2010 Year in Review - Part 1

I started the year off with a resolution to blog about our family, kinda as “book” for the kids to look back at when they get older. I started off with good intentions but quickly let the daily routine get in the way. I’ve since picked it back up but I thought I’d recap the year for what I missed :) Here goes!

February – We took a trip to Aunt Shana & Uncle Oliver in Maryland. Just days before we were to leave, they received massive amounts of snow & the “Blizzard of 2010”. Luckily we made it out there ok and escaped without delays. We played in the snow & went sledding down hills at a local elementary school. It was sooo much fun! Taylor absolutely LOVED it! Teagan was still a bit young and it was hard for her to get around all bundled up. They sure did look cute as snow bunnies!

March – By March, Teagan had several ear infections in her short little life (double ones). It seemed she was on antibiotics every other month. Eventually we decided to take her to an ENT. He pretty much said right away she would probably need them but we tried one more antibiotic, and of course, that did not work. She still was having fluid in her ears. At the end of the month, she was finally getting some relief by getting tubes put in her ears. We had to be there very early in the morning and the actual procedure took about 5 minutes. Those were the longest 5 minutes EVER! I know it’s a common thing but still, when it’s your child its nerve racking!! Luckily she came out of there A-OK. It went perfect and she hasn’t had a problem with them since. {Fingers crossed}

April – I LOVE the month of April. They weather is beautiful and more importantly its Taylor’s birthday month! For her 4th birthday we decided to have a carnival themed party. It’s the most perfect time of the year for it! We went all out, popcorn machine, cotton candy, a Carousel bounce house, carnival games, & a clown for face painting & balloons. We also had a silly photo booth where the kids could put on a clown nose, wig, or big glasses. It was a blast!! We had about 15 kids, more than I had expected would come. I had lots of fun planning the party, from the invitations to the cake, to the favors, I enjoyed ever minute of it. I hope you enjoyed your 4th birthday party Tay tay :)

June – Our little ballerina had her first recital in June. She did a tap routine to the The Good Ship Lollipop. Her costume was a sailor outfit and was just perfect. Shana & Oliver made it down to see Taylor on the big stage. The recital was held a Royal Palm Beach High School on a Sunday night. Unfortunately, Taylor’s class was in the 6pm show and there was a huge thunderstorm that night. The power ended up going out in the middle of the show and the fire alarms were going off too. I was worried for her since she was backstage with the other kids & a couple of parents. I wanted to get to her but they wouldn’t let anyone backstage to create more confusion. It delayed the show about 30 minutes and we didn’t end up getting home till 11pm! It was late even for my night owl. She was amazing the in show! She wasn’t shy or nervous one bit. She is my little performer!! I couldn’t have been more proud.

Busy, busy, busy!!

I wanted to do a quick post because it feels like things are getting so busy. December has been crazy! Between the usual dance class, xmas shopping, parties, playdates, photoshoots.... there has been a lot going on!!

Teagan is just getting over bronchitis :( Poor girl has been through so much! She was sent home from school one day with a fever and then her cough started getting worse and the fever was high. We usually don’t run to the Dr. right away but we both felt something was not right with her. Her voice was very scratchy and hoarse. So Chris took her to Dr. Mussary and they prescribed antibiotics. The only down fall of the antibiotics is it usually upset their tummies, and it did. We bought something called Florastor at Walgreens last night which is a probitotic that should help her tolerate the meds better. Five more days of this!!

Teagan also is potty trained now! Over Thanksgiving vacation, where I was able to be home with her for more than 2 days we worked on it. Then one weekend I just said we are starting panties! She has been doing great! Her first day at school she had NO accidents. Her teachers were really surprised how well she did. We still put on a pull up for overnight but most nights she wakes up dry :)

I have to just add that Teagan has been cracking me up lately. It’s so funny to hear what comes out of her mouth sometimes. One of my favs is when I tell her “Come on Teags, its time to go” and she replies with “Two minutes mommy!” pointing her little chunky finger at me. She also is addicted to the iPhone, its really insane! She wakes up and one of the first things she says is “can I play with your phone mommy??”

The girls are just growing up so fast! I dropped Taylor at her friend Bella’s house two weeks ago. It was the first time I’ve ever dropped her at a friend’s house to play. She was SOO excited. Bella is a really sweet, quite and shy girl. I’ve met her parents before and they seem very nice. When I dropped her off, Bella’s mom had pretty beads all ready for them to make necklaces. They also went to a neighbor’s birthday party where they had a bounce house and cotton candy machine. Needless to say, she had a great time! I guess this will be the beginning of more of that and then sleepovers! Yikes, she will be a teenager before too long!

