August Family Portrait

Here is our August family portrait. We took this early in the month while tubing down the Clarion River in Western Pennsylvania.

In my life, I have found a couple activities where l feel totally alive. Its as if these few, special activities where meant especially for me. I feel like I belong when Im participating in them. I feeI purposeful and uplifted. I feel like Im living my life's most effortless and yet most exhilerating moments.

What are these activities, you ask? One is camping at Joshua Tree. When we go to Joshua Tree, its like an instant escape. The beautiful stillness of the dessert is so comforting and centering to me. Any kind of stress Im carrying at the time melts away. One of my favorite times of day out there is the hour or so before sunset. There is a warm, luminescent light that veils the rocky, dry desert. Its still and quiet... almost reverent, like in a church. The place glows for about an hour and then slowly the sky shifts to a deep shade of blue. The stars appear out of nothing - more stars than you ever knew existed.

I also LOVE watching the Padres play live at Petco Park. I know it sounds corny and maybe even a bit shallow, but I get so excited when I enter a baseball field. There is something magical about getting that first glimpse of field. I often feel flooded with a mixture of familiarity, nostalgia and gratitude at seeing that turf. For as long as I live, I will never tire of the rush I receive while watching the Padres come from behind to win a game. There is something infectious about cheering on the team I love with a crowd of 43,000 standing up beside me. Its an electric feeling. I have been so fortunate to watch many MLB games in person and I swear it never gets old.

When we were in Pennsylvania last month, it became very clear to me that tubing down the Clarion River is an activity I can add to my elite list of activities that make me feel alive. I think there is something so uncomplicated yet utterly sublime about slowly drifting down the river on a hot, sunny day. Its sooooo relaxing and yet thrilling at the same time. The boys were just as happy as I was. They were in hog heaven - jumping in and out of their tubes and swimming in the cool water. It is so rare for me to feel at ease while allowing the boys to enjoy an activity with a good amount of independence from myself. I worry too much about things I cant control. But while we were tubing on the Clarion River I couldnt help it but feel completely carefree and untroubled. It was a lovely experience. Pennsylvania is such a gorgeous location to tube, too. The vegetation along the river was lush and green and the sky was blue with huge puffy clouds. I convinced Matt to let us go twice during our visit, but honestly I could have done it every single day. I loved it that much.

Ok... we had a long day of soccer today. I can barely keep my eyes open and my head clear.

Im off to bed.

Happy Saturday.

Seamus is 12 Years Old Today

Here is a "snapshot" of Seamus' 12 birthday:

Seamus got up this morning without being roused - not a common occurrence.
He skipped his regular shower.
He was hyper, animated and very excited before school.
His mother told Seamus repeatedly to stop dribbling the soccer ball in the house.
Eventually he stopped.
Seamus ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast.
He opened two presents today - one in the morning from Finn and one in the evening from his Dama Teri and Papa Jim.
The present from Finn (a Plasma 360 light) was broken within 30 minutes of opening it.
There were some tears and much finger pointing. It was not a good start to the day.
But after some reconciliation and negotiation, another identical Plasma 360 light was presented to Seamus after school.
The rest of Seamus gifts were received in greeting cards.
He was really, REALLY overjoyed by what was waiting for him inside of the greeting cards. ;)
It was the first Friday of the month so Seamus' school had a noon dismissal today.
He liked that a lot, even though it was only the first week of school.
Seamus brought red velvet cupcakes to share with his 7th grade class.
Red Velvet is his favorite cake.
His mom looked in three different stores without success in finding them.
The fourth store was the charm.
After school, Seamus went with his brother and four cousins (Eli, Isa, Gavin and Hayley) to Peppertree for ice cream.
He did not, however, eat ice cream. He wasnt hungry, but suggeseted the "Boston Shake" to his cousins.
Seamus received a generous sum of money from Dama Shan, Pap Al and Kathy, Miranda, Nicole and Fab and Auntie Lucy.
He spent a small portion of that money on a laser light show at Spencer's Gifts.
He likes Spencer's Gifts - its probably an emerging teenage thing.
Seamus, Finn and Elijah played skeeball at an arcade in the mall.
They also ate lunch at a McDonalds in the mall.
Seamus donated $3 to the Ronald McDonald House while ordering.
Upon coming home Seamus, Elijah and Finn set up a "OIDS dance party" in Finn's bedroom.
Between the laser light show, a Plasma 360 light and Elijah's lava lamp, it looked pretty awesome.
Seamus went to soccer practice where a teammate of his was also celebrating a birthday.
Fernando was not only born on the same day; he was born within the same hour at the same hospital.
Seamus was surprised by an impromptu gathering at his home after soccer practice.
The house was decorated with balloons and streamers.
Cousin Eli was very excited to decorate and helped blow up many balloons.
Papa Jim decorated Seamus' bed with a spiderweb of red streamers.
Seamus blew out candles on his cake that spelled "Feliz Cumpleanos."
It was a red velvet cake.
He ate three pieces of cake before the night was through.
Seamus went to bed without complaint or resistance.
When his mom asked if he had a good birthday, Seamus responded "I had a GREAT birthday!"
He must have said "thank you" to his mother about a dozen time throughout the day.

