Imaginary friends

We have now entered the world of imaginary friends. Maggie and I were making Christmas cookies yesterday. As we were preparing to start I had her wash her hands and when she was done she said "okay now Eric wash your hands." At first I thought she was referring to Mike because he has always been Prince Eric. I told her that daddy and Caleb were playing and we were making cookies. She said "no, Mommy, not Daddy- Eric needs to wash his hands." I ignored this and went on pulling up the step stool for her and getting her a spoon for mixing. She says, "Eric needs a stool too." I ignored her but she kept insisting so I said again that Daddy wasn't making cookies with us. "No," she says, "Eric is right here (pointing beside her) Mommy and he needs a spoon. " Then the rest of the day she kept on with her "friend". This morning when I arrived home from work Mike informed me that she and Eric were at the beach (her room). So I guess we now have three children in our home. I find it funny that she chose to have a boy as her imaginary friend but I suppose, considering her obsession with Ariel (the Little Mermaid), it makes sense.

I forgot Halloween

The kids actually cooperated and dressed up for Halloween. Maggie was a princess, ballerina, fairy (she made that up) and Caleb was a dalmation (thanks again Amy for the costume!). We trick or treated at 5 houses and carved a pumpkin. Here are the highlight photos.

Updates

It has been brought to my attention by more than a few people that I am slacking on my blogging responsibilities so I am sending out an apology to everyone along with an update. I can't even remember the last time I blogged. I think it was right before Mike came home in October. Here are the highlights:

• Mike will be coaching the State College Spikes (a rookie short season team in State College, PA)
• We are moving to Florida in mid-February until June when we will move to PA.
• We are all going as a family and it will be crazy, but hey, we are crazy so it should all work out.
• We are not sure what will happen come September but we are pretty sure we will be moving again. We are taking ideas on that one so please let us know. . . just kidding. I think we will probably be back in Florida for the remainder of the year just so the kids have some kind of stability.
• Maggie is 3 and that is a huge challenge for both Mike and I. She is crazy intelligent and so discipline has been difficult at best. Please pray for us to have patience and wisdom on how to get through to her. She really is a sweetheart but when she chooses not to be. . watch out!
• Caleb is so tough. I am surprised he hasn't been seriously injured yet. He is determined to do what he puts his mind to and it is fun to watch (although I am usually holding my breath).
• Maggie and I just got back from Marie's wedding in Houston. We flew out by ourselves because of some car issues (now resolved). It was a whirlwind trip but she was a trooper and had a great time. Here is a picture of us at the wedding, she was the flowergirl.

That is about it for now. We are going to be planning our holidays now so hopefully we will be able to catch up with some of you soon.

Only 8 more days!

As many of you know, Mike left on September 16th to go down to Florida for Instructional League, in the meantime the kids and I have been trying to stay busy. I was able to sign Maggie up for a Children's Day Out program at a local church on Thursdays and Fridays from 9am to 1pm. She started last week on Friday and she loves it. She was allowed to go in with the older 3 year olds which made me happy because she seems to enjoy being with older kids more. The teachers say that she is doing wonderfully and that they haven't had any problems with her. She leaves me without issue and doesn't seem to want to leave when the morning is over. I am happy that she is able to be a little more independent because I think it is what she has been wanting for a while. Caleb stays with me while Maggie goes to her class. They do have a class for him but he could only go one day a week and he seems to still need a nap before 1pm so for now he and I are getting alone time which rarely happens for him. He is really starting to blossom now. He loves balls and bats- go figure. Everything that looks like a ball gets chucked across the room as he laughs and runs after it. He has also discovered one of his daddy's hats that he loves to wear. He has started to sit more for story time and really engages with the books by pointing and repeating words. The kid "talks" like crazy- I guess he is trying to keep up with Maggie. In addition to the kid news- our family news is that Mike has his team assignment now. He will be coaching the rookie team in State College, PA from June until Sept and will stay in extended Spring Training in FL from Mar until June. Although it was not at all what I was hoping for and it will be quite a difficult and unsettled year for us, I have begun to find some positives in this news. It looks like our move the end of Feb will be down to sunny FL for a few months and then up to PA and back again. We have decided that this is the only way to do it and since the kids are young, now is the time to see the country! In the meantime we are still here in IL so anyone who has been wondering knows where to find us.

