Dr. Grandma Says. . .

January and Winter is Here!

2012-01-17T17:48:00.001-06:00

Well, our wonderful weather finally gave in to the real winter--cold, snow, and a little bit of ice. But we have nothing to complain about as it has been unseasonably mild.
Once again the new year brings the promise of hope for a better year for all--not that our past year wasn't good. We are truly blessed. All are in good health, have jobs, and homes. What could be better?

Soon I will post photos from the past year. Here are a few:

Avery Elise

Age: 18 months

Sam, age 2 1/2 yrs. and Kalub, age 4 1/2 yrs.

Charlie, age 5

Charlie, Avery, Emily, Sam, Kirsten

The above photo was taken on Thanksgiving Day, 2011--unbelievable weather!

Of course, they are all the smartest, cutest, best-in-the-world kids!

Just ask me!

Using a New Tool-Fotobabble

2011-11-17T12:31:00.005-06:00

I discovered a new tool that I wanted to try out. It is called Fotobabble and you can add audio to your photos. It is pretty easy to use. It is advertised as Talking Photos. Of course I had to use a photo you may have seen already--the 4 "Grand-kids". Go to the web site and try it out. It is pretty cool!

NOTE: To hear the audio portion, click on the Play button arrow above.

Photo SlideShow

2011-10-03T11:53:00.000-05:00

Latest Photos of My Favorites--It's A Party!

2011-09-28T22:12:00.009-05:00

My Favorites!
Kalub-4 (back, left) Front-l to r--Sam-2, Charlie-5, Avery-1

Here are the latest photos of my favorites: the grandchildren!

This was at Charlie and Avery's birthday party. Charlie turned 5 and Avery 1 on Sept. 23. We celebrated in the park on Sunday. (The extra hands holding onto Avery are Aunt Michelle's). She flew home for the week-end to help celebrate.

I made 150 cake pops for the party. It only took me 8 hours on Saturday, but they were enjoyed by all.


Charlie and the cake pops

Avery had her own cake, but she did not like it--wouldn't taste it and did not like the frosting mess on her hands.
She is such a " little lady".


Not a cake fan!

The Boys

Look what I made Grandma.

Waiting for lunch (wearing the sweater knitted by Grandma for her birthday).

Precious baby-doll!

July-an Update

2011-07-07T09:50:00.001-05:00

We had a great time with family and friends for our 4th of July celebration. Thanks to all who came and spent the day with us. Some other things got done as well--besides the partying that is. Sarah now has a wedding gown. The bride-to-be, all the bridesmaids and junior bridesmaids, a personal attendant, the Mother of the Bride and 2 aunts went on the shopping trip, had lunch together and gave many opinions about various dresses, styles, fabrics, etc. Sarah got the dress she wanted and we were even able to bring it home. So we won't have to worry about not having it on time. I can't post photos in case the groom is reading this blog or sees it on Facebook. It is beautiful and Sarah looked gorgeous in it. Of course she will be a beautiful bride!

Tim and Marisa stayed a few extra days. Steve and I went to the house yesterday and helped them paint the new siding on the garage and the boards that we had to replace on the house. We just primed it all as we haven't picked a paint color and have not decided who will do the painting. It is going to have to be done by professionals as none of us want to climb a ladder or work off of scaffolding to get to the second story.

Sam's arm is not slowing him down much. He is as active as ever. For those who didn't hear, he fell on Father's Day and broke a bone in the upper part of his right arm.

I took lots of pictures at the family/friend gathering so I will post them soon.
TTFN.

Summer 2011

2011-06-12T09:34:00.000-05:00

I have neglected updating this blog for a very long time--no good excuse, just didn't make time to do so.
During the last few months, life has moved quickly.
Avery is now going on 9 months and is adorable. She has a lot of personality and is a very happy little girl. She laughs at her two brothers and their antics.

Sam is now a 2 year old who loves to climb, explore, is very, very busy. He is also adorable.

Charlie is a typical 4 1/2 yr. old. He loves playing Wii--especially Mario games. He is very good older brother to his brother and sister. He is also wonderful.

Kalub will be 4 in August-hard to believe. He loves getting together with his cousins. His Daddy is still his favorite. He makes friends easily, has a gorgeous smile, and we love having him come over too.
I think our happiest times are when all of our children and their children are together with us.

Sarah and her fiance, Tyler, are making plans for their wedding which is coming up on May 5, 2012. Actually Sarah would rather that I just plan it all and she could just show up as the bride. That sort of worked for Nikki and Matt.

I am now looking for a new job. I am no longer at my previous position--not going to make any other comments about that here. If you want the scoop, just call and ask.

Nikki is planning the family and friends 4th of July party. It will be a lot of fun. I designed a logo for a t-shirt for the event. Tim is getting the shirts made. I believe the shirts will be navy blue with either a silver or white logo. Everyone will want one of these, so get your order in early--just contact Nikki. They come in adult and children sizes.

Other than my grandchildren and my own children to keep me busy, not much is going on--oh, a job search is underway and I am working with a job coach firm to get things moving along. Steve is keeping very busy--since it has rained so much lately. If you know of any job openings and can recommend me to a hiring manager, please let me know ASAP. Any and all help is appreciated. I like having summers off again, but this little vacation won't pay the bills or provide health insurance.

Keep cool!

One Week Old

2010-09-30T15:36:00.001-05:00

Avery is one week old today and is doing very well. She is a very happy baby. Her two older brothers are doing quite well too.

Here are some more photos:

Avery Elise

Mom and Sam

Avery, pretty in pink

Cousin Kaiden and Charlie

Avery Elise--with official birth information

Avery Elise Fitzgerald: TheNewest Family Member Has Arrived

2010-09-23T14:02:00.002-05:00

She arrived early the morning of September 23, 2010, on her big brother, Charlie's 4th birthday. Of course she is adorable, and perfect in every way. More to come! The big brothers have met her and Charlie wanted to hold her. Sam didn't know what to think.

Sam is One--The Cake and Blowing out the Candle

2010-04-20T05:12:00.005-05:00

Sam had his first birthday party on Saturday. Family gathered for the usual birthday party activities: eating, opening presents, the cake ceremony and just general fun and chaos. :)

Waiting for the candle blowing ceremony
and the CAKE!

The big cake was a Cubs theme. The special cake for the birthday boy had lots of fun colors on it. Charlie helped Sam with the candle blowing part. Sam did his own thing with the little cake.

Spring!

2010-04-03T08:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter Week-end! April has arrived in Iowa with some nice sunshine and warmer temperatures--one day it hovered around 80. That was too warm. I like the in-between temps--60-low 70's. It should be a delightful Easter Sunday for spending time with family. What are your plans for the day?

Michelle and her Aunt Brenda are in St. Thomas and will be returning to reality tomorrow. Sarah, Michael, Kristi, Kalub and us--the parents/grandparents will meet at the sunrise service and then have breakfast at church to help support the youth group activities. Then, later in the afternoon, we will get together with Nancy, the girls (Emily and Kirsten), Nikki, Matt, Charlie, Sam, Sarah, at the House and grill with Michael, Kristi, and Kalub. Hopefully the weather will stay nice and we can have some play time outside.

The next time we get together will be for Sam's birthday which is on August 16. He will be a year old--hard to believe. And he is walking around like he has done it all his life. He is so quick too. You should see him go up stairs! He is a very happy child. Charlie and Sam were over last night while Mom and Dad took some time together and did some things to get ready for the Easter bunny. Both boys had a great time and were constantly showing us how "smart" they are with the things they can do. At least Grandpa and Grandma think they are very smart. Kalub is also right up there with all the things he knows and can do too. I can't wait to see him tomorrow. Kalub came over last week and we dyed some Easter eggs--something this Grandma loves to do and would probably do even if there were no grandchildren as an excuse for it. One of these days I will get some more pictures of the boys posted.

I have been busy with little projects. I am making 30 cloth napkins and some cloth treat bags for a friend who is having a 90th birthday party for her mother. The party is this summer, but I have to get started on it now. Of course I always have pillowcase dresses to make. Does anyone have any more pillowcases to donate to me??? Please???? I need them desperately.

