One-Eyed-Willie

Tonight I decided it was high time that I carved my pumpkin - especially with Halloween just days away. Now I typically go with the standard Jack-o-lantern face...this year I had intended to mix it up a little, but alas it still wound up pretty standard looking.

Here is me in the act of carving...I nicknamed him "One-Eyed-Willie."

So while I carved, Aaron slept on the couch...is there an equivalent for scrooge at Halloween?

Here's the finished project.

In other news...our friends the Weidners have been so nice in giving us boxes of their old baby clothes and goodies for the new edition. I swear that between family and friends this kid will be set till he/she is at least 9 months old...Hint hint for all those folks out there thinking of buying clothes.

Recently, they dropped off a swing. We are so lucky to have such generous friends. We'll be celebrating their birthdays at their house this Saturday...after trick-or-treating on Friday night of course. Happy Halloween!

Reality Check

My sister turned me on to another blog awhile ago. It is all about parenting/Detroit.

A recent post struck a nerve. Maybe it’s because (as Aaron would say) I am more emotional these days. Maybe it’s because I know so many teachers and understand the impact that school/education can have. Either way…it struck me.

How sad...how truly depressing this is…especially since the school has only been closed for a few years. That this could happen in such a short time…what an incredible waste of resources. Now, I don’t know maybe this school was condemned or had some structural issue that caused it to be abandoned. Either way, I find it ironic that just yesterday when I picked up my absentee ballot and began doing research to prepare to vote…one of the issues on the ballot is a school bond referendum. Lexington wants to build something like five new schools to the tune of $300 + million dollars. I know the economy in Michigan sucks and everyday it seems like so many people are leaving the state to find jobs…moving to places like Lexington where we have to build new school to keep up with the population growth (800 more new students this year alone). I get that.

What is so hard to swallow, is the idea that we can just let this happen to an area – a whole downtown. Detroit is such a fun city, with so much potential. But, rather than spend time and money to restore this city to what it once was, we take the easy way out and abandon it…build more subdivisions and cut more trees. I hate it. When will we realize that this isn’t the answer? I don’t claim there are easy answers to what are a host of reasons behind this problem, but surely just leaving isn’t the answer either.

I was struck the other day too when Aaron (that’s right, my husband) was chatting with his brother about politics and the upcoming election. Soon the conversation turned to taxes and what did my husband say…“taxes aren’t bad, they’re what fund schools and government programs.” I nearly fell out of my chair. Here I thought he was at least a little conservative – certainly more so than me. I am still shocked.

I am also still in shock about his decision, or at least indifference, to the decision to cut cable. Well, earlier this week on my way home from work, I get a call from him…“I am on the couch, looking at a blank screen and drowning my sorrows in M&Ms.” Sad. So, we ate dinner, watched a movie, I read and he graded papers. That doesn’t sound like a wasted night to me. We’ll see how today (especially Saturday College Football) goes…

It's beginning to feel like fall...

Well so far so good...we actually still have cable as so we are relishing in what might be our last few days. Although, we did have a very productive weekend.

On Saturday we visited a garage sale in a nearby neighborhood and picked up a jeep umbrella stroller for $4. While we realize it may not be used for awhile, we couldn't pass up the deal. I also received a whole box of cloths from a friend of mine - so, we should be covered for the period of 6-9 months for the baby. In other news, we also finally figured out how to put the crib together so that the sides are able to move up and down. Actually, Aaron's dad found the internet site and Aaron found a similar set of crib instructions. Either way, we are happy to have it done.

Saturday we went to a Halloween Party of a friend. It was a great time. I was put in charge of desserts, which were fun to make. As pictured, the kitty litter cake came out much better this year (thanks to the food processor that Gma gave to us). It was hit!

I also made a batch of cupcakes that Aaron and I had fun decorating to look like eyeballs.

Aaron actually bought a Halloween costume online this year, but it didn't arrive in time. So, we improvised by visiting the local goodwill/consignment shops. As you can see we did pretty well in coming up with a suitable costumes. We like to say he went as a dork.

I went as a farmer, seeing as the overalls are about all that fits from pre-pregnancy days. We will dress up again this Friday for a Halloween party with our favorite local band. So look for more pictures of the costumes to come.

On Sunday we spend some time around the house...marking things off the "to-do" list. Once we finally figured out how to get on the roof, Aaron painted the dormers, which were starting to chip. I painted the bed - from red to white. The bed will now be moved into the computer room to make room for the crib in the orange room.

Today I have a lot of errands to run...one of which is to get my absentee ballot so that I can vote in the election. I'll have to get up-to-date on the local candidates first. One thing I have learned over the years (especially in my job), is that locally elected officials have a lot of power to change your life...from school board members to city council members - so don't forget to get educated on them as well. And, at the very least register and "rock the vote!"

No more magic box….

