...I'm not even sure when the last time I really sat and thoughtfully blogged was....
...and I hate all these picture-less posts....
But we are in the midst of tax season and wading through the papers in the basement is not high priority just for me to have more exciting picture-ful posts. So that will have to wait.
Here's is what's been going on this lovely spring in the crazy ol' Steg home....
*Dylan has started baseball. I'll admit we dug our feet in a bit with this. And maybe that should have been a sign to not do it as it was just "one more thing to do". But, the boy needs to get his energy out and he loves just about every kind of athletics and we feel he often gets the short straw for activities. Kev...well, let's just put it this way...he would be ok if baseball was not a sport. It's probably his least favorite. He tried to talk D into soccer (his fav. sport), but after skipping baseball last year, D was not willing to to it again. So we signed him up. He, of course, got put on the team with no coach. We are grateful two other dads stepped up b/c there was no way non-baseball-lovin' Kev was gonna do the job. Practices finally started this weekend....of course...why not add two more things to our already 20-fold-busy weekend?? But, we made it to both practices...barely. "Best" part of it all is that D got his first shiner/baseball-to-the-face injury last night. Neither Kev nor I were right there to witness it either (I was at the park with the younger kids and Kev was on the phone hashing out tax stuff with his mom :)). Anyway...we came back to the field to find D covered in blood and a very puffy looking and feeling faint. Though maybe he'd broken his nose at first...there was a lot of blood and his nose looked bruised. After a bath and some icing of the wound, it looked like it just hit him hard in the lip. This morning he can only open half his mouth. He's could be looking very green/blue in the face on Easter. Good thing we took some Easter pics yesterday :) I am just thankful no teeth were knocked out and no eyes are black!
*Hays finally celebrated her 14th bday with her buds. This was a long time coming (as it seems with all our long-drawn-out bday celebrations :))...but it is just getting increasingly difficult to schedule anything for our household, especially for the teenager of the house who has overhwelming amount of homework and lives half her life at the ballet studio :) But, we did succeed in getting her 4 good school buds together on Sat-Sun and had a "green" party. I know she didn't want to label it with any theme (that was her first request when I asked her in March "what kind of party do you want?"), but I really did love that she picked the color green at least to amuse me. I think themes are not "cool" for teens, but it turned out really cute (even though she totally shot down all my St. Pat's ideas :)) We had a green cake, green cake pops and did some simple green decorations. It was sooooo simple compared to the younger kid parties we throw. I could throw a teen party every weekend. No games to plan, easy food, nothing fancy. It seemed simple in comparison. I think the worst part was just cleaning up the house a bit. So it was a nice, tame teen sleepover party. Kev cooked his great bbq chix on the grill, we had some simple sides, did a glow-in-the-dark egg hunt and flashlight tag in the dark, ate choc. fondue, and watched Newsies (oh and Hailey succeeded in not lighting her hair on fire during candle-blow out :)). They didn't even stay up that late or end up going to the mall for a scavenger hunt...and they never even watched the movie I thought they'd watch (The Book Thief). But, I think they had fun. We had yummy empty tomb rolls and monkey bread for bfast. It seemed effortless aside from making some food. The funniest part of the party was how Logan joined in. He loves attention and being the center of it all. He was cracking the girls up and ended up starting a ball war with them. He's such a goofy toddler :)
*Now we move on to Shelb's 10th bday. No rest for the weary! Cannot believe she'll be double digits in a few weeks. She made her list out last week and wants all Frozen stuff (and some knitting supplies :)). Of course there is little Frozen stuff to be found in the stores and the one thing I keep ordering from Walmart seems to be sold out. She might end up getting lots of yarn for knitting! :) But, we're excited for May 6 not only b/c of the big 10th bday...but it's also our last day off school for the year...AND...Nina and Pops G will be here!!! We will have to do something fun. For now all Shelb wants to do is go to Moes to eat...apparently this is her fav. place now? So it's on to planning the 10th bday party...which I think will be Paris/Eiffel Tower :)
