The Currier Courier

Tickling the Ivories

2010-11-19T19:39:00.000-08:00

Brynne has been enjoying her piano lessons, which she started taking this fall. For the first time in her young career, she stepped in front of a crowd of around 60 people at a piano recital tonight. Her ivory tickling wowed the audience with "Jolly Old St. Nick" and "Aloutte." See for yourself in the link below:
Brynne's first recital (2:17, 35Mb)

Brynne especially loved her flowers from Mommy and Daddy. We can't wait for her next big performance!

Vacation Time!

2010-07-30T18:09:00.001-07:00

Happy Summer!!!! We just got back from a great (but short) trip to Hershey Park and the Crayola Factory. Be sure to check out the photos I posted on Facebook that really highlight the trip.

We woke up bright and early to head out Monday morning. We arrived shortly after the park opened and quickly made our way onto the rides. At Hershey, the girls rode their first wooden real wooden roller coaster (I think it was also mommy's LAST wooden roller coaster ride....it really rattles my head in a bad way) as well as their first loop-da-loop coaster ride (the Sooper Dooper Looper). I believe the log flume reigned supreme as Catrina's favorite ride while Brynne preferred the stomach dropping sensation of the "Falcon" (a ride where you ride in a cage and it spins fast and takes you up). Both girls fell in love with the pirate ship ride.... we had the pleasure of riding this one just after eating. Yay.

Tuesday morning we got up and hit the Chocolate Factory where we were able to make our own chocolate bars! This was so much fun. Now, I know you're thinking it... what did we do with our chocolate bars at the theme park? Luckily, Hershey provides a bag holding service! Once we finished there we decided to hit the water park first to try to avoid the long lines from the day before. We went on various water slides and enjoyed the cool interactive water area where they frequently dump a HUGE bucket of water all over the awaiting masses. I stood out of harm's reach with the camera :)

On Wednesday we headed to Easton, Pa to see the Crayola Factory where the girls had some hands on creative fun.

All in all it was a great way to celebrate the half way point of summer. Coming up the girls will be going to Phillies Bridge Farm Camp as well as the Ulster County Fair. So much summer still to come!

Off to the Races!

2010-07-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow, is it July already??? Luckily, we've had a pretty quiet summer thus far so I don't think I've been too neglectful in updating the blog.

Recently, Andy decided to train for a 5k. We have many friends who are runners so they've been spurring him on with their tales of training and racing. He finally ran his first 5k on Thursday and did very well (hey, he finished! I ran a mile on Saturday for the first time and KNOW I couldn't make it another 2 and survive). Our best friends, Ed and Kelly, ran with him. The girls and I were their loudest cheerleaders. The girls then participated in their own children's races and were rewarded with popsicles and t-shirts! In truth though, the girls were happiest just checking out the cool snapping turtles in the pond.

Recital Cuties!

2010-06-27T15:08:00.000-07:00

So our dance school year came to a glorious end with our recital on June 13th. The girls were HOT HOT HOT (you needed sunglasses to be in the room with them) while I even got in on the act as I performed my very first tap recital.

Brynne broke her arm just before Memorial Day Weekend so she was forced to perform in her cast. It has since come off an she's making a great recovery.

One of the best parts of the weekend was celebrating with the family. We had a great representation from both the Currier and O'Neill sides in attendance! Thanks everyone!

The Graduate

2010-06-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

No, we're not talking about Dustin Hoffman. On June 3rd, Catrina passed a milestone in her young life - her graduation from Playschool!

Click below for footage of our princess at the big event:

Catrina's Playschool Graduation

(Note: the file is very large (200+ Mb) and takes about 15 minutes to watch. The Currier family is also not responsible for any motion sickness caused by Daddy's lack of video skills.)

A Whole Hand!

2010-05-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right, Catrina is FIVE!!!! One whole hand.... one half decade!!!!

The buildup actually started weeks back when we had the "how many days until my birthday countdown began". This came to a climax yesterday when Catrina announced she was 4 and "five quarters"... yes Catrina.... let's make working on those math skills a priority in 2010.

The birthday extravaganza began on Mother's Day with a small celebration with Grandma and Grandpa Currier.

Next up, we had a visit from the Hough children. This was cool because it was the first time Lindsey and Catrina had been reunited since they had moved to Texas when both girls were babies. Lindsey is 3 days older than Catrina so we were able to celebrate both girls.

Then it was THE BIG DAY. Brynne, being an awesome big sister, came bounding into our room to announce that as a b-day gift to Catrina... she had cleaned her room (and she HAD!).

Every big day has to get off to the right start so Catrina decided that bacon and apple juice is what every growing girl needs (she might also consider a defibrillator) and a rapid gift opening before jetting off to school.

We then had the playschool kids over for some pizza and partying. The weather was COLD but we made them all play in the yard and they just enjoyed climbing and swinging and sliding for a few hours.

You'd think that would be enough for one day... but oh no... there was more. Dinner! Every 5 year old's favorite... steak and corn on the cob (ok the corn was a concession for Brynne who is going in to get her pre-braces tomorrow and probably won't be able to eat corn for a while). Catrina DESTROYED her corn and even ate some steak (I had to tell her that steak would make her stronger since she was going to the POOL). Daddy, Brynne, and Catrina went swimming and then to ice cream.

Ahhhh what a great birthday!!!! And she still hasn't seen Marnie and Paw-Paw so there's more action to come!

An Update from Daddy

2010-04-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

Warning: This is a post from Daddy, pictures courtesy of his (precious) iPhone.

Daddy set a target of the end of April to get the garden ready for planting, and thankfully this great weather we've had has cooperated. The family garden was expanded at the end of last year (thanks Grandpa!) and thanks to Daddy's new tiller, getting it ready for this season was a piece of cake. Here's the finished product, ready to be planted, before the fence went up:

Catrina and Brynne both helped by removing many rocks and by generally playing nicely while Daddy tilled and dug. Catrina befriended a worm she found and even called him Wormy. I'm not sure if he thinks she is a friend considering her manhandling and putting him in a bucket then dousing it with water. The girls are excited to expand the crops this year to include (Brynne's favorite?) brussels sprouts. Stay tuned.

Today, we took out the fishing poles, picked up some night crawlers, and headed to the SUNY New Paltz campus where the girsl did some fishing. First they practiced their casting in the yard and I'm still not sure how they both ended up with their eyes intact. Here is Brynne sporting her first catch of the season using her new Hannah Montana fishing pole (because who doesn't think of Miley Cyrus when they think of bait and tackle?)

Brynne got off to a furious start in 2010, picking up where she left off in 2009, by catching a dozen fish in less than a half hour. I told her we needed to find her a new challenge since it was a matter of seconds that the worm hit the water until I was yanking the hook out of the fish's mouth. Fish of Cayuga Lake, beware!!!

Catrina got into the act as well, catching several fish herself and even getting the worms out for Daddy to bait. Here she is proudly with her first catch this year:
Brynne is also attending Art Class this spring and brought home her first masterpiece this week, a pencil drawing of a persian kitty:

Please, no reproductions. I have a feeling this one may fetch quite a bit at Christie's.

So... What's New and Exciting?

2010-04-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

... well nothing much! But we haven't been great about updating so I'll just mash up a bunch of our recent activities.

The girls had their spring break and you wouldn't know it was spring by the weather! The first 2 days of the vacation saw torrential rains so we found a great INDOOR aquarium in Norwalk, Ct and spent a few hours checking out the fish, seals, otters (Catrina's favorites) and frogs (you-know-who's-favorites)

We traveled to Webster for Easter this year and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. It was just a tease of what the late spring and summer will be bringing us. For the first time ever, the girls were able to do their Easter Egg Hunt without winter coats!!!

