Gramma's soccer superstar

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Gramma's soccer superstar

As the youngest of three boys in a sports-loving—watching and playing—family, Declan has spent many an afternoon, evening, and weekend cheering on Brayden and Camden as they compete on the court, field, track, and more.

The four-year-old finally got a chance to shine on the other side of the stands when Megan signed him up for youth soccer, his first time on a team.

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And the little one said: ‘Lemme out!’

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And the little one said: ‘Lemme out!’

Conditions are getting quite cramped for my youngest grandson. During yesterday’s ultrasound—photos for which are far more distinct than last week’s ultrasound—there was one hand nearing the little guy’s face… and (not visible in this printout) a foot pressed up against his forehead, according to the technician. Quite a feet, er, feat!

The limited space must be why Mama Brianna experienced such mighty movement from the nearly newborn contortionist on Monday…

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Declan and the dastardly deed

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Declan and the dastardly deed

I was chatting on the phone with my daughter Megan one day last week when out of the blue she exclaims, "Whoa! There's a tarantula in the fridge!"

What?

"Yeah, I just opened the fridge and forgot I had put it there!"

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Grand spinners from Krokotak!

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Grand spinners from Krokotak!

Grand spinners from Krokotak!

I'm always on the lookout for cool and creative crafts for kids. My grandkids in particular. Because the majority of my grandkiddos live more than 800 miles away, I rarely execute said crafts with my grandsons, but I do love to collect ideas for "one day." (Much like I collect cookbooks and recipes... yet make the same standards again and again.)

Anyway, if you like Grandma's Briefs on Facebook, you may already know one of my favorite sources for clever activities for kids is Krokotak. I'm not sure what the name means or who's behind the magic, but I…

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Grandma challenge: How full can she fill forty-four hours?

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Grandma challenge: How full can she fill forty-four hours?

My desert-dwelling grandsons and their parents visited my house last week—for forty-four hours. The family had taken a road trip to Vail for a wedding, and Jim and I were fortunate they fit in a stop at our place on their way back home.

I was thrilled to host them and was determined to squish as much into the visit as possible, unsure of when I'd see Brayden, Camden, and Declan (as well as Megan and Preston, too) again.

As all three boys have birthdays in June…

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MS and must-see brain matters

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MS and must-see brain matters

As many of you know, I have multiple sclerosis, having been diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 1992. I've done fairly well with the condition over the past 26 years, with the help of progressively stronger drugs along the way. In fact, most strangers—and even some folks I do know in person—have no idea I have MS because, for the most part, it doesn't show. It's one of those "invisible" diseases.

As such things go over the years, though, some of the effects are becoming less invisible. Especially to me. Especially those darn…

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