10/28/10

Eight Halloweens

We here in the Bass household are big fans of Halloween.  Over the years, we've had a lot of fun making our own costumes and going to parties with friends.  Here's a quick rundown of our past costumes.

Year 1:

Year 1

We were supposed to be hippies, but I don't think it worked out very well. On a brighter note, this was the first picture we ever took together. We had been dating for approximately 10 days. We have now been together for over 7 years, that's approximately 2,500+ days.

Year 2:

Year 2

A little more creative this year, and far more time to plan. We were the Crocodile Hunter and a crocodile. This picture is awful, but it's the only one I have. It doesn't do the costumes justice. I also wish you could hear Kyle's Aussie accent and hear my croc roar. I slithered on the ground. He narrated. We were so cool.

Year 3:

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I swear I had a picture of this, but I cannot find one. That year we were The Lion (played by our friend), The Witch (me), and the Wardrobe (Kyle). We made costumes and made the wardrobe out of a cardboard box, painted and complete with opening doors.

Year 4:

Picture 126

We were newlyweds. Okay, that's not a costume. The truth is, we were new to Carbondale and no one that we knew of had a Halloween party, so we didn't dress up. I was sad, to say the least. I do seem to remember, however, that we went to Steak n' Shake that night with Team Abner and Team Billingsley. They are always a good time.

Year 5:

Year 5

The Corpse Bride and her groom from Tim Burton's "The Corpse Bride." We thought it was cute, but no one knew who we were supposed to be, with the exception of Team Abner.  Unfortunately, it took me approximately four days to wash all that blue hairspray out of my hair.  Sometimes if I look down, I still think I see a little blue.

Year 6:

Year 6

One of the most fun. Mario and Luigi. We threw fireballs and jumped around all night with fake Italian accents.  What's more fun than a fake mustache and some homemade hats? I don't know.

Year 7:

my better half

The title of our costume that year was "My Better Half." We tore our clothes apart and sewed them back together. Kyle wore makeup and leggings. Need I say more?

Year 7.2

In year 7, Halloween also coincided with Kyle's aunt's wedding, in which he was part of the wedding party. As the wedding party entered the reception they all wore masks and danced to Werewolves of London. That mask was sexy, what can I say?

Year 8:

TBA!

This year, as always, we are keeping it a secret. It's nothing too fancy (read= grad school prevents elaborate costume work) but it should still be fun!

What will YOU be for Halloween? I hope it's a happy one for you!

10/23/10

Life lessons from Head Start

I've now been in my clinical placement at a Head Start on the north side of the city for seven weeks.  On a daily basis I work with anywhere between 25-50 kids doing language-centered learning in the classroom, and another 4-5 children individually for speech and language therapy.  I've learned so much in such a short time and I could reflect on about 100 professional ways I've grown.  What I really want to reflect on, though, is a life lesson I've learned from these little people.

Children aged 3-5 are so much fun.  They're cute.  They say hilarious things.  They rarely pronounce my name correctly (I get called everything from Ms. Sexy to Ms. Chunky, no kidding).  They have good days and bad days.  They all have strengths and challenges. 

Most intriguing to me is this - they say what they mean and they mean what they say.  If they don't like you or don't trust you, you know it.  If they do, they show you.  They smile at you.  They hold your hand.  They stick to your side like Velcro.  They may even try to give you hugs and kisses (which is not allowed at Head Start, but I sometimes wish it were since some of them seem so starved for affection).  Most importantly, they tell you.  They tell you exactly how much they like you and if they think you're fun or boring.  I love this about them.

As one who is inclined to always assume that most people do not like me, I find it so refreshing.  It has inspired me to be more honest with the people I care about, to tell them just how I feel.  I suppose that many think I'm a little strange for saying what I think and feel, but maybe, like me, they like it.

I've been trying to not only tell those I like that I like them, but what I like about them.  This is a difficult thing to do because you risk being rejected.  You risk being ridiculed and thought of as strange.  I've learned from these kids, though, that I just don't care.  I'm going to keep on telling people that I love them and why I love them and hope that it will make a difference in their lives.  It certainly has in mine.



(Video via Abraham Piper)

10/16/10

Yeah, I'm that lady.

I'm the kind of lady who likes to put her animals in ridiculous costumes and take their pictures.  Why? Because it's FUNNY.  Sorry if you think it's stupid.  But seriously, how could you not like this?

Watson is Sherlock Holmes

Too bad Watson doesn't think it's quite as funny. He makes a brilliant Sherlock Holmes.

Not funny.

10/15/10

No class!

In celebration of our normal Thursday afternoon class being cancelled, and Abby and Melanie's birthdays, several of my classmates went to Eckert's farm in Belleville yesterday, followed by dinner at The Fountain on Locust.

