The Marley Family: The Many Faces of Van

Wednesday, March 10

The Many Faces of Van

I realize I haven't posted in a while and I know my Grandpa looks at the blog everyday, so I thought I better post about something. I looked in my camera and found several pics of Van.

A while ago we started practicing smiling. For a long time Van could care less about smiling for the camera, but recently he has started wanting to see the pic after I take it, so I will have him do several shots--each time showing him how he smiled. First, his smiles were looking very forced, but they soon got better.

An example of a forced smile...

I think this one was caught off guard, so a bit more natural, but not a full smile either.

Nice smile, but I caught him mid-blink. (what a cute face)

This is his best smile to date. Still a bit too much lower jaw, but were working on it.

Then I told him to give me a funny face and this is what he did.

Which turned into this...

He's so silly. I love this boy.

2 comments:

John said...: Thank you Katie!!!

With love, Papa; March 10, 2010 at 4:42 PM
The Marley Family said...: No problem, you give me the inspiration to keep posting! Love you!; March 12, 2010 at 10:03 AM

Funny Things They Say...

November 2012: Betty dog was coming over to get pet.
Me: "Oh Betty, Betty, Betty, Betty, Betty."
Weston was sitting next to me on the couch. I turned to Weston. Rubing his hair: "Oh Weston Weston Weston."
Weston: "Hey! I'm not a doggy! I am NOT a doggy!"

Weston: I have a laugh in my mouth.

Yesterday the boys had me play with them...
Weston: Van you're the dad, Mom you're the grandma, and I'm the grandpa.
Me: Van, what do old people do?
Van: they stay in old houses all day.
Then they proceeded to take me to my doctors appointments (Van was driving). Haha.

We were singing "it's raining it's pouring, the old man is snoring. He bumped his head and went to bed and couldn't get up in the morning."
Weston tells me "I think he had glue on his bed and so he couldn't get up in the morning."

October 2012: A sad dream Van had: I was dreaming about Weston. He got off a train and fell into the dirty yucky brown water. Then I was yelling for him because there was a T-Rex in the water. Then I saw him go around and around, like he was going down the bath water.
I asked: How did that dream make you feel?
Van: A little sad... I would've saved him.

September 2012: Me: we need to cut fingernails before we go on our bike ride.
Van: okay mom, but be careful, I'm pretty attached to my fingers.

At the park...
Van: I'm the guy who sells the seahorse rides. Weston you have to give me money.
Weston pulls out pretend money and hands it over.
Van: be careful, there are 2 buttons. One makes it go, and the other makes you explode.

Weston: "Last time, I went to bed, then I woke up in the morning and I ate breakfast. Then I said, 'Hey, Juice!'"

July 2012: Van was reading a Dr. Seuss book and said: "Red, Ted, Ned and Ed in bed."
Weston: "Watch me: Red, Ted eat Ed!"
Van: "watch me: Red, Ted, Ned and Ed in Bed!"
Weston: "watch me: Ed, Ed, Ed, peg"

Weston: YOU STOP THAT OUT!

June 2012: I was trying to show Weston how to pronounce a word (can't for the life or me remember what it was). Van was helping to show him, then turned to show me how. I said it {correctly} back to him and he responded: close mom, but listen to my words.

Weston had a bag of pretzels.
Dad: Can I have a pretzel?
Weston: I don't have pretzels.
Dad: What do you have?
Weston: I just have crumbs.

Weston: I just burp-ted.
Mom: Eew, gross.
Weston: No, it was yummy!

Mom: Weston can you throw away that string when you're done playing with it?
Weston: I was just playing with it when I was a little kid and when I was playing with a butterfly. Then it sat down on it's bum when it was tired and it looked up to the sky and went to sleep. (think I got it mostly right)

May 2012: Van was trying to talk me into something....
Van: Mom, say yes or no.
Mom shakes head no
Van: Boys say yes, if you say no then we will have to get it ourselves.

Weston was talking on a pretend phone we have....
"Hello Grandma, do you have presents for me? Hello Aunt Shawna, do you have presents for me? Oh you do?! Oh okay, bye!"

The boys were looking out the window.
Weston: I don't like rain.
Dad: Me neither
Weston: I like sunshine, and [w]ocket ships, and [w]ainbows!