5 days without internet

So on Wednesday night I noticed that our computer screen wasn't working when I turned on the computer. I played around with it and finally got it working again and then the next morning it happened again. I have not been able to get the monitor working since then. The good thing though is that we have a laptop. Once Mike reminded me of that I was a little more relieved because I couldn't imagine not having use of the computer for Skype, bills, e mail, etc. until he came home. So I hooked up the laptop and then had to call the Comcast people to come out (on Friday) because the internet connection wasn't working. I was informed that it was because of the ethernet connection on the computer. Luckily, I was able to buy a USB adaptor cord to correct the issue but Best Buy didn't have it and I was beginning to feel hopeless until my friend Marie informed me that she had one for her computer that she purchased at Radio Shack. Thanks to Marie I went to Radio Shack today and now am back online and connected to the world again! We had Maggie's birthday party on Saturday (one week early but it worked best for everyone). I have a million cute pictured but now that I have the laptop with the mouse, keyboard, webcam and ethernet cord plugged in the USB ports there is nowhere to plug the camera in. I will figure it out an post pictures soon. It was a lot of fun!

Maggie's Daddy date

Since Mike's plans got changed and he had to leave earlier than anticipated for Florida he decided to take Maggie out for her birthday last weekend. They went to the Bass Pro Shop (not sure whose idea that was), bowling and to lunch at Red Robin. It looks like they had a blast! I am not sure what Maggie's favorite part was: bowling or ice cream. She keeps talking about both. I am just glad they got to celebrate together- now my struggle is explaining to her that her birthday doesn't last for 3 weeks.

Adventures with Daddy

The first weekend that Mike was home was beautiful so we decided to venture into the city by way of the train and public transportation. The kids, especially Maggie, had a blast on the train, trolley, and water taxi. We spent the day at the Navy Pier listening to a live 80's band and watching the boats on Lake Michigan. We got home pretty late and had a rough time home on the train but it was so worth it for the memories made!

He's finally home!

Mike is finally home! The kids and I are so excited to have him here. He surprised us early Tuesday morning, after driving all night long to get here. I had asked him not to drive all night but he was so excited to see us so he did it anyways. I can't say that bothered me =). I have started working more days at Starbucks now (just 3) and he has already started doing some pitching lessons. It is great to have him around and for life to get back to normal. I will post some pictures later but I just wanted to give this quick update for now.

He's finally home!

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Other fun times on our summer vacation Part 1

We were also able to visit with Mike's dad and step mom while we were away. We had such a fun time just relaxing and catching up. It is great for the kids to be able to have family everywhere that loves them! They have so many people in their lives I don't know how they will be able to keep it all straight. Maggie doesn't have a problem keeping them all straight and she knows just how to wrap everyone around her little finger with her sweetness! I love it that she has fun memories with all of her grandparents and great aunts and uncles. Her memory is awesome and I couldn't ask for a better family!!

We're finally home. . . sort of

As you all know, Mike got a new job as a pitching coach with the Pirates in Lynchburg, VA. What you may not all be up to date on is that we, the kids and I, have not moved there with him. We decided that since everything is up in the air in terms of where he will be working next season that it is better for us to stay here until he returns in September (hopefully the 1st but no later than 14th). Since we aren't moving there we went to visit him from June 21 until July 13th. It was a nice long visit but now it is terribly hard on us being here without him. We are trying to stick with our choice knowing that it is the smartest thing to do, but definitely not the easiest. The kids and I are contemplating another visit to see him either the 4th-10th of August or the 14th-19th. I say contemplating because we had an awful trip home from VA last time. The kids came down with some kind of stomach bug on the morning we left VA and I will just leave the details to your imagination and tell you that it was bad enough I had to stop and get a hotel for the night. I am trying to recover mentally from that stress before I embark on such a trip again. Maggie is ready to go again and tells me each day- "let's go to Daddy's baseball game and see the hillcats." She didn't seem to mind the long trip. Caleb still struggles when I attempt to put him in the car seat now. I think he is having flashbacks of being stuck there all day long! Either way, it looks like Mike's team might make the play offs and puch back his return home until later in September so I think the trip is inevitable. Virginia is beautiful and I enjoyed myself while we were there it is just the idea of that drive that is holding me back. While we were there we celebrated Caleb's first birthday with cupcakes and breakfast at the Cracker Barrell (Maggie calls it a museum). Here is a picture of how messy Caleb got with his cupcakes.