Since then we've been outside soaking in as much as the nice weather as we can!

March Madness

2010-03-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

Well, March Madness these days refers to Andy's attitude towards his beloved Syracuse who had an earlier than anticipated exit in the NCAA tournament. But, on the bright side, the end of March signals the upcoming baseball season which is when I get really excited.

On Friday, Catrina had her school's Easter Egg Hunt which is always fun. It was bittersweet (as all playschool moments are these days) since this is the last year that we will have kids in that school and we've been so happy there.

On Friday night we got a little silly around here when the girls decided they wanted to sleep together in a tent. This brought back memories of the awesome tents my brothers and I would build in their room and we'd be allowed to sleep in it. Now, in those days, the laws governing tent dwellings weren't very strict but I made sure that Brynne and Catrina had a nice, semi-safe little tent. Here's a few photos I snapped of them sound asleep. So adorable:

We Bleed Orange and Blue

2010-03-02T19:50:00.000-08:00

When Andy bought 10 tickets to the Syracuse/Villanova game back in early December, he knew it would be a good game but he didn't know it would be one for the ages. The build up was going strong for weeks before the game. Both teams were moving quickly up the rankings. At game time, Nova was ranked 7th and Cuse was 4th.

It was touch and go just getting to the game. With 20 inches of snow in New Paltz and Webster, getting there was in question but Andy was not going to be denied just because of a little snow! We actually got an early start on our trip to Webster since the girls' schools were closed on Friday for the 3rd straight day.

Saturday morning dawned with even MORE snow in Webster so Grandma, Grandpa, Brynne, and Catrina decided to go out and build a huge snowman.

Then it was off to Syracuse. We got in game-mode by hanging out and watching #1 ranked Kansas lose. The atmosphere was electric at Faegans as the chant of "We're #1" echoed. We then made the trek up to the dome to hang out with 34,616 fans... an on campus record. The game was fantastic... the energy was enough to blow the roof off the dome and I believe Andy may have shed tears of joy.... Cuse emerged victorious!

We left the Dome as snowballs rained down from ecstatic fans who all knew that come Monday, Syracuse would be the #1 ranked team in the country.

Build a Bear Action

2010-02-22T09:35:00.000-08:00

Brynne's half month long birthday celebration culminated in her awesome party at Build A Bear. She was only allowed to invite a few friends but they all had a blast. We highly recommend parties there based on the experience we had. All the girls were able to choose a cute bear and an outfit. Brynne even went home with an autographed bear and photo of the party. We then went home for some cake and presents. After several birthday events, it's safe to say that Brynne had a happy birthday!

More Birthday Action

2010-02-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

Brynne's having an extended birthday this year since we had to schedule her party for Feb 20th (Build a Bear apparently doesn't do birthday parties the weekend of Valentine's Day) so more photos will be coming.

Birthday Dinner with Our Neighbor:

Ok, ok... this photo came from a b-day party that both girls went to this weekend but it was very festive and fit with the theme of this post and I just think it's a pretty cool photo:

Happy Birthday Brynne!

2010-02-12T20:29:00.000-08:00

A day late but that's ok... (Had to make sure I had some photos to go with the write up) You've come a long way baby!!

You are a much loved little girl. 7th Heaven indeed.
Love, Daddy, Mommy, & Catrina

2003:

2010

The Winter Blues?

2010-01-26T17:46:00.001-08:00

Not around here!!!!

This weekend we went to Mohonk Mountain House for some ice skating with the girl scouts. We scored a great deal on the skating fee at this really exclusive resort so we had to take advantage of it. They have a gorgeous skating pavilion with a HUGE fireplace. It was a great family time.

For an added bonus... Andy was able to hang up our awesome canvases this weekend too. We couldn't be happier with how they turned out and how they serve as a daily ( & prominent) reminder of our great trip to Ireland.

An Ordinary Week

2010-01-17T06:16:00.000-08:00

Yep... just another run of the mill week here at the compound. The snow is beginning to melt so no more sledding and we're just getting back into the swing of our normal schedule with school and dance and choir and gymnastics.

Brynne had a great week at girl scouts and I was lucky to be the parent helper. We worked on bird feeders.

Catrina was once again the victim of mommy with a camera as I insisted that she pose with the hat I knitted. I just learned how to knit (bought a hoop and watched a YouTube video... easy!)... but I only know how to do one stitch. Oh well

Then it was off to the great outdoors for photos in her sweater from Ireland (I can't take credit for that hat!! Santa got it at H&M)

Sleigh ride

2010-01-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

This Christmas, Santa brought the girls (Meg included, as you'll see below) a new sled. This is unlike any other sled we've seen before - it's called the Zipfy Luge and it's about 2 feet long, weighs around 2 pounds, and can hold up to 250 pounds. Check out the footage below showing off the huge mountain in our backyard:

Brynne on luge
Catrina on luge
Meg on luge

The girls also got a snowboard courtesy of Paw-Paw, and this has been more the favorite than the Zipfy. They need to work on their stops a little, although their current dismounts are quite stylish (if not humorous):

Brynne snowboarding
Catrina snowboarding

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2009.... always a wonderful time of the year for the Curriers. Unfortunately this year, both girls were stricken with a pretty nasty stomach bug that kept them from really having a ton of energy leading up to the big day. In fact, Brynne had to leave school early on PAJAMA DAY of all days. She was not happy! Even now, Sunday, Brynne is still not 100% better... poor kid.

But Santa was generous to them no matter how they felt. He brought them each a Nintendo DS and Andy and I had breathed a huge sigh of relief that none of the gifts had a million tiny pieces.... and then the grandparents showed up and obliterated that relief. So now the house looks like a giant toy store threw up all over our family room. Andy and I are going to ignore the mess as we enjoy our new Wii Fit Plus.

Sunday we decided to walk off all the steak, lobster, and ham with a walk on the Walkway over the Hudson. It was a beautiful day to get out there and enjoy the weather.

We hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday as well. We're looking forward to a relaxing week with Andy taking his final week of vacation and me having only a few scrapbooking projects on my to-do list now that the holiday rush is over.

So Fancy.... and So Very Sweet

2009-12-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

Today began with the biggest letdown of a snow storm that this family has ever seen! The weather forecasters had called for anywhere from 4 to 8 inches of snow overnight and I awoke to.... nothing! How boring! Since we had already canceled our family get together in Long Island (THEY got over a foot!) we saw it as a sign from God that we were meant to attend the Fancy Nancy book signing up in Kingston. Let me tell you, these girls totally ROCKED the Nancy look. We went through a couple of outfit options but settled on the perfect petti-skirts and boas (which I have to thank my past years of bachelorette craziness for having those babies at the ready!). Not to brag, but the Currier Sisters were by FAR the fanciest Fancy Nancy fans in attendance.

The big moment!

After a short, but revitalizing nap by Catrina, the girls settled down to help Daddy make some delicious sugar cookies. It's now an annual tradition in the house and the girls love spending time decorating all of them.

Silly Silly Girls

2009-12-18T15:10:00.000-08:00

The Coolest Sisters ever!

