taleff o'casey

Share Your Sweet Love!

2012-02-14T09:49:00.001-07:00

We wish we could hand deliver cupcakes to each of you.

Just know that while we made them we were thinking about you!

Love, Bannack and Sara

Sweet June!

2012-02-06T14:37:00.001-07:00

The Wise River Club, MT

2012-01-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

Over our extended holiday in Montana, we went with our dear friends Angie and David to the old cabin they caretake on the Wise River. As we were heading out of town, my grandma told me that they used to go fishing with friends on the Wise River and that they always stopped at the bar. The guys would go in and have a beer while the moms waited in the car with the kids. When I saw the Wise River Club on the way to the cabin, I decided to we had to stop so I could have a beer for my grandma! Turns out, Bannack was right at home too.

Sledding City Style!

2012-01-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hello Brooklyn!

2012-01-17T08:24:00.001-07:00

We're gonna miss you, Montana!

2012-01-13T22:30:00.001-07:00

My mom's kitchen

2012-01-12T19:58:00.001-07:00

My Aunt's Cait and Michael Ann cooked Indian food for us once and then passed the cookbook on to my mom. My mom loves the dishes and tonight we were an excuse for her to delve in. Wow are we lucky that she cooks for us when it is a meal fit for a crowd. I love you, Mom!

Helena's Carousel

2012-01-08T15:19:00.001-07:00

No Snow for Skiing

2012-01-04T13:13:00.001-07:00

So we are hiking in our shirtsleeves!

Happy New Year from Montana

2012-01-03T11:04:00.001-07:00

3-Day Cookie Baking

2011-12-21T19:38:00.001-07:00

Day 1: Make the dough.
Day 2: Eat some dough. Roll out the rest and finally use the cookie cutters.
Day 3: Decorate, get tired of decorating and eat as you go.

This is a big boy!

2011-12-11T18:00:00.001-07:00

It is official! Bannack is a big boy. If I give him a squeeze and say (as I often do), "Oh, my sweet baby," he stiffens and says, "No. Big Boy. Big Boy." It has been one week since we completed Lora Jensen's 3-day potty training and I now feel that I can say IT WORKS! I am pleased to share our success.

We finished the 3 days last Sunday at this time. After his nap last Sunday it was like a switch flipped. Bannack told me every time he needed to go to the bathroom and he didn't dribble at all. He was completely dry from that moment forward during waking hours! It was shocking. I had gotten a bit frustrated the day before and wondered if this whole thing was really going to work, but I stuck with it and it really clicked. He got it. Staying dry during naps and the entire night took a few extra days, however, Bannack has been completely dry during the naps and night for the last 4 nights and 5 days! So, if you were considering this method go for it! It is worth the money and the time. Beyond becoming a big boy in the last week, the training program brought Bannack and I closer together. I know that sounds cheesy, but there was something amazing about fully devoting every waking hour to him for 3 days. We liked each other a lot before we embarked on this adventure together, but we like each other even more now. It's awesome!

Day 3!

2011-12-04T12:07:00.001-07:00

We've been keeping busy inside the house (as required by the training program) for the last three days. Turns out, Bannack adores balloons and gets very creative with them.

Day 1 Bannack is sporting his static electricity powered balloon backpack, or "packpack" as B calls it!

Day 2 Bannack points out the effects of his discovery that 5 of his 25 markers are fruity scented.

Dry Underwear Celebration

2011-12-01T20:11:00.001-07:00

...begins tommorrow! As many of you know Bannack has been partially potty trained for a long time. Tomorrow we begin Lora Jensen's 3-Day Potty Training. After getting frustrated with the partial nature of our efforts I bought the e-book a few weeks ago and our positive reinforcement preparations are finally finished! We begin tomorrow. Send dry thoughts our way and if you want to call to see if Bannack's pants are dry, please do. He will get rewarded if they are! Also, if you get a call from us in the next 3-days it will be to share our celebrations with you. Let the dry underwear celebration begin!