How Maggie is staying busy

Here's Maggie's interpretation of Big Bird and Snuffalupogus from Sesame street. She has been entertaining herself for a good portion of the mornings with play doh and water colors. I am not sure if you can tell from the pictures or not, but it is time for us to buy more playdoh and I am even thinking about getting one of the bigger kits to keep her entertained for longer, possibly. What do you think of the idea of making out own playdoh? I remember doing it when I was young, but I have no idea how messy things could get or if I am up to it. Post a comment if you have done it with your kids and let me know if I should try.

Caleb's first sickness

On Friday of last week I noticed he was feeling warm. It turns out he had 102.5 fever. The poor boy was so lethargic looking. I took him in to see the doctor on Monday when things just weren't looking any better for him. It turns out he had/has a double ear infection. I felt awful for him. Here's how he has pretty much looked for the last week. He seemed a lot better today so hopefully he will have a much better weekend than last.

Caleb and Mommy time

Maggie left with my parents for a few days so Caleb and I get to hang out by ourselves. It is kind of weird because it hasn't been just him and I since he was born. Here's some pictures of our fun.

White Sox game

Now I am not particularly a White Sox fan and Mike claims to HATE them, but nevertheless, I made him take me to a game. My parents were in town for the weekend and my cousin, Jason, was in from MI as well for a conference in the city so they joined us at the game. I probably would have preferred a Cubs game but they were on a roadtrip so it wasn't an option. I still had a blast at the game and the White Sox won! Here are a few pictures.

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Here's some pictures of the family on our trip to Kenosha that we took with the baseball team. On Friday night, we went to the beach at Lake Michigan. As you can tell from the pictures, Maggie loved the beach. She kept getting confused between beach and desert. It was a blast and she is still talking about the beach! Maybe she won't mind Florida if that is where we end up.

Tourament Champs

Mike just coached his last game with the Naperville Reds yesterday in Kenosha, WI. The team went out on an amazing winning streak. They swept the tournament and won the championship game 11-1! Mike had such a great time watching the kids play to their potential and having fun while winning. He was pleased with this tournament and sad that he won't be finishing out their season. Here are some pictures from the weekend.

The kids and I had a great time watching the games. The weather was beautiful on Saturday and very cold on Sunday. Maggie mostly played in the dirt and Caleb slept bundled up in the stroller.

On the move

That's right, the Steele family is moving again! I can't believe it myself, really. Two weeks ago, Mike got a call from a friend he knows that works with the Pittsburgh Pirates asking him if he would be interested in a minor league pitching coach position in Lynchburg, VA. We prayed about it and thought about it and decided he should at least interview to see what happens. He was offered the job and has accepted the position. He just received the contract today so things are moving quickly. He will be leaving on May 25 or 29th to drive down to VA and join the team (Hillcats). The kids and I will be staying behind until June 23rd at which time we will be joining him in VA. Plans may change still because some things are up in the air but that is the gist of what is going on for now. We will keep everyone posted and I will continue to update here on the blog. For now, our phone numbers will stay the same but his will be changing soon. Please keep him in your prayers as he travels and makes yet another transition in his career. Please also pray for me and the kids while he is gone. Thanks!

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Messy boy!

There are two things that Caleb goes crazy for: Daddy and food. He doesn't like baby food anymore and prefers to eat whatever we are all eating. He can't, of course, eat what we eat but I try to give him whatever he can handle. Tonight he had sweet potatoes and kidney beans with some cheese. He likes to feed himself too- which is why it is all over his face. I give him a bite then he takes it out with his had and puts it back in again. Maybe he has some control issues. . .? Who knows?

The Reds are still undefeated!

They have played 5 games now and are still undefeated! The closest game was a week ago when they only won by 1 or 2 runs (my memory fails me, exactly). Most of their games have been won by way of the mercy rule though. Yesterday, it was a 16-2 victory! Mike is loving the winning and especially loving the relationships he is being able to grow with these kids. He will be done coaching them in 2 weeks when their full-time coach, who is a college player, finishes his season. He says he will be sad to be done and wants to stay on until June so I am not sure what will happen. He starts with his 18 year old team the first week of June and will be doing a LOT of traveling again this summer. I'll let you know how the team finishes up!

