Baby Hase

The newest Haselton has arrived!

Welcome to the world Mason!

The new family :)

Meeting the family...Uncle Scott
Aunt Erin...I'm an aunt and Scott's an uncle. Beyond crazy.

He is simply perfect.

Dad and his future ball player.

Over the moon grandparents.

The little man has the ladies lining up already. Congratulations to my brother and sister-in-law. Scott and I are overjoyed for you!

Boys are Funny Creatures

Boys are funny creatures. After living with one for almost 2 years, and an older one for 24 years, I have surmised that they exhibit rather strange behaviors. My rationale also includes data collected from interviews and eye-witness accounts.

• Boys create piles. Piles of paper, piles of books, piles of crap.
• If things are not in piles, they are randomly set and forgotten. Remotes in the bathroom, wallet in the backyard. Etcetera, etcetera.
• They do not look above or below eye level when searching for food in the fridge or snacks in the pantry. Custom cabinetry companies could make a killing.
• Boys go through lots of glasses and plates. Probably because they aren't washing them.
• Electronic cord jungles do not seem to bother them.
• The lights are on and nobody's home. Conversely, he is home, sitting in the dark with the windows closed.

Granted, my findings are from a female perspective and methinks a certain beau in my life could make a list longer and more detailed about the opposite of each. Stop putting my piles away! I couldn't find the eggs, they were hidden! I want a new plate, so sue me! Do you want the Internet or not!

At the end of the day, it's the yin and the yang. I pick up the laundry piles and have learned to not even think about the desk piles. I wash the dishes with a smile on my face to get that sparkling kitchen, all while he fills my glass of wine up and tries to get my computer to recognize the Internet. It all works out.

We need them just as they need us. Overalls and all.

Wedding Trends That Need to RIP

Let me say this before I get on any soap box--I do not mean to offend anyone, as we all have our own opinions, and the list appearing below is just my own idea of what has run its course in the wedding world. Somebody had to put an end to flower crowns in the 80s, right?

Weddings are trendy. It is a truth that many women may want to ignore, but generally, most weddings this decade all have similar elements, just as those did in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Why reinvent the wheel? I understand it. Wedding blogs and websites have never been so popular these days, and with the onset of social media and the surplus of crazies in this world, there are some broads that try to steal other people's weddings. Now that is just plain bizarre, but I digress.

I think most women tend to take elements from other weddings and file them away because we plan them since we're old enough to realize the Best Day Ever comes with a pouffy white dress. I did it. I remember thinking Kelly Kapowski's wedding dress from the Las Vegas made for tv movie of "Saved by the Bell" would be mine. By the time you are of marrying age, you have an entire collection of weddings ideas from the past decade...that may or may not be appropriate.

As I mentioned in my professional disclaimer, there are some trends that need to be put to rest. We are past the mid-point for 2010 and I think it's time to start branching into new territory, and flexing our creative muscles.

Again, sorry if I offend you. These things have just run their course. What do I know anyway?

• Bridesmaids wearing flip flops. I don't even find this ok on the beach. Let them go barefoot. They'd walk on coals for you (theoretically, why not put them up to challenge?) It's a wedding, a time to look your best, and Old Navy thongs paired with a J. Crew dress that they spent $150 bucks to wear once, lacks the formality. Sure, you can have a casual wedding, but thongs=casual. Thongs=beach while wearing bathing suit or footwear for running errands. Shoes polish and outfit and frankly will be worn more than the dress (yes, it's true, get over it) and you won't hate your pictures later. I am not advocating for heels here either-find a nice pair of flat sandals (hello, Steve Madden) but not a rainbow sherbert of Old Navy footwear.
• Candy bars/buffets. Somewhere 3,000,000 people are gasping. They have had their heyday. I can appreciate them from a planner's perspective when they have colored elements to tie in the wedding, but otherwise, it's just a tired trend people are coming to expect.
• Favors. Maybe if someone starts handing out Andrew Jacksons in bow ties I'll renig this one, but through my earlier life as a wedding coordinator, I can't tell you how many of these were left at the end of a wedding and thrown away. Would you really want a shotglass etched with a picture of two random people? Splurge on enhancing your food or keep your DJ longer. Or here's a shocking idea-SAVE IT.

Like I said, these are just trends I'd like to see reinvented as we move into 2011. I hope the one person reading this that wore flip flops, enjoyed her candy buffet, and handed out monogrammed toothbrushes doesn't lash out at me.

Truth or Dare?