Have a hoppy, Easter!

March Has Arrived

2010-03-07T08:49:00.002-06:00

I think we have turned the corner--weather wise that is. Although, you can never tell--it is Iowa after all. The Girl's State Basketball tournament just finished and typically we have bad weather during that tournament, but NOT this year. We got some light rain yesterday which helped to melt some of the snow. We still have about 12 or so more inches to melt. Now everything is just dirty looking and messy!

It is birthday week-end for the Miller girls. Emily turned 10 last Wednesday and Kirsten turned 10 on Saturday. We are having a little family get-together this afternoon. They got to have a "friend" party last week-end.

The Dress a Girl Around the World is exploding! There are lots of wonderful people sewing dresses all over the country. It is very exciting. A group is currently in India and they have distributed dresses there as well. You can read about their experiences on the Dress a Girl Around the World website at:
http://www.dressagirlaroundtheworld.com/
They have charmed snakes and ridden on elephants. Some of their stories are heartbreaking.

Have a good week!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T11:16:00.004-06:00

Once again it is snowing here. It is very pretty, coming down softly and silently, but we have had enough! How will you be spending this Valentine's Day? Watching the Winter Olympics? Shovleing snow? Taking your sweetie out for dinner? We haven't made any specific plans.

I am excited about the sewing possibilities of using T-shirts and men's dress shirts to make dresses for Dress a Girl Around the World. Check out the web site for Dress a Girl Around the World-Lake Charles, IA. The dresses are very cute! It adds more possibilities when we run out of donated pillowcases. The sleeves could be used for belts, headbands, extra pockets on the dresses, etc. The possibilities are endless.
Maybe I will spend the day sewing. Hmmmm.

The grandsons are still a major focus in my life. I love seeing them, being with them, playing with them. And now there is going to be another grandchild. Yes--you read that correctly. Nikki and Matt will add one more to their crew of Charlie and Sam. This baby is due in the middle of September, just a few days before Charlie's fourth birthday. How exciting! Sam will be 10 months old this Tuesday. He is so adorable, very active and eager to walk. He is walking around the furniture and is curious about everything. Charlie's reaction to the news of another baby was great--he doesn't want to talk about a sister though--wants another brother. Kalub will love having another cousin to play with. He likes being with his cousins. He sent us the cutest postcard valentine. We got it in the mail yesterday--just in time for Valentine's Day. It made my day!

Gotta go get busy on my sewing.
Have a great sweetheart day!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T13:33:00.001-06:00

The new year is upon us--day 3 that is. I didn't make any specific new year's resolutions--that way I can't break any of them. I do have a lot I want to do this year, but I always have a lot I want to do. We spent New Year's Eve at home. My brother and his wife joined us. So did Nikki, Matt and sons, Sarah and Tyler and Nancy and the girls. We ate, played cards and just spent time together. It was pretty quiet. Sam and Charlie spent the night with us so their parents could go spend time with some friends. Sarah left early too. In fact, our party was over by 11:00 p.m. No hangovers for us.

I have been catching up on some of my knitting. It is too cold to go out and do anything, so sitting at home with my knitting is very nice. I finished some socks and am working on the second sock of another pair I started a while ago.

Tomorrow it is back to work--I dread the walk from my car to my building. It is very cold and it isn't likely to warm up any time soon. You can bet I will dress for the weather--lots of layers too.

So, here is wishing you a

Happy New Year

with health, happiness,

and lots of family and friends

to surround you in

2010!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T12:30:00.001-06:00

Christmas day is almost here. We are bracing ourselves for a big winter storm--ice, rain, snow--just in time for Christmas day. I am praying that my children make it home safely. Michelle is scheduled to fly in from Denver tomorrow, Christmas Eve. Nikki and Matt are scheduled to fly home today from their trip in Mexico. Their 2 sons have been staying with Grandpa and I. Grandpa has to go to work everyday, so Charlie, Sam and I have spent the days playing games, watching Sam try to get where he wants to go by rolling everywhere and just generally having fun. Steve and I enjoy having the grandchildren here and love being grandparents. Of course we have to deal with the diaper changing, potty training, feeding and bathing. But reading stories and laughing with them more than makes up for the daily drills.

As you can see in the photo at the left, Sam enjoys his meals. We wear almost as much as we eat. He is a mover which makes it hard to hit his mouth every time.

Charlie and I went with Aunt Nancy and cousins, Emily and Kirsten, to drive through a holiday light display called "Holly Jolly Lights". All the proceeds go to the Make a Wish foundation. There was a long line of traffic--took us over an hour just to get to the point where you pay for your ticket in. Then we sat in the line another 20 minutes or more. We were just creeping along until we finally got to the spot where the light displays began. Kirsten slept through part of it. Charlie didn't. He was very chatty the whole way. I was glad that Grandpa stayed home with Sam. It ended up being a late night.

Frosting cookies at Grandma's house!

The best part is eating the broken ones. That is a rule you know. If it breaks, you eat it right away--at least that is Grandma's rule.

This year I got to attend Charlie's first Christmas program. His daycare had a holiday show and the children learned a lot of songs. They performed very well. Charlie was great the first half of the show. You can see he is happy when he was singing and holding the butterfly.

The mood changed quickly however. The children left the stage and put on some little costumes. I am not sure what happened, but the second half of the performance was not a happy one for Charlie. Although he didn't cry outloud, he had a very sad look on his face and didn't sing the songs. It was pretty typical behavior for a 3 year old.

Not a happy cowboy!

Even giving a present to his mom didn't bring a smile to his face.

Although I haven't been able to spend time with my other grandson, Kalub, this week, we did get to take care of him a couple of weeks ago. He was thrilled looking at the ornaments on our Christmas tree. He had fun finding Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Tigger.

He is growing up so quickly too. He is talking a lot more and loves to come and play with Charlie and Grandpa. The first question he asked when he arrives is "Where papa? Where Charlie?"

Dinner time!

Have a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
May all your wishes come true!

The Steinbronns

Trying out Voice Thread

2009-11-12T14:08:00.001-06:00

The above slide show has sound. Click on the arrow to move to the next photo. The first photo has two commentaries because I wasn't sure that I actually recorded anything, but apparently I did. One photo doesn't have any recording on it. Oh well. It was easy to put the photos in and do the recording. But next time I will make sure my email isn't running in the background--which is why you will hear a "ding" in one of the slides. Oops.
Voice Threads is the program. Very easy, very fun to use.

Awesome

2009-10-11T12:38:00.000-05:00

The weather is colder--had a few flakes on the yard and deck yesterday morning. It was pretty and it melted before the day was over. That is the kind of snow to have. I spent the day cleaning again. I know, it is not in my nature to get so organized. But I now have a spare bedroom with an actual bed in it. Of course it has a McQueen pillowcase on the pillow for the grandsons. When Charlie saw it, all he could say was "Cool"--out of the mouths of a 3 year old. Now to tackle the sewing room. I would show you before and after pictures, but it would be embarrassing.

Nikki gave me photos of the boys. They are so cute!!!

Sam is almost 6 months old. He smiles very easily, has the most amazing laugh and wants to be where all the action is. He talks very loudly--according to his Dad, all the time. He is delightful. See his two bottom teeth in the photo?

Charlie just turned 3 last month. I guess when this photo was taken, he wouldn't smile without his tongue stuck out. Oh well. His mother will think it is adorable in about 15 more years. Grandma thinks it is cute right now. He is a busy boy and really likes to come to Grandma's house. That is perfectly fine with me.

Isn't this a precious photo? No one has to encourage Charlie to show his love for his little brother. He is so proud to be the big brother and is very loving and caring.

Here is my other precious grandson, Kalub. He is such a happy boy--he makes friends with everyone. His smile just draws people to him.

I love this photo of Kalub with Aunt Sarah's dog, Marshall. Right now Kalub seems to be in control of this puppy. But in a few months, the tables may be turned. Marshall is a growing lab.