Happy birthday to our beautiful son, Seamus.
We love you!

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.

How Many Boys Does it Take To Catch A Crawdad?

How many boys does it take to catch a crawdad? Sometimes, it takes a lot.
Yesterday we went to a local well we call "Crawdad Park." When we went last Friday, 10+ crawdads were caught. We were having to release them as soon as we caught them. There were so many! Yesterday, the weather was overcast and we thought finding the water creatures would be easy pickings. The crawdads at this park hide when its sunny, but when its cloudy or overcast many can be seen in plain view. We didnt catch any! Seamus saw one in the rocks and spent about 10 minutes with his friends trying to force it out. Alas, it wouldnt budge. Better luck next time.


Happy Thursday.

Red, Red Wine You Make Me Feel So Fine

Because of a round about set of circumstances, I receive Martha Stewart Living Magazine. I dont particularly enjoy the publication and typically dont find the information it contains very useful. Its beautifully photographed and the creative direction of the magazine does appeal to me. I just seem to have a hard time relating to its content.

This month while browsing the August issue, I found this very interesting information (see circled portion below:)

No wonder Italian women are so smokin' hot. Looks like I'll be starting a new diet today. YUM! ;)

Happy Tuesday.

Reading Hour

For the past few summers, I have tried to incorporate a reading hour into our schedule. The boys are pretty good readers. I probably dont need to set aside time for them to read, but I do for a few reasons. First, I want reading to be a normal, daily activity in their lives. I am not a huge reader and whenever I meet someone who is, I feel slightly envious they have such a constructive and lifelong hobby. It would make me feel really good if they boys grew up to be readers. Secondly, the boys have summer book reports. Its always nice to have time to complete those reports instead of stressing the last week of summer. And lastly, I enjoy the quiet time. Its nice for the three of us to occupy the same house and yet feel its stillness. That is so rare in our home. My boys are normally really loud, but during reading hour all is hushed and unmoving.

Today during quiet time I snuck this picture of Seamus in his room. He is reading the first Harry Pottery book. You have no idea how giddy it makes me to think of him reading this series. I am a HUGE fan of the Harry Potter books. Matt got me the first book when the boys were babies. Although Im not a big reader, I was curious about the phenomena and began reading the book with some interest. I was hooked from the first few pages. The second book was already out when I began reading the first, so Matt quickly set out to buy me the second book. I devoured it too. For the next several years, this pattern became a tradition for us: each time a new Harry Potter book came out, Matt would buy it for me and Id read it. I have spent many blissfully, selfish hours reading those wonderfully, written books.

The Harry Potter books were on Seamus' book list for the 7th grade so at the end of last year, I took down my copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and gave it to Seamus. I asked him to read it for his book report. He wasnt very receptive to my idea and decided to read another book that wasnt on his list. (((deep sigh))) A few weeks ago, I tried again. I emphasized the fact that he had to read a book on the list and that I wouldnt force him to read a book I didnt think he wouldnt like. He took the book and told me he'd read it. A week passed and I noticed little progress with the book.

Today during reading time, I saw Seamus take the book into his room. That was 2.5 hours ago!!! Ive checked on him from time to time and he is indeed reading the book. He came out for about 5 minutes an hour ago and asked me if he could google Gringots. I told him yes. He did it and went back into his room with the book.

I think he's hooked!!!! At least, I hope he is.

Happy Monday.

I ((heart)) Cub Scouts.

These are the boys Ive been spending all my time with this week. They're pretty awesome. I mean that. They're AWESOME!

And the boys with the brown shirts in this next picture are also mine - my assistants, Nick and Seamus.

Tomorrow is the last day of Cub Scouts camp. Its gonna be bittersweet for me. On one hand, this camp experience has been super exhausting. The days have been hot and the shade at our location has been scarce. Im positive that the suburn I have aquired this week is going to come back and haunt me in later years. Its dirty at camp too. When I take off my shoes at the end of our day, I have a dark dirt line where my ankles meet my socked feet. Dirt and sweat might be the hallmark of a young boy's life, but in my opinion its really gross. At the beginning of this week, I felt incredibly bitter and resentful having to volunteer 7 hours of my daily time at this day camp. Babysitting 11 nine year old boys isnt normally on my list of ways to spend my summer vacation. However, watching this particular group of boys has made this past week more than tolerable; its made it kind of wonderful. These 11 boys (13 if you count my two assistants) are such fantastic young men. I have mentioned to many people this week that I have the BEST group of cub scouts at that entire camp. There honestly isnt a bad apple in the bunch. In my experience (and ironically, I have extensive experience working children's summer camps) having good kids makes a HUGE difference in the mental endurance required for working a children's day camp . My boys were amazing. They totally bought into the camp experience and in doing so, they made my time with them fun and rewarding. My boys were kind to each other. They were engaged. They were excited. Although this week has totally kicked my ass in a physical sense, I have enjoyed my week with these remarkable, young boys.

Happy Thursday night. :)