Knees

 I just want to start off by saying I have no problem with my age, I just don't like that my body doesn't work like it used to.  In the "olden days", rest or a good night's sleep would cure most aches and pains. Not anymore! 

However, if I have to grow old, this is who I want to grow old with! Gary and I are both having issues with our right knee.  He had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in March.  Unfortunately, it is still bothering him. 

He was really good about taking care of himself after the surgery too.  However, it is not working as he and the doctor hoped, so this past Tuesday, Gary started a series of injections of Synvisc. Click here or here for more information. We are hoping that this will postpone the need for a knee replacement surgery.



I twisted or overextended my right knee in the beginning of March.  I've done this before, but it always got better with rest, ice, compression, and elevation.  Not so much this time. So when Gary went in for his follow up after his surgery, I had an appointment to have my knee checked out.  At first after an exam and my description of how and where it hurt, the doctor thought maybe I had just pulled or torn something.  However after xraying my knee, the doctor said I had arthritis and the cartilage is worn so that I am bone on bone in a couple of spots.  Most likely in the future, I will have to have a knee replacement, but I can hopefully hold off on that for awhile.  I had a cortisone shot and that worked great for a few months.  I may see about having another one.  Going down stairs hurts or walking down an incline.  I'm doing exercises to strengthen the muscles around my knee and walking on the treadmill. I found this great knee support that helps most days.  We also have more heavy duty knee braces if I need those.  I still have the option of more cortisone injections, arthroscopic surgery, and Synvisc injections before we would have to do the knee replacement.

I try to focus on the good things in life and not dwell on the aches and pains that I can't change. So if you see us limping around or rubbing our knees, you know what's going on. 

I will admit that I am not looking forward to setting up my classroom in the fall.  Climbing ladders, hanging posters, lugging boxes all stress the knee (translation - hurt/pain)! Thank goodness I have awesome friends who helped me pack up and move my classroom at the end of the year.  

Now I think it is time to go rest my knee and read a book.  It is summer vacation afterall!

Summer Days

 It was just Gary and I for dinner on Tuesday, so we had these yummy salads and a baked potato.

 On Wednesday Sarah, Abby, Ellie, and I headed over to Liz's house.  We stayed with Izzy while Liz went to a doctor appointment. Then we headed out for lunch and shopping.

 My five girls headed into Monterey's for lunch.

 Abby and Izzy enjoyed their quesadillas. 

Izzy and Liz smiling for me.

Ellie fell asleep and Sarah was able to put her in her seat and eat lunch. 

After lunch, we headed to Kohl's to do some shopping.  Liz, Clay, and Izzy are heading to Indiana to spend a week on the lake with my sister, Susie and her hubby, Scott. They will leave on Friday.  Sarah, Tony, Abby, and Ellie will be going to Hawaii in August.  They are excited to go and visit Tony's family.  It will be the first time Sarah and the girls have met Tony's father. I don't think Sarah is thrilled about the long flight to Hawaii with a 3 year old and a 6 month old, but Tony's family is going too, so there will be lots of help with the girls. 

I had a great time out with my girls. 

Brave Day

 Liz, Izzy, Abby, and I had a fun day today.  We went to lunch at Subway.  Check out the reusable bags the girls got with their kids' meal.  Merida from the new Disney/Pixar movie Brave. 

Then we headed to the movie theater to watch Brave!  These girls were so excited to see this movie together.  The were so good all day.  I love being a grandma and getting to spoil my girls.  Thanks Liz for going with us. 

What movie will we go see next?

Granddaughters

I have a photo frame that says Grandkids on it and it has had this picture in it since I received the frame for Christmas 2010.  I told Sarah that I needed an updated photo and here is the new photo she took. 

She actually had to use Photoshop to create this one because it is hard to get a photo of all three of these cuties smiling and looking toward the camera. 