Update #1: We began this morning just past 6AM. I cooked Bannack an egg and made a strong pot of coffee. Chris fed B while I got dressed and then I stuck to Bannack like glue (even now I'm sitting outside his bedroom door incase he wakes from his nap and has to "go"). I thought Bannack would be thrilled about the underwear but he was more excited about the few balloons I had strewn about to give a celebratory air to the place. With the constant celebrations, "Bannack, are your pants dry?" "Yes" "Hooray!" (Hooray = sticker, juice box, berries or happy dance), Bannack told me twice that he had to go and we made it in time. It was AWESOME. I began to think that we had already mastered it and I wouldn't need to stick to the three day commitment. Bannack put me in my place with an unexpected wet warmth while sitting on my lap. We raced in but it was too late. Since then, we have had 1 more success. We'll see how nap time goes! Could he really wake up dry and/or wake to tell me he has to go?!? I'll keep you posted!

Update #2: He woke up wet after one hour of napping. The afternoon was a bit rough until I mentioned JM's urinal downstairs. I tried to have B stand on his stool and pretend the toilet was a urinal and he just couldn't go. A few minutes later he said, "Jean-Marie" in his developing french accent so we went down for a visit. We said hello and gave the alert that we may occupy their bathroom at some point to try the urinal. We said goodbye and B said, "try! try!" "jean-marie". We went immediately to the urinal (which comes equipped with soccer ball and net) and he scored - LITERALLY! It was awesome.

Update #3: Bannack awoke with a whimper this morning at 5:45AM and he was dry!!! Despite my shock, I got him to the toilet, he peed and chose a sticker for his chart. Today is a very good day.

Growing Up!

2011-11-18T06:44:00.001-07:00

Bannack easily gets the hang of trick-or-treating!

...And thoroughly enjoys the pixy stick!

Enjoying the NYC Marathon with coffee and donuts from Peter Pan thanks to our awesome landlords. It was a perfect NY morning!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:26:00.000-06:00

Bannack posing as Puff the Magic Dragon!

The wildly unthemed costume display of the Taleff O'Casey's. The dragon, the hotdog, and the tightrope walkers!

Belmont Park or Bryant Park?

2011-10-17T20:12:00.000-06:00

Today I decided that Bannack should do something active with horses. Since Uncle Kev left Hotel Taleff O'Casey Bannack requests (at least daily), to watch horse videos on youtube. He plops himself in front of a computer, points, and demands, "horsies!"

In reading about free stuff to do with kids in NY, I found two horse-related options. We could either go to Belmont Park and watch the race horses warm up or ride one of NY's many carousels. I was leaning toward the live horses at Belmont, but their kid-horse-breakfast special ended last month. Dang! We were left with the carousel.

This was Bannack's first carousel ride (and we already had one incident on a whirly-gig... ask Chris) so we chose Bryant Park's Le Carrousel: "This petit, European-style merry-go-round features a menagerie of animals in addition to horses. It spins very slowly to French cabaret music, making it ideal for younger children."

Choosing his horse and preparing for the ride...

Despite the moment of fear, he recovered quickly and wanted to ride again.

Our Morning at the Park!

2011-10-11T10:54:00.000-06:00

And where do you think he went?

2011-10-09T20:54:00.001-06:00

Bannack Turns Two!

2011-10-07T06:14:00.000-06:00

We started the celebration with a trip to Times Square. Bannack got to visit his Uncle Mike at the Marriott and ride the glass elevator to the 45 floor. Then we went to lunch at Ellen's Stardust Diner where they have singing waiters! Bannack thought this was the best thing ever. He applauded loudly after each song and was frustrated every time there was a break in singing. He kept saying and signing, "More!" Our waiter, Sinclair, even sang "Isn't He Lovely," ad libbing that Bannack was Two!

We finished the evening back at the apartment with cupcakes. Bannack got to place the candle in the cupcake of his choice. You can see he chose the lemon cupcake in the middle (a very good choice) and perfectly placed the candle.

On Saturday we had a true party for my boy with decorations, cake and a few other kids. Bannack cried when he had to wait to open the presents until the guests arrived, but once the party started, he was thrilled. It was a train themed party if you couldn't tell. I hope to get more pictures from those who were there and if I do, I will do a follow up post!

