Christmas Catch-up :)

 Been another busy weekend, but no time to do a run-down of it. Instead here's some pics from a couple weeks ago when we started setting out our Christmas stuff. I say "started" b/c we are still working on getting it out. :)  The best thing about this Christmas is the wonder and discovery of it through Logan's eyes. He loves everything about it, I think.  He even loves the extra clutter to play with (glad someone does!)  Here he is discovering Christmas lights for the first time :)

 The roommates with their shared "tree space" :)

 Hays even put up her tree :)  (I am just realizing I never got pics of them with their finished trees...and never took one of D with his tree...scattered mama!) :)

 Shelby pretending to be a tree :)

 Awww...my buddy decorated his own tree :)  Love!

 Santa's helper :)

And D with the candy bouquet that he helped make for his ballerina Trepak Sis :)

More pics to come....

My (cold) Sweeties :)

 Just a few random shots from last weekend...of the kids in our first big snow...this is for you FL folk so you can actually "feel" the cold :)  The white stuff was really coming down...and very chilly!  My sweet Ash was covered in it...she was wet/cold down to her skin.  Poor kid!  But, she still loved it and stayed out for hours!

 My big boy loved it too and he's not usually the outdoorsy/cold type.  Check out his lost tooth...and that day he lost (and swallowed!) another! 

 My Sweet Shelb...she loved the snow too and built a snow fort!  Pics of that to come later...

 My baby boy...very red in the face b/c he had just done a face plant into the snow off his sled.  Not the best way to start off his sledding experience...

 Hailey did go out with us this first day, but mostly this day was known as Nutcracker debut for her!  Plus I had to throw in a warmer looking pic!

 We went out again the next day to play.  Logan liked this day better b/c it was sunnier and not so snowy.  He especially loves his Sissy, Hailey :)

My fav pic...my boys...they LOVED sledding together...and, yes, Logan is smiling and giggling going down our sled hill :)

As much as I don't love snow/cold...there can be some fun found in it...trying to be grateful for a week's worth of white stuff in our midst :)

Dec 27

This was the expiration date on my three jugs of milk today.

I did a double take.

I then realized 2 weeks from tomorrow is this date.

My baby will be ONE.

I drove by the hospital where he was born tonight.

I saw the big Christmas tree on top all lit up.

It was this way 351 days ago when we drove there at crawl-speed during a blizzard. 

How in the world did a whole year go by?

I looked at baby pictures of him last week.

I feel like I don't remember any of it.

Never has a year of my life gone by so fast.

Never has it been such a blurr.

Is this how it will be til my kids are grown and gone? 

Probably.

I don't like that time goes by so quickly.

I didn't know a date on a milk jug could bring such emotion, but it did.

It also reminded me that I have 15 days to finish all my Christmas stuff, gather 1st bday stuff, pack and just get through the holiday.  Still pretty confident this is not enough time.  But also fairly confident that whether I get all the stuff on my to-do list done, time will go on and I will survive :)

The Tumbler :(

Well, it finally happened today.  Something I really had hoped would never happen to my baby...but should have known better given that life is distracting and our boy is very quick on his knees now...

He took his first tumble down the stairs.

Thankfully it was the basement stairs which allowed him a fairly soft landing.

Let me backtrack...

I was looking for a lost book in a pile of clutter.  Logan had just woken up from his nap.  I had set him down in the kitchen as it was about time to leave to get Ash from preschool.  I was preoccupied looking for the book.  I turned to see where he was and he was gone.  I noticed the basement door open right way.  I could hear him grunting funny.  He had gone for the cat water which sits on the top step now.  He was actually head first all stretched out on three steps with the bowl in his hand (picture spiderman).  I think he would have been ok had I not scared him.  But, my quick movement startled him and down he went. It was awful to watch.  Just awful.  It was so slow motion and I was about two steps behind him the whole time, but could not bend over to get him. Instead I had to watch his little body bob from step to step and his little head hit the wall twice.  I was screaming.  He was probably scared to death so he didn't make a sound as he fell.  All the while he kept the cat bowl in his hand grasping it for dear life probably hoping it would make him stop falling.  He landed at the bottom (which was thankfully not full of toys at the moment) and looked up at me screaming with his big blue eyes full of tears.  It was just awful...awful.  I scooped him up as fast as I could and cried along with him.  We called daddy and cried some more.  By the end of the conversation with daddy, Logan was laughing at me.  Praise the Lord for making babies so resilient.  I don't think I'll ever forget how awful it was to see my baby fall down the stairs.  I've never witnessed one of my kids' falling the whole day down the stairs.  It sure looked traumatic and I have a feeling I'll be reliving it in my dreams tonight :(  So, so thankful he is ok (aside from a scrape on his forehead from the wall). I know it could have been way worse.  I had him take his nap on my lap today just in case he had concussion issues.  Poor kid.  He's back to his busy ways tonight :) 

So, he's got his first tumble out of the way :(  I was really praying this wouldn't happen to him.  I guess we have to have a better option for our kitties and the door being open

.  The only reason we don't have a gate on those stairs is b/c Syd and Sam (our cats) are too old to easily jump over the gate (we think Sam has arthritis).  So we want them to be able to be upstairs with us during the day and get to their litter/food too.  We will have to come up with a new solution b/c I cannot keep worrying about the basement door being open/closed.  I don't think my heart can handle any more tumbles down the stairs.  Heart be still!