Both girls are getting super excited for Christmas. We have been having fun this month singing Christmas carols and watching movies. The ABC Family channel has been running the “25 Days of Christmas” which they show holiday movies ever night. Everyday Taylor asks me what movie will be on tonight. She loves How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Home Alone 2. I loved seeing her giggle during Home Alone, and her repeating “Merry Christmas you filthy animal”. LOL It has been great family time :)

I went to my first cookie swap this past weekend hosted by Rocio. Of course I don’t cook OR bake, so I was in a dilemma on what to make. I found this website called Our Best Bites and found saw a recipe for Toffee Chocolate Chip cookies. I know, kinda plain and boring but hey, thats’ me! I like plain and boring and I love toffee ;) I think it was the first cookie I every made from scratch and honestly they were delish. Chris even complemented my skills. Hey, I may not be Betty Crocker but I’m great at following directions.

I still have lots to do this week, especially wrapping ALL those presents. I cannot wait till Christmas morning and see the excitement on the girls faces.

More to come on that note....

First Parent/Teacher Conference

Today I had my first Parent/Teacher conference ever! First I met with Taylor's teacher Ms.Joanna. She couldn't have said enough nice things. I was so happy and proud when she was telling about Taylor. A few of the things she said about her: she is a great listener, helps others when they are struggling, loves to read books & circle time. She is very motherly, dramatic and her big eyes tell a story. Her feelings get easliy hurt by others, which breaks the teacher's heart. She always is the first to ask questions and answer them too! She always wants to be first which is great that she has such confidence but she needs to know she can't always go first and let others go ahead. Overall, she is ahead of where she should be. Ms. Joanna said she is very happy to have Taylor in her class, she is a joy and so bright! :)

Next, I met with Ms.Debbie Teagan's teacher. This was her first conference but she was very helpful. Just like her big sis, she is doing great. She listens and follows directions well. She loves to play in home living with her friend Xia and play with dolls. She has a great imagination and a big vocubulary! She isn't the best eater, but I already knew that. Ms.Debbie found it weird that she doesn't like fruit much like the rest of the kids. She noted that she talks about "her sissy" a lot, when I heard that it melted by heart. She looks up to Taylor so much and tries to copy everything she does.

That started out my day great! I'm so proud and happy my girls are doing so well!

Sweet Compliment

On Friday we all went out for dinner to Chili's, it's our usual pizza night but I thought we switch it up a little. As we were eating our dinner a lady approached our table. She said that she had been watching us interact while waiting for her husband. She proceeded to say she could tell we have a loving family and the kids were well behaved (that day! lol). She said that she could tell we were great parents and she just had to come over and say something. It was soo sweet! It's nice to get a compliment like that once and a while! :)

Closing out October with a bang!

This past weekend we packed in a bunch of fun things! First, on Friday the girls has their Halloween party at school. It was so cute to see all the kids dressed up! Taylor was Alice in Wonderland and Teagan was the Cheshire Cat. Both costumes fit their personalities so well, Taylor the sweet and innocent girl and Teagan the mischievous little thing! The kids paraded around the playground (which was a little chaotic) then we left early. Christi & Caitlin came over to play then we ordered pizza for dinner.

On Saturday it was Parent Observation day for Taylor's dance class. I always love getting to watch my little girl dance. I just love being in the dance studio, the sounds of tap shoes on the wood floor brings back soo many memories! We watched them do their circle warm up then partner work across the floor then they changed shoes for tap. Taylor really loves dance and we continue to stay with it until she loses interest or wants to do something else. Pretty soon they will be getting ready to plan the recital!

We finished the day with a late lunch by the water at Two Georges. The kids love sitting outside and watching the boats go by. One day Chris would love to have a boat, but for now we can just dream!

Sunday was a non-stop day for us! We woke up and got ready for the Yo Gabba Gabba show in Miami. Of course, we went with our good friends Christi & Caitlin. :) The show was right at lunch time, so we packed a few things for the kids to eat before the show. We had a picnic in the back of my car but the excitement was too much. They didn't eat much so we went on our way to see the show!!

How cute are these girls in their Foofa shirts!

We had a fabulous time at the show!! It was the best kids show I've been to so far, it was so interactive and of course they have such catchy tunes that the parents love too!

By the time we got home from Miami, it was about 4pm. We had a little something to eat, relaxed for a little then the girls got their costumes on and we got ready for trick or treating. I took the girls around the neighborhood with Nana while Chris sat in the drive way give out candy. About half way through, Teagan was losing steam and falling behind so we decided to go back home and see daddy while Taylor and Nana filled up her bucket with candy! The girls had such a great time! The best part was Teagan singing, "Trick or Treat, smell my feet!" LOL

Now on to November!! We are spending this Thanksgiving in Maryland with the Fajardos!

umm...I've fallen off the wagon!

It's been WAY too long since my last post! It was my new years resolution to get my blog going but a busy life got in the way. You think I spend so much time on the computer (one of my many hobbies) I would be a wiz at this. Ok, so here goes, another attempt at the bloggin world!

With Halloween coming up this weekend, we have so much planned. Friday I'm going to the girl's school for their costume parade & party. Saturday is Taylor's dance class observation, Sunday is Yo Gabba Gabba Live then trick or treating later that night. SOO much fun! I know it will fly right by but I'm excited!