Brynne's First Candlelight Service

2009-12-13T18:18:00.001-08:00

Tonight was our church's annual Christmas Candlelight Service. All three choirs perform several songs for the congregation and this year they even all got together and sang at the end. This was Brynne's first Candlelight performance and she did a great job despite being very sick the past few days. She rested up, avoiding church this morning and a birthday party this afternoon, just for her big day. Click below for THE performance (it's 6 minutes long and 24MB in size):

Brynne's Candlelight Performance 2009

You can actually hear Catrina in the background too. Just be thankful she stopped talking long enough for you to hear the choir! Thanks to Mommy for her videography skills. Daddy was performing too but thankfully there is no video evidence.

Here are the photos as promised (sorry for the poor quality, I was multitasking!)
The Scene:

Waiting patiently:

Here they come!

Family Update

2009-12-11T09:52:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since I've given you the scoop on the goings on within the Currier Clan. Before Thanksgiving we had our first parent/teacher conference with Brynne's 1st grade teacher. As expected, she is doing really, really well in first grade. She's doing so well that she will be going into 2nd grade for reading (deja vu?... if you recall, she went to first grade for reading while in kindergarten). She's making friends and finding her way socially as well so we are very pleased.

Meanwhile, Catrina continues to enjoy her final year of Playschool. She is VERY social and has created quite a network of friends for herself. She is sure to be the social butterfly of our family.

Thanksgiving came and we went off to Rochester to spend time with the Curriers. While there, the girls were able to try ice skating for the second time and they have really taken a liking to it and Catrina is showing real skill.

With December's arrival we have found ourselves in Christmas mode. We attended the tree lighting and caroling with Brynne's girl scout troop. We also cut our own tree again this year and the house is looking festive. Mother Nature has cooperated and provided us with a beautiful blanket of snow that the girls played in last week. We even had our first SNOW DAY!

Day 7: Last Full Day. Killarney

2009-12-06T20:20:00.000-08:00

Oh how sad to wake up on Saturday and realize it was our last full day in Ireland. We set off bright and early to take a spin on the Ring of Kerry.

We noticed that the local radios were saying there was flooding and an abundance of rain lately (you KNOW the rain was bad when the Irish themselves are complaining about it) so when we pulled into Ross Castle we saw firsthand what they meant. The parking lot was flooded and several of the cute boats you can rent in the summer months were waterlogged.

The castle was beautiful and in a great setting. It was closed for tours but that was ok with us as we had a full itinerary.

Moving on we came across many wonderful sights, including a ruined abbey (complete with 'hidden staircase' to the upper floor)...

a great waterfall,

spectacular views,

and even MORE spectacular views.

We finished the night by soaking in the culture that is FOOTBALL. We sat in a pub and watched the World Cup Qualifier of France vs Ireland (no, not the controversial game... that would be played a few days later). It was so much fun watching how excited the locals were to watch this game.

Overall, Ireland was the trip of a lifetime for us and we hope to be able to go back someday with the girls. Until then, we'll just have to keep looking at the photos.

And now back to our regular program of kid cuteness!

Ireland: Day 6: Dingle

2009-12-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

Don't laugh at the name... Dingle ROCKS! It was recommended by a friend that we go to Dingle or really miss out on seeing one of the most beautiful day trips we would ever experience. She was right.... Dingle provided the most overall beauty that we saw in Ireland. Everywhere we turned was another beautiful scene.

Town of Dingle:

I had to pause and take a shot of this handsome fellow... I was taking a photo above his head and he was standing there looking eager to please so I snapped his photo too.

We made sure to visit a ruined fort (with SPECTACULAR cliff views) as well as a settlement dating back before Christ where people lived in buildings dubbed "beehive huts". I, for one, would never sleep in one in fear that a rock would fall on my head but I guess ancient peoples were tougher than I am.

Ireland: Day 5: Doolin

2009-11-30T19:12:00.000-08:00

We didn't realize it when we woke up the morning of Day 5 that we would be seeing the most stunningly gorgeous scenery of our lives that day.

The day started out like the others, a nice, full breakfast (and a purse full of bananas..... hey, we're cheap what can we say. By taking fruit we saved ourselves a lunch, which was good since the lands we drove through to get to Doolin were pretty desolate). This land was called "The Burren" because it rhymes with "barren" (yes, I made up that fact)

We set off and stopped along the way to see many interesting historic sights. We saw this ruined building along the way and drove down this teeny tiny and super bumpy road and ended up bottoming out our lovely rental (no damage done though!... and Andy made friends with some very friendly local dogs who just wanted to say hi as he was checking for damage)

As we continued along we noticed along this road more than anywhere else in our travels just how varying the weather can be from one second to the next. You could be driving into the bleakest, darkest sky while just to the north or south, the sky would be totally clear. Some of our photos from this day show this point.

Andy, bless his heart, did such a great job of mapping out our trip and finding points of interest. He really wanted to see Poulnadrone Dolmen.... an ancient tomb (well, they say it's a tomb) that dates back several thousand years before Christ. To look at it in photos... it looks enormous. We pulled into the parking lot and said "where is it?". We set off on our walk thinking it must be quite far since we couldn't see it from the parking lot.... alas... no... it was just smaller than expected. It was about 5 1/2 feet tall. Still, it looked cool and I got some cool photos of it.

Doolin:

As we pulled into the adorable town of Doolin, the sky turned dark and the wind kicked up to the point where I didn't want to get out of the car! Our bed and breakfast lady even said that the Cliffs (what cliffs you ask? oh, just wait) would not be good this day due to the wind and the rain. Not to be deterred since we had one day in Doolin, we set off in the hopes of seeing some awesome cliffs. As we pulled into the parking lot (that would cost us 8 Euro to park in!) the sky turned BLACK. I was pretty miserable since this was the one sight I really wanted to see. So we kept on driving and saw a cute town (that was under clear skies, of course!). After about an hour we decided that we had to go to the cliffs or miss our chance. As we pulled in the parking lot we were greeted by (another) beautiful rainbow (the Leprechauns must have gone broke while we were there!) and we set off on our walk. The walk was difficult since we had 60mph winds blowing us back. We never expected to see this:

Cliffs of Moher:

As luck would have it, waiting the extra hour was perfect. We were able to experience the Cliffs at sunset.... heaven on earth!

Ireland: Day 4

2009-11-22T10:28:00.000-08:00

Day 4 was MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! Happy Birthday to ME. That being said you can probably guess what the weather was like. Yep... rain. We ventured into Connemara National Park to see some great scenery and hit my 'must see' of the trip (Kylemore Abbey).
Along the way we were treated to some fun (if not hard to find) attractions. We found "The Quiet Man" bridge.... featured in the John Wayne movie. The mountains were also saw were gorgeous (probably even more so in nicer weather).
Do you think this is what John Wayne looked like when he was putting the moves on Maureen O'Hara?

Next on our list was a little excursion along the Sky Road. It was probably the worst weather we encountered on our entire trip. It was blustery and cold! Even Andy was wearing a hat! Pressing on, we reached Kylemore Abbey in the early afternoon. The weather was quite blustery but I don't think it bothered us too much. We took a tour of the grounds and gardens and afterwards treated ourselves to some nice hot beverages.

Back in Galway, we went out to the "King's Head" Pub in Galway. It was such a cool pub... the atmosphere was just what you'd imagine for an Irish pub. We followed our dinner up with a little walk around the tourist district. We heard some traditional music and chatted with some (you guessed it) American tourists.