Thanks for letting me brag.

Pillowcase Dresses

2009-09-29T11:34:00.011-05:00

Have you seen, or heard, about dresses for little girls made from pillowcases? They are darling and I need help sewing some for a lady to take with her to Honduras on December 1, 2009.

If you know of anyone who would like to donate pillowcases--they don't have to be new, but should be in good condition--double-fold bias tape (it takes 2 yards per dress), ric-rack for trim, elastic (1/2-inch wide--12" per dress), I would like to hear from you. Donations can be sent to my home address. Email me (drgrandma@gmail.com) if you would like to make a donation and I will send you my address.

Here is the link about Pillowcase Dresses 4 Uganda. One of the churches mentioned is Community Church of Joy (Phoenix, AZ) where my brother and sister-in-law attend. Audrey e-mailed me to request help with sewing the dresses to send to Honduras. Of course I love to sew so I am happy to help. I am organizing a sewing night at my church's craft night to get some dresses ready to send. Here is a link for the pillowcase dress pattern.

My personal goal for this project is 100 dresses. Can you help? I need pillowcases!!! To reach this goal (I would like to have more than 100 dresses to send) I would need to sew 10-12 dresses per week--between now and Thanksgiving. It is possible to reach, and surpass, this goal. Help me spread the word, send me materials and of course prayers are always welcome.

The Birthday Boy--Kalub

2009-08-11T10:23:00.003-05:00

The Birthday Boy--Kalub
Originally uploaded by Peggy Steinbronn

Today is Kalub's 2nd birthday! We celebrated with some family and friends on Sunday. The theme of the party was Nemo. Kalub was so excited about it. When he got up from his nap, the party decorations transformed his world into Nemo's. He had a wonderful time.

Click here for more photos.

Vacation in the mountains

2009-08-05T09:53:00.000-05:00

The vacation in the mountains was an adventure, to say the least. That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger! More on that later...

Peggy Steinbronn

July

2009-07-03T08:41:00.004-05:00

I seemed to have "lost" a couple of months. Sam was born and there were many other things to do. I have spent the last several weeks going through the accumulated "stuff" in the house and garage of the last, almost, 23 years of living here. It has taken almost all my free time and the help of my husband, a daughter, my son, and a very good friend to plow through it all. It is certainly not finished, but at least now it is more manageable. We gave away a lot and put the rest in a rented dumpster. The dumpster was full to the top when it was hauled away. It is a good feeling to have some space back and to have things a little more organized--except now I can't find things. I am trying to stay on top of it so that it doesn't get in that kind of shape again.

The grandsons are growing by leaps and bounds. I actually made Sam laugh out loud last night. We will be spending some time with the kids this 4th of July and that always makes me happy. The parade, the carnival, a cookout, games and the fireworks will fill the day. I am so glad we have Sunday to rest up. The only little one missing from our family activities will be Kalub. He and his mom will be in Minnesota visiting the other grandparents.

I am always surprised that my children expect a certain kind of celebration for July 4th. The way we spent the day while they were growing up really does mean a lot to them and they want to continue the "tradition". Michelle is driving home from Denver and will arrive sometime today. Michael will also be back from taking Kristi and Kalub up north so that he can spend the 4th with us. We will have the usual kinds of foods--cook some meat on the grill, potato salad, rhubarb pie (homemade with the rhubarb from mom's garden), and other side dishes that everyone else will bring to share. The afternoon will be spent playing bocce ball, croquet, ladders, and corn hole. Corn hole is a beanbag toss game. At the end of the day everyone will migrate to our house and we will sit in the driveway, eat popcorn, drink lemonade and watch the fireworks. I am sure we will let the kids have some sparklers to end the evening.

It is always a good time. I am just amazed that the 4th of July came so quickly this summer. I guess with all the cleaning, throwing out stuff, etc. the time just flew by. It seems that the lazy days of summer are few and far between. When does it "slow" down? I need to make time to relax and enjoy.

A Poem in Your Pocket

2009-04-29T16:11:00.008-05:00

April is National Poetry month. And so, tomorrow, April 30th, is "Put a Poem in Your Pocket Day". You are encouraged to carry a poem in your pocket and share it with someone. To acknowledge National Poetry month, I have written a poem about Samuel--also in honor of his birth. He will be 2 weeks old on April 30th.

The poem is written in the style of an *acroustic. I am sure it could be improved, but I am satisfied with it--for now anyway. If you click on the image, it should open in a new browser window and it may be a little easier to read.

*Acrostic poems are simple poems in which each the first letter of each line forms a word or phrase (vertically). An acrostic poem can describe the subject or even tells a brief story about it.

One Week Old

2009-04-23T10:45:00.012-05:00

Sam is a week old today. Both he and his brother are doing well. So is Mom and Dad--although they are tired. I did not get to help out as much as I had hoped because of a nasty sinus infection. I am on medication, but am still coughing a lot and sound like I have a head full. Most of my energy has been zapped out of me.

I was able to take Charlie for the afternoon yesterday. We went out to lunch, played, read stories and took a nap. Both Charlie and Grandma fell to sleep for a couple of hours. When we got up, Grandpa was home. Mom and Dad and Sam came over. I have added some photos taken at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Charlie is so good to Sam. He doesn't mind the attention Sam gets and seems quite concerned when Sam is crying. He is a great big brother.

Content in Grandma's arms

Having a chat with Grandpa

Happy 3rd Annniversary to Michael and Kristi. They celebrated their 3rd anniversary on Wednesday, April 22nd. It is hard to believe it was only three years ago that we were in Minnesota having a wedding. So much has happened in such a short time--some good, some bad. But we have a lot of fond memories to keep us going and many blessings in our lives.

2009-04-17T09:31:00.005-05:00

Mom and Samuel

The big event finally happened. Nikki, Matt, and Charlie have welcomed a new little boy into their family--Samuel David Fitzgerald. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 6 oz, was 21 inches long. He was born at 1:07 p.m. on April 16, 2009. Nikki and Matt chose to have a home delivery. Her labor began around 11 a.m. and a couple hours later Sam appeared. Both mother and baby are doing very well. Charlie happened to be at daycare while this was happening. He came home to a new little brother. He calls him baby Sam. He seems to like the baby but was more interested in his new big wheel and the cars and car mat I made for him. Charlie spent last night at Grandma and Grandpa's so mom and dad could concentrate on the new baby.

Samuel David
taken at 6:15 p.m. April 16, 2009

Grandpa and Sam

Charlie and his new car play mat

I will take more pictures of Charlie and Sam today and post as soon as I can. We are so thrilled. Sam is so cute! And Nikki was so relaxed after giving birth at home. Her mid-wife will check up on them today.

April Week-End

2009-04-11T09:54:00.004-05:00

"Hoppy" Easter! It promises to be a beautiful week-end in Iowa. The sun is shining and it should get up to about 60 degrees today. We are still waiting for the baby to appear. Nikki is so ready--she is having a hard time playing the waiting game now that it is so close.

My excitement for the morning was a small fire on the stove. Nothing was damaged and it was easily extinguished--the reason for opening the windows even though it is only 44 degrees right now. I had put the water on to boil some eggs for Easter. I did not realize that there was something in the burner's drip pan. When I turned around there were flames. I took the pot off the burner and tried to use the lid of the pan to snuff it out, but that didn't work. So, I opened the cupboard and grabbed the salt shaker. I poured salt on it and that extinguished the flames. When the burner cools, I will clean up the smoke, etc. Steve is at work, so I am glad I don't have to tell him that he has to come and clean up a fire mess from our house. The dog and I were the only ones home and the dog was safe outside. The eggs are boiling now.

Charlie came over to visit. His mom and dad had some things to do, so Grandma got to have him for the rest of the day. We went to Great-Aunt Nancy's house to dye Easter eggs with the girls. He thought it was pretty fun!

Watch the slideshow of photos.

Kalub was not able to participate in the egg dying as he was in Minnesota with his mom and dad, visiting relatives there. Maybe next year....

