Mason meets Hockey

So about three weeks ago on a Friday night, Jamey told Mason the legend of Gnash, the mascot of the Nashville Predators.*  That first night the story was told 2 maybe 3 times.

The next day the story must have had 8 to 10 retellings and since then Mason has become a huge fan of the saber tooth tiger and his online videos.  We have watched the online videos from in game entertainment, Gnash on game day, fan videos on YouTube over and over.

Through Jamey's hitherto unmentioned involvement in Leadership Sumner and a friendship has grown with David S., a Predators Season Ticket Holder since Day 1.  On January 29th, Jamey mentioned to David how Mason's fascination continues and David invited Mason and Jamey to attend the February 2nd game against the Calgary Flames.  The weekend involved a search for Mason's first "Gnash shirt" and a Monday morning revelation of the Tuesday invitation!

Mason's new Preds jersey and pants became his show and tell focus at school on Tuesday and in a driving rain storm after work and school, Jamey and Mason headed to the Bridgestone Arena, affectionately known locally as Smashville.

After watching the pregame from the lower bowl, David led Mason and Jamey to an ideal intersection to meet Gnash.  Following a coincidental and very low key pass by from Vince Gill, Mason got his moment!

Mason meets Gnash

After the encounter with the fanged one David, Mason and Jamey found their way to seats it the upper bowl and Mason loved his first hockey game.

From his perspective, he clearly knew that the guys in blue shirts were Gnash's friends and the guys in white shirts were the "bad guys," though he occasionally cheered for action more than for the home team.

Mason got into the home team GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL celebration (with a premature, soccer style shirt raising).

Mason wasn't ready to leave with 10 minutes left in the 3rd period and a 2-2 tie on the ice, but Jamey had the keys and the watch.  The Preds ended up losing in a shoot out, but Mason's first game was a great hit.  Our own season tickets are years off, but we'll be back to Smashville for sure!

*Read the official version here: Nashville Predators: About Gnash

My Review of Verona Cabinet Desk

Originally submitted at Cost Plus World Market

Complete your Italian countryside decorating scheme with this ever-so-clever Verona Cabinet Desk. A pullout desk and two drawers - one for desk supplies and the other perfectly-sized for file folders - tuck away behind a door adorned with the "X" detail for which our popular Verona Collec...

Verona Cabinet Desk

Great look, managable assembly

By Built over Lunch from Gallatin, TN on 2/3/2011

4out of 5

Pros: Sturdy Construction, Space Saver, Attractive Design, Easy To Move
Cons: Doors Don't line up, Drawer Catches
Best Uses: KitchenLiving Room
Describe Yourself: Budget Shopper
Primary use: Personal

We are very pleased with the sturdy components and the color of the finish. The size is just right for us to use as a public area desk in our house and double as a buffet for the dining room table. Assembly was mostly straightforward. I was able to complete most of the work on my lunch hour with final assembly in about 10 minutes after work.

The part that I had to complete later was the installation of the keyboard drawer. To complete Step 12 (of 14), I ended up pulling the middle and front bolts from Step 7 back out, leaving the rear bolts in place. Then I could raise the top like a hinge to slide the drawer into place, lower the top, and replace the middle and front and tighten all bolts down – in tight space. Like other reports, I do have some trouble with the inside supply drawer sticking.

I used a flexible ratchet driver with a #2 Phillips and 5/32 hex bit instead of the included Allen wrench. No power tools necessary. I would also recommend not doing the final tighten on bolts for the outside frame until all assembly is complete. To make that easier save the installation of the feet (Step 4) for last.

It has only been in place about six hours, but we are looking forward to using this desk.

(legalese)

Boys and Food

October 31, 2009....

Wow it has been a long time since we posted anything.

Won't try to catch you up in one post, but I will share some information about the boys and food.

Scene 1: Thursday in the van, Characters - Mason and Jamey
Jamey - Mason, as we drive home we need to stop at Wal-Mart and get some food for Ladybug then take her to GG's so she can go with GG and GDaddy to Illinois for Thanksgiving.
Mason - Daddy, we can't take her. We need her when we drop the food.
Jamey - What Mason?
Mason - We need Ladybug when we drop the food.
Jamey (thinking) - What food are we dropping off somewhere? Out Loud - What Mason?
Mason - We need her when we drop the food!
Jamey (finally getting it) - Ohhhhh, we need Ladybug at home when we drop the food off our plates?
Mason - YES!