Ireland: Day 3

2009-11-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

After our rainy venture into Galway at night, we awoke to a beautiful morning with warm temps and mixed skies. We started the day off right with this Irish Breakfast (and if you just read that and believe I ate that, you shouldn't be reading this blog... that was Andy's breakfast)

This day we decided to drive about an hour to the ferry to take us to the Aran Islands. There are 3 islands in this grouping and we went to Inishmore, the largest of the three. The islands are full of history with ruins and serene cemetaries everywhere you turn.
We decided to rent bicycles so we could get around and see more things (a decision I may regret since my knee STILL hurts!)
.

Off the beaten path, we came across a ruined church which is touted as the smallest church in the world. As impressive as that was to see, we decided to head over to the shore we saw from the area near the church. It was a longer walk than we anticipated as the shore seemed to keep moving away from us.... little did we know that we would be treated to some of the most stunning cliff views we would see on our vacation. In this area, there were no safety barriers set up so we were taking our lives into our own hands in checking these out so we spent a few minutes and then moved on.

The Aran Islands are home to more than just livestock and people.... we saw some seals taking in the sun on this late autumn day. And lastly, we saw one of many Irish rainbows. This one was spectacular as it was over the open water and just picture perfect.

Ireland: Day 2

2009-11-18T05:31:00.000-08:00

Day 2 began with us walking all over Dublin again. We went to St. Stephens Square and walked back through the Trinity College area where we decided to have a drink at O'Neill's (.... and at 11:30 am it was not at all weird).

We ended our time in Dublin with a trip to the highly recommended Leo Burdocks. It serves fish and chips and Andy was determined to give it a go. He says it's the best he ever had and I certainly loved the malt vinegar on my fries... err chips I mean. We ate it in the park that adjoins St Patrick's Cathedral.... doesn't get much better than that.

The clouds were rolling in as we began our trip west to Galway and we were greeted by rain about halfway there. We got lost (again!) finding our B&B so we found a local pub, had another great dinner, and called it a night. We knew we had a big day ahead of us on the Aran Islands (photos to come!)

Ireland!

2009-11-17T08:41:00.000-08:00

Andy and I finally got to go on our dream vacation last week. We spent 8 glorious days in Ireland and saw some of the most breathtaking scenery on the planet. I took over 1,000 photos so I will be doing several updates showing off what we saw and all the fun things we did. Day 1 Dublin! We arrived in the capital bright and early on a sunny Sunday morning. We picked up our rental car (something I would have upgraded had I known how many hours we'd be spending in it!) and headed into town.

Once in Dublin we got lost for the first of about a dozen times on the trip. You see, when Andy meticulously planned our road trip he neglected to realize (understandably) that road signs mean nothing in Ireland. Roads are NOT clearly labeled. If you are planning a trip to Ireland, I suggest planning your route based on where bed & breakfasts are as they are well marked. Luckily, the people in Ireland are VERY friendly. An older gentleman on his way to church came up to our car and asked if we needed directions... too sweet. We stopped at our hotel (lobby shown here) to drop off our bags and we hit the ground running!

First stop, Dame Street as we walked toward the Guinness Brewery. There were many sights and sounds (including Dublin Castle, Trinity College, St Patrick's Cathedral, etc) to see along the way.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

After much walking (on very little sleep I might add) we arrived at our main destination.... the Guinness Brewery. Guinness is the most visited attraction in Ireland and we could see why. They did an extensive renovation earlier this decade and really made the museum into a showcase. It features Dublin's highest point.... the Sky Bar where you are entitled to a free pint of Guiness (or a soft drink which I opted for since I took one sip of Guinness and decided it wasn't for me. This guy was there to greet us outside.

Still tired (and now hungry) we left Guinness to head to MY destination of choice... the Old Jameson Distillery which was a short walk from the Guinness Brewery. Though they no longer brew Jameson (it's done in Middleton Ireland) they sure had it in plentiful supply. Andy was even chosen to do a whiskey tasting featuring 3 different styled of whiskey (Jameson, Johnnie Walker, and Jack Daniels). I learned alot about distilling here but I don't need to know HOW it's made to know that it's yummy mixed with Diet Coke.

From there it was onto the Brazen Head, Ireland's oldest pub, to soak in some atmosphere and pub food. At this point, it was around 5 o'clock in the afternoon and I just had had enough... we went back to the hotel where I took a much needed 3 hour nap while Andy dealt with a crisis of getting our car parked for the night. I'll spare you the details here because he just loves to tell the story so if you see us, have him tell it to you... it's pretty funny. A big thank you to Dublin's Bravest though for their help in the car situation :)

After the nap, we were awake and hungry so we hit the town. Another tip for those traveling to Ireland... do NOT expect to get your food and your alcohol in the same joint unless it's around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Pubs stop serving food right around the time most normal people are hungry (odd, yes). So we found an Eddie Rockets (similar to Johnny Rockets) and strolled along the River Liffey and took some photos.

up next.... the Aran Islands.

Our New Favorite

2009-11-06T19:28:00.001-08:00

The look on each girls' face just fits them to a T. Catrina with her devil may care attitude and Brynne with her "oh my word, who will clean this mess" face are just so priceless and I am so glad I captured this entire afternoon with them.

Loving the Leaves

2009-11-05T13:57:00.001-08:00

We have the most beautiful bright yellow leaves that fall right in front of our house but even beautiful leaves need to be raked. The hard work for daddy and mommy (yes, even I rake... in my Fendi sunglasses! LOL) means tons of fun for the Currier gals. We raked em up and they jumped and ran... good times.

With a combination of leaf blower and a rake, the girls were in a wonderland of leaves.

The Big Night!

2009-11-01T06:59:00.000-08:00

Halloween night finally arrived... a little rainy but that doesn't hold us back from the night of CANDY. We headed into town early for trick or treating. This works really well since we only have 11 homes on our road and these girls need to hit up entire neighborhoods in their insatiable quest for candy.

New Paltz is wonderful in that they take Halloween VERY seriously. The costumes are pretty elaborate and they put on a full-fledged parade. The firehouse gives out candy bars (full size! jackpot) and apples and the Bakery in town has a fabulous carved pumpkin display (and free cocoa, cider, and pumpkin bread... yumm!) Small town living really has its perks!

When we arrived home we mustered up enough energy to visit a few of the houses on our street. It was hard to get these energized girls in bed but we managed. I'd say we took advantage of that extra hour of sleep but the girls internal clocks just woke them up at their usual time, which is now an hour earlier!

Happy Halloween.... is it over yet?

2009-10-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

Halloween is a week long event around here. We've been celebrating since Wednesday and we still haven't gone trick or treating in town yet.

Here is Brynne at her school Halloween party that followed a parade in the gym:

Catrina and her class singing songs about Halloween:

Brynne wins musical chairs at the church party!!

Raggedy Ann... err I mean Catrina, enjoying her time at Ava's birthday party at the Children's Museum. What a lucky gal to have her birthday on Halloween!

Just had to share these

2009-10-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

Adorable Photos of Catrina. I had joked to some friends that I got some fab new sunglasses and they asked to see some fab photos of the sunglasses. Of course, I took pictures of Catrina in the sunglasses instead of myself... she's just too cute.

Weekends = Busy!

2009-10-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

We had another busy and exciting weekend. Saturday was pretty rainy and gross out but luckily we didn't have any outdoor plans that needed to be revamped. Catrina was under the weather so she skipped dance class. Brynne went on her own and then off to her first official Daisy Scout meeting. After that, she had a friend from school come over for a playdate (these are very exciting things to 6 year olds!) The girls even discussed their NEXT playdate being a sleepover (I don't think I'm ready for that!). Then it was off to dinner for some deep fried hot dogs.... they were delicious!

