First Day Of School

Today was Seamus and Finn's first day of school.
I am now living with a 7th and 4th grader.
Crazy how time flies.

Happy Monday.

Me Gusta: Harry Potter

I am going to remember these past 2.5 months as the "The Summer of Harry Potter." Though I have been a huge fan of the books for several years, this summer was when Harry Potter worked his magic on my children.

-Seamus read most of the Harry Potter books and loved them.
-We watched all the Harry Potter movies and loved them.
-The boys were captivated by the Lego Harry Potter videogame. I didnt really love that, but they sure did.

Then about a month ago the Harry Potter enthusiasm jumped up a notch. One day as I washed dishes I heard Seamus yell "Expecto Patronum!" while playing outside with Finn. For those of you who dont know, "Expecto Patronum" is a powerful spell in the Harry Potter books. It made me smile so big when I heard him say that. I didnt realize they had begun make believe playing with Harry Potter lore . A few days later I began finding Finn's drawings and notes all over the house. He wrote out lists of characters and settings and magical creatures from the Harry Potter series. He listed the different wands of each character and what set them apart. He drew flow charts indicating how the characters were related. It was as if Finn was putting together a reference book for the series - a very daunting undertaking. My favorite Harry Potter moment, however, was overheard at bedtime. The boys were giggling and talking in hushed tones when I heard Finn exclaim "Seamus! You broke my wand!" Wand? Did they really make wands?

Oh yes they did... they made wands! When I asked if I could take a picture of them, they began chattering quickly about the different woods they used to make the wands and which ones were their favorites. Here's the proof.

I find all this so freaking adorable. I really do.
Do you think its too early to start thinking of Harry Potter themed Halloween costumes?
I would love to be McGonagall.

Happy Saturday.

Dear Ashley,

Dear Ashley,
In late June, I was reviewing the books on the 7th grade summer reading list when I came across Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games. Unfortunately, this book was not on the summer reading list. The 7th graders should be so lucky! The book caught my attention because everyone who reviewed it wrote glowingly about it. I decided to buy a copy with the hope that Seamus might want to read it once his mandatory summer reading was done. You and I talked about so many books when you were at St. Francis. Your voracity and love for reading impressed me so much! It was hard for me (a 39 year old adult) to keep up with the books you devoured on a weekly basis. I have wracked my brain trying to remember if you mentioned this book in passing. I think you did and I wish I had read it along with you so we could have talked about the many facets of this engrossing series. I am positive we would have discussed it during many lunch hours. I wonder which male character you like better: Peeta or Gale? Im leaning towards Peeta but I havent totally made up my mind yet. Again, I wish I could discuss it with you! I wonder if you admire the strong, female lead Katniss? Personally, there are some things I really like about her and others that I find characteristically teen-like and annoying. It would be so interesting to talk about these topics with you - you being a young 12 year old and me a woman well past her teenage years.

This summer I breezed through The Hunger Games and its sequel Catching Fire. Today, the third and last installment in the series comes out: Mockingjay. As soon as the boys and I can get showered and dressed (hopefully that will be in the next hour,) we're heading out to Barnes and Noble to buy that book. I cant wait to sit back and read it all day! Ahhhhhhhhhhh! I feel like Ive been waiting all summer for this book. In fact, I have! It kind of blows my mind that I can be so entertained by a YA book. Do you think the books/writers are getting better with time? I dont remember the books I read as an adolescent and teen being this compelling. Then again, I never read much when I was younger. Perhaps I never gave this genre enough credit.

I wonder if you're bugging your mom to get this book today, Ashely. I like to think you are. :)

I miss you and hope you are settling into your new home well.

Love,
Mrs. McGarvey

(Note: Ashley is a girl who used to be in Seamus' 5th and 6th grade class. She was a prolific reader and we would often talk about books when she would work her service hours in the nurse's office with me. Ashely and her family moved away this summer and I miss the opportunity to talk to her about good YA books. Im hopoing "Dear Ashley" will allow me that same outlet in her absence.)

Me Gusta! - Moon To Moon

I found a design blog this weekend called Moon to Moon. I think Im in love. This lady seems drawn to the same aesthetic that I adore: a messy, bohemian style brimming with individuality, zest and ethnic details. I spent about an hour this weekend looking back at all images on her blog. Here are some favs. Enjoy.











Happy Monday night. :)

If... by Finn McGarvey

If he were a month, he'd be December.
If he were a day of the week, he'd be Saturday.
If he were a time of day, he'd be "the time when friends come over."
If he were a planet, he'd be the sun - "not a planet, but a pretty big star."
If he were a sea animal, he'd be" a whale shark because they dont have any predators."
If he were a direction, he'd be North.
If he were a piece of furniture, he'd "NOT be a couch because everyone would sit and possibly fart on me."
If he were a historical figure, he'd be George Washington.
If he were a gemstone, he'd be a diamond.
If he were a tree, he'd be an oak.
If he were a tool, he'd "NOT be a hammer. Too much banging."
If he were a kind of weather, he'd be snowy (said with much enthusiasm.)
If he were a musical instrument, he'd "NOT be a drum because I would get whacked all the time."
If he were a color, he'd be red.
If he were an emotion, he'd be happy.
If he were a fruit, he'd be "none of the above." (note - he doesnt like many fruits or veggies)
If he were a sound, he'd be a loud bomb exploding.
If he were a car, he'd be a ferrari or SSC Ultimate Aero. (note - his mother has no idea what that last car is.)
If he were a food, he'd "none of the above." (note- apparently Finn is not into food much.)
If he were a place, he'd be Italy (said with much enthusiasm.)
If he were a body part, he'd "NOT be a leg or arm because they get in hurt a lot."