*Recital Time for the ballerinas! Ok, so we don't really call it recital b/c for ballerinas that is a faux pas! Recitals are for those dancers who dress up in frilly costumes and such. Ballerinas are apparently not this way :) But, whatever you call it, our spring performance is up and coming....and this year it's on the Sunday of Mother's Day! It will be one crazy Mother's Day this year, but I'm excited my mom and Kev's mom and all of us can be together and enjoy a performance that day and celebrate together :) I'm so confused about the dances this year, but the main theme is Jeux d'Enfants. Hailey will be dancing three parts that I know of. Her class piece, which she says is the toughest/longest she's ever had to learn? Maybe I got that wrong, Hays? And then she is doing Raymonda Act II as her solo variation. She is also doing La Toupie with 4 other girls. I really am not at all familiar with any of these. Cinderella (last year's performance) was much more familiar :) So it'll be fun to have my mom here for it and to enjoy that all. Lil' Ash is also doing a fun dance with her creative movement 3 class. I was very, very bummed I couldn't watch it all this weekend for parent visitation...but Logan just didn't cooperate (sit at all!)...so I watched from the window and sadly didn't get any photos. So grateful Nina and Poppy Stegs surprised us and came to watch both girls dance for visitation week. I usually love this week, but with a busy toddler it just makes it hard to sit at all! This that season of life we are in :) So the busyness of ballet continues. Hailey is usually out til about 9/9:30 every night which is an hour later than normal. Good thing she loves it all :)
*Shelby rocked it with her violin solo concerts this past week...one on Tues and one on Sun. She is doing really well on the violin and very diligent about practicing (and much better about not complaining about the amount of lesson/practice time :)). She played Musette for both recitals and did so beautifully. Logan even made it through both of her songs...but that was only b/c she was first to play. It's so challenging to watch quiet events like ballet and violin with a very loud/busy boy :) I think Shelb's fav. part of her solo week was getting her first Frozen toy. I found an Elsa polly toy in the wrong place at Target and grabbed it up. She's been begging for one for months. She has slept with that doll on the shelf by her bed for almost a week (with a homemade bed she made for it.
So cute! :) She was also super stoked this week when we finally bought the frozen music on i-tunes. Now she can listen to it on her i-pad whenever she wants, which is quite possibly all-the-time!
*Most impressive...our Shelby's adventure skills! She took a trip with her girl scout troop to Marengo Cave on Sat. I'll be honest...I wasn't sure how she'd do. She seemed a little nervous about being in a dark cave all day. I knew she'd be in some tight quarters too. I was secretly glad I couldn't go only b/c I don't like enclosed places. I'm not as bad as Nina with claustrophobia, but I definitely get anxious in small spots. Anyway...she apparently had the BEST time! She came home and could not stop talking about all the stuff she saw...the stalagmites and stalagtites, bats, salamanders...about how she army crawled through caves and was up to her waste in water. I guess she did all the cave touring she could while her leaders and other troopees didn't. She has always been my adventure girl and my outdoorsy one. I was really proud of her. I think her fav. part was getting to keep the headlamp they used :) Now she can mine and explore caves whenever she wants in these cavernous hills of Bloomy :) She also sweet enough to buy us all gifts in the gift shop. She really does have a heart of gold! Love my sweet, big-hearted, explorer, Shelb!
*D and daddy had a great time with cub scouts at their rock climb on Sat. It was such a crazy day for us so I didn't even ask much about it...but I know they had a ball. D is a pretty daring kid and I know Kev enjoys a good rock climb. I remember him doing it in college too.
*Hays and I (and Ash and Log) ventured to Nashville in the wee hours of Sat. (Indiana, not TN)....it was NHD day (National History Day). She and her friend, Audrey, did a website project on the Watergate Scandal for their ALPs history class at school. I haven't even had time to read the paper yet, but it must have been pretty good b/c they won 2nd place. Now they are off to the State competition in Indy on May 3 (not that Hailey can do his with her busy ballet sched)...but what an honor to be a history winner! Go Hays!
