Conversations With Cole

Mom: (seeing Cole crawl out from under his bed aka the kitty hideout) Ugh!  Cole, you have hair all over your face!
Cole:  Mom...  that's just my beard Mom.  I'm getting a man, I mean I'm getting a beard because I'm just a man.

Cole:  Mom, come sit by me!  Don't worry, I made LOTS of room.

Cole:  What are those pricklies on your leg Mom?  I think you're turning into a boy.

Cole:  Moooom!  Bryce is in here playing with a hooker!  ["hooker" turned out to be a hanger]

Partying Explorers

Grandma and Bugga drove down to visit the January birthday boys today! 
We met up for a day of fun at the museum. 
Of course, we spent most of our time looking for treasure.
With interest rates as low as they are, precious metals is
Dad's "go to!"

I could spend an entire day loading and dumping these rocks.
By now, I just may have logged 24 hours there.

Ridiculous eyelashes.
Mom says she has all the treasure she could ever want.

B couldn't have been happier looking around.

I think hieroglyphs may be an easier read than the stuff I'm working on in pre-school.

Bugga and Grandma enjoy a day with their Vandy boys.
We sure did enjoy our day with them too!

Even though I'm big and cool, I'm still pretty stinking cute.

What a great day at the museum!

We went straight to dinner from here and got to eat in the "Pope's Room" at Buca's. 
What a fantastic celebration of Oli, Daddy and Uncle Gavin's birthdays.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Thanks for the celebration Bugga and Grandma!

Big Day

Just a quick note to let you all know our little buddy will be getting tubes in his ears on Tuesday morning.
Mom was able to score the first appointment of the day so we should be in and out before most people start their day.
Please say a little prayer that everything goes smoothly!  We have the best Dr. in Indy who expects the process to be over in less than an hour from the time he goes under to the time he awakes.  The actual procedure should take no more than 15 minutes.  We're excited to give B some relief from his constant ear infections!

13 Months

Just a little bit about me and my big 13 month old self...
Like all good Vandy's I'm a BIG cuddler.  Nothing makes me happier than when I get to snuggle
up with my family.  I also love being held as much as possible.
I'm thinning out, but am still a beefcake by this family's standards.  Cole has less than 10 lbs on me now!
I'm really good with my hands.  I can put my own straw in my juice box.
I love nothing better than rough housing with my brother.  We chase each other and wrestle just
like two little rowdies should.
I love the bath.
Even though I have a lot of allergies, I eat anything and everything.  I out eat my brother every day.
I'm a big fan of my thumb.  If you're lucky, I'll even share it with you!
I'm a great climber and even though I have terrible balance because of my ears, I can really move.
I'm a really happy kid who loves people and exploring the world!

Party Like a Senior!

Cole and I picked out the perfect gift for Old Man Vandygriff last weekend.  A Shiatsu Massager!
Mom got him Acupuncture sessions.  You know you're an old dude when...
I just thought it was pretty cool to pretend I was surfing on the box :)

Oh and the cake was EPIC this year.  We mixed it on Sunday, then took it over to bake
at the girl's house because we have no appliances (or running water) in our kitchen this week.
It was a "party sprinkle" cake, which Mom and Cole smothered in chocolate frosting, carmel sauce
and about a pound of ice cream sprinkles.

A work of art!

I discovered that cake is better in the mouth than in the hair.
I was a little upset about it being wasted.

C'mon Mom!  Stop Laughing!  This is serious!

Happy Birthday Dad!  We sure did enjoy celebrating you!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Well the old man turns 34 today.  Mom and I decided to do a little interview to capture my thoughts on our awesome Daddy.  We love him to bits and pieces!  Happy Birthday Pops!

Videos

The Momparazzi dusted off the videocamera this week.

Here's a glimpse into life at our house.

We are currently re-enacting every scene from Cars 2. 

B is very big into Monster Trucks and loves to drive them around making the noises.

Cole is very much into snowmen.  This is Harold, our newest family member.

Watch through the end to see B's other new favorite pasttime - rough housing!

And of course, we still open Club Vandy every evening when Mom finishes work.

We all love to get down - but the highlight is always Dad's funny moves :)

Conversations With Cole

Last night in the bathtub after swiping a toy from Bryce...
Mom:  Cole, don't take that away from him!
Cole:  Mom...  let me tell you something.  Kids do what they do, Mom. 
           and Mom?  They get what they get and they don't throw a fit.  Okay Mom?

LEGO Show!

The other big bonus that comes with having a torn up house (besides getting to sleep in a fort)
is that Mom couldn't get out of there fast enough today.  We wound up at the LEGO show!

Who knew there were grown ups who got to spend hours upon hours playing with LEGOS?!
This exhibit was Mom's favorite.  The Lucas Oil Stadium in full swing.

There were all kinds of cool exhibits.  This one had things moving all over it.