A Picnic in the Park with my Boy!

2011-10-06T09:27:00.000-06:00

We packed up a picnic yesterday and headed to the park with a soccer ball and kite in tow. We ate soup, raisins, tomatos, homemade olive rosemary bread and even oil and vinegar for dipping (which Bannack "dumped" on the raisins). It was a delicious combo. Bannack had fun watching the school kids have their gym class across the park. He played a little bit of soccer in cowboy boots, which takes great skill, and flew the kite he got from his uncle Mike. It was awesome. I got to sit on the picnic blanket with June and yell, "Run, Bannack!"

The Wild!

2011-09-15T20:33:00.000-06:00

Today, we became members of the Central Park Zoo! Bannack and uncle Kev were thrilled to see the sea lions (who reminded us of June) and my favorites were the polar bear and lemurs. We had a delightful time, despite the rain, and we are all eager to visit again.

That's my boy!

Broadway Musical!

2011-09-11T19:45:00.000-06:00

Thanks to some mysterious connection we got free tickets to The Addams Family on Broadway! (Thank you Kinsey!) We dropped Bannack off at my cousin Kim's house so he could spend the afternoon with his first cousin once removed, Abigail. Then, the three of us headed to Times Square. We hadn't been to Times Square since the day we moved here and accidentally ended up driving down 42nd street with our bikes on top of the car, pulling our U-Haul... It was much more thrilling on foot with the anticipation of seeing my first broadway show in a few years! The show was entertaining and Heidi Blickenstaff, who played the boyfriends mother, was a show stopper. It was a great way to spend the anniversary of 9.11.01; taking full advantage of this great city.

Exploring!

2011-09-07T09:55:00.003-06:00

Last week we took the free ferry to Governor's Island for a picnic with our friends Retta and Kurt!

Irene Comfort Food

2011-08-28T18:58:00.002-06:00

Mac n' Cheese

Our Driggs Digs!

2011-08-27T19:21:00.003-06:00

Here are some photos of our new place! We have been hard at work getting unpacked and settled this week. The kitchen inspires me to cook, the dining room and living room are like an art gallery and Bannack's room is my favorite spot in the house!

First Days

2011-08-26T18:58:00.002-06:00

The first picture is a bit of street art that caught my eye. The next picture is the window of a delightful spot we went for lunch. Jill treated us to a welcome to the city lunch and it was an incredible treat. And, the last picture is a spot we happened upon during a bike ride last night! It appeared to be a quiet, industrial street in Brooklyn...the ice cream was worth the ride. Life is good!

Chicago --> New York

2011-08-25T18:34:00.005-06:00

While we were in Chicago, I got to spend the afternoon with the person who inspired me to go into education. Prince is now 20 years old. He was a third grader when I worked at his elementary school during my freshman year of college. It was awesome to spend time with him again!

Farnsworth House

Although we didn't have time to do the Chicago architectural boat tour, we did get to see Chris' favorite piece of architecture, a house designed by Mies van der Rohe. Chris took some great pictures of the place!

Brooklyn or Bust!

2011-08-19T06:52:00.007-06:00

Leaving Chicago now. Here are pictures from the first half of our trip. I will write the captions at a later date!

Chris and my dad were master packers with the U-Haul. Everything made it in one piece including my AL Swanson Rocker! It was amazing. The wrap on our bikes didn't last long. We settled on only wrapping the seat and handlebars by the time we got to Townsend! Our three day journey to Chicago was great and Bannack did really well. We tried to stop often and let him play in mud puddles (this picture was from Mirror Lake State Park in Wisconsin). When we got to Chicago, we spent time visiting with my brother Kevin and the relatives on my dad's side of the family. They threw us a potluck so we were able to see most of the family! During the potluck, Bannack experienced two iconic Chicago treats, a White Castle slider and a Rainbow Cone!

Taleff Family Portrait

2011-06-29T17:46:00.002-06:00

B's first haircut!