Weston was playing with an airplane and a dragon. I was overhearing him:
Airplane: "Are you my friend?"
Dragon: "Yes, I'm your friend."
Airplane: "What's your name?"
Dragon: "Monstrous Nightmare"
Airplane: "Monstrous Nightmare, do you bite?"
Dragon: "Yes I do bite. Umm umm umm umm."

March 2012: We were all in the car, I was driving. We stopped off somewhere, then Derek drove back. About 5 minutes into the drive Weston says, "Wait a minute.....(looking perplexed--fingers pointing back and forth between me and Derek)....did you guys change seats?"

We were playing on the floor. I was pretending to be collapsed on the ground.
Van: "I'm a wolf, I eat the blood out of Kazelles (gazelles)."

February 2012: "Dad, the target is your face!" ~Van

January 2012: How the boys tease eachother: Na na na boo boo, na na na boo boo!

Weston: I want a pox-sa-ble!
Mom: A popsicle?
Wes: Yeah, a pox-sa-ble.
Mom: Can you say POP?
Wes: pop
Mom: Can you say SI?
Wes: si
Mom: Can you say CUL?
Wes: cul
Mom: Now say pop-si-cle.
Wes: (slowly)pop-si-cle.
Mom: YEA! You did it, you can say popsicle!
Wes: .......Can I have a
pox-sa-ble?

Dad: Van did you have diarrhea?
Van: Yeah, the poop wont stop coming out of me.
:(

Mom: Let's go for a drive.
Van: How about we drive to the airport?
Mom: Who is going to be at the airport?
Van: Me. Maybe we could see our cousins!
Mom: It takes lots of money to go see our cousins. Do you have lots of money?
Weston shakes head no
Van tilts head and leaves room
Weston: Do you have money?
Mom: No I don't have that much money.
Weston: Only DAD has lots of monies. He has 2 and 3 and 4 monies.
Mom: Mom AND Dad don't have enough money. You need lots of money to go visit our cousins.
Van (comes back with his piggy bank): Is THIS enough?

The boys were in their room, supposed to be sleeping:
Weston (whiny): I'm hungwy.
Van: We can eat in the morning.
Weston: I'm hungwy.
Van: Not until the morning! (good job Van)

Derek driving the boys somewhere.
Derek: What color are your eyes?
Van: blue
Derek: What color is your tongue?
Van: red
Derek: What color are your lips?
Van: red
Derek: What color is your skin?
Van: ......light.....orange

Sitting on the couch together at 8:50am.
Weston: Mom, how did you get here?
Me: I live here. How did YOU get here?
Weston: I was going to work...

The boys were playing trains on the floor and were deciding who got what train:
Van: Weston can I have the red train?
Weston: No, you can have this train (blue-that they usually fight over).
Van: Thanks Weston! You're a genius.
Weston: I AM a genius!

Weston had opened a cheese stick and was sitting at the table. Betty was hounding him, totally staring and he has a conversation with her: "What? No, you can't have this. It's only for boys and not for you. It's for us, for me and for Vanny, and for dads and for moms."

At times, Weston is very grounded in reality. He loves to play this game where we hide on the couch and pretend that crocodiles are going to get us. He brought over a blanket to hide in and his stuffed dog. I was pretending that his small stuffed dog was talking. Apparently that took the it over the edge.
Weston: He's not real mom, he can't talk.
Mom: I know, but we can pretend.
Weston: No, he's not talking to me.

At church, an adorable 3 year old girl who used to be in the nursery with Weston last year, told me that she is going to marry Weston. Then after church, she told Derek that she will "fall in wuv wif Weston." Ha! I told this to Weston and he said "I don't want to marry her!"

The boys were building blocks.
Van: Look Dad, I'm a crane. (clutching a block in his hand and moving it over to the growing tower)
Dad: What does a crane sound like?
Weston: Choo Choo!

As we were driving down a big hill Weston tells us, "Guys, I told you to say Woah!" For the past few months, he will start out a statement with "I told you..."

December 2011: In our Seattle vacation house, a dog lived there who liked to look out the front window and bark at people passing. Weston comes over and tells us "That dog is woofing."

Derek: Van what are you thinking about?
Van: If Jesus turned me into a Natterhead (dragon) then I could fly like a Natterhead.

We were watching the part in Peter Pan where he teaches the kids to fly and Weston tells me:
I get on my batman cape and I can fly through the sky. Then I get hurt and a dinosaur will eat me all gone.
I say: A dinosaur will eat you all gone?
I get my gun and shoot him down.