The only bright side of the tumble down the stairs is that we think it finally scared the poops out of Logan. He has been constipated for over a month and he did the biggest poop ever after his fall!  I guess there is something to the statement "scared the crap out of ya'" :)

Wow!

I was checking out some pics today and ran across these two and had to post. When in the world did my baby girl grow up!?  I used to have to bend down to take a pic with her (2007) and now she's almost my height!  Wow, how time flies and kids grow! (and on a side note, I think she needs to teach me how to do make-up...I am looking old, tired and frumpy and she's just beautiful!) :)

The Christmas Crunch

Well, we're in crazier-than-normal-mode here at the Steg house. I am calling it "the Christmas Crunch". Not my fav. thing :(  Even Kev is stressed.  He's stressed about the current clutter (we still have all our Christmas bins out--about 8 total--and they are almost like 8 extra people who constantly live in our dining room, living room and kitchen).  I am stressed about the thought of more "clutter" coming in with new Christmas gifts.  Not to mention we have so much to do in the next 10 days before school ends (yikes, 10 days...where has Dec. gone???)  It has become very apparent to me that we will in no way shape or form get everything done that we need (want?) to get done before we leave for FL.  I am even worried about us simply getting packed (you should see our laundry/clothing situation!).  Anyway...I am trying to keep it in perspective, but I have a constant knot in my stomach knowing all we still have to do in such a short time.  I was feeling very anxious this morning and I love how God used a friend of mine to give me some great wisdom.  I am posting it on the blog b/c I think it's a great reminder to all of us on a daily basis, especially those "say yes-ers" like myself :)

To my sweet sister in Christ,

Just a reminder, when we say yes to something we don't really feel called to do, then we will say no to something else (that may be our calling). Gosh I hate to be reminded of that but practicing this has made my life easier and left me happier.

Take care of yourself!

Few Weekend Shots...

 Just a quick post for today...and of course had to show off some "snaps" from the last 3 days.  Of my beautiful Trepak/Russian ballerina before her Friday night debut show :)  Doesn't she look so grown up now?!  So proud of her!

 And the kids during the snow storm (our snow day!) on Friday.  You can even see the snow still coming down...

 My kids all dressed up yesterday before Hailey went to her final Nutcracker show.  Ash went with me...she was pretty excited as you could tell!  Check out all that snow!  Logan was hitting Ash with the Nutcracker. He has successfully already broken one Nutcracker (nice job, mini-Fritz!) :)

 Hays before yesterday's show.  This is the MAC (Musical Arts Center) where she performs.  Check out the snow!  It's never been this snowy for one of our Nutcrackers before!

 Just had to add a couple pics for Nina :)  Of Hailey in her new dress, which got lost in the mail and arrived about 2 hours before we needed it on Thursday night!  Phew!  Glad it made it before the snow b/c we haven't had mail since!  She looked beautiful.  Never shopped Forever 21 before, but they have great stuff and we got this one on clearance!  And below is Hays after the show...by the big Nutcracker :)

 Us last night in the Live Nativity.  Kev was in the Last Supper scene and the kids were in Jesus and the Children scene.  Hays and I switched off so this was my turn to be in the scene.  She watched Logan for me.  Our Uncle Randy and Cousins, Alyssa and Harrison were in it too. It was a cold night to sit outside for this! BRRR!

My baby pretty much hates the cold white stuff, but here was one pic of him not crying on Friday as he discovered it.  Sweet boy!

So, here we are on Monday...it's been a weird morning.  Got up and ready to go--at the normal 6:45.  Got Hailey's lunch all packed and was ready to get all the kiddos up, when Kev came down and said there was a delay.  Apparently we missed the 5am phonecall from the school system.  One down side of not having a phone in your bedroom, I guess.  We did go back to bed, but not the same slumber we were pretty much awake.  Ash then only had 1 hour of preschool.  Not really even worth it to go home in that amount of time.  I did get myself and Logan fed and he got a 30 minute nap, but still not ideal.  So much for getting this house cleaned up after the Nutcracker craziness!  Now Christmas prep really begins.  School holiday activities, school programs, Christmas parties, shopping (hopefully all online!), 1st bday party prep and packing for FL among many, many other things.  I am not sure how I am going to get this all done in 2 weeks time, especially with a baby who is into everything!!  At this point I'm keeping it all in stride, but check back in a week or two to see how my sanity is :)