*We made the oh-so-exciting-trek to our downtown mall to see the big white bunny yesterday. I think Hays was most excited of all...haha...she rolls her eyes at me when it's time to see Santa and the EB. But she was a good sport and she is really a very necessary part of the equation as far as Logan is concerned. I had a feeling he'd been wary of the bunny...but didn't know he'd react even more poorly then when he saw Santa just 4 months ago. Poor kid. The EB terrified him and he was hysterical. EB even tried to sneak out and pretend he was on a break...and then tried to sneak back in and be in the back of the picture w/o the toddler knowing, but Logan was no dummy. He kept his eyes on the door and cried every single moment as he clutched his Hailey. So it was a no-go for being happy in the EB pic, but at least it made for a funny story :) And now we know that we probably need to wait a bit to go to Disney where the world is full of lifesize dressed-up characters :)
*Tomorrow we have Logan's 2nd helmet visit to check head shape progress. I know there will be no change. I can just tell. And I'll be honest...if there is no change tomorrow, I am going to be very lenient on him wearing the helmet, especially this Easter week and in the hot, summer. He is so stinky with it on and I honestly think when he's tired the helmet drives him crazy. I had to take it off him at ballet the other day b/c he was going birsirk. I just couldn't handle watching him fuss with it. He calmed right down when it came off. And he just loves his hair when it's off...he rubs his head like it's the softest thing. He sweet blonde locks are curling out from the top and bottom of his head gear. I am not sure I can part with those lovely locks b/c they are my daily reminder that at least he still does have hair under the nasty blue thing! On the bright side...we've decided the helmet is great for spring in many respects. I have no worries about him falling off things like slides and swings and no fear of him being at the ball field or anything like that. It's always the hour we have the helmet off every day that we get in trouble b/c we're used to letting him do more brave things with it on. And I must say that people are really drawn to him with his helmet on. Everyone comments on how cute he is and what a lil' football player he looks like. Maybe this will condition him to love football...either that or he'll hate it? We'll see what tomorrow's measurements show. Not holding my breath.
*Terrible Twos early? Well, we've reached the terrible 15-months. I don't remember any of our kids being this rambunctious this early in age...but Logan sure is! I am not joking when I say he is the "spawn of his daddy". Apparently Kev was at least this wild as a child. Our baby boy is all about running. I even had a mom today who's son's been walking since he was like 6 months old, say to me..."wow, Logan has really big steps for a baby...he's so fast". Yes, he does and yes he is...and that's b/c he's pretty much running everywhere. I knew when he learned to walk it'd turn right to a run. It is honestly hard to keep up with him. And he is drawn to danger. He loves stairs, especially cement ones at ballet and violin. He loves trying to walk down stairs on his own without sitting. He has no fear. He loves to climb too. He climbs on his stool every morning to wave to his sibs on the bus as it goes by. He climbs on the table and chairs whenever we aren't looking...or even when we are :) He stands on all our bins just so he can be bigger and taller. He has just about climbed over our gate. He can even open doors now, so we are going to be in really big trouble when he can get out the front door! And he LOVES to scream....just for fun! He screamed so much last week that he scared his friend who cried the entire time he was at our house. Sorry, Elijah! He also likes to invade personal space. He likes to touch his friends' heads and their hair (probably b/c he can't touch his own!)...and he loves to hug everyone. But, most of all, he loves and adores his mama! There is no one better than mama in his eyes. I love that he loves me so much. I think Hays is 2nd best...and then maybe dada. I seriously love this kid so much, but there is a really good reason God made him my 5th. There is no way I could have had 4 more after him....at least at this age :) He is a wild child...my mini-Kevin :) We are learning very, very quickly that we need to be very consistent with him and saying "no"...but it's going to be a long process. He is much more defiant than any of our other kids. I have had to get right up in his face when I tell him no...and put him in timeout in his high chair. I know he gets things so I know I need to do this, but it's still odd to discipline a 15 month old. The toughest thing about him being this way lately is that it is difficult to focus on the other kids...I can't watch ballet or violin easily, can't talk on the phone for long, and even helping with homework and cooking is near impossible. He is just so busy and so troublesome and needing constant attention. It would be a piece of cake if he was my only one, but b/c I have to have my attentions elsewhere it's just hard. I feel I'm missing my other kids growing up but at the same time I just want to sit and play ball with him and chase him around and watch him smile. But I know this is my last season of life like this and I need to enjoy these busy toddler days. I am glad to say he's a pretty good eater...but he is being a bit stubborn about baby food lately. He much prefers just to eat cheese sticks, mac and cheese, rice, pizza and ice cream--his favs and he'll turn his helmet head and block all other things. He still loves to throw everything (especially balls) and he's been known to throw the occasional baby tantrum lately. These are pretty comical and he's realized they are painful for him when his helmet's not on :)
*Ready for high school? Ready or not h.s. is right around the corner for Hays. Say it ain't so! We were again hemming and hawwing over classes last week. Whether or not to transfer her middle school credits over to South HS next year (for Algebra and Spanish 2). We even talked to her counselor and were honest about her possible future ballet plans. Seems weird to think of 4 years in the future...but ya' gotta plan all this stuff out now. Good thing we have a responsible girl on our hands and I can't wait to see what plans God has for her. A physical therapist? (for dance?)...a ballerina? Will she graduate early? All I can say is that high school comes with a whole heck-of-a-lot more decisions that it did 19 years ago when I graduated!