November 2011: Out of the blue, Weston yells out "Listen to my ears!"

Mom: Weston, are you falling asleep?
Weston: Yes
Mom: You can't fall asleep yet, it's only 5:30.
Weston: It's dark out!

October 2011: Weston was swinging a foam sword around saying "get out, get out!"
Mom: "Who are you?"
Weston: "A fighting boy."
Mom: "Why are you saying 'get out'?"
Weston: "'cause ... you have to go out and drive in the car to mommy and daddy's house and to Aunt Shawna's house."

Weston and I were driving to pick up Van from school. I typically have sandwiches ready for them to eat in the car on the ride home. This day I had given Weston his sandwich early. When we got to Van's school I parked and turned around to look at Weston. He tells me:
Weston: Mom, you go ahead. I'm still eating, I'll stay here.

Weston has discovered his umbrella in the closet and now wants to get it out all of the time. I told him we can only use our umbrellas when it's raining outside.
So when Derek opened the door to let Betty outside to pee, Wes had his chance:
Weston: It's kinda raining outside.
Dad: Yep it is.
Weston looks at me excitedly.
Mom: What does that mean Weston?
Weston: We need to get out our Bruh-rellas!!!

September 2011:"I nuh no"
~Weston

We were driving to the zoo.
Van: Mom, keep both hands on the handlebars, like this. (shows me how to grip the steering wheel)
Mom: Um, excuse me?
Van: ....and your eyes on the road.

We were watching the movie Tangled and at the end (in case you didn't know) they end up happily ever after and are going to get married. Van tells me, "They're going to get married in the Disney Temple!" That's what he calls the Disneyland Castle that we see at the beginning of Disney movies.

Derek: "Would you boys like to go to Red Robin?"
Van: "No, I just want to stay home and do nothing with you dad."
Van acknowledging Aunt Shawna and me: "You two go ahead."

3, 1, 2, blast off! ~Weston

August 2011: Weston helped me like I asked so he got to have some juice.
Wes: (singing) Apple juice, apple juice, yea, apple juice!
Mom: Ok, let's get some juice.
I pulled out some orange juice and a cup.
Wes: (pointing and very concerned) That kind?! Orange-apple juice?!?

Weston brought Van something he was looking for.
Weston: Here Van.
Van: Thanks Weston, You're the best.
Weston: Yeah, I da best.

July 2011: Van had been crying and came to me saying, "I have to wipe my tears, my eyes were melting."

After we said prayers this morning, Van told me, "Mom, when I close my eyes, the dreams start."

When Van woke up this morning he asked me what day it is. I told him it's Sunday. A while later he came back to me and said "Mom, it's not Sunday, it's a cloudy day." (so true)

Derek was calling Weston to the living room to get dressed in his Church clothes. Wes was in my room with me and calls back to dad saying "I need to climb the bed first, Dad." (priorities, right?)

May 2011:
We were standing in my bedroom, Weston walks down the hallway toward the living room.
Weston: Ok mom I'll be right back.
Mom: Ok, I'll wait for you.
Dad: Where are you going?
Weston: The store.

"Happy Birthday ME!" ~Weston

Van said "Dad, I'm hungry." Then I questioned, "you're hungry? I thought you were Van?" He responed, "Dad I'm Van and hungry."

Weston saw a picture of him and Van riding on the tractor pull cow ride and he excitedly said "look I ride a moo!"

Dad: "It's mom's birthday today."
Van: "How many numbers is she?"

April 2011: At the Tulip Festival the boys rode a cow ride (metal tractor pull) and when they got back, Van was all smiles and said, "That was so bumpy!" and then starts to imitate a 'bumpy' noise "uh uh uh uh uh uh..." while shaking his head up and down.

Weston says "cookie bo-bots (robots)" all the time (thanks Despicable Me). Funny thing is he does it to being silly, because you will question him and he will laugh. "Weston, what do you want to eat?" "cookie bo-bots" "Weston, what do you want to do?" "cookie bo-bots"

Weston was telling Van something that happened to him. I only caught a small part, but it was too cute. He was telling Van, "...and then I cried, 'Whaaaa!' for my train..." Oh my the dramatics, but it was very cute story telling.

"Ice cream makes me dance" ~Van

March 2011: We were watching General Conference on our computer (put on our tv) and it had moments of stalling. When it stalled, Weston said "I fix it" he grabbed the remote and started pushing buttons.