Sunday arrived sunny and beautiful. This was ideal since Marnie and Paw Paw were coming for a visit. Brynne had her first performance in the Junior Choir and it was absolutely adorable. Afterward we enjoyed a lunch at Murphy's (yes, And and I are in training for our trip to Ireland) and a trip over to the Walkway Over the Hudson. I think the entire Hudson Valley had the same idea... it was PACKED. But the Walkway is gorgeous. I will be making it a regular spot to bring the kids.

Normally that would be enough action but we THEN took the girls in their costumes over to SUNY New Paltz for some trick or treating at the dorms. The college kids were all really nice and provided candy and entertainment to a bunch of kids.

Our Scarecrow

2009-10-20T13:00:00.001-07:00

In all of our years as a family, we have never built a scarecrow. I find that hard to believe! Well, we scrounged up some old clothes (softball pants... yep) and stuffed this guy full of hay. He is relaxing in our front yard these days.

Yep, Mr Scarecrow is wearing the only red socks we're seeing this October.... as it should be!! He's also the only Green Monster we have to put up with. I'm here all week!

A Haunting We Will Go

2009-10-19T19:59:00.001-07:00

Halloween cannot come fast enough in the Currier house. Brynne has Halloween-itis.... all she talks about is Halloween and all the events she has that will lead up to the big day. It's all about the candy! Multiple events will be taking place between now and Halloween. These costumes will get a lot of mileage. For Brynne's sake, I hope the weather warms up a bit. It figures, the first year I get her a "skimpy" costume instead of a plush one and the weather turns chilly.

The Hats Make a Comeback

2009-10-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

I gave you a hint at the hats the girls will be sporting this winter. So this week I took the girls to Huguenot Street (my photo locale of choice) and had some time to kill before Brynne's choir practice so I just grabbed the hats, grabbed the girls, and walked over to the little cemetary (don't judge me! it's historic!) and took some photos. I'm sure the people residing there were comforted by the laughter of children (and the shrill cry of their mother saying "get back here and put that hat on and look happy about it"... I'm kidding, that didn't actually happen)

So I'm not sharing all the hat pics right now as one or more may end up on our holiday cards and I'd like to leave the surprise for when you get the card in the mail.

*Before anyone gets on my case about having a logo on my photos, the only reason I did that is b/c these versions are saved much smaller than regular print versions and, therefore, take less time to upload. Besides, my logo is pretty sweet, or so I've been told.

Off to Albany

2009-10-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

We had a very short, but sweet visit with Grandma and Grandpa C last weekend in Albany. The State Museum in Albany was a perfect destination for us. It had very interesting exhibits for the girls to explore (TRILOBITES!!!) and a nice carousel. Then it was off to dinner at Fridays!

FYI, the state museum has free admission and free parking (on weekends at least... we parked on the street) and it's really just one floor of exhibits so it was not overwhelming for the kids (or the adults for that matter!)

Happy Anniversary!

2009-10-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

10 years of wedded bliss for Andy and me! We're celebrating with a week in Ireland next month. We're so blessed to have each other and our two girls and our families who love and care for us. Thanks to everyone who has helped us get this far!

Shaupeneak Ridge

2009-10-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

Family Fun Day! We had a fabulous hike through the woods on Sunday and stumbled across this awesome view of the Hudson Valley. We then trekked TOO far to see a pretty wimpy waterfall.... at the end of the day we were all TIRED. We didn't find the hidden geocaches so that was a little disappointing but nothing could dampen our spirits after seeing the great sights of Shaupeneak Ridge.

Check out my photo blog: Meg's Photos to see even more photos from our hike.

Apple Fest

2009-10-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

It's definitely fall here in the Hudson Valley. The nights are cool (some have been downright COLD) and the leaves are quickly turning. Early October brings the annual Apple Festival on Huguenot Street in New Paltz. We are members of the Reformed Church and were thrilled that the weather held out for their event, now in its 20th year.

I was a vendor this year for the first time and really did well for myself. Craft shows are hit or miss and this one was a hit. My cards were probably the most popular items so I will have to keep that in mind when preparing for future shows (doesn't the public know that cards aren't my favorite things to make?) Meanwhile, the girls were busy helping Daddy with the kiddie games. I apologize for the lack of "apple fest" pics but I was at my booth all day. These photos are during the cleanup and when the girls FINALLY got to go to the playground.

The BEST part of the day was that the weathermen were so wrong about the forecast. All week they said Saturday would be a complete washout. There were ominous clouds in the morning with a few sprinkles (and with my PAPER products, even humidity is a danger) but overall the day was gorgeous and we all ate our weight in apples!

The Best Hat Ever!

2009-10-02T13:16:00.001-07:00

Both girls have this hat and mitten set for the winter.... thanks Marnie! Stay tuned for pics of Brynne in it.... Miss Catrina (on her own) put the hat and mittens on as soon as we brought them home.

Gratuitous Cuteness x 2

2009-09-25T19:51:00.001-07:00

I accidentally posted this on my "business" blog so I'll repost it here for the family and friends:

Poet's Walk

2009-09-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

We had to take advantage of this beautiful weather by making a return trip to Poet's Walk in Rhinebeck. Last year we attempted this same hike on Father's Day but it was EXTREMELY hot that day and Catrina had fallen asleep in the car so Andy wasn't about to carry her for the 2 miles we had to go. This time around it was great! The weather was fantastic and the girls were eager to try their new geocaching tool (geocaching uses GPS coordinates to help you locate a hidden treasure in locations throughout the world). Brynne found a very well hidden one in a log while Daddy helped her be the first ones to find a geocache that had just been placed there (a hiker told us about it as we crossed paths). And you know me... I just had fun photographing it all.

Sassy Lassie:

Singing and Dancing

2009-09-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

We've officially got two more Beatle Maniacs on the planet. Andy ran out and bought Beatles Rock Band and we've been pretending to be part of the Fab 4 ever since (clearly, Andy is Ringo). Now the girls are even listening to the Beatles CD's in their bedrooms. Coo Coo Ca Choo!

Saturday was the girls first dance class. Brynne is the next Gregory Hines... well except she's white and she's a girl but you get the picture. And Catrina... well... she's Catrina.

We <3 Derek Jeter

2009-09-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Friday night we gathered 'round the ol' TV to watch history happen. Derek Jeter set the record as the all time Yankee hits leader. This was a special occasion for sure and Brynne was in a festive mood. She decided the house needed some decorations.

Congrats to Derek. A true Yankee champion and legend in our time!

Duck Pond

2009-09-07T18:36:00.000-07:00

This guy is petitioning to Mohonk Preserve for a name change:

Brynne and I made a return trip to Duck Pond (part of Mohonk Preserve) and took Andy and Catrina for their first trip there. It is a LONG walk up to the pond but well worth it. Along the trail, we saw some ruins that we hadn't gotten to go into when we were on the class trip. With Daddy... everything is fair game! We then splashed in a small stream before reaching the pond where the girls (and daddy) enjoyed exploring and seeing TONS of cool wildlife.

Yes, we saw this guy:

The photo geek in me had to get this reflection:

We saw some fall color starting to peek through:

Huguenot Street

2009-09-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Living in New Paltz has afforded us the luxury of having just great photo ops all around us. Our church is located on historic Huguenot Street so heading over there for another round of photos was definitely necessary after I picked up these cute sweaters when I did some back to school shopping this week.

For those of you on Facebook, you can see many more photos from my day with the girls.

