N is for…

Nicknames
I have many, Keith has given me quite a few of them: Night owl, sleepyhead, nose like a bloodhound, walking phone book, damn Yankee and Snork. My maiden name was Ohsiek, I'm proud to be one but so happy I have a new name that is easy to spell and pronounce. Our family nickname is the 'Happy Harringtons'. Our answering machine for the longest time, recorded by me and the two kids was "Thanks for calling the Happy Harrington, if the sun is out so are we, leave a message."
See also: zzz's, gotta have 'em

New Yorker, I am a
I was born and raised on Long Island, in NY and even though I've lived in Virginia 3 separate times for a combined total of over 12 years I still consider myself a New Yorker and 'from NY'. I don't know if I will ever actually will live there again but anything is possible and I have definitely learned to never say never.

Neighborhood
I love where we live right now. There are 23 kids that live on our block alone, a cozy cul-de-sac of activity. On any given day there are many kids playing out front, riding bikes & skateboards, playing in the park and writing on pavement with chalk – the kids couldn't be happier and so are we.
See also: homes

Numbers
Love numbers and doing math in my head for fun. Weird, I know.


This is one of many installments on the ABCs of Me's. Each week I will feature a different letter of the alphabet and a few corresponding entries on yours truly. This project was inspired by a class I took at Big Picture Classes (Me: The Abridged Version) which was based on a book called Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life.

December Daily is finally done!

Click here to view this photo book larger

I am so excited that I actually finished this project! It was a great journey and I think I may actually do it again next year. Giving myself the flexibility to do 0-4 pages per day was awesome. Sometimes a few days would pass without anything spectacular to note and other times I found it hard to get everything on a two page spread. I’ve already uploaded and ordered my book from Shutterfly and it should arrive sometime after the 19th, so most likely by the time you read this it will be in my hot little hands.
Hats off to Ali Edwards (www.aliedwards.com) for hosting this wonderful project and bravo for her for keeping up with it day by day to keep us motivated!
I wonder what I’ll do next?

December Daily: Closing Page

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this holiday season. We were able to celebrate with family and friends. We enjoyed great treats, good company and cool presents. We had snow and snuggles, shopping and wrapping, giving and receiving. We were reminded many times how fortunate we are and are very thankful for the people we have around us to celebrate the holidays and the “everydays” with. Although we seem to live in a world where it’s ‘never enough’, this holiday season felt Just Right. Another successful and happy holiday season has come and gone. Let the giving continuing throughout the year. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

December Daily: Day 25

There may end up being more than one two page layout for the actual day of Christmas since we have so many great family photos. We celebrated Christmas in NY with my side of the family and lots of fun was had and as you can tell by the pictures, loads o’ presents as well. Keep in mind there were 13 people to share the loot, but I assure you every single one of us were spoiled!

Supplies: Cardstock: Atomic Cupcake, Templates & Overlays:  Ali Edwards

December Daily: Day 25 Part 2

So many wonderful moments were celebrated on Christmas Day. And then the snow came and the kids were thrilled!

December Daily: Day 24

M is for…

Movies
Favorites: Happy Gilmore, Harry Potter (All), The Wedding Singer, How to Lose a Guy in 10 days, Sweet Home Alabama, and anything with Nicolas Cage, Matthew McConnaughey or Adam Sandler. The first two are strictly for eye candy's sake. But the latter deserves some explanation. My brother first introduced me to the hilarity that is Adam Sandler. Now I will say I don't like 100% of his stuff, but the stuff I do like, I really, really, like. Fortunately, that is one of things Keith and I have in common. We both LOVE certain Adam Sandler movies. For example, Happy Gilmore is one of the funniest movies I think I've ever seen. I'm not a golf fan by any means but somehow he makes it hysterical to watch. My favorite line in the movie is when he shows up at the Waterbury Open dressed in sweatpants, a hockey jersey and work boots amidst a sea of polo shirts and plaid shorts. His coach says "Thanks for dressing up" and he points to the guy in front of him and says "Hey, if I dressed like that I'd have to kick my own @ss." It's so funny! We usually watch at least one of his movies every week. We have watched them so many times that we've made a deal not to watch them with anyone else because we like to recite the lines while watching the movies and typically laugh uncontrollably before the funny parts because we know they are coming. The perfect cure to a bad or stressful day is most definitely Happy Gilmore or The Wedding Singer. I caught a family channel showing of The Water Boy which bleeped out the bad words so we get to enjoy that one with our kids, they also enjoy his movie Bedtime Stories. I'm happy they now share our love of the twisted Sandler sense of humor.
See also: inside jokes

This is one of many installments on the ABCs of Me's. Each week I will feature a different letter of the alphabet and a few corresponding entries on yours truly. This project was inspired by a class I took at Big Picture Classes (Me: The Abridged Version) which was based on a book called Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life.

