We Love Harry!

We first heard about Harry Potter when we lived in Mannheim. Robin and Paul were about 7 and 8, I guess. I was always looking for books to read to my kids and our neighbor and dear friend Anne Bridgewater suggested a book called Harry Potter. She lent us their copy and we fell in love. Not only was it fun to read it was new and refreshing and exciting and dangerous and silly. What fun to find out that another one was going to be released in just a few months!

We couldn't wait until the next one came out and then the next one and the next one. We would buy the latest copy as soon as it was available and then I would spend the next day or two reading it to the kids as fast as I could. "Will you read some more when we're done with this?" "Just one more chapter?" I loved that. It was one of the first times I connected with Robin and Paul on a grown up level.

I would read it out loud once. The kids read them again by themselves. Robin and Paul loved these books so much and read and reread them and reread them again. Their discussions were peppered with references to something Harry or Dumbledore or Ron said or did. After a while I felt like all they ever talked about or read was Harry Potter so I gathered them up and made them read the Sorcerer's Stone in German before they could read it in English again. Because they practically had them memorized, I didn't think it would be that difficult. Yes, we still have the German one around here somewhere.

Below is what it looked like in Germany. I think it is interesting that they used different cover art for different countries.

When the 5th and 6th ones came out we bought two copies (actually, I think Grandma Gloria bought the 5th ones for them) because they were not going to wait for me to read it and I didn't want to hear the two of them fight over who was reading it first. When the last one was released I just bought one. I figured they were old enough to share and well . . . I'm cheap. Robin just confessed to me that she faked being sick so she could stay home from church and read for three and a half hours uninterrupted.

As we each finished the last installment of the Harry Potter series the feeling in our house was bittersweet. It was so wonderful to have something like this to share and look forward to and now, it was over. The fun continued although not at the same level, as the movies were each released.

The excitement about the very last Harry Potter movie (two more days!) has hit a fever pitch around here. The majority of the last week has been spent reading Harry Potter books, watching Harry Potter movies, learning Hedwig's Theme on the piano and making these shirts.

We used Liz's instructions. I have been wanting to do this since she made the one below. How cute is my Nephew?!

We printed seven shirts. The funnest part of making the shirts was coming up with what to put on them. Having only read the books once, I was amazed at the details the kids remembered.

A few that didn't make the cut (mostly because they were just too long):

• I solemnly swear that I am up to no good
• Do you want to see my magic wand?
• DA Dumbledore's Army
• Dumbledore is my Homeboy
• My other ride is a firebold/hippogriff
• I survived Potions with Snape
• Lumos! or other spells
• Team Griffendor

I love how they turned out. Thanks Liz!