I have discovered that there is something called "laminated" cotton fabric. I am now on a mission to find some. It would make great bibs, aprons, messy mats, tote bags, etc. I think it is kind of expensive, but what isn't now days! I have so many things to make--if only there was more time.

With Easter comes the promise of new life. Maybe today the newest little Fitzgerald will appear. Easter means hope!

Easter's on Its Way!

2009-04-06T09:57:00.013-05:00

I was very busy over the week-end getting some things ready for some special little ones--and some older, special children as well. Although it is April, it still feels like winter--got a little snow on Sunday. It will be melted soon! I am hopeful that this was the last flake of winter this season. We haven't made any specific plans for the Easter holiday. We are waiting for baby to arrive--but you know how a baby can be--in their own time. I will certainly update this when Fitzgerald grandchild #2 arrives.

BubbleShare: Share photos - Easy Photo Sharing

2009-04-02T14:52:00.006-05:00

Created with Wordl.

http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/717210/Dr._Grandma_Says

Where are the months going? I don't know when February flew by and March marched right past me without even stopping. It is now April and we are still fighting to see spring arrive. Winter keeps coming back to annoy us.

The above image was created with a web program called Wordl. Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. It has a lot of choices for fonts, colors, and layouts. It was fun to "play" with it.

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Grandchild # 3--baby #2 for Nikki and Matt and sibling #1 for Charlie. I can hardly stand the waiting. I keep making more things for the baby, for Charlie for when the baby arrives--it is getting out of control. What fun!

February, 2009

2009-02-15T10:22:00.008-06:00

The boys, rocking out at Grandma and Grandpa's.

(Notice the "hat tree" in background-formerly used as a cane.)

It is still winter--of course, it's Iowa. We received a hefty 7 inches of snow in about 3 hours on Friday. It was heavy and wet. There were lots of accidents in Des Moines. Fortunately none of my children and husband were involved. They were all safe. I checked on each of them. But the sun is shining and some of it has melted.

How did you spend Valentine's Day? Steve and I had both grandsons for the evening. It was great. They are both so cute. Charlie is talking up a storm. He was trying to teach Kalub how to say "Grandma" at dinner. Kalub gave it a valiant effort. I gave them each a sock monkey for Valentine's Day, so they spent some time throwing them in the air.

At bedtime, I took Steve and Kalub to his house and dropped them off. Steve was in charge of staying with Kalub and getting him to sleep in his own bed. I took Charlie to his house for bath, stories and bedtime. Unfortunately he was not completely in bed when his parents got home. I don't think his mom was too happy that he wasn't asleep yet (it was 10 p.m.), but I told her it was "Grandma's privilege". He was too cute when he saw her, so she couldn't stay mad for too long at either of us. He is still my little "cheerleader/coach" when I go up or down the stairs. He told me last night to "be careful Grandma. Don't fall".

I have been sewing things for the new baby's room. So far I have made:

2 window treatments
crib skirt
2 crib sheets
4 throw type pillows
1 pillow case for the long body pillow

Still to do:

Memo board (the one with the ribbon that you tuck things into)
Crib quilt

And there is still plenty of time left to get it done before the big day! When it is complete, I will take pictures and post here.

Nikki is now going to the doctor every 2 weeks--so the time is getting short. She told me last night that this baby is making her very uncomfortable--like there is no more room for it to grow--she feels stretched to the limit. Maybe the baby will come early. They all take their time.

I have been released from the doctor's care. No restrictions, no cane or crutches. Every day I feel a little stronger and am able to walk more. The right foot has some numbness in the area where the plate and screws were inserted, but that is not a major issue. It is good to be back at it again. I can't tell you how much I missed being able to sit down and sew...and spend time in a fabric store. Heaven!!

January 2009

2009-01-19T10:15:00.005-06:00

Yes--it is dang cold! Yes--there are several inches of snow on the ground. But life goes on and we endure. I am now wearing real shoes (not the size I used to wear) and walking with a cane--one of those canes that has four little "feet". It is more for balance than anything. Every day gets a little better. The cold makes my foot ache--the one with the metal in it. But it is not unbearable--after all I did give birth to four children. Still no dancing!

I am back at work but am limited to not walking much, sitting down to do my job, etc. I will see the doctor in February. Probably there will be another round of x-rays and hopefully he will release me. Everything in good time.

I am helping Nikki get the new baby's room ready. She and Matt picked a color scheme and Matt spent the week-end painting. Nikki and I got the fabrics and I have a long list of things to sew: window treatments for 2 windows, a crib skirt, a crib sheet, pillows for the chair, basket liners, a crib quilt, and a memo board. As usual, Nikki is panicking--she thinks I won't get it all done in time. I reminded her about sewing prom dresses. I always managed to get it done in time for prom and it looked store bought and fit her perfectly. This too shall be done in time for the little one.

I am not sure what reaction Charlie will have to his new brother or sister. I don't think he quite understands it all yet. He will be a great big brother. He plays pretty well with Kalub and Kalub loves to be with him. I love spending time with both grandsons and take any chance I can to be with them. The housework can wait.

The holidays were all a blur. I did not get to shop so my contribution was knitted items. While I was recovering at home I knit the following:

8 pairs of socks
2 sweater vests
1 scarf
1 hat

All were finished in time and wrapped for the gift exchange on Christmas day. Michelle flew home on Christmas Eve and stayed through the week-end. The only disappointment was we did not get to spend time with Steve's brothers and sisters. The day we were to meet them, the weather was very nasty--the whole state was covered in ice. We had to stay home. It was not worth risking anyone's lives to make the trip. We will meet up with them all in June when our nephew, Chris (Steve's sister Diane's son) gets married in Wisconsin. That will be a better time of year to take a trip.

My hopes for the New Year: a better economy, healthy bones, and lots of family time.

Wish I Could Dance!

2008-12-10T22:32:00.002-06:00

The surgery happened and it has been 2+ weeks of recovery. I am still not able to dance much (oh, I didn't really dance before). The weather is cold, snow is on the ground and there has been a little ice. Not really great for someone with 2 broken limbs on crutches.

Of course on the day I was scheduled to see the Doctor, we had rain which then turned to ice and snow. My husband made sure the steps and sidewalk was clear of snow and ice so I could get to the car--it was still a little bit scary. I did not get the doctor's report I was hoping for. I still have to wear the boot on the left foot. They did take the stitches out of the right foot, and I can put a little weight on it--the heel only. So, I am still at home pretty much immobile.

I am feeling a little bit of cabin fever. It is exhausting to get up and down the stairs. I spend a lot of time on the computer or knitting. I have knit 6 pairs of socks in the last 2 to 3 weeks. Guess what some in my family are getting for Christmas.

Update

2008-11-16T07:55:00.002-06:00

Surgery is scheduled for Monday, November 17th.

I will have outpatient surgery on the right foot. The doctor says it will take about a half-hour for the procedure. He will put a plate and pins into the side of my right foot. I will be off of it for at least a week. He will re-evaluate at the end of the week.

I hate being so immobile. We take a lot of things for granted. I can't even carry a cup of coffee to my favorite chair. It takes me a lot longer to get things done and there are many things I cannot do at all. I am tired all the time--guess that is my body trying to slow me down so it can heal.

But what I really, really hate, is that I cannot take care of my grandsons. I always enjoy my "alone" time with each of them. That isn't happening right now.

I have been trying to knit more, but that isn't even going as well as when I am healthy and alert. This too shall pass. In a few weeks I will be back to walking on both limbs. Hopefully my strength and stamina will also return.

My trials and tribulations are nothing compared to others who have to live with this kind of thing everyday of their lives. Mine is temporary and for that I am truly thankful. So, I will quit whining about it. At least I can still use my hands.

Out of My Control

2008-11-09T10:19:00.002-06:00

It has been a while since my last blog post. Many things have happened. I have run into a block with my grandson's sweater vest and I just can't seem to get past it. The vest pattern itself was so easy to knit up, but the neck edging is causing a great disturbance in my life--I just can't seem to get it right and now I have frogged it so many times that I am afraid the neck edging will be too stretched. AGGGGHHHH! And I have another one started for my other grandson but I am afraid to move on. Helpppp!!!!!!!!!!

