van's 5th birthday!

van turned 5 back in june...just thought i'd document it now and write a little van update while i'm at it. his birthday was 2 days before our wedding, so things were a little hectic. but we made sure his day was special and all about him. the whole losee clan was here for the wedding, which actually turned out perfect...he thought everyone came just for his birthday! that made him feel special. so we had a little party for him at my sister maryanne's house where everyone was staying. he requested a superman cake and balloons...he got one of those huge water guns, a remote control car from g-ma and g-pa losee, an alvin and the chipmunks cd, clothes, the whac-a-mole game, and some money from g-ma toni and g-ma shade (thanks everyone!)

so about van...first of all, my FAVORITE thing that van does...randomly, and quite often, he'll say "mom?" (like he's going to ask me a question), and i'll say "what is it buddy?" and he'll say "i like you." it's the cutest thing...melts my heart. he's a very sweet boy, tender hearted, and very shy at first until he warms up to you. he loves "valilla" ice cream (but it makes him kinda "sirsty"), he thinks everything is "so awesome", and he's a very good looking kid:). he's a way picky eater and pretty much hates ALL fruits and vegetables...seriously. (and i've had him try most everything). but he does like pizza, so i puree spinach and put it in the pizza sauce, and other little tricks like putting applesauce in his cookies,and mixing 100% juice in his lemonade...just to make sure he gets his nutrients.
he loves to cook with me...mostly cookies, and bread (he loves raw bread dough) but he is seriously a profesh egg cracker...not so crazy about the slime that gets on his fingers afterwards or really anything that gets him dirty. (he's kind of a clean freak that way). and while i can pat myself on the back for teaching him good habits like all parents do (like washing his hands after he uses the bathroom, putting away his clothes in the appropriate drawers, putting his shoes in his closet after he wears them, etc.), he actually follows through with ALL of those things...he just really likes things to be in order. he even makes his bed every morning...now what 5 year old does that? ok, he does have some incentive... we made a rule that if he wants to play video games his bed has to be made first (and that kid is absolutely crazy about mario brothers), but hey- he does it.
he loves the water...the beach, the lake, the slip-n-slide, the wading pool, as long as it's wet he's there. he even taught himself how to doggy paddle. he loves to see how things "work", loves playing with dominoes and blocks, he can navigate himself around a computer better than i can, and he's a very smart boy.
he loves that i don't have to go to work anymore, because we get to spend so much time together. we talk often about how lucky we are to have freddy take care of us, and he recognizes how special that is. speaking of, he absolutely loves freddy! they instantly bonded when we first started dating, and are now inseparable. he's learning that things aren't "cute", they're "cool" (hey, he's been living with 2 girls for the last 4 years), and it's not o.k. to eat off of barbie plates (again, i don't see the big deal). but it certainly is nice to have a good man around the house for him to look up to.
our days are filled with exploring, making tents, reading, eating lunch in our secret hide-out, coloring, swimming, talking...i love it. we think of 10 "good dreams" before bed every night (so he won't have nightmares), he wants to stay 5 forever(so he doesn't get old like "ninety-free" and die), he still sleeps with g.g.(his blankie), he loves his sissy, and is just an all around great kid. i always tell him that he's my baby, and he says "i'm not a baby, babies are little" and i say "i know, but you're MY baby no matter how old you get"
love you baby!