Van and I were playing a rescue game, I was trapped by 'bad guys' and he was the super hero who rescued me. After I was free, I said "Yea, thank you super hero Van" and he told me "That's all in a days work."

"We've had a lot of sleeps....now it's vacation time!! Let's get my suitcase."

February 2011: Sometimes when Weston gets bumped or poked (even barely touched), he will turn to you with a disgusted look on his face and say "Ow! You hur me!"

Van has been telling us that he is going to be a pilot and fly airplanes when he grows up. I am all for this!

We mistakenly told Van that we will be visiting our AZ family for spring break (4 weeks from now). Now everyday, he will ask to get out his "cool new suitcase" and ask "can we go to the airport to visit our cousins?" This morning, he told me "I had a dream about vacation. We got on an airplane and saw cousins!" I think he's just a bit excited about our vacation.

January 2011: For Van's Bday dinner we went to Red Robbin. He was holding his balloon outside walking to the car:
Van: I want to let my balloon float.
Mom: Ok.
He let it go.
Van: My balloon is not going to come back to planet earth. I think it's going to go to the moon!

"Daddy, I have the hiccups. I need to go to the doctor." ~Van

Weston loves Betty (dog). He went over to her and was being silly and says "Oh Bebby" and pets her and kisses her. Then he walked away saying "Bebby silly". Aunt Shawna asked him why she's silly, and if she gave him kisses in his mouth. He said "Yes mouth", as he puts a finger in his mouth pulling on his cheek. Then he says "Bebby, sauce." Aunt Shawna understood and started laughing. She says, "Oh Betty just ate your applesauce in your mouth?" Weston responds, "uh huh."

Mom: Van, you are going to take me to school this morning.
Van (very serious): But I don't drive very good.

December 2010: I was reading books to the kids, Derek was lying on the floor--he had been playing with the boys. Weston was bringing me another book and I tried to pawn it off to Derek, so I told Weston, "go give the book to Dad." He turned and looked at Dad then replied with a scowl on his face, "No Dad, Mama!" and pushed the book to me.

Van: "When I grow up I'm going to be a daddy."
Mom: "Are you going to have kids?"
Van: "Yeah."
Mom: "Are you going to have boys or girls?"
Van: "Girls."

While driving around looking at Christmas lights, we went down a street with lots of speed bumps. Derek and I would say, "ok here comes another bump" and Derek would speed up slightly while going over them. After we went over, Weston would immediately say "Whoa, bunts!"

When Van sees a house decorated in lights he will tell us the colors "look yellow light" or "wow, blue lights." But when there are colored lights he calls them "sparkly." (ok, maybe that's funnier in person)

While driving to school, Van told me "When I grow up, I'm going to be just like my daddy."

At 18 1/2 months, Wes has about 100 words and will now say 2 word phrases. "sit down, big boy, thank you, go outside, all gone, up high." He is growing up so fast. I forgot to add "the end." I get a kick out of him saying everytime we finish reading a book.

November 2010: At lunch, during Van's prayer he blessed his fishy crackers.

Van: "Daddy, I love you."
Dad: "Why do you love me?"
Van: "You make my heart happy."

Weston said his first sentence while my mom was visiting. She woke up with him one morning and he said "I want mama." (a sad thing for Grandma to hear). His vocabulary is exploding. I wouldn't be able to list how many word he speaks now. It's so fun to hear.

Van was looking at pictures with me on the blog: "My Grandma and Aunt Shawna are the best!"

"Boys don't like carrots."

In the institute parking lot, Van was yelling "ECHO"! When there was no echo in return, he said, "Dad, I think my echo is broken."

Mom: Van why are your pants off?
Van: My undies are grouching me.
Mom: They're making you grouchy?
Van: Yeah.

October 2010: On a walk with Van, the following conversation happened: Dad says to Van,"I love you." "I love you too dad." "Why do you love me?" "Because we found lots of leaves."

Van said "Hi, Mommy" "Hi, Vanny." "No mom say.. Hi, Sweetheart!"

I was holding Weston in the kitchen. He reached over and was opening and closing the freezer. He was at and angle that made it difficult to open, so as he's trying he says to me, "Uuuuh, stuck."

While talking with my mom last night I handed the phone to Wes and asked him what words he could say. I would ask him to say a word and he (more than not) say the word. He said doggie, dad, mom, and for the first time said Grandma (clearly too). My mom just about had a cow.