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Teamwork in action!

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Representing the ECLC.

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The always lovely Hannah, who has the world's most soothing voice.

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World's cutest apple:

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Beautiful Briana, whose hair I covet.

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Stacy with eyes that sparkle. (photo taken by birthday girl, Abby)

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10/11/10

Autumn on Magnolia Avenue

Autumn on our street is getting more beautiful every day.  This afternoon (after all my most-pressing work was done) I spent a little quality time with my camera and our neighborhood. 

Autumn on Magnolia Avenue

Autumn on Magnolia Avenue

Autumn on Magnolia Avenue

Standing under this tree is almost magical.  There is an orange, radiant warmth.  It glows.  I could stand there all day.

Autumn on Magnolia Avenue

I loved the natural patterns of these falling leaves.

Autumn on Magnolia Avenue


Autumn on Magnolia Avenue


I am obsessed with the way the moss grows through the cracks on our old brick patio.  It reminds me of my dad's patio, which has the same old, mossy look.

Autumn on Magnolia Avenue

My wreath, which I would love to leave on our door all year, but every year I force myself to put it away.  It makes autumn that much more special.

Autumn on Magnolia Avenue

Autumn on Magnolia Avenue


Autumn on Magnolia Avenue

This little independent radio station is about a block from our house. 

Autumn on Magnolia Avenue

This plant is growing wild in our back alley.  I have no idea what it is, but it's pretty!

Autumn on Magnolia Avenue  

Autumn on Magnolia Avenue

Thanks for visiting!

10/10/10

10.10.10

Ten random things in the 10 o'clock hour on October 10, 2010.
  1. I'm suddenly obsessed with the melancholy song "La vie in rose" by Edith Piaf. I have no idea what she's saying, but it suits my mood well.
  2. Watson got a bath today and his fur is oh-so-soft.  I can't stop hugging on him.
  3. I'm at a point where I want nothing more than to quit school, be a housewife, raise babies, take pictures, and do crafty things. 
  4. The weather is so warm.  Most people are happy about this; I'd rather have the chill back in the air, or a nice, rainy day.  
  5. I am missing the peace of the country.  While the city has its peaceful moments, the constant noise really grates on me. 
  6. I love being in walking distance from a gelato shop.  The Gelateria del Leone is my absolute favorite place in the whole city, thus far.
  7. I recently finished reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  It wrecked me in a wonderful way.  I am not a fan of most "Christian fiction" I've tried reading, but this was a wonderful story.
  8. Kyle has been holed up in the office and working very hard for several days on a paper that is due at midnight tonight.  I'm probably more excited than he is to have it done just to have him back.
  9. I bought two bags of Halloween candy to give to trick-or-treaters (this is the first year we've lived somewhere where we'll have some) and it was a bad idea.  You can probably guess why.
  10. I've been craving fruit smoothies and sour candy instead of my usual coffee and chocolate.  I don't know what that's about.  
The end.

10/9/10

One of those days.

It's been one of those days where nothing in particular is wrong, but I just feel a little off.  You know what I mean?  Nah, probably not.  I'm overly sensitive to any little change in feeling.  I often wonder if other people feel as much as I do. 

To feel better, I look at this.

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And this.

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And dwell on this.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
(Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

10/7/10

Law School Observations

A few times a week I sit just outside or in the lobby of the law school waiting for Kyle to get out of class.  Here are a few observations I've made.*
  1. My ideas about what law students would be like were nothing like the reality.  I thought there would mostly be white frat boys.  While there are some, they are not the expected majority.  The law students are much more diverse in sociological and personality makeup than I expected, except when it comes to the way they dress. 
  2. Business casual means many different things to many different people.
  3. 98% of young dudes who wear suits don't know how to get a suit that fits. 
  4. 99% of young dudes who try to dress professionally look boring (black suit, white shirt, stupid tie) and borderline sloppy (see #1).**
  5. The girls who dress up all look the same. Black pants or skirt, black jacket, single necklace, hair in ponytail. Not a lot of color or accessorizing happening.  
  6. I'm pretty sure they all look at me and somehow know that I'm not a law student.  On the days I choose to sit in the lobby, I get a lot of "What are you doing here?" looks. You wouldn't believe the staring, and it ain't cuz I'm so purty.
  7. Almost all of them carry HUGE bags. 
  8. Most of them walk into the building alone with these really intense looks on their faces.
  9. Most of them walk out in groups with smiles on their faces.
* Note that these observations only apply to the SLU Law students I have observed.
** I like to think that my husband, whose clothes shopping has become my personal responsibility, is neither boring nor sloppy in dress.

Thank you and amen.