There are several other things that have rocked my world.
Part One:
We were preparing to go on vacation--a lovely trip to the island of St. Maarten with 2 of my daughters, one grandson, and my brother and sister-in-law. We had been planning this trip for months and were really looking forward to getting away. It was also going to be the first time my husband has ever traveled out of the country. Wouldn't you know, the day before we were to leave, they came to install the bay window in our living room and wanted to install the other windows and doors while we were gone. We had ordered them a couple of months earlier. I tried to talk them into waiting until we got back, but the danger was the weather was so nice right now and could change quickly where we live. So, they were to proceed with the project. Our twenty-two year old daughter would be staying at our house with the dog, so she would have to enlist the help of our son to get things ready for the workers.

Part two of this story:

While getting ready for the trip, I went to the basement to finish some laundry that I needed in order to finish packing--we were leaving the next day to drive to Chicago to meet everyone and catch the flight to St. Maarten. As I was bouncing down the steps, I thought I was at the bottom, but wasn't. I missed the last step and hit the floor. I knew that was not good. I sat there for a few minutes trying to let the pain subside. I then managed to get to the washing machine and switch out the loads, then hobbled back upstairs, took some IBProfin, put ice in a baggy, sat down, put my feet up with the ice bag on my left ankle. I called my daughter (she is a chiropractor) and she came and took me to her office. She x-rayed my left ankle and it was broken. So we went to the ER and checked in at 6 p.m. We finally saw a doctor a 8 p.m. who suggested I go to an orthopedic doctor as soon as possible. The ER doctor called the orthopedic doctor and pleaded my case. We managed to see the ortho doctor at 7:45 a.m. the next morning. He confirmed the broken ankle and said I would not have to have surgery and could go on the trip in one of those black boots with all the velcro. Then he looked at my right foot which was very swollen, bruised and hurt a lot. More x-rays and he came back and said it was also broken. He wanted to do surgery on it. I managed to talk him into waiting, put it in a surgical shoe, and walked out on crutches.

So--2 hours later we were in our van, driving to Chicago in order to fly out the next morning. I went on the trip with two broken limbs. It was not the trip I had envisioned and I didn't get to do as many things as I wanted to do. I did however have plenty of time to sit in the sunshine, read, and knit. I think I spent more time planning on what to take to knit than I did on what I was going to take to wear. I did not have to take any shoes on the trip so I had more room in my suitcase for knitting treasures.

I hope to go back to St. Maarten someday with two limbs that can walk normally. It would be fun to do the trip as a healthy, energetic person.

Part three of this story:
There is more to this story. The trip was not without hassle and adventure--unrelated to my physical state. So, watch here for the rest of the story.

We got home from the trip to a house with all new windows and doors and no window coverings. I am unable to do anything since I have two broken limbs and am not used to sitting and directing people. Waiting for others to move into action is very stressful for me. I am not good at it. I am the take-charge, get it done now person. I need to pray a lot--for patience.

October

2008-10-17T10:30:00.003-05:00

I have had the pleasure of attending a conference in Long Beach, CA for the past 4 days. The weather is gorgeous and it has been a good conference. I even got to walk down to the ocean and walk the "boardwalk". But reality hits--heading home late this afternoon. Hopefully the temperatures at home won't be a big deal. It has been in the 90's here. I know I won't see those temperatures when I get home. I am ready to go home. I really, really miss the grandsons.

The oldest daughter is moving on with her life. She will stop at home on her way to her new life in Denver, CO. She is excited about the new location-hopefully she is excited about the new job as well. I am excited for her too.

The countdown begins---2 weeks from today we will be on our way to St. Martin!

Knitting and Grandchildren

2008-09-27T10:46:00.003-05:00

I have the honor of taking care of my oldest grandson this week-end. His parents went on a little trip to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary. It has been a great experience and one that I am always willing to take advantage of. He is a wonderful little 2 year old and we get along very well. Of course, he has grandma's undivided attention. We have been spending a lot of time playing "cars"

Grandpa was the only one who could "unwrap" the presents from their boxes--to get the toy un-hooked so Charlie could play with it.

I have even been able to get a little knitting done--during his nap times that is. I began knitting a scarf for the Winter Games for the Special Olympics. It is a project that I read about in a knitting magazine that I picked up at my local knitting store, Knitted Together. The magazine, Knit Simple, Holiday 2008, has a lot of wonderful gift ideas and the article about the Special Olympics scarf project caught my eye. The yarn is Coats and Clark's Red Heart in delft blue and white. The pattern is a simple garter stitch and is knit the length of the scarf, rather than the width. The ends are finished with 1" poms--4 on each end. I think it was the colors and the poms that I fell in love with. It works well with taking care of an active 2 year old as I can put it down and pick it up again without having to remember where I ended. I am hoping that the evening Stitch and a Prayer group will be willing to help out and knit a few scarves before the January deadline. I know I have a couple of new people to the group and since they have never knit before, this will be an easy project for them to begin their knitting obsession.

Obsession: that is how I describe my knitting. I can never have too many patterns, too many needles, too many tools, bags, and other knitting accessories. And the stash of yarn is taking over a small bedroom--well it isn't a bedroom anymore. I may have OCD--obsessive, complusive disorder--about my knitting. Is that a bad thing? I hope not.

Sweater Vest Project: I have almost completed one sweater vest for the grandsons. But I am struggling with the ribbing around the v-neck. I have started over on it so many times, that I am afraid I am wearing out the stitches around the neck line. I don't know what I am doing wrong!! It is very frustrating. Perhaps that is why I switched to something easy--a scarf for a charitable cause. How do you handle knitting when it isn't going so well? I don't want to give up on this project either. I have another one to do, but would like to get it figured out before I complete the second vest. AGGGGGHHHHH!

A Two Year Old

2008-09-21T16:05:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Charlie's second birthday yesterday. It was a Cars theme (you know, Cars the Disney movie). He got a lot of gifts--a ton of hot wheel type cars and a few clothes. There were about 25 people at his party. Matt grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. The rest of the lunch was very good--Nikki made her great potato salad, Matt made his wonderful version of baked beans and Matt's step-grandmother brought broccoli raisin salad, but the variation was she used cranraisins instead of regular raisins. There were cupcakes for dessert. And all of the children attending received treat bags and a car made out of gum, peanut butter cups, peppermint patties, and miniature Hershey bars. There was even a "stoplight" treat made out of graham crackers, frosting and red, yellow and green M&M's.

I managed to get Charlie down for a nap, but he really didn't want to leave all of his new toys. I know he was exhausted by the end of the evening. He really did have a good time with all of his friends, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. It is hard to believe that he is two years old already!
I will post some pictures very soon.

Knitting for Charity

2008-09-13T14:43:00.004-05:00

A group of women at our church have been meeting regularly to knit hats for charity. When the group first started, there were 2 groups--an afternoon group and an evening group. The evening group sort of fell by the wayside for a time, but now it is beginning again. I am excited because I can actually attend the evening group and got to help decide when it would meet. It will meet on the first and third Monday evenings of each month. We are hoping that several others will join us and are encouraging anyone who wants to learn how to knit to come along for the "ride". I have even made up beginning knitting kits for the newbies to checkout and use until they are comfortable knitting.

The group is called "A Stitch and a Prayer" and you can click on the link in My Favorite Places to see what the afternoon girls have been doing.

September, ALREADY???

2008-09-05T18:09:00.002-05:00

Where does time go? It is flying by and there just aren't enough hours in the day to do all the things I want to do. Is anyone else having the same experience?

School is back in session and I have meet with my class for 2 sessions. There are 20 in the course. They are all going to be teachers and I have the great opportunity to guide them in the use of technology integration in their classrooms. I took photos of them all on the first day of class-mainly so I could remember who they all are and learn their names.

Charlie will soon be 2 years old. He is quite the little guy--talking more and more each day. He definitely has a mind of his own--hmmm, so did his mother at this age. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree--or so the saying goes.