I've always taken truth, as I'm not very daring, but tonight, I consented to going through the Carl's Jr. drive through on our bikes. Scott made me order and pay, and while I realize this is about a 1.2 on the Daring Richter Scale, it certainly is a step up from the occasional frozen bra at a slumber party about 13 years ago.
Now that isn't an awkward photo.

Inaugurational Reading

I have enjoyed American history since as early as I recall learning it...which dates back about 15 years to 5th grade. When I saw Glory for the first time in 8th grade, followed by a trip to Washington D.C. I was hooked. Probably most notably by the historical reenactment of Jamestown.*

My favorite year of history was my junior year in high school. The teacher was one of the best I ever had, and he presented America's story in a way that truly felt like the birth of a nation. And even though I excelled in the class, there was still a part of me that was absorbing the information into my short term memory to do well on an exam or trench warfare Jeopardy.

I find now that I am craving the knowledge that was once presented to me, but on a deeper level. I live in a home that watches each Ken Burns documentary from the epic greats of the Civil War to baseball, and I find that also as I age, I am becoming more engaged in politics. Could be that I am a homeowner and taxes take on an entire new meaning to me now (ie they sucked before and now I really, REALLY want to stick to the Property Tax man) and of course being older, wiser, and more mature reveals more informed opinions.

The long and short of it is that I have decided to take a tour of history through presidential biographies. Being a Type A personality with extreme order required in life, you can guess that book number one starts with president number one:

Being that I don't often stray far from fiction, let alone HP, I decided that this one looked good among the 10 or so other authors. I admit it, I judge a book by its cover, and this one looked authentic. But, as I typed the title into Google search just now, it came up as predictive text so perhaps that's a good sign, along with the reviews on the back cover from the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and Newsweek.

Like a good student I will offer my thoughts on this revolutionary hero (or is he???) when completed. The book is due back July 29 and I don't like renewing so ready, set, go!

*I am just waiting for the day Scott tells me he booked a surprise trip to Georgia and the first item on our agenda is a Civil War reenactment, Confederate style. I.Would.Die. Naturally he'd have the good sense to bring a hoop skirt for me too, and then we'd find a suitable Tara for ourselves and enjoy our new porch with sweet tea or and a mint julep. The end.

Tasks Completed, by Scott

What we've been doing the past 8 weeks, compiled by Scott:

• New carpet (rental)
• New washer and dryers (2)-one purchased by us for rental, one gifted to us by my parents (thanks again!)
• New laminate flooring (us!)
• New paint for bedroom (rental) and office (us)
• New tile on service porch (rental)
• New paint for service porch (rental)
• New herb garden (us)
• New flower garden (us)
• New central heat and ducting (rental)
• Tenants! (rental, obviously)
  
• Fixed door bell (us-we were on the same circuit as the neighbors. Thank goodness they don't have teenagers who lock themselves out at 2 a.m.)
• Fixed front door frame (did we Scott?)
• Fixed fence door from dragging (rental)
• Reviving backyard grass (us, see King of the Hill)
  

In process:

• Painting living room (us)
  
• Painting hearth (us)
  
• TV wall mount

Next on Wish List (if I could only pick one)

• Remove layers of vinyl tiles in kitchen and service porch, replace with tile, in our kitchen

Happy 4th of July, via Saved by the Bell!

I searched up and down the interwebs for a picture from the Miss Liberty Contest when the "Saved by the Bell" cast worked at the Malibu Sands Beach Club. Apparently there none to be found ANYWHERE. But, being the resourceful Haselton I am, I went to YouTube, paused the one video I found with a milisecond of the image, took a screen shot and pasted it into Paint. Not the beautiful image with Kelly, Stacey, Lisa, and Jessie that I wanted, in the slightest. In fact, I am only doing this because I wasted an hour looking for something.

Here is Zack congratulating Kelly after his deciding vote. Leon Carosi was blackmailing him , and he still went with his heart. Ever the admirable hero!

I hope everyone has a great holiday and if lucky enough, even better Monday off from work!

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New Hugs

One of the perks of our new house is the neighborhood. We really lucked out in the "Wonder Years" vibe that really could have Joe Cocker singing his famous tune each time we step outside. Kids ride their bikes, moms have babies in strollers, families walk the dog, it's darling.

The best part has been our neighbors and their kids. The oldest, is a four year old boy, followed by his two year old sister. These kids are hilarious, and like most, they say the darnedest things.

Now, I don't have baby fever or anything even hinting at it, but there is something completely sweet and wonderful each time the little girl gives Scott a hug goodbye. It's a glimpse into his future as a dad, and I know he's going to be great.