December Daily: Day 22

December Daily: Day 20

This is the day….finally the Christmas lights get put up. They have already come down, but it was nice to see them twinkling when I’d pull in the driveway at night.

Journaling reads:
We all attended Bryce’s Boy Scout Court of Honor where he received two new merit badges as well as a patch for the Camporee he participated in. We spent some time with Dad & Marti to exchanging Christmas cheer. Keith then surprised us by taking us to see some really awesome Christmas lights!
Hurry up and string the lights Christmas is only 5 days away!
Yes, it is the 20th and we are finally getting some Christmas lights outside. The inside has been decorated since Thanksgiving so we are very much in the Christmas spirit. Lights outside are hubby’s thing - so if I have to wait until the 20th every year I guess that will just have to be good enough. The kids love decorating outside with Keith so it was worth the wait.
Supplies: Cardstock: Atomic Cupcake, Templates & Overlays: Ali Edwards, Library Card: Katie Pertiet

December Daily: Day 19

My Smiley mug bit the dust :-(

How lucky am I to have a friend that takes note that my favorite coffee cup bit the dust and buys me a new one? Pretty darn lucky I’d say!

Journaling reads:

After the demise of my happy Smiley mug, my sweet friend Katherine bought me this Minnie mug from Disney to make my morning coffee smiley again. Lady is very happy with her new doggie bed and I finally finished my wrapping. It’s a good day to be me :-)

Supplies: Cardstock: Atomic Cupcake, Template & Overlay: Ali Edwards, Library card: Katie Pertiet

December Daily: Day 18

Journaling reads:

My friend Julie got us tickets to go see the Navy Christmas concert in DC. We went as a family (some begrungingly), but we ended up having a good time. Summer and I loved the concert and want to go again but I don’t think the ‘boys’ will be joining us. After the concert the kids thought it was funny that we got hot snacks from an ice cream truck.

Supplies: Cardstock: Atomic Cupcake, Template & Overlay: Ali Edwards

December Daily: Day 17

The making of the “Man Cave”. For Christmas I repurposed my husband’s office (since he no longer works at home) and made it into an escape for him. It’s been so frustrating for all of us when, at the end of a long day, he just wants to chill in front of the TV and I’m still trying to wrap up homework with the kids. They are easily distracted and our living room TV is in direct view of their ‘homework spot’. Now they can concentrate, and he can relax and I don’t have to feel guilty about telling him to turn off the TV. It’s a total win-win situation!

Check out the before and after video! Since we spent the holidays away from home, I had to show him this video to show him what his present was. He was even more floored when we came home and he got to see it in person. Now I have to make appointments to see him!

 

Journaling reads:

Keith works so hard to take care of all of us that I wanted to make sure he had a special Christmas present so he knows how much he is appreciated. I made him a “Man Cave” complete with recliner, TV & a mini-fridge! It turned this drab office into a place for him to escape and relax either to study or to chill out. Either way he deserves it!

Supplies: Cardstock: Atomic Cupcake, Template and Overlays: Ali Edwards, Library Card: Katie Pertiet

December Daily: Day 16

Journaling reads:

In true Christmas tradition we Harrington girls went to the mall and shopped til we dropped....literally. The ornaments were so pretty and we got enough snow to cancel school (which doesn’t require much :-)

So thankful for snow! The first snow day of the year, just in time to get ready for Christmas break. It’s funny how when I took this photo I just wanted to capture one of the kids in the snow, and now as I look at it there is so much more. Summer is wearing a hat from Bryce Resort, which is where our son Bryce got his name (Keith’s granddad had built a ski house up there that we used to visit pre-kids). She is also wearing a well- worn and well-loved fighter pilot jacket that has been passed down in the Harrington family. (Proud pilots & proud military heritage). Everyone thought since Bryce was the youngest boy that it would stop there - but alas my little princess tom-boy wears it every day!