Summer is Ending

2009-09-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

Some images of the days of summer winding down.

Fun with the Cousins

2009-08-29T08:41:00.001-07:00

We had our 2nd annual summer fun day with the cousins and the O'Neill side of the family. It was nice that the pool was used to its fullest and everyone had a really great time. Next year we'll have to schedule it so that all of the cousins can be there.

This was my favorite photo from the day and the only one I've had time to work on... of course it's a shot of Daniella and her crazy blue eyes. She and Catrina should do photo shoots together:

Maine: Part 5: Saying Hi to the Georges

2009-08-28T12:56:00.001-07:00

I don't think they heard me though! We drove past the "compound" of the former Presidents and realized they have the best view in Kennebunkport. Beautiful home and beautiful scenery.

Maine: Part 4: At the Beach

2009-08-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

For our second day in Maine, we decided to get an early start (with the girls, every day is an early start so I guess there's no conscious decisions being made) and head over to Goose Rocks Beach... a VERY secluded spot outside of Kennebunkport. We had the place almost all to ourselves and the girls enjoyed building castles, swimming, and burying themselves and daddy in the sand. Once the sun got too hot, we left for lunch and an afternoon of mini golf.

You may see this on a Christmas card this year!

The beach was LOADED with hermit crabs.... Brynne was in heaven!

The perfect Maine postcard:

Burying Daddy in the sand:

Working on a masterpiece:

Bonus Pic: Brynne just looks so chic in my shades and her hat:

Next Up: Last Maine update.... Scenery and Bushes!

Maine: Part 3: Lohbstahs

2009-08-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

I won't even try to hide it, the reason we went to Maine was for the endless amount of lobster (or as it is referred to out there: lohbstah). They grow on trees in Maine and they taste delicious.

Final tally: I believe we ate 8 lobsters in just about 2 days in Maine.

CARNAGE!

AND.... I can thank the lobsters for providing me with a favorite backdrop in my photos... the lobster buoy thingees (I'm sure there is a more formal name for these)

Maine: Part 2: Whale Watch

2009-08-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

We knew the girls would LOVE going on a whale watch while in Maine. Unfortunately, we didn't realize we'd have a 2 hour trip out and a 2 hour trip back to get a glimpse of them. I think overall it was worth it though. We saw some fantastic fin & humpback whales and a shark (bonus!) One of the first whales we saw was breeching (jumping out of the water) when we were still far away. I did manage to snap one picture of this. We were in awe.

A sweet moment on the ride out:

Yes, it was a long ride. Both girls slept a little bit.

SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARK

Waving Hi:

Maine: Part 1

2009-08-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

Some of you are probably wondering why it's taken me so long to update about our trip to Maine. Well, the ol' laptop officially ran out of room so I was only able to upload about 1/4 of the photos and I was unable to edit any of them and, as you've come to realize, I really like to edit my photos! So, let's talk about the early goings of the trip..... We had decided to get an EARLY start.... 5 am to be exact. Well, Catrina had other ideas and woke us up at 2:45. We tried going back to sleep but gave up around 3:30 and decided to go make some coffee (tea for me) and have some breakfast.

We hit the road and arrived in Kennebunkport around 10 am.... plenty of time to make our noon whale watch. We decided to use that time to explore the quaint town.

"Lobsterondack Chairs"

Oddly, this is really the only lighthouse we got close to while in Maine:

Next up... whale watch!

The Saga of the Tooth

2009-08-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

For most of the summer Brynne's front tooth has been loose. This week it became downright wiggly. Last night it was pretty much hanging by a thread but I was too wimpy to just yank it out. We waited for daddy to come home to pull it. Even then Brynne was scared and tentative. Finally, daddy tricked her into using her own finger to push against the tooth. When she pushed on the tooth, daddy then pushed his finger against her hand which pushed the tooth out. It worked!!! She was quite surprised to see the tooth in her hand!

One last shot of Miss Snaggletooth:

"No... don't pull my tooth!" (even though I've been waiting all day for you to pull my tooth!)

What happened?? Such a great mixture of emotion in this picture!

Hanging Out at the Lake

2009-08-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

We were thrilled to spend this past weekend at the cottage with our friends from home. Ed, Kelly, and Scott joined us for the entire weekend and we also had some guest appearances by Wayne, Rich & Charlotte (and Owen), and, the one and only, T-Bone. Grandma and Grandpa even stopped by for a day of quality time with the girls.

The weather was pretty good. We put the new boat to good use and did ALOT of fishing.

Kelly, the rookie, managed to catch a foot long bass! You go girl! We thought it was going to pull her in but luckily her hat gave her the strength she needed.

First Haircut

2009-08-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

It FINALLY HAPPENED.... Catrina had to have a HAIRCUT. We went on Friday to our local hair place to get the job done. She climbed into the chair and told the stylist "just cut off the dead ends" which was met with chuckles by everyone in the salon.

We just had her get a trim since there really wasn't much to cut.

Ta-Da!

Having a Blast with Butterflies!

2009-08-04T14:07:00.003-07:00

This past weekend the family took a ride out to the far reaches of Dutchess County to check out a sweet butterfly garden. The girls were able to feed the butterflies (purple Gatorade!) and let them land on them. We also went on a nature walk and saw some more fabulous little creatures including a great grasshopper and a hummingbird moth. Brynne and I had a nice time checking out a GORGEOUS swallowtail butterfly.

Just another great weekend with the Currier girls!

A Fairly Good Time

2009-08-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

Another year... another Ulster County Fair. But this one was different from the fairs we've been to in the past. In keeping with this summer's theme it RAINED on our fair. But we actually didn't mind. It kept the crowds at bay AND it was overcast (not raining) most of the time we were there.

We all enjoyed our 4H milkshakes and unlimited rides. We caught the end of the Racing Pig race (since it was raining so we ate lunch under a canopy) and the girls did some projects in the 4H tent. We even ran into some friends who also decided to take in the fair.

See ya next year!

Phillies Bridge Farm Camp

2009-07-31T13:18:00.000-07:00

The summer has been pretty low key for Brynne thus far but this week began the first of 3 weeks of interesting camps for her. First up, Phillies Bridge Farm camp. She was able to go on nature walks (see the dirty legs as evidence!), tend to the various farm animals, plant and pick vegetables, and much more. She can't wait to attend next year.

Brynne and Bailey:

Catrina even made a cameo on the blog this week. She went "shopping" at the Farmer's Market that they had on the last day of camp.

Oh, this rainbow was not at farm camp but was just so pretty I had to show it off:

Kelly's Birthday

2009-07-26T07:04:00.001-07:00

We made the LONG drive yesterday to Kelly's to celebrate her birthday in style. Kelly is Brynne and Catrina's BFF so they were thrilled to go. Brynne was mostly thrilled with her bug & frog finds (no photo of the frog).

At the New Yankee Stadium

2009-07-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, taking a little break from posting the wedding photos to give you the mid-week update! Today, we went to the Yankee game. I love afternoon games during the week. The stands were filled and very colorful with the various camps that come to enjoy the game (and they were well behaved it seemed too, which is a bonus!)

The girls may not have realized the magnitude of going to the new stadium but I felt it was important for them to experience a game at the new home. The girls were reassured that all was well when daddy finally tracked down the Dipping Dots. I found the popcorn bucket to be hilarious and well worth the cost just to capture the photo of Catrina holding the entire bucket.

And, to top it off, I got a GREAT parking spot AND the Yankees won! They are in first place! Woohoo! The girls were slightly disappointed that Melky didn't play.... they like cheering for the milkman.