Apparently we don't do a good job cleaning house regularly if we don't have Ladybug's assistance.

Scene 2: Sunday in the house, Characters - Jen and Miller
Jen's eating at the table and Miller has been playing in the pantry. Miller is making trips back and forth to the pantry and then into the kitchen at which time Jen hears clanking glass. So about the fourth time she stands up to see Miller coming into the kitchen holding a jar of baby food, stopping at the trash can and holding it open. With a big grin on his face, he confidently drops the jar in hand into trash where it bounces off three others.

Jen hollers upstairs to Jamey to come witness and he arrives in time to see the fifth one dropped into the trash. For weeks Miller has been showing a preference for "big kid" food, but not quite this clearly.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

Big heart in a small body

Lately, Mason has been showing beautiful signs of empathy.

We've recently started watching Disney's series, "Little Einsteins." One of the episodes that we watched featured the 4 main characters helping a "music pet" named Melody to find her ticket to the pet train. The pet train takes homeless pets to their new families. Well, of course, one of the characters gets very attached to Melody, but, because he loves her so much, he puts her on the pet train to find her new family. Shortly after the 4 characters return home, the pet train arrives at his home and-- lo and behold-- Melody is destined for him!

After watching this episode a few nights ago, it was time for Mason's bath. He was bathing in the master bathroom and I was in our bedroom changing clothes and listening to him play. Suddenly, he burst into tears and I went running into the bathroom to find the source of the tears. He explained that Leo was very sad and missed Melody but she had to leave on the train. Fortunately, I could then remind him of the rest of the story, and that soothed him....until he talked himself back around to the part when Leo had to leave Melody. We've been able to watch that episode since then with less tears... but he always has to mention that Leo really misses Melody.

A few days later, we were watching the 1984 live-action version of Don Freeman's classic, "Corduroy." (Ok... suddenly this post sounds like all we do is watch TV!) We've read the book several times, and he's familiar with the story. However, it's been a while-- we usually read "Corduroy goes to the Doctor"... but that's not the point. We got to the point in the story where Corduroy has popped the button off the mattress and goes flying off the bed, knocking over a lamp. The commotion causes the night watchman to come and he takes Corduroy back to the toy section of the store... without his button. At which point, I hear sniffling and I look over to see a trembling bottom lip and big tears--"But Mommy, Corduroy wanted THAT button!" The next time we watched Corduroy... tears again for the same reason.

It's just one more wonderful aspect of the boy that Mason is becoming. He rough and tumble on the outside, slow to cry because of physical pain... but don't hurt his heart, please, it's pretty tender!

And I didn't even know I was pregnant!

Or... I wouldn't have if I ever read this blog as a source of Campbell family information! So, we didn't blog ANYthing about a pregnancy, birth, or the first few weeks of life as a family of 4.

Here's the info...
I was huge, but all pregnant women think they are huge. And then Nicholas Miller was born... 22.5 inches, and 11 pounds 10 ounces-- and I had proof that he and I were both huge!

And life as a family of 4 is awesome.

I HOPE I'll be better about posting. It's a goal... I'll try!

Travelling Mason

Jen's been on the road now into her third straight week. Mason accompanied her last week to Orlando and this week to Arkansas. Thanks to GG and MarMar for going along on the trips. I'm really glad you are getting great time with the boy this summer.

He's gotten to fly on an airplane - always a big hit! Seen lots of fireworks - including through his bedroom window July 4 & 5. And even leaving Epcot the one last time, riding the Monorail (a week after the WDW accident at the Ticket and Transportation Center), he was satisfied to "ride the big train one more time."

It has been a good summer for Mason. We are settling into the new house. He's gotten to play with Sarah Catherine and John Franklin and spend the time mentioned above with the grandmothers.

Now we just have to get everyone home and settled before little brother or sister comes in September.

We'll try to remember to post the interesting Mason stories here and pictures both here and on Shutterfly.

all the colors of the rainbow

Mason learned colors in the fall, but in true Mason fashion, they're not necessarily the words we use for them. Instead, they correspond with the Sesame Street Characters:

Red= Elmo
Yellow=Big Bird
Green=Oscar
Blue= aaaaaaaagh CRASH! (That's the sound of Super Grover crashing.) Lately, though, this has just been Blue. I guess that's way easier than aaaaaaaaaaaagh CRASH!
Pink= Abby

Orange= Orange-y
Purple=Purple
Brown=Brown