Maggie's a rock star!

On Friday night, we were invited for dinner at one of the player's houses that Mike coaches. Apparently there is this new video game phenomenon called "Rock Band" and another called "Guitar Hero". Well, being 14 year old boys, of course these kids have the game , so we entertained ourselves for a bit of the evening playing the game. Maggie is very into music and with the "Rock Band" game , 4 people can play- there are 2 guitars (bass and lead), drums, and a singer. Once Maggie saw what we were doing, she couldn't wait to get in on the action. Here's a few pictures of her being the lead singer for our band. She did a great job and we all had a lot of fun. (See Mike rocking out on the drums??)

Mike's first win

So, Mike is undefeated in his head coaching career. His 14 yr old team, Naperville Reds, won their first game last night against Burridge Barrens 16-2! Go Reds. He said he had a great time and that is was good to be coaching a team again in competition.

We're finally getting better

Sorry it has been such a long time since I've posted. We have all been sick since right before Easter. I wish I had some cute pictures to post from our first Easter with Mike not doing baseball but all we did that day was lay in bed and wish we had family close to take care of our sick kids because we were sick too. We've all had the flu and I will spare you the details but it has been bad! We had to cancel 2 visits with friends from Michigan and haven't left the house much lately because we didn't want to contaminate the rest of the world. Both the kids lost some weight but seem to be eating more now so they shouldn't have trouble gaining it back. I lost some weight too and am hoping to NOT be gaining that back! Here's a fun story about each kid to give you an update on how their little personalities are developing: Maggie was so sick and dehydrated we had to take her to the ER for IV fluids. While she was there, terribly sick and out of wits, she was with it enough to inform the ER doctor that she did NOT wear diapers. The conversation went a little like this (as told by Mike): Dr: So how have her diapers been? Maggie: No, I don't wear diapers I a big girl. I wear princess panties, see? She is too smart and way cute. Caleb has learned how to crawl the traditional way and is no longer our little soldier. I think this makes Mike a little sad because he was sure Caleb was headed for a career as a sniper! He is still a very fast boy and extremely mischievous. Once he starts walking I am sure to lose even more weight chasing him around. He is still as happy as can be and loves to get every one's attention with his big blue eyes and handsome smile when we go out. He is also Mike's little shadow. Just today when Mike came home from work Caleb took off to greet him at the door and followed him through the house to the bathroom, computer, down the hallway and into the kitchen then back to the door again before crying to be noticed. Mike is so happy to be home more to watch the kids grow and I am grateful for all of his help.

Maggie's first haircut

I have been wanting to do this forever and today I had had enough! Maggie's hair is beautiful, no doubt, but it is out of control! It doesn't grow in a regular pattern and parts of it is curly ringlets and other parts a board straight. In addition, she REFUSES to wear any kind of hair accessory to pull it back from her eyes. Mike was adamantly against getting it cut, but I sort of did it anyways - oops! He is okay with it now and thinks it is cute. I am not really sure you can tell that big of a difference except that now you can actually see her eyes.

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Maggie update

It has occurred to me that after several phone calls with requests to know how Maggie is doing, that I never updated anyone on her health. She is TOTALLY fine. It took about 4 1/2 days for her to be back to 100% but she is doing great now and there are no signs that anything was ever wrong. It is the strangest thing I know, but I just thank the Lord it wasn't something serious or permanent!

8 months old today

It is hard to believe that 8 months has gone by already. Caleb has grown so much. I think he weighs 24 lbs. He is wearing all 12 month clothes already. He is still such a laid back kid. He LOVES his sister and nothing makes him laugh harder than her. Today when they were supposed to be napping, she was entertaining him from her bed and I heard nothing but laughter from the both of them for over an hour! As you can see from the pictures- he is starting to try standing. He can pull himself up to his knees and will stand if you position him holding onto something. He definitely has mastered laying to sitting but sometimes it seems he doesn't know how to lay back down. I have found him sitting in his bed crying and obviously exhausted and then when I lay him down he crashes again. He is now a sprint crawler-if there is such a thing- but he is still doing it army style and I don't think that will change seeing as how easily he can get around as it is. It is so funny though because he pants as he is crawling fast. He gets so excited and follows Mike from room to room. He has learned how to push our bedroom door open and come in to be with Mike. They are definitely buddies!