*Easter! So glad it's almost here. I love Easter...it's my fav. holiday. Just so much hope in this holiday....and also I love that the weather is just generally nice around this holiday (though I hear we could have snow tomorrow...good grief). Love the tulips coming up and the greener scenery. This is my down day before the holiday stuff picks up...but after the weekend we had last week, this Easter week seems slow :)
*We've been thoroughly enjoying the outdoors and friends. I realized a couple weeks ago that I have about 30 more days with Ash home with me before it's summer and then Kindergarten starts. These are my final days with her home during the school days. I got sad thinking about this and it helped me repriortize. How can I sit and clean my house and declutter when it's so nice out and my little ones could be enjoying it and enjoying their friends. We've been sooooo blessed by amazing preschool friends this year. Not only is Ash best friends with like half her class, but I'm great friends with their moms and Logan is even friends with their siblings. It's been such a God-send to us! I am truly getting sad about next year and losing that. It will be much, much harder to keep up all those friendships with the busy school schedule and all her friends going to different elementary schools. So I am really taking advantage of the time we have now. I'd say half the week we have play dates with friends...at the park, at the mall, at our houses, at Red Mango (Ashley's fav yogurt place!), at open gym. Ash is definitely my social-lyte :) She loves her friends. Logan has loved being able to tag along too and make new friends and run and play. Yes, my house is still a cluttered mess, but I wouldn't trade that for friend-time any time!
*School--going great for all kids. Too much homework for Hays....too much busywork and projects. She's up later than any of us usually and then up earlier than us too. Thank goodness she's a self-motivator. Shelb is doing ok. Struggling from time to time to find her down time. She's gearing up for her recorder program this week and a wax museum project soon. D loves school. He's in the middle of a big project (black rat snake). He also went to Honey Creek last week (think, Little House on the Prairie)...he loved it and even got to dress the part. Ash is winding down at preschool. She is being tested this week for her Kinder skills. We've been practicing at home so I hope she's ready :) She had fun at Guest day with her special guests--daddy and mommy and Logan :) She was bummed her Ninas couldn't go, but having three guests I guess sorta made up for not having the ones she really wanted :) Good news is that Nina and Poppy Stegs are back in town...and Nina and Pops will be here from FL in just a few weeks! YAY, YAY, YAY!
*House-Not trying to sell it yet...not trying to buy another one yet...but still looking. Feeling sorta indifferent about it all. I really do love our home...it's been ours for 13 years...we have lots of memories here and it really is a home for us...not just a house. I love our neighborhood, our locations, our neighbors and the life we've led here. It's hard to think about changing that. I would really have to find the perfect house to think about moving. And I love being at home with my kids all day, every day...and to move would be a bit of a financial burden. So, we'll see what the plan is. I am hoping it just becomes evident and falls into place. For now I am just having fun looking and critiquing homes. My fear is that we'll sell ours quickly and not find a new place and I'll regret selling ours.
So, that's some of the "goings ons" of the Stegs. April is actually the calm before our May storm, so I am trying to enjoy it. I have been so much more laid back about life lately (in some respects)...I think feeling physically un-well forces you to do that. I have had to relinquish lots of control. I have had to be forgiving of myself. It's been good for me. I've taken a break from the computer a lot, taken a break from lots of things, just tried to rest my brain more. I am not good at doing this, but I've realized it's very necessary. God is teaching me daily about life and surviving tackling the trials and tribulations :)
