McDonald's is my kind of place...

What? I'm aloud to eat this!!!

Thanks Uncle Ne for this yummy burger!

I am pretty picky about what Mason eats. Since he is so young, I want to give him the best and start now with healthy eating. I read labels more for him than I do for Steven and myself. He gets very little sugar and I really try to avoid processed food. WELL...tonight was date night and Uncle Ne watched Mason. Lo' and behold, Uncle Ne comes in with Mickey D's. I thought I was going to die. I pictured my precious little baby's arteries clogging immediately. LOL! Of course Mason LOVED it. The fries were his favorite. Since we now know that he is a junk food-aholic at the age of one, Steven and Uncle Ne taught Mason one of their favorite childhood songs (of course they made it up and it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever)...

McDonald's is my kind of place.

They feed you rattlesnakes.

They put the french fries in your toes.

And if you go back there again,

they'll steal your underwear.

Dee dee dee dee ded da dee....

(The above line means they never found a good ending.)

Not that anyone cares, but date night was awesome. Steven took me to a restaurant on Riverside called Michael Fusco's. It was divine! I do have to say that after five years of marriage, my husband is still my most favorite person in this world, and then comes Mr. Mase at a close second.

My Other Kids...

A Classroom in Africa

African Students

African School

Classroom in Africa

My Precious Students

As many of you know, besides being Mason's mommy, I am also a teacher. Even though life would be much easier to stay at home, I knew God wanted me to go back to work for this year. And, without getting into to details I now see why.

Recently, my class read an article about students in Africa. The article was about African children who cannot attend public school simply because they can't afford school supplies. After reading the article, my students felt compelled to help. So, after a little research I came across a young woman who graduated from BA and is currently teaching in Africa. She informed us of a school in their village that is for deaf children. They only attend school half a day because the school does not have enough money to provide lunch. Very sad!!! As you can see from the above pictures, they have a very 'make-shift' school.

Once I was able to get the info on a school in need, my class started brainstorming what we could do to help. They decided to start a school supply drive. So far they have raised 91 spiral notebooks, 238 pencils, and many other standard supplies. The African School has 137 students. Our goal is to have one notebook and 2 pencils for every student.

My main reason for writing this...we as adults get so wrapped up in what our kids 'must have' or even getting the very best for ourselves. What are we really teaching our kids with this kind of mindset? We should be focused on teaching our children to be givers, and as parents, we must set the example. I am so proud of my students. Many of them come from homes where they may or may not have anything to eat when they get home from school, yet they want to help others. I hope this inspires you to have a givers heart, as it has inspired me!

Veggie Dogs are a Hit!

The veggie dog was eaten yesterday at approximately 1800 hours. The first bite was a bit iffy, then the second and third were scarfed down. The rest is history. No more greasy hot dogs for Mase...the veggie dog has taken over! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hot Dog!

Mason LOVES hot dogs. Love probably doesn't even begin to describe his relationship with 'the dog'. However, mommy is not so in love with the hot dog. There's just something about feeding my precious baby lips and a-hole...sorry to be so frank (no pun intended). I have switched him to turkey dogs, as they are not as greasy, but tonight I found a glorified answer to my prayers...VEGGIE DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll let you know the verdict once Lil' Mase has performed his taste test...I'm crossing my fingers.

Full Head and Big Teeth

When Mason turned one he had three teeth...two on bottom and one on top. He now has eight...three of which showed up within a weeks time. I think the reason it took so long to get them in was their abnormally LARGE size. When he smiles, you can't help but smile back. Our dentist friend has assured us that the 'black hole' between the front teeth is a good sign he'll have enough room for the rest (good thing, given the size of all the others). Given that piece of info, we just crack up when we look at him smiling.

Even though Mason was such a late teether, he made up for it in other areas. For instance, what he lacked in teeth, he made up for in hair. The kid has had 4 hair cuts and is in need of another. It's starting to get so thick that we have to blow dry it before he goes to bed. Otherwise, he soaks his sheets. We call this pic his 'wind blown' look.

All Better

Today was Mason's first day back at the sitter. All is well...and he was P-E-R-F-E-C-T for Ms. Melinda (we'll see how long that lasts)!!! Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes for little Mase to be healthy again.

Good Morning Mason!

Man, that was some good sleeping...