Kalub does his best to keep up with Charlie. He loves being with his cousin. They are so cute together. They run and chase each other and laugh and laugh. It is fun to watch.

Birthday Month

2008-08-22T19:04:00.004-05:00

August is a whirlwind of birthday celebrations for our family. It actually begins at the end of July. Michael, my son and dad to Kalub, turned 28 years young on July 29th. Kalub, one of my favorite grandson's, turned one year old on August 11.

The cake was mighty tasty!

His birthday was followed by Michelle (oldest daughter) who turned 33 years young on August 19. Two days later, Sarah (youngest daughter) turned 22 on August 21st. Now we get a short break and more birthdays happen in September. Steve's is on September 9th and Charlie, the other favorite grandson, turns 2 on September 23rd.

Some exciting news: Charlie is going to have a baby brother or sister in April! We are very excited about it--at least I am. I know Grandpa is too. What fun to have another little one to love and spoil.

Gary (my brother) and his wife, Audrey, came to visit in early August. We visited with them at their camping site. They are pulling a fifth wheel around the country and plan to return to their home in Phoenix shortly after Labor Day.

My twin brother, Paul, who lived in the Minneapolis area, became a grandpa. His son, Nathan, is now the proud father of Brooklynne Rose Miller. I haven't meet her yet, but plan to very soon.

Summer is Moving Quickly!

2008-07-28T20:03:00.003-05:00

I am currently attending a conference in Boston. Last week I attended one in Chicago. I also got to spend a couple of evenings with Michelle. We went to Cheesecake Factory, a movie, Greek Town, and Margie's Candy Store--which is really a place to get huge ice cream treats. I just got to this conference late this afternoon--flew through Chicago. The flight was delayed in Des Moines and then again in Chicago with 3 gate changes before we were actually in flight for the last leg of the trip. I started and completed two books during all the waiting. One book was the second in a series (wish I had brought the third with me); the other was the first in a series.
They are:

Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich
Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton

The first one is about a bounty hunter and the second is billed as a "knitting mystery". Both were easy reads and it wasn't hard to keep reading until I had finished them both.

Family Updates:

On July 21, 2008 Brooklynne Rose Miller was born in Minnesota to Nathan and Alyssa Miller. She looks like a doll and now I am a "super-aunt" which is my terminology for Great Aunt.
Kalub Michael Miller, son of Michael and Kristi Steinbronn, is now walking--possibly more than he crawls--at least when I saw him yesterday he was getting braver and braver about it. He will soon be running after Charlie. Kalub will be one year old on August 11, 2008.
Charles Robert Fitzgerald, son of Nikki and Matt Fitzgerald, is very active, talking more and more, knows all the letters of the alphabet and their sounds (0ut of order) and is amazing us all with his skills. He still loves anything related to cars.

NOTE: Both grandsons are amazing and so cute!!!

July 2008

2008-07-10T14:33:00.002-05:00

The days go by so quickly. It is almost the middle of July and I haven't accomplished very much. Oh, wait! Kalub was baptized, we celebrated the 4th of July with friends and family, we will be on our way to Minnesota on Saturday to celebrate the upcoming birth of my nephew, Nathan, and his wife, Alyssa's first child. All of these activities are more important than other stuff.

The rain and flooding has stopped and it is typical Iowa weather--hot and humid. I like to just stay inside during this time of the summer. I have completed a couple of knitting projects--socks of course and a gift for the baby shower this week-end.

I have been able to spend lots of time with Charlie and Kalub. They are both growing up so quickly. Kalub has new teeth--he cut 4 at once on top. He has almost taken his first step--he is so close. He will be 11 months old this Friday. Charlie continues to amaze me with how quickly he is learning. Although he is not yet 2 years old, he can identify most letters of the alphabet (out of order) and say the sound they make. He loves playing with the Matchbox cars his great uncle Tim brings him and his favorite place to be is anywhere outside.

A Baptism

2008-06-16T14:39:00.002-05:00

This was a busy week-end! In spite of all the flooding in Iowa, Kalub Michael Steinbronn, age 10 months, was baptized at St. Pius X Catholic Church on Sunday, June 15 (also Father's Day). He had lots of family in attendance from both sides. Aunt Michelle and Aunt Marisa had to take a long detour to get here because of all the road closures in Iowa due to flooding. And, even though there is some flooding in Des Moines, we were dry and did not have to deal with water everywhere. It rained just a little and then the sun came out and it was a gorgeous day.
We attended Mass as a family and then had the baptism following in the newly remodeled church. Kalub wore the same baptismal outfit that Charlie had worn almost a year ago--and in the same church. Of course I took lots of pictures and will share them with you soon.

Memorial Day--Memories

2008-05-26T11:42:00.006-05:00

This week-end is a time when families gather to remember those who have left us. Our memories are of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. It is our first Memorial Day without Mom and the wound is still a bit fresh. Nancy, Emily, Kirsten and I went to the cemetary and placed some flowers on the grave stones of Mom and Dad--in between rain storms. We will gather today at the "house" and have a cookout although it is looking very stormy outside.

The two grandsons are a constant source of delight. Charlie is talking more and more. Kalub now pulls himself up to anything he can grab on to. I love watching them interact with each other. Charlie kind of looks out for Kalub and Kalub is fascinated with Charlie. I will have some more photos of both boys to post later.

I continue to knit socks. I am now working on a pair--almost have the foot part done of the first sock. The yarn is called ToFutsies and the color is TOEquoise.

The colors are working into a rather random stripe effect, not the rows of stripes you usually see. It is a very soft yarn and is a combination of fibers: 50% Superwash Wool/25% SOYSILK® brand fiber/22.5% Cotton/2.5% Chitin. Chitin has natural anti-bacterial properties, so the wearer's feet are less likely to get smelly (since the odour is due to bacteria). They will feel nice on my feet.

My next knitting project is to knit two socks at once on one circular set of needles. Joanne is going to go on that adventure with me--so we will each have someone else to ask questions and work out the "bugs" in the process. It will be amazing to complete a pair of socks at the same time!

More Family Time

2008-05-05T17:24:00.004-05:00

The week-ends seem to fly by--literally. I am always amazed at how little I get done on the week-ends. But we seem to spend a lot of time with our children, grandsons, and other relatives. Thank goodness they are so close to us.
Sunday was also a day with family. We met for a quick cook-out. No one had to spend a lot of time cooking as we grilled and used up the left overs from the girl's First Communion get-together.

Nikki and I took Charlie to get a new pair of tennis shoes. He had definitely grown out of the other ones. He is getting so independent. It is fun to watch both the boys grow.

Pointing to his new shoes

Kirsten loves to entertain the babies. She and Kalub spent some time together playing on the floor. Kalub crawled on top of the book and Kirsten pointed things out to him. His Grandma was very entertained by it all--but she is easily amused.

First Communion

2008-05-05T09:21:00.011-05:00

The girls, Emily and Kirsten, made their First Holy Communion on Saturday. The event was held in the newly remodeled church at St. Pius X. Those family members in attendance were: Nancy (of course), Tim, Peggy, Steve, Sarah, Michael, Krist, Kalub, Nikki, Charlie, Michelle, Amanda, and Paul (Johnston). It turned out to be a pretty nice day--at least the sun was shining. It was a little windy.

Following the church event, we met at Nancy's house for a cook-out/potluck. Joanne came over too to help us celebrate. I have added some photos of the event.

Kirsten and Emily opening gifts.

I took the photo's and created a scrapbook album for the girls to give to their mom for Mother's Day. The scrapbook pages were created on the computer using Adobe's Photoshop Elements 6.0. Here is a link to view the scrapbook pages:
http://picasaweb.google.com/drgrandma/Communion

Well I thought Spring had arrived...

2008-04-28T18:34:00.009-05:00

Guess I was a little premature with my excitement for spring. I am wearing a winter coat today--I know, it is me after all. But it was only 32 degrees when I left for work this morning. And there is a frost advisory for this evening.