When you tickle Van a lot, he laughs and says "Ok ok, take it easy."

September 2010: Now when I ask Wes if he wants something he will calmly shake his head no... even when he does want it.

Weston pointed to his eyes and said "eyes" clear as day.

Van sneezed.
Van: Would you say bless you?
Dad: Bless you.
Van: Thanks dad.

Mom: Weston do you want more juice?
Weston: Uh huh
Weston can now say "Uh huh, cracker, balloon, doggie, and popcorn." I know there are others, I will think of them soon...

Van: Dad, I need to go....to school!
Dad: To school!?!
Van: Yeah, I need to go FAST!

At dinner:
Van: I'm done with my meatballs.
Mom: Good. Are you still hungry?
Van: Yes, I want something....warm.
Mom: Warm? Like what?
Van: Um, like peanuts.

August 2010: Lately Van has been saying whatever is on his mind, some really random things. Just today while on a walk, he was telling me, "I'm only 3 1/2", then he looks down at his shirt and adds, "I'm wearing this shirt and it's not wet it's dry".

Dad: Van, I love you. Who do you love?
Van: I love Panda Bears!

Van: I want to go to Kai-ia (Ikea) and play.
Dad: Kai-ia? I haven't ever heard of that place. Can you spell that for me?
Van: A-B-C-D, Kai-ia!

"Yes way José, Mom."

Mom: Whew, it's chilly willie!
Van: I'm not chilly willie, I'm Van.

I guess I will start adding Weston now. I was lying in bed (sleeping in) and Weston waddles in. He sees me, points and says (super excitedly) "Dog-geee!" Yes, that is my name for now.

"I want to go to Kai-ia (Ikea) and play with boys and girls!"

Van: We should go to the zoo.
Dad: The zoo is closed today.
Van: I think the Museum is open!?

July 2010: When he feels sick (from his surgery) he will tell me "Mom, I don't want anything." It's cute and sad the way he says it.

Van told me today, "Mom, I'm exhausted."

Van turns to dad and says "He goes nothin." (or more commonly known as "here goes nothing")

Van's latest catch phrase: "Yeah, that's the idea!" Then when he's getting in trouble he says, "No, that's not a good idea."
And when he's in trouble and we give him 2 choices he will say, "NO, don't tell me that!" (Oh joy)

Van and I were getting into the car on a warm sunny day. As I strapped him in I said, "Phew, it's warm." Van says, "No mom, it's HOT!"

May 2010: My mom and sister were up for Weston's birthday. When they were leaving Van was blowing kisses from the window and saying goodbye. He said, "Goodbye Aunt Shawna, goodbye Aunt Grandma!"

Van loves to read this Book of Mormon kids book that we have. He came up to me the other day and said "Mom I want to read Samma with you." (aka Ammon--close, I guess).

April 2010: We were headed to the new frozen yogurt shop to celebrate Van going poo poo in the potty. Weston was getting upset in the car. Van tried to calm Wes down by saying, "I know Weston, I know. It's okay. We're almost to the Ice Cream Store."

Mom: "Van, what's your name?"
Van: "Van Ma(w)ley"
Mom: "What's my name?"
Van: "Mom Ma(w)ley"
Mom: "What's Dad's name?"
Van: "Dad Ma(w)ley"

Van was wanting to watch a show and it was later in the afternoon (so there wasn't much on for kids). We turned it on OPB and it was the Charlie Rose show (a talk show where they're dressed in suits). Van immediately states "No, no watch Prophets!"

Van came over and told me he wanted to go outside and play soccer with "his boys and girls." He then went over to Derek and said "Daddy I want to go outside and pway soccer wiff you, pweese." How can you say no to that?--melts your heart.

We were all in the boys room getting ready for bed. Van was sitting on his bed with his flashlight. Weston came over and was trying to reach out to Van. Van turns to Derek and says "Dad, get your son!"

Van was sitting with his Dad in a chair. He turned and looked up at dad, pointed to his nose hairs and said "What's that?" Dad responded, "What is it?" Van said, "Look it's a spider!"

March 2010: We went to Olive Garden. Van wasn't particularly fond of the food there so he hardly ate and was getting grumpy. Towards the end of the meal he began trying to get out of his chair, I told him that he needs to put his bum in his chair. He responds to me saying "NO BUM IN MY CHAIR!"