2011-03-30T08:04:00.003-06:00

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

2011-01-06T11:25:00.003-07:00

The new year is here and boy is it good! Life in Puerto Morelos is an absolute dream. Bannack loves the sea and the sand and going naked most of the day. I love the margaritas and flying kites on the beach and reading in the sun. Vacation has never felt so good!

Merry Christmas...

2010-12-30T11:14:00.001-07:00

...and Happy New Year will be from Mexico! We are on our way if the weather cooperates.

Holiday Highlights

2010-12-21T21:04:00.004-07:00

Family portraits in front of the fireplace, Bannack's first wishbone, Chris's epic wait, and nono and nona's gift of B sized furniture!

Grumpy Turkey Walk

2010-11-26T10:59:00.006-07:00

MT Celebration

2010-11-21T08:20:00.002-07:00

Weddings are awesome and some weddings are SUPER awesome. This picture was taken by Treehouse Potography at Mary and Tyrrell Hibbard's wedding. We were obviously happy to be there.

Fall Art Walk 2010

2010-11-16T05:54:00.002-07:00

The Taleff O'Casey family enjoyed an evening out on the town celebrating the rich artistic community that we have here in Helena. We paid tribute with mustaches at the Treehouse Photography photo booth at Frayed Sew.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-05T16:21:00.000-06:00

One Year +

2010-11-02T14:34:00.000-06:00

A small deviation from the normal layout of things had to be made when Bannack was caught using his own toilet seat for the first time.

Bannack and His Cousin Lyla

2010-10-26T22:12:00.002-06:00

We had a great time visiting Bannack's second cousin Lyla in Colorado two weeks ago. They played well together, sharing food and playing musical instruments. We hope to get them together more often!

09.29.10 Bannack is One!

2010-09-29T10:09:00.003-06:00

Birthday breakfast and first baby blue at the No Sweat!

3 Years!

2010-09-14T07:29:00.003-06:00

Sara and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary 2 weeks ago in Bozeman. We had a great day of breakfast, a soak at Norris Hot Springs, and sushi making accompanied by a bottle of our wedding wine.

Bannack made out pretty well too as we went to second wind sports and found a radio flyer push wagon.

When daddy's home...

2010-07-23T08:24:00.001-06:00

This is what Bannack gets to do when mama's not home!

Bannack's First Camping Trip

2010-07-08T12:31:00.004-06:00

Dearborn River, MT

Awesome 29th

2010-06-16T16:01:00.003-06:00

I turned 29 on the sixth of June. It was a perfect day. My mom, dad and brother picked us (me, Chris and Bannack) up at 9:30am for our hike to Crow Creek Falls out side of Radersburg. My mom even had warm banana nut muffins for us! Yum Yum. We drove, and drove, and drove, laughing and talking and teasing that we might be lost until we finally found the trail head. We went on a glorious 3.5 mile hike to the Falls. Because it was my birthday and I find it exhilarating to dip in mountain lakes, I stripped down and jumped in. Delightful. As you can see from the photos we were all in good spirits and the wildflowers were extraordinary!

Bannack meets Bannack

2010-06-09T12:24:00.001-06:00

Hands

2010-04-10T09:09:00.001-06:00

Bannack and his Uncle Mike

B & C

2010-03-27T08:49:00.000-06:00

St. Patrick's Day 2010

2010-03-20T08:54:00.005-06:00

We had quite a day. Four generations making our way to Butte for the famed St. Patrick's Day parade. We made Irish coffees on the street. Bannack got parade candy. We were kissed by leprechauns. Ate porkies at my Gram's chosen spot. And Bannack was still smiling on the grass at the end of it all!

Being a dad is hard work!

2010-03-10T17:33:00.003-07:00

Fun with Friends

2010-03-05T18:32:00.003-07:00

Bannack and Hazel after a great hike (posing for a Patagonia add!).

Bannack's First Valentines Day

2010-02-17T09:14:00.002-07:00

His first balloon from Great Grandma Irene provides hours of fun!
A special breakfast with Bannack's godparents.
David, Angie and Bannack

Wise River Ski

2010-01-31T21:32:00.000-07:00

Another great weekend in the snow!

