Team Taseff : Game On

WOW! Can you believe 2009 is almost over, and for my 500th post on Team Taseff please enjoy a 2009 REWIND. (I was going to include photos too but the post is already long enough, maybe I’ll make a 2009 video of all the fun photos!!)

January
This month started with much needed relaxing after a busy Christmas and New Years. We purchased the side lot next door to our house, went to the Cleveland Boat Show and Alta got her first tooth. In baby news, we found out our little BBT was a baby BOY and Alta was going to have a little brother. Only 20 more weeks till we meet our little Monkey Man!

February
February turned out to be pretty quiet in our house. We continued our monthly doctors appointments for BBT, celebrated Valentines Day, went to a million or so playdates with friends, and Alta made another TV appearance, this time at IHOP with Miss Ohio!

March
The Taseff family travelled to Chicago in March to spend a weekend with the cousins, we went to the Kohl Children’s Museum, played in the backyard, ate lots of pizza and donuts and had one very funny basketball story! We also got another peak at our little boy at the 27 week ultrasound where we found out our little guy was healthy after a mid-pregnancy scare. The family also went to Fostoria for a mass for my Grandpa and enjoyed a evening a ribs and laughs. Oh, and Alta had her 15 months, she is getting so big!

April
April was the month I decided we might want to start preparing for another baby in our house and I made a list a mile long for Damon, most of which he completed. Our little guy entered the final trimester and was developing perfectly. We also celebrated Easter with family and enjoyed some beautiful Cleveland weather. Alta loved collecting the Easter eggs and eating all the candy!

May
May started off fun with a trip down the Cuyahoga County Scenic Railroad for the All Aboard Ball, nothing like a Ball at 34 weeks pregnant. Our neighborhood held its annual home tour (of which I was the co-chair for the homes committee), Alta got more teeth, I celebrated my 2nd mother’s day, my friends through me a wonderful “Sprinkle” for BBT and we played and played in the backyard! Only a few more weeks until our little monkey comes!

June
Happy Birthday Mather! Our not so little guy (almost 8 pounds) entered the world June 10th at 11:21am after only a few pushes – thanks monkey! Alta, Damon and I loved him from the minute he was born. June was spent mostly sleeping and resting, having visitors over to meet our little guy and playdates for Alta. Damon celebrated his 2nd Fathers Day, this time with two little ones and Alta had her 18 month doctors appointment! June was crazy fun!

July
July started off with a bang – I turned 31 on July 4th! The family also enjoyed Bay Days, dinner with my girlfriends, trips to the Memphis Kiddie Park where Alta loved all the rides and lazy days with my two kids. Damon was busy building a fence in our side lot and installing a rain barrel. We also took advantage of the warm weather and went to Wade Oval Wednesdays in University Circle with friends to listen to live music, eat and drink. Mather had his 1 month appointment too and was a big 10+ pounds!

August
The dog days of summer hit us in August and we took our first vacation as a family of four to the double wide where we relaxed for the week, listened to music, played in the sand, ate and drank with family and friends and enjoyed our kids! My little brother also tied the knot in August so we had showers, bachelor and bachelorette parties and one beautiful summer wedding! Congrats Mitch and Doreen! August ended with a toe accident for Damon while building the fence which required two trips to the ER. Mather had his 2 month appointment and did great. August was so fun and busy.

September
September was quiet. We enjoyed the wind-down of summer by going to festivals, playdates outside, taking lots of photographs but mostly enjoying our family of four. Mather rolled over for the first time and had his tongue snipped, poor fella. Alta and I fought colds and she went to “school” for the first time and did great. I am so lucky to be these two kiddo’s mom!!

October
We made another trip to Chicago in October to see my brother and the kids, Alta especially enjoyed playing outside, making pizza and coloring, us adults drank way too much (again!). Damon celebrated his 32nd birthday, stinkin Lincoln turned 4 and Mather was freed of sin and baptized at St. Patricks. The family also took trip to Lake Chautauqua to look at lake houses and although it was cold and rainy we had a blast playing games and pigging out on junk food! Our little Mather turned 4 months too, he is hitting all his milestones and laughing and smiling like crazy! The month concluded with Damon finishing the fence, a neighborhood party outside and our little pumpkins dressed up for Halloween!

November
I pretty much didn’t sleep at all during November, and either did Mather! We went to the doctor on suspicion of a ear infection but he was deemed healthy as can be. We spent much of the month trying every which way to get him to sleep better. The kids and I also enjoyed numerous playdates, trips to the Nature Center and the Rainforest. And Damon and I were able to go on a few “date nights”. In addition, Damon and I celebrated our 3rd Anniversary (I love that man!!), had a busy Thanksgiving with friends and family and wrapped up the month with fireworks downtown.

December
Not soon after Thanksgiving Damon, I and the kids went and picked out our Christmas tree and I got busy working on the lights and decorations (I took the tree down too, by myself!). Alta especially loved turning the lights on every morning and learned that Santa says “Ho, Ho, Ho!” Speaking of the man with the white beard, Alta did not enjoy sitting on his lap while Mather could have cared less. December brought work parties, Christmas parties, breakfast parties and Alta’s 2nd Birthday Cookie Monster party, Squeeze in a few playdates, cookie making days and lots of shopping and we were BUSY!! Christmas was a blast with the two kids and we enjoyed every minute with our family celebrating. Monkey Man turned 6 months, still isn’t sleeping all that great, loves his mommy, thinks his sister is hilarious and has the cutest smile and ears!

