Hug Monster

This morning Mason and I had to leave the mall play area (which has reopened with no noticeable changes, by the way) because of what he was doing. He wasn't kicking, hitting, or biting. He wasn't screaming or pouting. My baby was hugging... and I couldn't get him to stop.

He must have hugged every toddler there three times before he accidentally knocked over a teetering 18-month-old and I received some really mean looks from a (WAY overprotective) hovering mother.

I probably said, "Mason, no hugging" thirty times. I told him he could hug Mommy anytime he wanted to. I told him he could hug his friends, too, if they said it was okay. Finally, I gave up and we left.

My loving, caring little baby. I hate having to tell him to stop hugging.

Damn social norms.

ABC Pasta Hunt

Today I typed "Trader Joe's" into my GPS and Mason and I drove a half an hour each way looking for alphabet shaped pasta for his ABC party. I must have been driving without thinking, because we were almost to the ZOO before I realized how far we'd gone.

TJ's didn't have the ABC pasta (and Mason wailed "Maaaaaaayce... driiiiiiiiiiive??" the entire way home because I had the audacity to put him in the back rather than let him in the front seat with me).

And the Trader Joe's that I later discovered was only ten minutes from my apartment? Yeah. They didn't have it either.

Remember to Have a Backup Plan (Again)

And if you're trying to find an animal shelter and your GPS takes you to some random front yard in the middle of nowhere...


There's always Petco.

Remember to Have a Backup Plan

If it's raining outside and the play area at the mall is closed...

there's always the escalators.

Cheese!

Yep, he says "cheese" for pictures now.


He also says "picture" and "smile"...

and "stop it"...

He Didn't Get This From Me, I Swear

No, really. I don't eat my cereal this way. Seriously.

After the Rain

The other day, after an afternoon rainstorm, Mase and I went puddle-jumping.

Later that night, he nearly flooded the bathroom splashing around in the tub. My fault.

Happy Birthday, Madelynn!

Love,
your BFF Mason ♥

PS. Sorry Aim, this made me cry and I'm not even pregnant.

Here We Go Again

Besides being in complete denial that my BABY will be two years old in three weeks, I'm also trying to comprehend the fact that I have three weeks and four days to plan a party, make all the decorations and food, and get Mason and I back to Pennsylvania in one piece.


So far this invitation, half a craft store, and a bunch of really cool ideas is I'll I've got.

Photoshoot Failure

George and I decided on an alphabet theme for Mason's second birthday party. George is doing the cake and I'm in charge of decorations and invitations. Yesterday, I made cardboard cutouts of A, B, C, and D and took Mason out in the yard to get some pictures of him holding them to use for his invitation.

Now, I'll start by saying that after I painted these letters, when they were laying on the kitchen table drying, Mason would not leave them alone. I couldn't keep his little fingers off of them.

Of course, as soon as I tried to snap a few pictures, those letters where like hot coals in his hands. He threw them on the ground, flung them across the grass, kicked and screamed and ran away and did anything possible to get away from holding them.

It took me about thirty-six hours, but I think I might have gotten a few keepers. Here are the outtakes:

Even the good ones aren't really that good. Oy. Stubborn toddlers.

Where the Heart Is

It's been awhile. Not because nothing's been going on, but because too much has been going on.

Mason and I just got back to Michigan from our PA "vacation". I never thought I'd say a took a vacation to PA and LOVED it. Sometimes, Michigan's okay. I'm starting to really like and be able to hang out with people at work, the weather's been nice, there's lots of stuff for Mason to do... but I miss home like I never thought I would. It's so easy to take things for granted. The idea of living in a city is great and everything, but replacing dirt roads with five-lane highways has taught me that I just can't be a city girl. Not permanently, anyway.

I drove over night last Sunday. Left at 2AM (so Mase could sleep the whole time) and arrived in good old Pennsylvania around 8. Spent some time with Aimee and Madelynn, saw George at work, took a looooong nap, got ice cream, played at Cold Stream Dam. We spent a lot of time with my family and George took Mason over night to see his family for a couple days (I've never seen a kid so happy to see his daddy).

Now that I got my fix, my homesickness has subsided a little. As for Mason, he's happy either way... and nothing could make me happier than that.