super mothering.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Thanks for a great visit!
Tyler hamming it up. The rolled up piece of paper is his light saber.
All four kids. They are pretty wonderful, if I do say so myself.
Look at these cute boys! We were on a walk on the trail because a little after Joanne arrived we got a call and a real estate agent wanted to bring some clients for a showing. The story of our lives.
Ryan saw this picture and said: "I look like a chicken!" Tee hee, what a crack up.
All four kids. They are pretty wonderful, if I do say so myself.
Look at these cute boys! We were on a walk on the trail because a little after Joanne arrived we got a call and a real estate agent wanted to bring some clients for a showing. The story of our lives.
Ryan saw this picture and said: "I look like a chicken!" Tee hee, what a crack up.And this picture just melts my heart!
Joanne came and it was so fun to see her again. Thanks for the great pictures!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Nobody Listens
This past weekend was Paige's musical theater debut. She played the role of Sam, the wedding planner's daughter in a retelling of The Emperor's New Clothes (quite a cute play, really). Sam is the "kid who knows the answers but. . .nobody listens to me," according to the words of her solo. Quite frankly, Paige knocked it out of the park. She was darling, confident, sang amazingly well and really stole the show. I lost track of how many people commented to me or Paul about how great she was.
We were so touched by our friends' support in coming to the show and being a part of this with us. We have the greatest friends! We were also so glad that Uncle Bryan came, even though his whooping and hollering was super loud (and embarassing to me and Katie!).
Thanks to those who sent her well wishes! Yeah for a fun experience!
Pictures coming soon, I promise.
We were so touched by our friends' support in coming to the show and being a part of this with us. We have the greatest friends! We were also so glad that Uncle Bryan came, even though his whooping and hollering was super loud (and embarassing to me and Katie!).
Thanks to those who sent her well wishes! Yeah for a fun experience!
Pictures coming soon, I promise.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Better things to do
I probably do have better things to do, but instead I'll blog about a few random things.
First, Ryan's birthday--great success, loads of fun. He is the easiest child to shop for, because if it is Star Wars related it is a hit. Highlights: golfing, lunch, and a trip to Game Stop (where he got to buy the Kung Fun Panda game and learn the valuable lesson of buying it second hand so you only spend $20 rather than the $50 at Target!). We've spent the weekend putting together Lego sets.
I love Legos, and I absolutely love putting the sets together. Simple, clear instructions, a reliable end result--nothing better. However--the little pieces make me anxious; not that we have kids that will choke on them anymore, just the idea of losing them! I hate losing things (major, major pet peeve of mine!) and it even bugs me to just lose one small part of a large lego set. We are already missing a shovel from the Indiana Jones set and it has caused me a disproportionate amount of stress. Get a grip Jeanne!
Conference was nice, but I have to honestly say that I look forward to sometime watching conference without feeling a lot of guilt. Not only do I end up feeling guilty about all the things I am not doing, or the things I am doing wrong, I end up feeling guilty for being distracted by legos, kids' quarrels, laundry. And the guilt of drifting off to sleep once I force myself to sit down and listen. Please don't bother giving me advice about this, because I guarantee I have probably already thought about it, it just doesn't work. (Grouchy, grouchy. . . )
One of the questions I asked myself during conference (it was 24 minutes into the Saturday morning session when the "living beyond your means" phrase came up): are we wrong to want to sell this house? Am I being materialistic, consumeristic? Am I trying to keep up with the Joneses? It is hard to answer, because I want to say that no, it isn't unreasonable to want a house with more than one bathroom for a family of 6; my husband works hard for the money he makes, and we can now afford a bigger, more expensive home, so shouldn't we do that? But then I remember the homes I visited in Russia--really, one ROOM apartments. And do you know how many really good people can say "Oh, I grew up in a small home with one bathroom and ## of siblings." My kids aren't being deprived, really, are they? Are my expectations, wants a little skewed?
Major highlight of the conference weekend: our good friends the Tanners came and had lunch with us in between conference sessions. It was good to visit with them, play games, eat a yummy lunch and then they went back to the stake center, and we turned the computer back on. I get such a kick out of how much both Tyler and Ryan adore President Tanner. And then we had yet another house showing.
So, time to gird up my loins, have a stiff upper lip, put my shoulder to the wheel and get ready for the regular school schedule to resume. Spring Break has been wonderful--best part: sleeping in. Am I ever going to feel like I get enough sleep? (And I say feel, because I do get enough sleep, it just never feels like it!) Don't answer that, because I know the answer, but a girl wants to dream.
First, Ryan's birthday--great success, loads of fun. He is the easiest child to shop for, because if it is Star Wars related it is a hit. Highlights: golfing, lunch, and a trip to Game Stop (where he got to buy the Kung Fun Panda game and learn the valuable lesson of buying it second hand so you only spend $20 rather than the $50 at Target!). We've spent the weekend putting together Lego sets.
I love Legos, and I absolutely love putting the sets together. Simple, clear instructions, a reliable end result--nothing better. However--the little pieces make me anxious; not that we have kids that will choke on them anymore, just the idea of losing them! I hate losing things (major, major pet peeve of mine!) and it even bugs me to just lose one small part of a large lego set. We are already missing a shovel from the Indiana Jones set and it has caused me a disproportionate amount of stress. Get a grip Jeanne!
Conference was nice, but I have to honestly say that I look forward to sometime watching conference without feeling a lot of guilt. Not only do I end up feeling guilty about all the things I am not doing, or the things I am doing wrong, I end up feeling guilty for being distracted by legos, kids' quarrels, laundry. And the guilt of drifting off to sleep once I force myself to sit down and listen. Please don't bother giving me advice about this, because I guarantee I have probably already thought about it, it just doesn't work. (Grouchy, grouchy. . . )
One of the questions I asked myself during conference (it was 24 minutes into the Saturday morning session when the "living beyond your means" phrase came up): are we wrong to want to sell this house? Am I being materialistic, consumeristic? Am I trying to keep up with the Joneses? It is hard to answer, because I want to say that no, it isn't unreasonable to want a house with more than one bathroom for a family of 6; my husband works hard for the money he makes, and we can now afford a bigger, more expensive home, so shouldn't we do that? But then I remember the homes I visited in Russia--really, one ROOM apartments. And do you know how many really good people can say "Oh, I grew up in a small home with one bathroom and ## of siblings." My kids aren't being deprived, really, are they? Are my expectations, wants a little skewed?
Major highlight of the conference weekend: our good friends the Tanners came and had lunch with us in between conference sessions. It was good to visit with them, play games, eat a yummy lunch and then they went back to the stake center, and we turned the computer back on. I get such a kick out of how much both Tyler and Ryan adore President Tanner. And then we had yet another house showing.
So, time to gird up my loins, have a stiff upper lip, put my shoulder to the wheel and get ready for the regular school schedule to resume. Spring Break has been wonderful--best part: sleeping in. Am I ever going to feel like I get enough sleep? (And I say feel, because I do get enough sleep, it just never feels like it!) Don't answer that, because I know the answer, but a girl wants to dream.
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