If he were a song, he "cant pick one because they're so many good songs out there."
Thats my boy!

Happy Saturday.

Dreams of Ikea

Lately, I have been really itching to go to Ikea.
I realize its not the best in home furnishings, but given style its hard to beat the prices.
I have a list of things to purchase at Ikea.
-A loveseat/couch for the living room.
-Slip covers for our present couch.
-a desk for Finn's room.
-Frames.
Im hoping that when the kids get back into school, I can drive down south for a couple hours and walk around the store.
Sometimes its not even about buying things at Ikea that lifts my spirits. Its about experiencing the cool way they style their merchandise.

To illustrate my point, here are some of my favorite Ikea images right now.









Happy Thursday.

Love this:

This is my kitchen window as seen from the backyard.

Outside our back door we have what I believe it is a trumpet vine. It was pretty much dead when we moved in, but it has grown slowly in the 11 years since we've occupied this house. This summer, the vine took off and began growing around the window. Ive tried to figure out what has provoked this wonderful growth, but I cant find a reason. Regardless, Im absolutely in love with the plant's progress! Inside and directly under that window is our kitchen sink. That kitchen window is "Mama's guard post." Its the place where, 8 our of 10 times, my kids can see or find me almost any time of the day. I have spent countless hours standing in front of that window watching the kids play while simultaneously washing dishes or preparing meals. I am positive that in several years when the kids are grown and the house is quiet, there will be a worn out place on the floor where I stood watch at that window for so many years.

This summer has been so wonderful because when I look outside, I dont just see the kids and their friends; Im greeted also with green leaves and pinkish/lavender flowers. Believe me when I say I am overwhelmingly grateful. That plant has given me such a wonderful and unexpected gift. :)

Happy Tuesday.

Irritation Number 1

While I was away on vacation, an unexpected glitch began to take over my camera. My LCD screen shows the pictures looking fine, but the actual photo once viewed on my computer is underexposed. Let me explain a little further. Im not a learned student in exposure. I dont take pictures in the M mode (I usually use P, Tv and Av - depending on what I want) and I dont use my meter. When I take photos, I use the LCD screen to view the picture and then I adjust exposure accordingly. Its a trial by error process. Because the LCD was not showing an accurate picture of what I was taking, I didnt adjust the exposure. If it looked fine on the LCD then I kept taking pictures. Unfortunately, this meant disaster for all my vacation photos. Unbeknownst to me, my photos were all underexposed so now Im in the process of having to edit every single photo due to this problem. I am so frustrated.

Here's an example of what Im talking about:


That's one picture down. I have 1,112 more images to go.

You know what? I might try to reset the entire camera. I hadnt thought about that. Cross your fingers it works.

Happy Monday.

Vacation Hang Over

On Tuesday of this week, we came home from a 10 day vacation to the east coast. My sister in law Kris got married to her partner, Karen, in Massachusetts. We were there for three days. After the wedding, we jetted off to Pennsylvania to visit Matt's family out in the country. All in all we had a great time. I'll share more (with photos) this coming week.

The downside to a vacation? Coming home. ha ha

Vacation hang over. I know you well.

As can be expected its been a hard adjustment for me this week. When I leave for PA, I completely unplug. No phone. No computer. No news from the outside world. I leave all my worries and responsibilities behind and live each day with my family as it unfolds. I love it! Unplugging is actually super easy when we're visiting PA. Matt's family is from a very rural area in western Pennsylvania. Phone reception is spotty at best. We spend most of our days outdoors enjoying nature and family. Its such a wonderful escape for me.

But when I come home, I feel totally bombarded by my hectic life. There are emails. There are phone messages. There's grocery shopping to be done. There are meals to be planned. There are mounds of vacay laundry to be washed. There are speech appointments and soccer practices and dental appointments waiting to be met. There are playdates. There are book reports to be done and school announcements already flowing into my inbox. It seriously does not end. Right now, managing the minutiae of our daily McGarvey lives feels extensive and exhausting. I dont want to deal with it.

I feel like this every single time I come home from a vacation with my family.

On the flip side: I get to enjoy wonderful vacations with my family and from that standpoint alone, I know Im very lucky. Sure...there are always some little bumps along the way. Life with my boys is bumpy. But for the most part our vacations are fun affairs and we dont take them for granted. We enjoy our time together and make the most of our time away. Its rewarding. When my sons are older, they are going to remember our family vacations together. Sections of their childhood memories will be of us going to Pennsylvania and Yosemite and Puerto Vallarta and Italy. When the boys are grown and have their own families I, in turn, will remember these times together. I'll remember Seamus with his first bow and arrow in Uncle Mike's front yard. I will remember Finn catching twice the amount of fish than his older and more competitive brother. I will remember our ferry ride into Boston with Dama Shan, Kris and Karen. I will remember tubing together on the glorious Clarion River. When Im older and its just me and Matt, these memories will warm my "empty nest" heart. I know it.

So... you know, its all good. I'll deal with the vacation hangover, if the actual vacations continue. You take the good with the bad in this life and believe me, our family vacation back East was very, very good. :)

Happy Friday!

Also... Im attaching our July family portrait. It was taken in a graveyard in Salem, Massachusetts. I had to mess with the image a bit in order to remove a ghost. Clearly, I have to work on my photoshop skills.