8/20/2014

One time, a while back

Van: "Mom do you love me?"
Me: "Heck yes! I love you so much you can't even believe it. I love you more than all those trees." (we were driving down a road, past some trees)
Van: "More than Esther?"
Me: "That's not fair to ask. I love you both more than anything else in the world. You're my babies."
Van: "Do you love me more than other moms love their kids?"
Me: "Hard to say for sure. But I can't say I don't."
Van: "But you don't love spiders"
Me: "No, I don't"

Now he asks me if I love him from time to time and he corrects me if I don't start with, 'Heck yes' or 'psh' and end with a comparison to what I love him more than. A simple yes will not work.

***

Van is eating dinner and Andy turned on a light in the kitchen.
Van: "Oh yeah! lights will make dinner much better! Lights will make the best dinner. That's what my old grandpa used say."

Andy and I laugh because we've noticed his 'old grandpa' references and they're great. Usually he says, 'that's what my old grandpa used to say' or 'that's how my old grandpa always did it.'

Once I asked him how he met his old grandpa he said they used to live together, and then after he died Van traveled up and into my tummy, and that's when he met me.

He's not always good though. One time he also told me that his old grandpa used to kill a lot of things. He asked me what my favorite animal was, I said turtle, and he said his old grandpa even used to kill turtles. And that's why Van didn't want to hang out with him anymore.

He isn't consistant with his characteristics and is just as likely not to remember the things he said about him the day before. But he's been mentioning him for a few months now.

Yesterday we asked him what his old grandpa's name was. He said it was Nach.
Nach Nacho.

***

"Mom, do you know what, there's not one paper, but two. They're like sticking together!"
 - Van learning about 2-ply toilet paper

***

"Can I run up there?"
 - Van at the diving board at the pool

I said yes and he runs and jumps off the end, completely fearless.

***
Transcribed from mom

Mom: "How many happy meals do we need?"
Finn: "There are two girls and two boys."
Mom: "And what does that make?"
Van: "Four!"
Finn: "Wow Van, you're good with numbers"