Harrington House

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

We have been suffering from a bad case of wanderlust, and so to remedy it we have a little time away planned in the not-so-distant future.   Somewhere in my aim to ready our gear, I decided my trusty boat & tote was in high need of some decoration.  

And, behold ...

As you can clearly see, it's a leather personalized tag.  I ordered it from an Etsy shop called "Of The Fountain" whose owner is a fellow Georgian now living in Boston.  There are some ready-to-ship items, but most of it is custom.  Here are some of the other tags offered in this shop ...

 

Are they not beautiful??  I'm sure they last a million years, so I can only imagine how incredible it is going to look once it gets some good, honest wear to it.  

I really liked the one with the latitude and longitude coordinates, but I couldn't think of what place I could use for it.  I also think the last ones pictured would be perfect for so many things ... groomsmen gifts, Christmas tags (or even to hang on a stocking), or maybe even take-home place cards at a party.  Endless possibilities... 

I know what some of the people on my Christmas list are getting.  And they are probably reading this right now ... surprise!  ;o)    

 

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 For whatever the reason, I am having trouble establishing the link to the shop, so here is the address: 

 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/OfTheFountain

 

The Weekend

Our long weekend of fun ended today when we dropped Auntie Lisa off at Hartsfield-Jackson this afternoon.  I wasn't sure if Amelia was going to let her get away, but after explaining that Jake (Lisa's dog) was missing her and likely laying in the floor crying, she was alright.  Although, if the child hadn't been in a five-point harness, I would bet she woulda tried to climb into a suitcase.

On Saturday, we girls ventured up to Roswell for a little shopping.  

I picked up some jingle jangles, which I'm always in the mood for ...

... and wouldn't you know I found exactly what I set out to get!  Don't you love when that happens??  Because we all know that only happens a few times in a lifetime.  

I have been on the lookout for a small-ish table for Jack and Amelia for them to do some of their "work" and maybe even eat some meals.  My criteria:  small, but large enough to for them to use for a while, very sturdy, and pretty (of course).  

And here she is:

The table met all of my requirements ... and even threw in a couple bonuses.  ;o)

It is a pretty little piece that makes me smile.  Hopefully, it will serve us for many years.

This morning, I found Amelia downstairs practicing her letters.  They are crude and out of order, but they are the product of her sweet little efforts.  

On the Jack Jack front, I am trying to piece together a few ideas for his new room in our new home in Tejas.  I am not one for a themed room, but I do like a little direction and cohesion.  

His room will have a pair of painted twin beds.  And maybe one day, he'll have a brother to go in one.

Auntie Lisa's in Town ...

... and that only means one thing:  my babies are all keyed up on company, crayons, and chocolate.  They are wound up tighter than eight-day clocks, as you can imagine.  And I'm pretty sure they are going to just wear Auntie Lisa's skin right off.  

There are definitely happy faces around here tonight (all be them filthy).

Especially when Mike and Lisa start reminiscing and performing...

 

Tiny Dancer

My Amelia had her first ballet class today.  As I mentioned before, she is taking a few little classes in town.  I had looked and looked for something for her that wasn't too strict or serious (she is four, after all), but it seemed that all of the classes at the local dance halls were that and then some.  Anything involving make-up and the words "princess" or "diva" is instant repellent for me.  I was fortunate to find some short-term (5 week) classes that allow her to be in small groups for half an hour at a time once a week ... and on Thursdays she gets to wear something pretty and pink.  Although she is the first one to be digging in the mud or attempting to climb a tree, she certainly enjoys putting on something pink and floaty.  I smile at the balance that just comes natural to her.  

Nothing Too Fancy

We really didn't do anything too awful fancy today.  

But we did hit up the Varsity ...

... and we inherited a little red wagon.

I guess our day was kinda fancy afterall.  ;o)

 

Under the Weather

An un-welcomed guest, of the viral nature, managed to invade our home the past couple of days while Mike was on a business trip.  On the bright side, his visit with each of us was staggered, and my symptoms were far worse than those of Jack and Amelia's.   On the not-so-bright side, we didn't have a three-tier cake at our bedside.  

 

Before the afore-mentioned guest stuck a hot poker to the backs of our throats, we had been having such a fun week.  I mentioned Amelia was taking a few little "classes."  On Wednesday, she had a science class, which is probably the one she and I have both been looking forward to the most!  The lady who teaches them (a group of about 5 children) is one of the sweetest ladies you would ever want to meet.  I first met her about a year ago, and I knew instantly she was someone I wanted my children to experience.  She reminds me a lot of my Aunt Sue, my mother's sister.  Maybe that is why I am so drawn to her.  Maybe that is why Amelia is so drawn to her, too. 

 

Now that Mike is back home, we can hopefully all fully recuperate ... just as soon as he bakes us that three-tier cake ... just kidding.  ;o)

White on a Wednesday

  

 

 

A Red Letter Day

Today was Amelia's first day of Tumblebees, which is a little half-hour tumbling class ... very low-key and perfect for her to have some guided playtime with a handful of other little people and perfect for allowing me some rare one-on-one time with Mr. Jack.  The Tumblebees class is one of three short, once-a-week classes she is doing.  She is so excited, and so are we.  We talked it up all last week, and we have been counting down the days.  

While Amelia was tumbling, Jack and I played with about 300 cars and checked to see if anyone had left the keys in any of them.

This duck boat is my absolute favorite.  Think how many youngins we could fit in it!  

Maybe Mike will get me one for Christmas.  ;o)

The park was our next stop for a little exploration and to burn off some energy.  Unfortunately, we also burned off the energy that was supposed to see us through a trip to the grocery store, so we had to come home and recharge before going back out. 

The alligator that turned out not to be ...  

Jack and Amelia were so tore up it was just a docile log.  Perhaps a trip to the Okefenokee is in store for us ... in my duck boat - ha!

 

And, well, we all know how our nights end around here these days... 

 

Bed In Summer

In winter I get up at night,
and dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day. 

I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people's feet
Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?

                                                                              -Robert Louis Stevenson  

 

Friday Jumble

With a dinner party in the works for tomorrow night, I had a list a mile long today.  Somehow I only managed to conquer about a quarter mile.  Meaning I will be dead sprinting the last 3/4.  While my guests aren't likely to check the tidiness of the junk drawer, I will be able to draw comfort knowing it is reorganized.  And who knows, if things get boring, I can always lure them in to take a peak at it.  But let's hope it doesn't come to that.

  

 

I did manage to get a couple of Amelia's new (old) Barbies' hair restyled...

Again, let's hope the conversation at our party doesn't turn to doll hair.  But just in case it does, I have plenty to say on the subject, along with some visuals.  

 

Aside from the junk drawer, Barbie beauty shop, and 10,000 loads of laundry, our Friday was mostly uneventful.  We did, however, do up our Friday night the best way we know how...

...grilled Georgia boys escorted by pickled okra with a fine sporting event (water duels) going on in the distance.   

Bring on the weekend!