Well we did it! No more television for the Masons. I have been meaning to try this for quite some time now and finally 1) convinced Aaron, 2) got up the nerve, and 3) shut off the tube, got off my lazy butt, and took in the converter box.

Why might you ask?…here are just some of the reasons:

1) I hate Time Warner!, always have…it’s a racket what they charge, that they won’t sell packages with ala-cart options, and dealing with service people stinks!
2) It’s expensive – cable alone was costing us nearly $70 a month…that’s $840 a year…that’s a lot of dough.
3) It was making us fat and lazy! We found ourselves beaching ourselves on the couch and watching television just to watch it…watching reruns we’d seen a hundred times, watching Judge shows, watching crap. Hopefully now we will read more, spend more time outside, eat at the dining room table opposed to the coffee table, and generally be more productive people.
4) Aaron might not agree with this one, but I do. With a baby on the way…how much would we really watch? And, as we attempt to be responsible parents and raise a well adjusted, smart, creative, individual…is a television the best influence? While I realize that there are strong arguments for and against this and several schools of thought, here is one recent article that I found on the topic…Others have also offered good commentary when it comes to the downfalls of television…Barbara Kingsolver in “Small Wonders” and Jensen in “The Culture of Make Believe.”

Now this is not to say that we won’t also watch movies or even old sitcoms on DVD – we will. In fact, we just signed up for NetFlix. But, hopefully this will limit the amount and types of show we do watch. And besides, you can stream a lot now on the internet or better yet read things in the newspaper or books.

I am really hoping that we can stick to this and be more productive as a result. I am also really hoping that we’ll save some money. I have been warned about the detox process that comes with this type of life changing event. I have been told by friends who have gone through it themselves that we may fight a lot for the first week or so. So, pray for us during this our time of need. We have a whole list of things to accomplish with the house this weekend, so that should help. There is also a lot going on in the area this time of year. We’ll keep you updated on the status.

Halloween is almost here...

It was a nice relaxing weekend. Aaron had Friday off so I met him at the State Fair for lunch. Although the corn dog and elephant ear tasted good, I am not so sure it agreed with the little one. Friday night we met some friends at a bar to see our favorite local band, Lundy, perform. As always, it was fun!

Saturday we just hung out around the house. Sunday was very productive as we ran errands, mowed the lawn, rearranged furniture, and tried to put the crib together. But alas, without instructions and not much else to go on, Aaron and I are at a loss. We'll take another stab at it next weekend.

Today I tackled Grandma Alice's famous sugar cookies. It is always a lot of work, but well worth it. I packages some up to take to work for a bake sale and also made sure Aaron had enough for each one of his kids.

We're looking forward to a Halloween party this weekend and will be sure to post pictures of our costumes. For those that are interested, here is how the belly is shaping up.

It's a....

Nope sorry can't share those details. If you want to know whether it is a boy or a girl you will just have to call or email one of us.

Today was the big day...the ultrasound with anatomy scan. But, not everyone wants to know the sex so we can't post it here. What we can post are some pictures from the ultrasound.

Here is the first shot...at 7 weeks.

The rest are from today's ultrasound visit...

Here you can see a foot.

Here is a good profile.

Here is the face.

We're told that everything looks good. The baby is at 11 ounces and moving around lots - although I can't really feel anything for certain yet.

We'll keep you posted.

Day 2

Gma and Gpa used the laptop computer to check out the blog and menu for Cafe Strudel. This morning we enjoyed a yummy breakfast at Cafe Strudel.

Gma enjoyed the grits.

It was a beautiful day again today and after breakfast we drove around downtown Columbia to see the capital and my workplace. We then headed back home and picked up a Sunday paper along the way. Gma and Gpa enjoyed reading the paper while Aaron graded papers.

We then headed back into West Columbia to show Gma and Gpa where we first lived. We stopped at a great antique store and looked around.

Before heading back home we had to stop by Krispy Kreme to get our dessert. We had dinner at the Old Mill Pizza buffet and played a game (Like Minds). Now we are enjoying the baseball play-off games. We have had a great time visiting with Gma and Gpa and will be sad to see them leave tomorrow!

Gma & Gpa Mason Visit

Gma Char and Gpa Jack arrived on Friday at 3 pm. After a quick tour of the house with Aaron, Gpa and Aaron went to the Happy Butcher to pick up some steaks for dinner. We then cooked red-skinned mashed potatoes (which Gpa was happy to find were mashed by hand) with asparagus. The rest of the night we just visited and caught up with each other. And...ate some of the sweets that Gma brought...On Saturday we enjoyed a nice breakfast of egg bake and banana bread before heading out to the Congaree Bluegrass Festival in Cayce, SC. There Gma and Gpa tasted their first boiled peanuts. As you can see they didn't think they were half bad...well, Aaron and I certainly helped. It was a beautiful day! After that we headed to Swansea to visit Aaron's school. Gma enjoyed seeing where Aaron works. We then headed home to catch some football.