Supplies: Templates & Overlays: Ali Edwards, Cardstock: Atomic Cupcake, Snow Overlay: Flergs

L is for…

Learning online began at BPS
Big Picture Scrapbooking, the first place I've taken an online scrapbooking class and now I am hooked. I totally loved, and consequently now live with, the principles taught in Stacy Julian's Library of Memories Class. I learned some great tips in the Great Photos With Any Camera class and I feel like my pictures are soooo much better. The class that inspired this book, is especially fun. It has taken away the guilt of scrapbooking about me. I would love to have a book like this about my Mom or Grandmother, so I'm hoping that knowing what made me tick so-to-speak will be enlightening or entertaining for my kids in years to come. I'm looking forward to more great classes on BPS (now BPC) and elsewhere. Who knows what's next?
See also: addictive personality, scrapbooking.

Liquid relaxation (aka Beer)I'm not sure exactly when the fascination began… it certainly wasn't in college. All I could I afford back then was the cheap stuff, and if you've ever had cheap beer, it's certainly nothing to write home about. Fast forward a few years… I would have preferred that my palette would be impressed by different wines, but alas that was not fate. Instead I've found that I like a variety of styles of beer. My go-to fave is Corona Extra, but I can't stand Corona Light even though I do like some lite beers. I seem to like some lagers and ales specifically Yuengling, Blue Moon and Hefeweizen. On a recent trip to the factory in St. James, Dublin I discovered I most definitely do not like Guinness. I'd prefer to drink my beer, not eat it with a spoon, thank you.
See also: drinks, addictive personality

This is one of many installments on the ABCs of Me's. Each week I will feature a different letter of the alphabet and a few corresponding entries on yours truly. This project was inspired by a class I took at Big Picture Classes (Me: The Abridged Version) which was based on a book called Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life.

December Daily: Day 14

Journaling reads:

Summer’s artwork was featured in this year’s art show. She is so talented!

Supplies: Template & overlay: Ali Edwards, Library card and tree brush: Katie Pertiet, Cardstock: Atomic Cupcake

December Daily: Day 13

This Christmas was bittersweet. We managed to keep the ‘magic’ alive for our 8 year old but I think this may be the last year of official believing. Waauugghh :-(

 

Journaling reads:

Summer was extremely excited to receive a personal video message from the big guy himself. Exactly what we needed
to keep the magic alive for this Christmas! The snow always makes our neighborhood look so pretty and is getting us in
the mood for the holiday.

December Daily: Day 12

I am loving how this whole project is coming together. I’m a little bit behind but getting caught up and plan to finish soon. :-)

Journaling reads:

Christmas just wouldn’t be complete without watching some of the well-loved Christmas specials. Fortunately for me, Summer shares my love of Christmas specials. We’ve watched one just about every night. My personal favorite is the one with Heat Miser and Snow Miser, we’ve watched that one several times already!

K is for…

Kids, What I used to know about my
My kids like Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches
Summer's spelling tests were on Fridays.
Summer likes to draw
Bryce loves to read.
Bryce likes camping.


Kids, What I know now
Summer likes grape jelly with her sandwiches cut in triangles (crusts are now acceptable)
Bryce likes strawberry jelly with his sandwich uncut (he's a cool middle schooler after all)

Spelling tests are now on Tuesdays. We both have the lists memorized.

Summer is very artistic and has been recognized by her art teacher. She won the award for Most Artistic 2nd grader last year.

Bryce always has a book in his backpack as well as on his nightstand. The most recent book he read is called Ice Drift.

Bryce likes cold-weather camping in the fall & winter. Sleeping outdoors, playing in streams, hiking, playing with fire & knives(under supervision of course) are high on his list. His favorite camping experience has been "Manly Camp" where he was required to build his own shelter to sleep out in the snow.


This is one of many installments on the ABCs of Me's. Each week I will feature a different letter of the alphabet and a few corresponding entries on yours truly. This project was inspired by a class I took at Big Picture Classes (Me: The Abridged Version) which was based on a book called Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life.

Merry Christmas to All!

A great time was had by all at my family Christmas.

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