I love being a grandma!  I love my granddaughters! I love watching my daughters being moms!

~~~~Life is good~~~~

Friday Fun!

 Ellie and Auntie Liz playing

 "Auntie Liz, what tasty eyebrows you have"

 We had some small thunderstorms pass by this afternoon.  Izzy and Abby went outside on the porch to watch the rain,

 look for lightening,

and listen to thunder.  They had a great time.

Swimming

 Ellie is enjoying this fun playmat.  Izzy and Abby both loved it when they were little too.  They all have loved kicking the ball - by Ellie's feet in this picture.  Today, Ellie put one foot on each side of the ball and pulled so hard the velcro fastening let loose.  She is a strong little girl. She loves reaching for things now. 

 Yesterday the Aina's invited me down for lunch.  Tony was teaching Abby how to make a sound by blowing across the root beer bottle.  She is so excited when she makes the sound.

 Sarah and Tony bought a little pool for this summer.  It was so hot yesterday, we put it in the screened porch.

Abby loves the new pool!

 Ellie is fascinated by Sarah's phone.

 Sarah and Ellie went out today to check on our three little mermaids.

 Izzy, Lauren (Tony's little sister), and Abby spent over 4 hours today playing in the pool area.  It was so hot and humid today, it was nice to have the pool in the screened porch with the ceiling fan.

Ellie does NOT like the pool.  The water was too cold for her.  She likes watching the big girls in the pool, but when Sarah put her feet in the water, she was not happy!

Last Day of School

Officially last Friday, June 15 was my last day of school, but I had to come back on Monday to finish up.  I am changing grade levels (from 4th grade to 3rd grade) for next year and that meant I need to move all of my stuff to my new classroom.  I had almost everything done last week, but I still needed to go through my poster drawers, wipe everything down, move the last of my belongings to my new room, have my end of the year conference with my principal, and have the final check out form completed. 

Liz and Izzy came in to help me finish up.  Izzy loved helping with the posters.  She also picked up stray tennis balls (we put them on the bottom of the chairs to keep them from scratching up the floor) and some had hidden under the computer tables.  I gave Izzy a ride to my new classroom in my desk chair.  When I told her she could ride, she looked at me and said, "For real?" and off we went. 

After I finished checking out, Liz, Izzy, and I went to subway for lunch.  It was a great way to celebrate the end of a very stressful school year and begin what I hope will be a relaxing summer. 

I'm going to Indiana for 11 days.  I'll help my Dad clean out some of my Mom's things while I'm there.  I will also be attending my niece, Becca's wedding.  My nephew, Dustin and his wife, Leigha are expecting their first baby and I will be able to attend a baby shower for them.  I'm flying into Indianapolis and my sister, Susie, is picking me up.  We will drive down to Evansville and stay at a hotel.  It will be a fun sister trip :-)

When I get back from Indiana, I start teaching a graduate class at SMCM.  I teach Literacy Assessment for student teaching interns in their MAT program.  I teach Monday - Thursday from 9 - 12 for two weeks and then the other sessions of the class will be after we are back in school in the fall.  The students have to complete a case study for my course and they have to be working with students in order to complete the study.  So we get all the background info about assessment and instruction in the first two weeks, then they go out and apply what they have learned, compile data, complete their case study and then present their findings.  I really enjoy teaching this course. 

Teachers start back to school on August 16 and the students' first day is August 22.  I know the summer will go by quickly.  I've already talked with Liz and Sarah about some fun things to do together this summer.  Library outings, park visits, watching the new Disney movie, Brave, shopping, and just having fun are in the plans.  I'm also planning to do some fun reading this summer  - in addition to some professional reading to be ready for my new teaching assignment. 

Here's to a fun, memory filled summer!

Ellie and Sarah

 Sarah and Ellie were playing last night.  Tony and Abby were on a Daddy - Daughter Date to see Madagascar 3.

 Caught her in mid-roll

 I noticed that when Sarah holds Ellie up like this she keeps her lips closed.  That's because our little Ellie is really drooly now and sometimes spits up a bit.

 Ellie gives big slobbery kisses now.

 Ellie is a joy!

I love the big smile she gives us! She loves the camera and keeps an eye on it when I have it out. 

I love being a grandma!

Father's Day Weekend

We had a fun weekend.  It started on Thursday evening.  Liz and Clay were going out of town to celebrate their 9th wedding anniversary (June 14).  Since I had to work on Friday, Sarah volunteered to let Izzy stay with them Thursday night. 

 The girls have fun together, at least most of the time.

 Ellie is so much fun. She wants to sit up now. 

 I've been trying to get a photo of all three girls for my Grandkids photo frame, but it is hard to get all three of them looking at the camera and smiling. 

Izzy and Abby love to make silly faces for me.  Ellie is just Ellie.

 We spend lots of time on the screened porch.  Izzy loves to hold Ellie. 

 Abby had some fun with sidewalk chalk too. 

On Friday I went to school to finish student records and pack up and move my stuff to my new classroom for next year. 

 Sarah and Tony went out on a family date to celebrate their 6th wedding anniversary (which is actually June 17).  Both girls actually got married the day before Father's Day.  Their anniversaries are 3 years and 3 days apart.  Gary, Izzy, and I had a fun evening together. 

On Saturday morning, Tony had some young men's activities - a bike trail ride in preparation for their five day bike ride at the end of the month, and then a youth beach party.  So Sarah, Abby, and Ellie joined Gary, Izzy, and I for a trip to Waldorf.  Gary had to pick up three suits that were been tailored and Sarah needed to look for a new crib for Ellie.  We stopped at McDonalds in Charlotte Hall for a fun breakfast and then headed to Waldorf.  We got the suits and then headed to Babies R Us to look at a crib Sarah found online.  They had the crib in stock - Yeah! Then we pulled the van up in front of the store and Gary got out to help the guy from the store put the crib in the van.  We had to move some carseats and Izzy sat with her legs crossed on the seat for the 30 mile trip home, but we made it!

We ate lunch and then Sarah put her girls down for a rest.  Izzy and I ran errands, and Gary waited for a distant cousin who was visiting his son in Baltimore to come for a visit.  They met doing genealogy and have been emailing and talking on the phone for a few years.  It was fun to actually meet face to face though. 

Izzy and I had picked up veggies to grill with some chicken and Tony volunteered to grill.  We love spending time outside on the deck.  We've been grilling a lot recently too.  

 Ellie is such a cutie!  She coos, babbles, blows bubbles, and makes fun baby noises. 

 Izzy and Abby had more fun playing together.

 They love watching Ellie.

Today is Father's Day so we made a Bacon and Eggs brunch for Gary and Tony. 

Izzy playing horsey for Ellie.

 Izzy is becoming a reader.  She is reading The Magic Treehouse books.  I am so happy my granddaughters love books and reading. 

 The girls have some new playsets and were having tea parties on the deck this afternoon. 

Look at this little cutie!  Ellie kept looking at the chair and leaning toward it, so I put her in it.  She loved it!

 Happy Father's Day Gary!  Here is a proud Papa posing with his granddaughters before church.

After church the girls gave Gary the gift they made for him.  He took them out looking for little rocks yesterday.  Little did he know they were for a gift for him.  Sarah used gray stone looking Sculpy Clay, which she shaped like a rock and then Izzy and Abby helped spell out "Papa Rocks" with their little rocks.  They are going to find a special spot in the garden path area for their special Papa rock.