We did manage to squeeze in a few hours at a local neighborhood park with the grandsons-- a couple of week-ends ago. Both boys loved being outdoors. So I just had to add some more of the photos we took. Kalub actually fell asleep on the wagon ride home--he ended up face down, almost in Charlie's lap. He was so sound asleep that he didn't even wake up when his mom and dad took him out of the wagon. I guess playing at the park is hard work when you are so young (that also applies to us older folks).

Here are some more photos:
Kalub liked swinging--especially when his daddy was pushing him.

The wagon ride home:

Getting sleepy-can barely keep his eyes open.

And he is out! Charlie wasn't sure what to do--hey, there's a kid in my lap.

Spring--Finally!

2008-04-21T15:57:00.007-05:00

Spring is starting to sprout--finally! We had a gorgeous day on Sunday. It was great to spend the day with the kids and grandkids!
Both boys are growing up so quickly!

As you can see from the above photo, Charlie has changed in so many ways--as to be expected! It is so much fun to watch the transformation and the learning that is taking place. I really get to enjoy the whole process as a Grandparent--instead of just trying to survive it as a parent.

Kalub is changing just as quickly. He is so anxious to get around, but hasn't quite figured out what to do--crawl or walk. He wants to just take off. He loves watching and interacting with Charlie! Apparently, he likes chewing on cars too. He is cutting some teeth.

More photos:

March 29, 2008

2008-03-29T09:14:00.004-05:00

Only 3 more days left in this month! I can't believe how quickly it has gone! The sun is shining and it looks like Spring will be arriving very soon. It is still a little cold, but it is not snowing and there is no ice. I have even seen some tulip leaves popping up through the ground. I am ready for the brown to turn green and lush!

Easter was very low-key and quiet. We bucked tradition and went out to dinner instead. It was great. No spending the day in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up afterwards. I only got to see one grandson that day though as the littlest one was on a trip to see his other grandparents. But the Easter bunny left him something anyway--it was at his house when he got home.

Another milestone in the family--the youngest child, my brother, turned 40 on Wednesday. Boy does he feel old! I certainly don't feel that old--at least not on most days. We went to dinner with him and I gave him a present--a Mr. Potato Head dressed as Optimus Prime. He loved it. The potato head toys have sort of been a standing joke for a long time. It started when I asked one of my children (they were very small at the time) what we should get Uncle Tim for his birthday. They thought he needed a Mr. Potato Head. So, we have been giving him that gift for a while now--not every year, just when I run across one that I think is unique or reminds me of him or something he likes--like the Tranformers. He and his wife will leave this next week for a trip to Australia. He will be doing some teaching there and they will take some time to tour a little bit.

My other younger brother and his wife are also leaving the country this next week. They will be touring China. I know they will take lots of photos and have lots to tell when they return. It will be a great trip for them as well. I am staying here. Someone has to keep an eye on things. :)
I hope both traveling groups have a safe journey!

March 24, 2008

2008-03-24T12:50:00.001-05:00

Today has been very busy. I am back at work and there is a lot to do. This post has been created with ZOHO Writer and then published from within ZOHO. It works pretty slick!

March 2008

2008-03-21T10:33:00.006-05:00

The first day of Spring has arrived and moved on. At least today is sunny. The temperature is hovering in the mid 40 range--warming up at least. Easter Sunday may be blessed with some snow. But I don't think it will last too long.

I have been on Spring break this week. I stayed home and was intending to work on some things around the house. Steve got called to a job in Monticello Iowa. He left on Monday morning and should be back this evening (Friday). So, I used his absence as an excuse to not do what I intended and instead, spent the week doing things I wanted to do. I worked on a quilting project with my friend Eunice. I went to lunch with my sister and a friend, Heather. I spent time with my friend Joanne and I had some Grandma time with one grandson, Charlie. I didn't get to see Kalub--but will make that up later when I take the rest of my vacation time.

Kalub with his Valentine monkey from Grandma and Grandpa S.

Charlie--ready to play.

Both Grandsons are growing and are so fun to be with. Kalub is almost sitting up on his own now and rolls around. He is all smiles for his Grandma and Grandpa. Charlie is a little guy on a mission--very busy! He wants to do things for himself. He likes being with his cousins, Emily and Kirsten. He likes Kalub most of the time too--unless Kalub has his Grandma's attention. But he gets over it quickly

Another photo of Kalub with monkey.

Happy Charlie!

Emily and Kirsten are now 8 years old. Wow! They are getting so grown up. Both girls have their own personalities and interests. They also have a lot of energy. It is sometimes hard to keep up with it all. I am very busy!!

Will Spring Ever Arrive in Iowa?

2008-03-02T11:37:00.002-06:00

The sun is shining. The temperature is 55. Another snow storm is predicted for this evening and tomorrow morning. We just got the ice on the driveway melted away and now we have to do it all over again. AGGGGGH! It seems to be the pattern in Iowa this winter.

Spring will be a welcome relieve--if there isn't a lot of flooding.

The little guys are doing well right now. They have had their share of colds, coughs, flu, etc.
It is so much fun to watch their growth and progress from this side--that of the grandparent. I was much too busy to watch it with my own children.

The Week-End

2008-02-16T20:35:00.002-06:00

The week-ends seem to come so slowly and then they go by so quickly. I am lucky to have both my grandsons so close by. On Valentine's Day I got to take care of both of them--Kalub's parents went out to dinner. Charlie's parents planned on going to a movie. Matt and Nikki made dinner for the 4 of us first and by the time dinner was over, they were too late for the early movie. They decided to stay home and not go to the late movie. Oh well. I still got to get Charlie ready for bed, rock and read to him and put him in bed for the night. Then Kalub woke up and we got to have some one-on-one Grandma-Grandson time too. The best of everything.

Friday evening Charlie had a sleep over at Grandma and Grandpa's house. He is always so good. I spent Saturday catching up on a few things and then taking the nieces--Emily and Kirsten--to their final basketball game of the season. Uncle Steve came too. It is fun to watch them in action. They are pretty good players.

There is another storm coming to Des Moines--predicted for tonight and tomorrow. I a hoping to spend the day at home doing whatever I want.

February

2008-02-12T14:09:00.002-06:00

It is still dang cold here and there has been a lot of snow. To further complicate matters, Nancy fell down and broke her ankle. She is out of action for the next 4-6 weeks. She is home trying to recover and fortunately, her employer will let her work from home. Her work friends have been fabulous and have been very helpful--bringing in meals every night, shoveling, taking out her garbage, etc. I am taking the girls back and forth to school--along with some help by a couple of other mothers whose children attend the same school. There is one more basketball game on Saturday.

Kalub Steinbronn turned six months old yesterday--February 11th. He is growing by leaps and bounds and is rolling over on a regular basis now. He is a darling!

Charlie Fitzgerald will be 17 months old on February 23rd. He jabbers all the time--which is great, except Grandma doesn't always get it. He doesn't seem to mind. I am still his favorite person. He is so cute with Kalub. They will be great pals.

January Musings

2008-01-28T17:40:00.000-06:00

It has been almost a month since my last update. I was marveling at how fast December was upon us, and now January is almost over. Does time speed up as you age? The new year brought some very cold days and some snow. Today is an exception--51 degrees. It almost feels tropical.

Aunt Sarah and Kalub

My week-ends have been spent sorting, throwing, giving away, in short--attempting to de-clutter the house. And there is still so much to do. We are trying to claim back some space so that Sarah could move back home. She did come and help and was very insistent that we keep at it. She moved in this past week-end and is in the room that used to be occupied by her older sisters. We haven't had that much time with her yet--but I don't forsee any problems with her back at home.

Kalub is not quite 6 months yet. He is starting to roll over. He is a very happy boy--smiles all the time.

Grandma and Kalub

Daddy reading a story to Kalub

Here is another photo of Kalub. Grandma has been "playing around" in PhotoShop Elements to get this effect.

Current Project: sock #2 using black yarn
Favorite Thing to do: take care of Charlie and Kalub
Other Ways I Spend My Time: Work, Teaching on Monday and Tuesday evenings

December, Already?

