July 2008

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

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

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

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

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...

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!

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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!