Best parking spot!

Baby Ruth Way

Behind Monument Park.

Collages from the Wedding

2009-07-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

The Currier Gals Biggest Fans

2009-07-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

One thing we learned this weekend at the wedding is that the Currier Courier has fans. We figured only the grandparents checked this thing regularly and we were mistaken! Here are some shots of our favorite fans!

Uncle Charlie and Aunt Cathie. The girls had a blast with them this weekend:

Wayne... a loyal fan since day one... he often complains that there are too many photos of Andy on the blog.

Aunt Sally.... secret blog fan!

Wedding Weekend

2009-07-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

The fans have been clamoring for just a hint of the photos from Arianne and Josh's wedding so I don't want to let them down. Here are just a few (of the over 300) that I took this weekend. I have so many more to edit but these are among my favorites.

One of the many photo ops driving through Adirondack State Park

Flower Girls:

More to come!

Summer Finally!

2009-07-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

This week, summer decided to join us. It's still not 100% optimal pool weather but we'll take it. The girls have spent as much time as possible enjoying the water (they are both half mermaid at this point).

Here's Catrina showing off her goggles and snorkel (RIP snorkel... we have to get a new one)

We love how she just goes for it 100%... arms up and just attacking the jump. Do you know any other 4 year olds who can rock a sweet jump into a pool like this? Me neither.

Usually the mask is firmly entrenched on her face so I was able to get this rare shot of Brynne in the pool with her face vulnerable to WATER!

This is the rarely photographed but often seen sight of the "Towel Tub". The girls have converted their old baby pool into a relaxing terry cloth oasis. When they get out of the pool, they go hang in the Towel Tub (copyright pending)

The Girls Take on the Circus!

2009-07-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

Ringling Brothers has a one ring circus under the big top for the summer in Coney Island. Marnie and Paw-Paw (aka my parents) were nice enough to take the majority of their grandchildren to the show last Friday. Prior to the performance, they were allowed into the ring to try the equipment and meet some of the stars. They also went outside to see the animals. (We were informed that the elephants smelled stinky). Their favorite act was the man who drove through a flaming hoop on a tiny motorcycle.

On Saturday... while we were enjoying Drewfest, the girls went with my parents to Staten Island to go to the museum (again... hey, they like it there) and ride a really cool carousel.

Drewfest 11

2009-07-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

Always a good time to be had. We started with golf in the morning, a trip to Tuthilltown Distillery, followed by lunch at Tokyo Sushi. Then it was back to the house for more fun. Thanks to everyone for leaving their age at the door and just having some good old fashioned fun.

Fun on the links:

Mystery Meat:

Athleticism

Nik... laughing at said athleticism:

Heading to the Distillery... it's open... and it's that way.

Tokyo Sushi.... hot saki!

We'll see you all next year for Drewfest 12!

Relax!

2009-07-08T19:30:00.001-07:00

I'm taking a PSE class online and picking up a ton of tips and tricks. I was practicing today.

More Fourth Photos

2009-07-06T20:05:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun this weekend and I'm just now sorting through the over 200 photos that were taken. I swore I would take fewer photos but I couldn't control myself. I am in lens heaven since Melissa loaned me one of hers and my skills were required to photograph an old abandoned barn just a short walk from the cottage

Red White and Blue are EVERYWHERE on the 4th of July (ok, just an excuse to show off Wayne's awesome red Mazda)

Ummm... yeah... this is a slug. These are the kind of things that cause Brynne to run, not walk, up to me and implore me to grab my camera.

If you could feel the air temperature (and lake temperature) you'd wonder what kind of common sense cells these girls are missing:

Supermodel with 4 legs:

We're Back from the Lake

2009-07-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed an extended (and very chilly) weekend at the cottage. The fireworks were right next door at the yacht club so we didn't have to go far for the great view.... though Corey (the dog) didn't appreciate it... and the kids didn't appreciate her deciding she needed to be in bed with them. Brynne was happy to spend the week with Grandma and Grandpa while the rest of us joined them on Thursday. We even got to see Great Grandpa, Aunt Cathie, & Uncle Charlie (or Aunt Charlie as Catrina dubbed him).
There were some tube rides and some fishing as usual but Brynne didn't catch nearly as many as she did Memorial Day.

Already Missing Brynne

2009-06-29T05:29:00.001-07:00

So Brynne left yesterday afternoon to have some alone time with Grandma and Grandpa at the cottage. She has 4 uninterrupted days to fish her face off. Meanwhile, back in New Paltz, I have a feeling that I'm going to learn just how much Catrina is NOT cut out to be an only child. I'll have to figure out some places to take her so she's not too bored all week. Thursday better get here quick!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-06-26T18:05:00.001-07:00

We Love You!

We celebrated in style... enjoying a nice family dinner at Tokyo Sushi (our favorite restaurant). We were celebrating Daddy's birthday as well as Brynne doing so well in kindergarten.

Random Happenings

2009-06-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

We had a lot going on here at the Currier household this week. The weather finally was nice enough for the girls to enjoy some extended time in the pool and they took full advantage. Since Brynne started half days at school, they've probably averaged over 3 hours a day in there.

Today was Brynne's last day of kindergarten and we couldn't be prouder of her accomplishments this year. She received her glowing report card today and we're happy to report that she is excelling in all subject areas AND she had fun doing it. She is a true joy.

And yes, she can get silly sometimes too:

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

Father's Day 2009!

The girls were excited to make daddy "breakfast in bed" (they were in charge of the toast). Then they decided that daddy had slept long enough so breakfast was presented (and Catrina made sure to tell him that one of the pieces of toast got burned so she gave it to him).

Soon after, we decided to head out and enjoy the day while we could. The forecast called for (shocking!) rain so we stayed close to home. We had a nice family day together visiting Esopus Rolling Meadows Park which has a great view of the Esopus Lighthouse as well as access to the river. With the rains we've had all month, most of the paths were muddy and water-logged but it didn't slow us down. Daddy and the girls made many nature discoveries. They found the remnants of a turtle's nest (scattered broken eggs everywhere!), an earth star (something I'd never heard of but daddy knew what it was), multiple acorns, and a feather. TREASURES!

All this exploring worked up an appetite in all of us so we headed up to Kingston to enjoy a trip to SONIC! I had been there twice with Catrina but the rest of the family got their first taste. I think we have some Sonic fans in this house now. Long story short... we had some slow service but by luck, had the manager serve our food and she gave us all FREE DESSERT! Daddy's dessert consisted of a 2nd Frito chili cheese wrap (he enjoyed the first one so much) while the girls and I had various ice cream treats. THUMBS UP!

We forced ourselves to go for a little stroll near the Rondout district to work off all that tasty food. We often go up to this area just to walk around and soak up the atmosphere (and see the ducks!)

Following our trek, we arrived home to relax. Daddy was forced to sit on the deck (so he could read his book... yes, he's READING A BOOK) while I did some mowing and the girls went swimming. We capped the day off with a trip to the Red Rooster. It's this tiny place in Gardiner but they serve up some tasty food and we're always happy to patronize small places with great service, atmosphere, and, of course, excellent food.

Should have named her Ina

2009-06-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

Ina is the goddess of fish in Polynesian mythology and we think it suits Brynne. All of her training at the cottage paid off this weekend at the Fish Derby at a pond at SUNY New Paltz. She came in 2nd place with 30 fish. There were approximately 50 participants and she was only bested by last year's champion... a 10 year old girl.