2007-12-02T10:59:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it is already December! I spent the day "hibernating" so-to-speak at home. The weather outside was "frightful"--not a day to be outside. We had rain, sleet and lots of ice on the roads, sidewalks, etc. It was a great day to stay in--thank goodness it wasn't a work day.

I have started my shopping--somewhat. In my view, thinking about what to buy constitutes the beginning of my shopping. I have also done some online shopping, so I am a little bit ahead of where I usually am at this time. There is always so much I would like to do in the way of creating gifts for family and friends and there just aren't enough hours in the day.

I have been knitting hats for a project at my church--I have completed 14 hats to date. I started a couple of weeks later than the rest of the group, but I think I have caught up to--or surpassed--some. It isn't a race, but the goal is to have 100 hats knitted before the holiday. We have already donated some to a local charity. My completed hats will definitely boost our numbers and push us closer to the goal. So far, I love every hat I have competed. They are all so cute! I will add some pictures later.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T10:45:00.000-06:00

The view from my window is becoming white--yes, it is snowing. It looks beautiful and always gives everything a clean, fresh look. I love the seasons. But of course, it could have waited until after the Thanksgiving holiday--so that everyone who is traveling could get to and from where they need to be in order to celebrate with family and friends.

This year our Thanksgiving will be shadowed with the memory of our Mother who is not with us, the memory of our father who died 4 years ago on this Thanksgiving week-end, the memory of Steve's mother who recently died, as well as his father who died 10 years ago. And, to add to all of that, my brother's mother-in-law died this morning. Our parents are truly missed in the circle of the family. The traditions may take on a new little twist as we struggle to make sense of it all. And, although we are trying to keep some of the same types of traditions, it will never really be the same.

We do have new memories to make for the two wonderful grandsons we have been blessed with--Charlie and Kalub. They are such wonderful miracles in our family.

Thanks for family, friends, health, and the comfort we find in our faith.
Happy Thanksgiving.

Halloween 2007

2007-11-04T16:29:00.000-06:00

I can't believe Halloween has come and gone! It is already November 4th. Do the days and years go faster as you get older? They sure do for me.

Charlie dressed up as BamBam--complete with hat and club. I devised his costume (with the help of Joanne) by cutting a pattern from newspaper. The fabric was some leopard print fleece and skin colored jersey. I wasn't going to make the hat, but decided the costume wouldn't be complete without it. I made another pattern out of newspaper and used one of his baseball hats as a guide. The brim has a piece of plastic cut from an ice cream lid to give it shape and form. It turned out way cute!

Kalub dressed as Tigger. He was very adorable too. I didn't make his costume---next year probably. I gave him a little toy--his trick was his cute smile.

Charlie got a box of animal crackers from Grandma and Grandpa. He didn't have to do much to get it either. They both would win the best costume in my opinion!

Spring Break 2007

2007-03-25T14:27:00.000-05:00

The week went by very quickly. Nancy and I , along with Emily and Kirsten, drove to Phoenix and spent the week with Gary and Audrey. It was a long drive, but we survived through rain, hail, sleet, and a tornado on the way home.

While we were visiting, the girls spent time at the pool with Gary and Audrey, we visited the Phoenix zoo, and made a trip to the Grand Canyon. The train ride to and from the Canyon was part of the fun!

Our last day in Phoenix was cloudy and very stormy. We left Phoenix in a rain storm and finally drove out of storms after we got into Texas. On the way home we stopped in Liberal KS for the night. There were storm warnings all night. We left Liberal in another rain storm--very dark and very rainy. After we passed Pratt, we drove in cloudy weather, but no more storms! Emily and Kirsten are ready to drive back to Phoenix. Nancy and I want to fly next time!

While we were away, Nancy got an offer on her house and after some phone calls and counter-offers, she accepted one. We had to come right home and start looking for a house for her and the girls. She thinks she has found one and will make an offer this evening. We pray that it will be accepted! You can view photos of it at http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=153216829/a=41433227/t_=41433227

More Vacation Photos--Spring Break 2007
It was GRAND!

Birthday Celebrations

2007-03-14T07:36:00.000-05:00

Kirsten's birthday was a success! We celebrated by going out to dinner at her favorite restaurant, Lone Star, and then back to Grandma's house for gifts and dessert. She chose mini cheesecakes that she and I made together in Grandma's kitchen. She received some nice gifts from the family too.

On Saturday, the girls hosted a birthday party for 10 of their friends at Lion's Park Shelter house. Joanne came to help (thank goodness). Heather, a Stampin' Up consultant, and her assistant, Ana, came to facilitate the making of some greeting cards. The moms stayed for the party too and along with their daughters, created an Easter card and a Mother's Day card. Kirsten and Emily blew out their birthday candles, opened presents and generally spent the time giggling with their friends. It was a fun, but tiring afternoon.

Charlie was dropped off at the party and he was sooooo good. He loved all of the activity. He was asleep in his car seat before I even got backed out of my parking space. Of course every event always ends at Grandma's house and the family met up there for pizza afterwards.

What will the next big family event be?????? There is another March birthday, an April birthday and a college graduation in May. July will bring a wedding, and another birthday. August will begin another round of family birthdays and a new baby! The fun never ends!!! The circle of life is still revolving.

Winter Hit Us Again

2007-03-04T11:40:00.000-06:00

It seems that winter isn't over yet in Iowa. We have had two winter storms back-to-back within this past week. But the worst is over now. The sun is shining and that is quite deceiving as it is still rather chilly outside. I did hear some birds singing as I let Snickers go outside this morning. That is encouraging. I think Spring will be here soon. This current snow should start to melt this week as predicted temperatures are going to be in the 40's.

Charlie is just a little past 5 months old now. He is so-oooooo cute! I was babysitting with him last night and when I walked in the door he gave me the biggest grin--one that just melts your heart! He has one tooth on the bottom and may be working on adding more. I took some photo's of him with his Great Grandma Miller on February 23rd--his 5 month old "birthday".

Photo at left taken on 3-3-07, Emily's family birthday party.

We celebrated Emily's 7th birthday. She wanted to go to Macaroni
Grill for dinner (good choice, Emily). Then we ended up at Grandma Miller's house for brownie sundaes and opening presents.

We will celebrate Kirsten's on Tuesday. She wants to go to Lone Star. Her requested dessert for the party is Mini Cheesecakes (like we had at Nikki's baby shower). So Kirsten and I are baking this afternoon. The party with their friends will be on Saturday, March 10th. They have invited 10 girls and their mothers to come for a card party. We will be handcrafting cards using rubber stamps. It will be a lot of fun. I, as the aunt, will be assisting, along with my friend, Joanne. I will post photo's of that event later.

Keep smiling. Spring is in the air!

Becoming a Grandmother

2006-10-02T11:08:00.001-05:00

Another first for me--I became a grandparent on September 23. Charles Robert was born at 7:03 p.m. to my daughter and son-in-law. He weighed in at 8 lbs 1 oz, 19 inches long. He has dark hair and we think he is adorable! The whole family is thrilled!

It is hard to describe the feelings you have as the mother of a child who is now an adult and a mother. It creates a new and unique relationship. I am trying hard to not give too much unsolicited advice. I want to hold, cuddle, hug, and love this new little person so much. It makes my heart ache to not be able to see and hold him constantly. But my place is in the background now. My daugher is the mom now. I am the support person for both her and for Charlie. I love the names they choose for their child. They did well with this new littel person in their lives.

What Goes Around

2006-08-15T16:09:00.000-05:00

I have recently completed a milestone in my life--and now I need a new goal. It seems that I am the type of person who needs to have a long-range goal to work towards--with a specific objective to complete. I am floundering to find that new motivation and feeling of worth again.

I find myself thinking --what is next for me? I don't believe I have "done it all" or "done enough" yet. The day-to-day work, family, etc. isn't always as challenging as I would like it to be. I need to explore some other projects to give my life focus, meaning, and a way to keep my creative side flowing.

Hmmm. What to do now?