Happy New Years!! The Taseff’s are looking forward to 2010 and all the new adventures the year has in store! (And maybe a vacation or two!!)

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! We had a wonderful weekend celebrating with friends and family. The kids loved loved loved opening their stockings and presents, the food over the last few days was amazing, the laughs and smiles were nonstop and the holiday spirit was wonderful. I love Christmas and enjoyed having Mather around this year for all the festivities, being a family of 5 (don’t forget Lincoln!!) is the most wonderful gift. I love my kiddos and my husband so much!

Merry Christmas!! Looking forward to ringing in 2010 later this week!

(I really wanted to post a long blog about all our festivities but truthfully I am exhausted, I posted about 100+ photos on the flickr site so please look through them, they speak better then my words!!)

I’m a little behind on the blog so I am doing a quick wrap up of the past few weeks – minus Alta’s party since I am pretty much blogged out about that – as is my readers! Sorry for the lack of photos, hoping to post some new photos soon!

A few Mondays ago, Aunt Kate (or Cake as Alta calls her) and Grandma T came over to bake cookies at our house. Luckily Mather was a great boy, took two wonderful naps while they were here and and barely made a peep while the four women took to baking! We made salted chocolate chip cookies, spritz cookies, peanut butter blossoms and sugar frosted cookies along with some random cookie from the back of the hershey kiss bag that was not so good! I think we all enjoyed spending time together and watching Alta help in her new apron, oven mitt and special princess decorating tools. Thanks girls! Looking forward to next year. Pictures coming still.

This past Saturday we braved Sears portrait for Mann family pictures. The pictures turned out OK considering that we had four tired kids from a morning of partying but I was very unimpressed with the quality of the studio along with the actual prints themselves. I spent over an hour on the house with Sears on Sunday about my experience. Luckily one of the photos was very cute (all the adults were smiling!!) and my parents loved the print. I still have to pick up a few more prints but can’t get myself to go to the mall this close to Christmas!

In other news, we celebrated Mann Family Christmas this past Sunday. Well actually Matt’s family opened gifts along with a few for Alta and Mather and we just watched. Both my kids got new books (a new tradition with the aunts and uncles – all kids need books!) and Mather, since it was his first Christmas, received a super cool Cavs blanket, a new book and a cook Monkey sweatshirt. Very fitting for the little Monkey.

Have you heard about Rockin’ around the Lastic Tree this year? I forgot my camera the night of the party so I am waiting for my friends to post photos – Julie, Traci and Holly I am talking to you!!

A special congrats to Damon who got a great promotion at work this past week! I am so proud of him and think his dedication to his company these past 5 years is amazing. He is a great husband and in even more amazing father. Congrats babe. I love you!!

Oh, and Christmas Ale – you have done us well this year! I am still hoping to pick up a six pack or two this week to top off the fridge. And I found a place (finally!) to ship Xmas Ale.

As if my readers haven’t seen or read enough about Alta’s birthday, my brother Matt posted a few more video’s of the Friday celebration on his blog! Check out the video’s here – the last one is my favorite. So funny how Mather could careless that he is being held by a giant blue man!

Our little Alta turned TWO on Friday!! We started off the celebrations with the family on Friday night with pizza and cupcakes (and of course some Christmas Ale!!). Alta loved having her cousins in town and her aunts and uncles and grandma’s and papa’s to celebrate with her and of course open gifts!! Damon and I bought her an awesome Plan Toys dollhouse (a green and eco-friendly wood!) and I am super excited for her to play with it! She received books, a new baby cradle, clothes, a Snow White dollhouse, games, puzzles and of course German chocolate!! Yum. Thanks everyone for coming over and especially to Matt and Nicole and the twins for driving in from Chicago for the birthday celebration!

We continued celebrating Saturday morning at Mitchells Ice Cream in Westlake where 20+ adults, 9 kids and three babies enjoyed a “make your own” sundae party! Alta had a blast coloring and watching the train go around the parlor and eating ice cream with sprinkles and oreo’s. And what’s a party without a 6 foot Cookie Monster!! Too funny! I was trying to come up with something fun to have at the party and found a local costume place that had a Cookie Monster in stock. And somehow convinced my little brother to wear the costume for 1/2 hour for the kids and photographs. In the end I think the adults enjoyed Cookie the most!

Thanks everyone for celebrating Alta turning 2!! Lots of photos on the flickr site!

Just a photo preview. More photos on the flickr site and a very fun blog coming soon about the whole event. I am still laughing from the kids reaction to having a 6′ Cookie Monster come to the party!

Happy 2nd Birthday to the most wonderful daughter and big sister! You continue to amaze us everyday with your smiles, spunk and new vocabulary (you even asked for you “baby bible” yesterday morning, and you love the word two and cupcake!!). You are a wonderful little girl and often remind me that you are NOT a baby, you have an adoring smile, and hilarious laugh, and of course a way to make my heart melt every time i hug and kiss you – which is quite often.

I love you! Happy Birthday to my little girl!

We have a packed weekend of celebrating – including a pizza and cupcake party tonight with close family and a “Cookie Monster” themed ice cream party tomorrow with all your cousins! Lots of photos to come and of course a updated blog with all the festivities!

The photo below is from the Children’s Museum this morning – I thought it would be a fun way to kick off the birthday weekend! She LOVED the water!

(If I missed you on this years Christmas card list (and not on purpose of course!) please send me your address – teamtaseff.yahoo.com – thanks!!)