We visited the famed Shealy's for a dinner of fried chicken, pork rinds, green beans, corn, rice and hash, and a huge dessert bar. We left stuffed!

Now we are back at the house. Gma and I worked a little bit outside only to come back in to see Gpa and Aaron relaxing (a.k.a. sleeping). Now we are watching more football games and hoping that Aaron's bet this weekend will pay off.

Tomorrow we are headed to Cafe Strudel for brunch and then maybe downtown to see the sites. We'll post another update with more pictures tomorrow.

What's your sign?

So Aaron and I have been talking lately a lot about the role of a parent. Maybe it’s because we will soon be parents, maybe it’s because we’ve started to think about daycare, maybe it’s because Aaron remains convinced that with each new year he can predict the relative ‘success’ of each student by meeting their parents and understanding a bit about their home life…either way, I have been thinking a great deal lately about what our child will be like. So, I took to the stars....Now, typically I don’t put a ton of stock in astrology, however, I do occasionally read my own horoscope and think that the descriptions of personalities for the various signs are pretty accurate (at least for the majority of people I know). Aaron hassles me when I say things like this and continues to warn me that “they write these things to encompass all personality types and that it is more about psychology than anything else.” To which I always respond with an “I know, but it just always seems to fit the person, situation, or time.” Oh well, we’ll save this topic for another time.

But…just for kicks, I checked out the horoscope link on the babycenter.com page that I have been getting regular updates about pregnancy from. Here is what it had to say about the Pisces child. For those of you who don’t know a Pisces is someone who is born between February 19 and March 20.

About the Pisces Child

The Dreamer

A deeply creative imagination enhances your Pisces child's experience of life, imbuing it with varied hues and shimmering possibilities. You might find her staring off into space, but there's plenty going on in that unfathomable mind of hers -- feelings, impressions, and bits of intuition woven together in a rich mosaic of perception. Pisces children are incredibly tender and compassionate, and they need extra affection from their parents. Your little Pisces may want to be held nonstop as a baby and will still need plenty of hugs, kisses, and encouragement as she grows older. Pisces children are often more concerned with their instincts than with logic, and more interested in their dreams or fantasies than in "real life." As the parent of a Pisces child, you can help to ground her in reality; avoidance and escapism are typical Piscean traits.So is idealism. Your Pisces child may have grand visions of the way life could and should be, which will then fall flat in the harsh light of reality. Since your little Pisces is so emotionally sensitive (as well as physically and psychically), you'll need to be careful which people and influences you expose her to and what you feed her. Don't be surprised if she brings home stray kittens and other friends in need. Her heart's capacity to love and serve is enormous -- sometimes to a fault. Your Pisces child needs to protect herself against people who would take advantage of her giving and gullible nature, and that's one area in which you, as her parent, can step in.

My immediate thoughts/reaction…“Wow, am I in trouble!” For those of you who know me this will inevitable pose a problem when it comes to raising a child of this nature. As a Scorpio, I am not a dreamer…Scorpios are regarded as the most intense, profound, powerful characters in the zodiac. What does that mean? “Scorpios are extremely ambitious, persistent and determined which is shown through a power hungry, controlling attitude…A Scorpio never gives up, they are so determined to reach their goal…Scorpios are very weary about trusting anyone…Scorpios have powerful instincts and they trust their own gut feeling which is another reason why a Scorpio seldom fails.”

Is anyone else noticing a trend…that there are a lot of opposite traits displayed here between myself and my child? I can’t help but think that we will undoubtedly butt heads and have a difficult time understanding one another. Oh the challenges I foresee in the future.

But, I guess that is what makes life (and raising kids) interesting. With any luck we will both make each other better people. I am sure I will learn a lot and grow a lot along the way.

And, what about Aaron you might ask…well, he’s an Aquarius. So, let’s examine him as a dad…

As an Aquarius parent, you encourage your children's freedom and independence. You might have a zany or unconventional home life. At the very least, your family home is likely to be filled with your children's original works of art, projects-in-progress, and other objects of interest. Since you're into pushing the boundaries of what's considered normal, you won't mind when your kids dye their hair green or try out an interesting new clothing style. To you, these forms of exploration and unique self-expression are what being young is all about!

“Well! That’s just great…a lot of help he is going to be.” Rather than helping to support my own intensity, he will no doubt side with the kid and together they will gang up on me. “Oh, what fun!” Rather than push our child to be productive and responsible, he will probably help them push the limits of their creativity and we’ll wind up with a dreamer, a wanderer, a door mat, a vagabond. But, then again…maybe we’ll end up with a fiercely giving and compassionate child whose only mission in life is to make others happy. That doesn’t sound all bad. And still yet, maybe Aaron and I will do okay together – each balancing the others personality and parenting style…the ultimate in checks and balances. I guess only time will tell. Either way, this adventure we are about to embark on is bound to be interesting!