um...lately? (Nov-Dec 2012 counts as 'lately,' right?)

 No explanation needed.  It's a chicken.  obviously.  (not for halloween)

 Starting to "be like Daddy"  One day he got all dressed for work like Daddy and even said bye to me as he walked out to his car.  And then he stood out there.  I don't think he knew quite what to do next or how far he was going to carry the charade :)

 Started potty training in November.

 (Lasted a few months before I broke down and just couldn't handle it emotionally anymore.  I felt like such a failure, but I just don't think he really was quite ready.  He still isn't.  He just doesn't care if he gets wet or dirty)

 Just because

also just because :)

 went Christmas tree shopping for our first tree ever!

Made Gingerbread houses

 CELEBRATED A BIRTHDAY!!!!  Mason was the cutest little one year around and seemed to really enjoy his cake.  He had just learned how to make the lion sound and it was really cute, so I made a lion cake to see if he would make the sound when he saw it.  He didn't.  :)  He is so much fun to have around, and I'm sorry I didn't update your birthday sooner, Masonator!  It's tough to be the second born.    At one year old he loved animals (esp his big animal book and the Fuzzy Fuzzy book), and is such mover I don't think he quite slows down enough to have many other favorites (except me :) ).  He has been walking for 1/5 months now and is such a happy boy.  Happy Birthday!

Family Pics in October

Look!  I have Buddy's computer!  Our friend here in town is trying to get more photography experience on her own until she has the opportunity to go back to school to finish her photography program.  She generously offered to take our family pics for free!  We went to the Penn State Botannical Gardens, and though fall isn't the best time to go (and I couldn't figure out what to wear-I swear I have no nice pants anymore) I think Sabrina did a good job with what she had to deal with ;)  Thank You!!

I should have just had Sabrina do pictures of Mason, but for some reason I had my heart set on an indoor studio for his pics instead of taking him outside.  Silly me.  It was a huge waste of money.  We got a few good shots, but seriously, that photographer could have clicked the button way more times than she did.  Needless to say, I won't be going with a commercial studio again.  Bad experience.  Jenny could have gotten 50 times more good quality shots than they did.

But Mason was still super cute :)  I think these are technically 10 month old pictures

Email posting trial

I'm going to try to post on the blog through email messages. We'll see if it works! I just have random pics on my iPad though, so I'll still have to remember to post about mason's birthday and the holidays when I get my hands on that laptop of buddy's (he takes the laptop to work, and I chose to just have an iPad here at the house for me during the day. So far so good...except for the blog posting thing). And now, random pics: