Rylee & the Tale of Patient Remodeling

Eight year old boys are rarely known for their patience. Thirty-three year old mothers aren’t either. In the case of his bathroom here at the EE, Rylee has shown quite a bit of that much sought after character trait. I’ve learned a bit more about perseverance. Ravenclaw’s Quidditch team isn’t exactly a theme that lends itself to buying décor off the shelf. We still have details to attend to, however it’s actually becoming recognizable at this point!

To begin with, the walls are a matte navy blue and the trim is off white. The bathroom is roughly 5’ x 9’ and painting it such a dark color seemed to fly in the face of conventional wisdom. In fact, the space feels bigger and more, well, for lack of a better term, lush. The contrast between the navy and the off white trim/ceiling is high impact. Then we get to the floor, which seals the deal. Rylee picked out the gorgeous glass tiles which sparkle with tones ranging from pale gold to copper to bronze. The lighting stunk for a good picture and the above photo does not do it justice! Ryan did an awesome job laying the tiles. I painted and made a mess as usual. So, the stage is set. Now on to the décor!


The clear shower curtain liner was a fortunate find at Old Time Pottery. The gold  circles being reminiscent of Quidditch hoops. The bronze panels and navy valance were sewn from heavy satin and are stationary. Lanterns are a must to get from the Quidditch Pitch to your common room after a long evening of practice, so the first of 2 is pictured here. It is actually hiding the bathroom spray. One of the players has left behind a jar of sweets from Honeydukes (gummy vitamins in a decorated Ball jar). Madam Pomfrey has sent along a tray of Pepperup Potion complete with doily and glass (mouthwash). The broom floating near the towel rack is soon to be christened with a name brand via Ryan's elegant script and a paint pen. The painting visible in the mirror is a close up of  a Quaffle set to score on goal. Perhaps the painting moves?


To the left of the sink features a reproduction clock I’ve had  for ages. Someone has flung their Hogwarts crest hat onto the top of the second lantern.  A golden snitch that failed to be put away is resting behind the soap dispenser. The glass cylinder holds jewels designating Rylee's house points ($1 Store vase, clear and sapphire floral arranging stones). Another as yet unnamed broom is flying overhead. The painting visible in the mirror is of the famous Golden Snitch.
Still to come are a jersey, a shadowbox filled with memorabilia from the Quidditch World Cup, and assorted whimsies!

P.S. Does anyone know where I can find a frugal eagle door knocker?

Just a typical Thursday night... or not!

Tonight will be epic. My little Rylee is going to his first midnight movie opening: Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1. There will be costumes. There will be popcorn. There will be a very sad moment when his favorite character dies (Hedwig the owl; yes, I've already told him; no, it wasn't pretty). There will be laughter, gasps and tears. There will be yet another fun memory for Ryan & I to tuck away in our hearts.

On a side note, for those of you who know my penchant for numerical serendipity, I offer this little tidbit:

Rylee, who is 7 years old, will view the first movie of Year 7 at 12:07 in theater number 7.

Ryan called yesterday, out of the blue, asking me to locate "the Year 6 movie." After a pause where I finally caught up to the conversation, I confirmed he meant the HP movie, THBP. He said, "Yeah, OK, the last one. I need to get caught up before we go to the theater." Then he watches it, asks questions (actually listening to the long, drawn out answers, bless him) and further more allows me to read him The Tale of The Three Brothers.

That is dedication to one's family.

The comic relief was supplied by our puppy, who finally having learned his name, was flustered by these strange bipeds calling out to him from the box on the living room wall. ;-)

So, while y'all sane people are snug in your beds, we will venture forth in the blustery cold to watch the cinematic culmination of a decades worth of fantasy and dreams. For once in a very rare while, our quirky little family will fit right in with the humanity around us. Sweet dreams everyone!

Hedwig, the Demented Puppy

A few weeks ago, a furry little ball of love came into our lives. He has 4 legs, off-white fur, liquid brown eyes and an AKC pedigree. So, of course, he had to be named Hedwig. What? You don't see the connection between our male Maltese puppy and a female snowy owl?

Rylee is currently unconvinced that Hedwig will grow up to look anything like the pictures he has seen of adult Maltese. According to him the photographed Maltese must all be girls (fancy little barrettes holding up the dog's topknots). Ryan had to be convinced the dog could walk on its own. I'm just grateful he either sleeps through the night or gets up only once to potty. Regardless, he is dreadfully spoiled. Pet stores are as bad as baby stores. Too much stuff you want them to need. Thank goodness for the clearance aisles and coupons!

I'm also beginning to appreciate all the time my Mother spent caring for my hair as a little girl. At least I didn't use sharp little teeth to express my displeasure when she hit a snarl. The same can't be said for our darling little Hedwig. As soon as Uncle Veterinarian gives the next round of shots, somebody with 4 legs and a tail is going to the groomers for some quality time with a de-matting brush.

On the advice of Uncle Veterinarian, we are crate training Hedwig. It has been extremely beneficial to us and the dog! So far, he has been using an appropriate sized travel crate. However, sometime this week his Taj MahCrate will arrive from our beloved amazon.com and be assembled forthwith in one corner of the living room. So far, this mutt's life is golden...