She gained quite a cheering section as people recognized her innate ability to catch fish. Forget veterinary school... I see a future on the bass fishing circuit.

Pardon the greenish pictures. Daddy was behind the lens today :)

Lookee What We Found

2009-06-20T05:08:00.001-07:00

Catrina and I were waiting for the bus the other day and (for once) it wasn't raining. Under the tree in front of the house, I came upon a vacant robin's egg with 2 small holes in it. I'm assuming the occupant came to a sad end but the egg was still beautiful. Catrina and I looked up and saw the nest dangling in the tree. With my trusty wiffleball bat, I discovered it was more "lodged" than "dangling" but we did manage to get it down and have a look at it.

Love the face here... so happy to pose with the nest. Immediately after this she ran in the house to wash her hands. What a study in contrasts my girls are!

Dancing Queens

2009-06-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

More like Dancing Princesses. Below are links to the girls dance performances from their very first dance recital along with a video showing the girls in action at our church's Children's Day Celebration.

Legal Disclaimer: Taken in large doses, these videos have been known to cause high blood sugar in lab mice. Proceed with caution. Side effects may include: Grinning from ear to ear, multiple uses of the term "awwwwwwwww", and possible misty eyes. In other words: enjoy.

http://www.currier-online.com/media/Brynne Dance Recital Jun 09.wmv (9Mb)
http://www.currier-online.com/media/Catrina Dance Recital Jun 09.wmv (13Mb)
http://www.currier-online.com/media/Children's Day Jun 09.wmv (12Mb)

If you are having trouble opening the files, right click on each link and "save as" onto your computer.

2009-06-10T11:15:00.001-07:00

Thanks to some pretty good seats that we obtained through IBM's lottery, we had a great view of the game. Actually, it was mostly a great view of Johnny Damon since the seats were out in left field but I had fun playing sports photographer. We ate some delicious food.... the concessions in the lower level are more diverse and delicious than our typical fare in the upper deck.

Here's a shot of the old stadium... being taken apart one piece at a time :(

The new digs:

The Captain:

Johnny, giving the bleacher creatures some love during their patented first inning "roll call"

He loves his left field fans more:

I love this because we sat in the same seats last year at the old stadium and I took a similar picture

From last year:

Just a friendly game of catch:

Oh yeah, the Yankees won the game too !

The Weekend Starts on Friday!

2009-06-07T05:18:00.001-07:00

Friday was Catrina's last day of preschool. She had the same teacher as Brynne but a completely different experience. They have very different personalities and it really showed when comparing their first days at school. Catrina is a very social person and formed strong relationships (notice I didn't say FRIENDSHIPS... LOL... while she did make many friends, her attention was often on who did and didn't speak to her and on the group games she played on the playground... which always seemed to center on someone being a monster and the other kids running away).

So now, it's me and C... all day everyday! (you know what that means!! MORE PICTURES!!) She will be attending playschool again for their summer program and Brynne will be going to a few nature and science related camps.

On Saturday.... Andy declared the pool officially READY. The 60 degree temperature didn't slow any of them down. The 3 of them spent the better part of Saturday (and Sunday... I'm just assuming since I'm writing this Sunday morning) swimming and playing.

2 seconds later... Shamu tossed her:

Oh, and I caught a colorful visitor to our bird feeder:

Future Meryl Streep?

2009-06-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.newpaltz.k12.ny.us/156520111593328900/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=56319

Brynne played Gretel in her class play. It's very cute. Enjoy the video.

Funny Girl

2009-06-04T11:20:00.001-07:00

Coloring is one of Catrina's favorite past-times.... today things took a silly turn.

To Appease the Masses

2009-06-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, just my mother. She complains that I don't update the blog enough and since she's not on Facebook, she doesn't get to see all the pictures that I post (umm, you could just use dad's FB account). The reason I don't update is simple... nothing new and exciting to report. Last night we went to our local movie theater to see Pixar's "Up" and it was spectacular. I loved every second of it. It had many good messages in it. I took away the fact that Andy and I NEED to book our 10 year anniversary vacation. We think we're going to Ireland and I'm very excited!! I didn't bring my camera to this event so I'll just post some random photos from the recent past.

Gorgeous Weekend!

2009-05-31T19:16:00.000-07:00

With the warm weather upon us, our weekends are spent outside as much as possible. Saturday started out with the family going to celebrate our little friend Julia's 5th b-day at the Children's Museum. The girls had fun exploring and running around. They followed up this fun with a little time by the river throwing rocks (fun times!)

We hurried home Saturday afternoon so Andy could mow the lawn and get ready to take the pool cover off. Luckily, our friends came over to lend a hand with the pool cover. With a 30 foot pool, the cover is really REALLY heavy. We were SO EXCITED to find 4 frogs living on the cover. I made several trips to the pond on the corner to give these little guys a new home. Of course, Brynne was over the moon getting to hold these little guys. The girls had more fun hanging out in the hot tub. The hot tub isn't going to tide them over for long so hopefully Andy will be getting the pool up and running soon.

We finished things off on Sunday by going to church, then washing both cars and a trip to Frosty Rock (ice cream shop).

Fun with Fishing!

2009-05-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

I promised to reveal the number of fish caught this weekend. Between Brynne and Catrina, they caught (wait for it).................. 51 fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Brynne caught over 40 and Catrina caught a few of her own). Granted, they may have been the same 2 fish 50 times for all we know.

On Sunday and Monday, the fish seemed to be fighting over being caught. Brynne would cast her line and seconds later she had a fish. We told her she needs a new challenge.

Taughannock Falls

2009-05-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, Ithaca is GORGES (so corny! but true!)

On Saturday, the girls took a break from fishing and we went down Cayuga Lake to Taughannock Falls, the longest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains (take that Niagara Falls!). We walked the 3/4 mile trail (1.5 m round trip!) without the girls complaining (probably because most of the walking was through a dry water bed with a stream next to it that they splashed in (and fell a few times). The 400 ft cliffsides were awe-inspiring and just made us marvel at the power of a small stream.

Memorial Day Weekend at the Lake

2009-05-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

This is another event that will have to be broken up into several posts. I took 313 photos this weekend!! I need to go through them all to pick the best ones to show. For now, I'll just show some general pictures of the kids and the lake area. Stay tuned for our day trip to Taughannock Falls and I will answer the question: How many fish did Brynne (& Catrina) catch?

Almost Forgot Phillies Bridge Trip

2009-05-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

Brynne and I went to Phillies Bridge Farm (again) with her class on Friday. The day started out overcast but soon cleared to the point of almost being too hot. We explored many areas of the farm from checking out chickens & sheep exploring the small garden, enjoying the wonders of composting (it didn't smell bad as I thought it would), learning about rocks, and sampling some of the greens growing.

I have to add: Brynne is turning into quite the comedian: When asked by the instructor why they had no roosters at Phillies Bridge Brynne responded: "Because they want to sleep later?" Which resulted in quite the round of laughter. Guess she gets her sense of humor and comedic timing from me though I'm not 100% sure she meant it to be funny.

Technically, this was part of the trip. Brynne decided to wear my sunglasses and pose with a pretty funny face. She wanted to leave them on all day when I told her she looked like a bug.

Happy Birthday... Deaaaaaaaaaaar Caaaatriiiiinaaaa...

2009-05-16T19:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!! What a great birthday we had! This week has been filled with birthday excitement and today we had a big gathering of family, neighborhood friends, dance friends, and future husbands (that's YOU Brayden!) to celebrate Catrina's b-day.