Squash

2010-01-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

Quite some time ago, my friend Anna and I got together to make soup. We cut the squash and discovered the most beauiful thing. I took a photograph because it is what Chris would have done if he had been there. I've been meaning to post the picture; here it is.

Amazing Weekend with Friends

2010-01-19T21:04:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday Corey! Donuts, skiing, mellow babes, carrot cake, slushy adventures on the lake, morning soaks in the hot tub, game playing and pearl snaps. It was a full weekend.

The End of 2009

2010-01-06T11:53:00.002-07:00

I'm a bit behind on my posting. The Sunday before Christmas we hiked to the top of Mount Helena and cooked brunch with friends. It was great. The day was gorgeous and the french toast and mimosas were delicious.

My little elf meets Santa

2009-12-21T15:35:00.004-07:00

3rd Annual Pie Party Highlights

2009-12-19T16:25:00.004-07:00

NYC Adventure

2009-12-17T07:59:00.005-07:00

Bannack loves to fly! We decided that at 10 weeks old, Bannack was ready for his first big trip and why not make it to New York City! We had a ball seeing old friends, wandering through our favorite neighborhoods and shopping at H & M of course!

One can now sit in the middle of the street at Times Square. It feels weird but it makes for a great picture!
We got to spend quite a bit of time with Mike's girlfriend Danae. She's amazing. She actually wanted to carry Bannack through the chaos of midtown on a Saturday before Christmas. The streets were totally packed, the decor was worth seeing and the cheer in the air was energizing!

We made it up to Hunts Point in the Bronx to see the school where I taught and to visit a former student. Tisha is going to be 17 next month! I had Tisha in my class as a 5th/6th grader and she is now a Junior. It was great to spend some time with her and her mother and introduce them to Bannack.

Bannack, exhausted after a big day in the City.We had brunch at a great spot, Penelope's, with the old gang (My cousin Kim, Meghan, Vincent, Annie, and Brooke). By the time we were sipping Apple Cider Mimosas at brunch I was feeling at home in the city again and knew it would be hard to leave. I hope to go back soon and often!

Weekly Growth

2009-12-03T08:35:00.005-07:00

A Montana Adventure

2009-11-15T09:34:00.003-07:00

Yesterday we took Bannack to his first hot springs and his fourth Montana Brewery! We went to Norris to soak and Bannack loved the water. He didn't want to get out and neither did we! After that we drove home through Belgrade and stopped at the Madison River Brewery tasting room. It was a lovely day in Montana and we crossed another "first" off the list for Bannack.

Hiking Adventures

2009-11-07T13:04:00.004-07:00

Hiking at the family cabin near West Glacier.

Papa shows Bannack whats left of the fort he built as a kid.

Bannack summits Mount Helena for the first time with his friends Anna and Aven!Our hiking buddies.

First Halloween

2009-10-31T09:12:00.001-06:00

A chicken and his farmers

Overall shorts and a really cheesy backdrop

Bannack welcomes the trick-or-treaters

Snapshots

2009-10-26T11:55:00.002-06:00

A family walk in the south hills

Bannack and Aunt Lindsey meet. It's love at first sight!

My co-workers had a shower for us.

Bannack's second MT brewery visit, Butte.

Can anyone guess where this was taken?

Famous Firsts

2009-10-19T08:59:00.006-06:00

First breakfast at the No Sweat with Anna and Aven.

Blackfoot baby's first pint.

First snow.

Bannack's First Dance

A perfect boy.

2009-10-15T10:37:00.003-06:00

Bannack Casey Taleff

2009-10-08T10:30:00.008-06:00

Bannack Casey Taleff
Born 09.29.09 00:59AM
7lbs 5oz
21 in

4 Generations
Suzie Taleff, Fern Blewitt, Sara Casey Taleff,
Bannack Taleff, Irene Roberts, Colleen Casey

Sara, Bannack and Uncle Kev

Time with Papa

Bannack's Aspen Tree

Inspiration to post again!

2009-09-08T13:16:00.006-06:00

Chris and I are about to become parents. Here are some photos of our little bundle.

