LIFE...The Van Fam

Shiny Kid

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:38:09 -0400

And this is why Mac will forever be known as our “shiny kid”…

“Mom, I’m gonna sing my ABC’s and you tell me if I mess up. Ok? A…B…C…D…E, ooh a fortune cookie!”

March 8 - photo 68 of 366 JD got a bus report last week....

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:19:42 -0500

March 8 - photo 68 of 366

JD got a bus report last week. Awesome. Please read. I couldn’t be more horrified and amused if I tried. Seriously!

March 7 - photo (video) 67 of 366 Mac working hard at teaching...

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:17:10 -0500

March 7 - photo (video) 67 of 366

Mac working hard at teaching herself a front walkover. This kid…

March 6 - photo 66 of 366 (wow…that’s a lot of...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 23:22:46 -0500

March 6 - photo 66 of 366 (wow…that’s a lot of 6’s)

Sewing. This is what I’ll be doing instead of sleeping. When I get in zone there is just no stopping!

March 5th - photo 65 of 365 Here’s a bonus video. In case...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:11:17 -0500

March 5th - photo 65 of 365

Here’s a bonus video. In case you forgot what it was like to be 4 (like I did) or forgot how cool the monkey bars use to be (like I also did) - I’ll fill you in a little. I think mastering the monkey bars for a kid is pretty comparable to learning to drive for a 16 year old. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch. It’s comparable to learning to drive a standard at 16 or any age for that matter. Anyways…monkey bars and Mac…wait, I also have to first tell you that Mac is probably the most stubborn, head-strong, independent, determined child I’ve ever been around. And this “determination” is both a blessing and a curse. It’s great when they are able to be more independent and therefor more self-reliant, but it’s a pain in the a-double-s when as a parent you have to battle them on every single task throughout the day - getting dressed, opening doors, buckling up, pouring their own condiments, etc. etc. etc. So monkey bars…Mac has been obsessed with mastering them for the last month. She will literally do the bars over and over again the entire time we are at the park. She probably did them 50 times just tonight during JD’s 1-1/2 hr long baseball practice. And well, she mastered them. Now she’s mastered regular monkey bars already, but these were like monkey bars on steroids and went on forever. Unfortunately I was too busy cheering her on the two times she actually completed the entire length of bars, but this is the best I could get after an hour of continuous monkey-barring. I’d like to think she’ll be too sore tomorrow to do much but I know I’m only kidding myself! Oh, and as a proud-mama-side-note, being able to do the monkey bars at age 4 is kinda unheard of. It’s like, a really big deal. I mean, to other 4 year olds of course.

Pic 14 Meet the two newest members of the Stone Gator...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:51:27 -0500

Pic 14

Meet the two newest members of the Stone Gator Swim Team. I’d like to point out a few different things in this picture. Mac’s awesome face first of all. Yes, she’s my kid. Then there is her wet shirt, that’s because both JD and her dunked their heads in the pool to try out the swim caps. Third, could JD be any skinnier - side note, I weighed both at the doctor last week and JD weighed in at 42.2 lbs and Mac weighed 42.4 lbs. JD is 2 years and 9 months older than Mac for those wondering. And lastly, check out my son’s killer 4-pack! Really? I think he might be the next Michael Phelps. Just saying.

Pic 13 This is how Ruby sleeps every night.

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:47:13 -0500

Pic 13

This is how Ruby sleeps every night.

Pic 12 Miss Mac and another new outfit.

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:46:19 -0500

Pic 12

Miss Mac and another new outfit.

Pic 11 Tooth number 2 is gone. And it was forced loose by a...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:45:05 -0500

Pic 11

Tooth number 2 is gone. And it was forced loose by a backpack strap and a best friend. That’s all I’m saying.

Pic 10 Ruby getting her bible study on.

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:43:23 -0500

Pic 10

Ruby getting her bible study on.

Pic 9 1/3 (and the small third because the rest are mainly...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:42:14 -0500

Pic 9

1/3 (and the small third because the rest are mainly boots and more flip flops that are stacked) of my shoes.

Pic 8 Sleepy Mac. Sleepy Ruby.

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:40:24 -0500

Pic 8

Sleepy Mac. Sleepy Ruby.

Pic 7 Do you see my little…err…big friend there? I...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:39:48 -0500

Pic 7

Do you see my little…err…big friend there? I spent 3 days hunting him. The whole time I thought it was a snake in the pong but no, just a ginormous bull frog.

Pic 6 - Day 3 Ultimate Rodeo Stack.

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:38:32 -0500

Pic 6 - Day 3

Ultimate Rodeo Stack.

Pic 5 of 14 Day 2 of cook-off. Need I say more?

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:37:35 -0500

Pic 5 of 14

Day 2 of cook-off. Need I say more?

Pic 4 Pretty. My love and cookoff. He earned the name...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:36:34 -0500

Pic 4

Pretty. My love and cookoff. He earned the name “Pretty” last year by having one too many “awe…you’re so pretty!” moments.

Pic 3 of 14 of…you get it… My “don’t...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:32:41 -0500

Pic 3 of 14 of…you get it…

My “don’t forget list” before I headed out the door for cookoff weekend!

Pic 2 of 14 of the 366 day catchup I was wrong. This outfit...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:31:34 -0500

Pic 2 of 14 of the 366 day catchup

I was wrong. This outfit started it all. My first creation since last year. Isn’t my model the cutest? I kinda think she’s for the awkward hunch/suck-in down pat! ANTM here she comes. Not really. Girl likes her food too much.

I’m 14 days behind. That’s a lot of pic # of 365 -...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:29:39 -0500

I’m 14 days behind. That’s a lot of pic # of 365 - which is completely wrong anyways because it’s leap year? What?! Yeah I know…wait to start this whole 365 photos challenge on a year with 366 days. I failed before I started. Oh well. In an attempt to catch up…I’m posting 14 pictures of my last 14 days. One by one. And not because they each deserve their own post but because it’s the only way I know. I will not be running for Tumblr Tech President anytime soon.

So 1 of 14 of 366 - errr…something like that.

Fabric. I’ve pretty much moved into my sewing room. This here combo is what started it all. This turned into Mac’s rodeo dress…

February 20th - picture 49 of 365 Handwriting.

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:09:44 -0500

February 20th - picture 49 of 365

Handwriting.