We are getting this going well with the photography business too and that is very exciting. I am going to start learning more of the post production side so I can help out. Again, I love being on the computer and learning new things. It's amazing how you can change a good photo and make it amazing with a little editing! Keep your eye out for new things coming from Christopher Scott Photography!

Rain, Rain, go away!

Today is such a nasty day out, cold and rainy! I wish I could just curl up in bed and wacth reality tv all day!! Ahhh, I can dream can't I?! :)

Since I last my last post, Teagan had a double ear infection and Chris & I both with a cold! This is Teagan's 3rd double ear infection and hoping her last!


This past weekend Chris & I photographed a Bar Mitzah, well I was more like the "assistant" LOL. We had a great time and Chris did a wonderful job. Let me tell you, I have more resepect for event photogrpahers now. Boy, I back was killing me after standing on my feet for a couple hours. Plus, those 12 & 13 yrs olds were pretty wild & crazy! Overall, it was a success and another notch on our belt!

After the Bar Mitzvah, we headed to Too Jay's for some dinner and then to the Disney Store to get Taylor an Ariel dress. She has been asking forever for one, and it's actually her favorite princess so I decided to get her one. Luckily, they just re-designed the Ariel dress and the old one was on sale for only $20, that's $30 off the original price. woo hoo! Now i think we are only missing the Belle dress and we will have the whole Disney Princess collection! Teagan is getting into playing dress up too, she loves to put on the Cinderella slippers.

On Sunday, we planned a date with Christi & Caitlin for the zoo however we cancelled it because of the weather. Too wet & gloomy. Instead, we went to 5 Guys for lunch and then over to the Wellington Mall. I bought Taylor a outfit for her birthday photos in April. Both girls ended up falling alseep on the way home so I drove around so they could catch a short cat nap. Overall, another great weekend!

Food, football, & fun!

What a great weekend! On Friday, Chris and I went on a date to the Muvico in Boca, here they have nice leather love seats. We ended up seeing Leap Year, a love story about a girl who goes to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend. It was a cute movie, Chris was the one who actually picked it out!! Now I want to go to Ireland, maybe one day we can go. It looks so pretty there. After the movie, we tried to have dinner at PF Changs but there was a 45 minute wait even at 8:30pm! So, Chris suggested our old stand by, Chillis, for my favorite strawberry margaritas :) I wanted to go somewhere we wouldn't go with the girls so he suggested a hibachi place we've gone to before and I'm so glad we did! It was delish!! Usually dinnertime is so stressful and it's nice to enjoy a quiet meal once and a while. We came home and broke open the bottle of rose champagne I originally bought for New Years Eve. After drinking 2 glasses pretty fast, I suddenly felt the room spin and just passes out on the couch. I'm such a cheap date!! Well, I did have 2 glasses of wine at the restaurant ;)

The next morning we got out early and headed to the gym. Our first time bringing both girls to the gym, it was a free day and we didn't have to pay extra. They loved it!!! I was just worried about Teagan but she had a great time. Taylor asked if she could spend the whole day there. It was nice to work out with Chris again, he always pushes me hard. The only problem is he doesn't do any cardio so I skipped that part.

Next on the agenda was Taylor’s dance class. We found out that she is doing a tap routine for her recital and her costume is a sailor outfit. It’s really cute, I should have taken a picture of it but we will see it soon enough. I can not wait to see her up on stage! She is such a little ham and loves to sing and dance. Her teacher told me she is so good in the class which of course made me so proud.

After dance, everyone took naps! Teagan slept for a whole 3 hours! Chris had to wake her up at 3:30. She never does that, usually like an hour or so. She did that again on Sunday too.
Woo hoo :) Maybe this is a start of a trend!

To end the great day, we ordered some wings from Duffy’s and watched some football together! As an added bonus, we were given an extra order of wings by accident. Ooops! I felt bad because that meant someone else was missing those wings.

My first post!!!

So, here it is! My very first blog post! Are you excited?!? I am... here I plan to document what’s going on with me, Chris, Taylor and Teagan. I had been reading a few the past few weeks, some of which have been very sad actually, and just said to myself “I need to do that!” I used to have a baby website where I would post pictures and write down milestones with Taylor but that didn’t allow me to write just about ME! Please bear with me as I tweak the details and learn how to make it all fancy schmancy! LOL

The past few days have been pretty cold for Florida, although Chris thinks it’s totally fine for him to wear a short sleeve in 50-degree weather. New Yorkers!! Whatever! I tried to bundle the girls up as much as I can. Taylor doesn’t have many warm clothes but we did find some jeans at TCP for $4.99 this weekend, score! She loves the cold weather and can not wait to see snow! We go up to Maryland/DC to see my sister and her husband in about 5 weeks, so lets hope for some snow then :)

Teagan doesn’t like being all covered up though. In fact, this morning her teacher told me she kept trying to take off her fleece pullover and then lifting up her shirt, practically taking it off yesterday. Her poor little cheeks were all red yesterday too from the cold weather.

Ok, well that's all for now...stay tuned for the adventures of the Amrhein family :)