Thank you to Lindsay Ramirez for taking these beautiful photos and for helping us document this journey.

Mad Men Party

2009-02-18T21:59:00.002-07:00

We promised Dad a Mad Men Style party as part of his Christmas present. It was a Monday, at 5:30. I even baked a cake.

Lazy Bums

2009-02-12T21:15:00.002-07:00

June and Jackson, at their best! (taken from my camera phone)

Bringing in the New Year

2009-01-11T21:15:00.003-07:00

We welcomed 2009 at the Taleff family cabin on Lake V. It was a short trip with loads of snow and lots of fun with family.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-28T09:40:00.001-07:00

We spent the Holiday in Steamboat Springs, CO. My cousin Julie got married last Saturday and we stayed through the week to celebrate Christmas together with all the relatives. Here are some pictures from the adventure.

Chris, Sara and Santa

Chris and my mom played music for the wedding.

The bride, Julie, with uncle Bill, aunt Kathleen, and Lisa.

Grandma Irene, Chris and Sara.

A snowy ski day!

Junebug

2008-12-10T21:18:00.002-07:00

Last month June turned 2. Here she is. Looking fine.

Boulder Avenue

2008-12-02T06:32:00.008-07:00

Hopefully my mom can comment on how old I am in this picture. It was taken in front of the house where I grew up. A childhood friend, Amy Slusser, just contacted me on facebook so that she could send me the photograph! It's quite a flashbac.

Happy Thanksgiving.

2008-11-27T15:58:00.004-07:00

Chris posted gorgeous pictures of the morning frost today. I asked him to take some pictures of my morning project so that I could document what I was doing while he was in the yard. I baked a Cranberry Tea Cake from the Moosewood cookbook.

"Der Guten Tag Hop Clop"

2008-11-22T08:44:00.003-07:00

Last night my brother and I got to spend time with our good friend Kurt. Kurt's parents recently got a hot tub and as you can tell from the video, we were all very excited about it. So excited in fact that Kevin and Kurt performed a musical number in their bathrobes. It was a fantastic evening of soaking, laughing and piano playing.

Inspired.

2008-11-16T22:12:00.007-07:00

Welcome to the new blog. Chris started his own a while back and I've decided it's time to jump back on the bandwagon. This is my first attempt at posting in a very long time so bear with me. The picture's a bit blurry (sorry Chris) but the photo inspired me so I'm going with it! I haven't decided on a focus for the blog, but I think it will likely include photos of the taleff o'casey adventures. With a bit of encouragement, I will make an effort to post weekly.

Our most recent adventure was last weekend. We took our friend Alyx on a 1,900 mile college tour road trip through Oregon and Washington. We explored campuses, visited old friends and shopped. This picture was taken at Willamette University where Chris went to school. Chris was trying to look freaked out. He did a good job.

Its Comin Up Around The Bend!

2007-07-23T22:10:00.000-06:00

It's five weeks to the wedding and hopefully you have all received your invitations in the mail box, quickly torn at the perforation and checked the box confirming that you will indeed be making your way to Helena on the 1st of September.
Chances are, you are on this page and reading these words getting ready to browse the registry pages. With that in mind, we love personal things and things made by our friends. The list is only a guide so don't feel boxed in, limited, caught by the pinky toe or anything along these lines. Be free and do as you like. We look forward to seeing you and please check back periodically because we will be adding informative sections to the website in the next month.
Above are a few pieces of pottery by one of the artists at the Archie Bray (where the wedding will take place). We like the idea of supporting a local business and talked to one of our friends who has a wonderful gallery here in Helena. She set up a kind of registry for us and you can call them at 406.443.0340 just to get an idea. Marylee and Doug (owners) are great people and they would love to talk to you about this option if you are interested. Okay, that is all for now. Love.

Save The Date

2007-04-22T08:27:00.000-06:00

First off, we failed to mention a very important fact. Lauren Brown, our awesome photographer was responsible for this beautiful postcard. She is wonderful and we are so happy to have her at the wedding. You can go to her website here.

Now ...... 9.1.07 at the Archie Bray

be there or be square