happy humpday - van turns 2!

My not-so-baby boy turns 2 tomorrow.  On this Humpday I'll write about Van because HE makes me happy! 

• For a long time he's been attempting basically any word you ask him to try... except his name.  He finally gave it a go about a month ago and he calls himself "Dan".  So funny.  So he'll repeat things like "Van's smart" which comes out as "Dan's mart".  Or "Vanny happy" - "Danny happy!".  We love our little Dan. 
• He loves trucks more than anything in the world.  Truck is definitely his most used word. 
• Second to trucks is probably bikes.  He's a pretty aggressive little peddler.  
• He loves water - water in the pool, water in the ocean, water in a drinking fountain, water in the sprinklers, water in the street, water in a mud puddle at the park, water in the sink, water in the hose.  He's my water baby, for sure. 
• He loves to identify things that belong to people - if something is pink he tells me its' "Emmy's".  He likes to find my shoes and say "Mommy's shoes".  Daddy's briefcase is a no no and he loves to point at it (and let's be honest, get into it) and say "Daddy's case".  He loves "Ma's puse" (Grandma's purse) because it has mints and the iPhone.  He loves "Pa's tuck" (Grandpa's truck).  He identified something as his for the 1st time today, too.  He likes to identify people, too - his friends, Emery's friends, this weekend it was Mark who we went camping with.  Every time he saw him he'd shout - "Mark!"
• This little non-verbal guy has surprised his mom by learning over half of the alphabet already.  
• He loves to count things, which always sounds about like, "2, 2, 2, 6!"  
• He loves colors - he knows white and purple always and everything else he guesses as pink (he's had lots of exposure to pink because Em always wants pink EVERYTHING).  He's a lot better if he's picking out colors out of small groups.  Then he gets most of them right.  He did tell me today though that his favorite color is blue when I asked him. 
• He loves one on one time with mom.  He likes to do things like coloring and puzzles, as long as he's sitting on my lap.  :)
• He's really learning to follow directions well and is getting really coordinated.  
• He loves to kiss Emery's princesses.  
• He can be a sensitive little guy and sometimes gets really upset when someone bumps into him or when mom accidentally bumps his head.  Sometimes he gets down right angry!  We've started calling him "anger management".
• This kid is WILD!!  I've been told he spends all of nursery trying to escape.  He only sits still for an occassional Blue's Clues episode ("Dues Dues") - and by sit still I mean crawl/walk around my bed throwing pillows on the floor and climbing in and out of the blankets.  And jumping until mom catches him doing it.  He doesn't focus on anything yet.  We're working on it.  :)
• He loves to jump and climb on EVERYTHING!  He spends a crazy amount of time just jumping around the house.  
• He loves to kiss ouchies better and have his kissed better too.  
• He quit napping.  Why do my kids do that at 2? 
• He loves to dance and sing.  He loves to sing the last word of songs that have a big finish and hold the note forever.  He will run around the living room in circles for forever laughing (aka dancing) if I'll sit and play piano to accompany him. 
• He's getting very independent and loves to do things him "self", and he tells me so frequently.  He likes to walk by himself (in his own direction, away from mom...), get into his car seat himself and if you try to interfere you're going to get a piece of Van's mind.  :)
• He loves meat, rice, fruit, burritos, sandwiches, broccoli, sweet potatoes... well lots of things really.  I've been blessed with another good eater.  If I could get rid of the pesky milk, egg, soy and nut allergies this kid would eat anything!

Happy Birthday, Vander Mander!   You have no idea how happy we are to have you in this family.  Mommy's heart is so full with you in it. 

His birthday morning set up (2 days early since dad was to be out of town on the real birthday!)

with his presents

I asked for a happy cake face and I got this - he loves to do happy and sad faces.  Here's sad....

And here's happy!  Silly boy!