There was a corner for us kiddos to play too.
I couldn't have been happier.

But B could not be contained.  He ran ALL over the place say "hi" to everyone
and grabbing as many random strangers as he could.

The hands down highlight of the day was getting to help this guy
build a Cole sized castle.  He re-created each individual lego piece in
a much bigger size and brought them to the show.  Then he let us
big kids help him build the bigger version!  I would've stayed there helping
him ALL day, but Mom made me leave.

This is the castle in LEGO size.
What a great time we had!  Thanks to all the grown up men who
still love to (and somehow find the time to) play LEGOs!

Gotta Be Quick

Today I had my first ice cream cone. 
I bet you don't have to guess how it went over.

Cole got one too.  He picked the flavor ("golden" over chocolate to Mommy's amazement)
and the cones too.

Around here, food is just never safe.  One of us can't get enough of it and the
other one is way too lax when it comes to mealtime security.

You've gotta be quick to keep your food to yourself around here!

I learned that Ice Cream is one of only about 2 things my big brother doesn't
gladly pass my way.  Pickles are the other coveted item.

Not only did this treat go over well, it went under and beside, on top and on bottom well too!
Thanks Mom :)

Vandyville - Under Construction!

This week Vandyville has had lots of visitors.  We had a crew working UNDER the house installing new beams and lifting the house an inch, a plumber to fix the outside pipe and the gas lines and Daddy tore up half the kitchen to finally put the tile in.  One of us decided he hated the new floor and snuck in to remove ALL the spacers when Daddy was in the garage making cuts.  He also tried to pry up the tile and scribbled all over it with a green sharpie (which thankfully washed off).  One of us came dangerously close to being shipped off to Military School this week.

In the end we both decided the new tiles are a ton of fun and have
really been having fun playing on them.

And since the window man was unable to come on Friday and Cole's
room is freezing cold, he's been camping out in this awesome fort at night.

Daddy is the KING of fort building. 
Thanks Pops for working so hard getting Vandyville in ship shape.
We promise not to sabotage your efforts anymore.
Okay, maybe we should make promises which are clearly impossible to keep.

To Ham or Not to Ham

Unlike the other little Vandy, I am not a fan of pictures.  It's next to impossible to get me to smile
for the camera.  The Momparazzi always comes last.
"Just a minute, Mom.  I'm BUSY!"

Sometimes you just have to give her a shot to make her go away.

Chiss Chess

Last night I asked Mom if she wanted to play Chiss Chess.
Then I told her you had to stand "guys" up on squares and asked her if she wanted
the light team or the dark team.  She had a funny look on her face when I told
her that you win by knocking guys over and asked her for some paper to draw
the squares...

Turns out, I'm not the next Bobby Fischer after all.
This is a Chiss Chess board.  This one is B's "square."

We made a square for Daddy, Mommy, B, Boots and Bella and of course me.
Then, we whipped the ball around until all the guys were knocked over.
It's a game of strategy.

My strategy always "be extra cute so you get away with rule bending."

It worked until Daddy got home.  He must be working a little too hard
because he claimed that Mommy won the last game of the night.
Who ever heard of a Mommy winning?!
Next time you're here in Vandyville, I'll show you how it's done.

Just the other day, I was a shaggy haired baby.

Now I'm a dapper young man.
Better start taking me seriously!

Okay just kidding.  I'm still a goof.

And... even dapper young men like their blankies and thumbs every now and then.

Finishing With a BANG!

I have been DYING to get back to school and my friends. 
Thankfully, Mom and Dad decided to make the last day
of winter break memorable.  We went to Greenfield and
did some black light golfing, arcade game playing and
Mom sweet talked the guy into letting me on the go-carts
even though I may have been just a teeeeny tiny scotch
under the height limit.  Daddy was the only other rider so we had
an absolute blast.
Later, we went to the carrot park and B ran the whole mall with me.
I'll miss my family when we go back to the grind tomorrow, but
boy am I excited to see my friends.

2011 Year in Review

Already time for another Year In Review Post!  As usual, we like to run through the highlights of our year.
Cole:

• I mastered the art of big brothering.  It's hard work, but so much fun.
• I had lots of sleepovers with my friends Vann and Parker and my cousin Owen.
• I became a really good artist who loves to make pictures.
• I spent alot of time with my pretty girls Sydney and KK.
• I learned to recognize, sound out and write all of my letters.
• I learned to count to 30!
• We got two gorgeous new cousins and a beautiful new Aunt!  Nice work Uncle Scott.
• I had an awesome 2.5 day birthday party at the Waterpark with my friends.
• I spent another summer outside playing, swimming and helping Daddy work.
• I joined a soccer team.  I'm still not sure what the purpose was, but it was kinda fun... I think.
• I met new friends Will, Keegan, Hayden, Jackson, Wyatt and Cain and spent lots of time with my old friends Vann, Stella, Parker, Alyssa, KK, Sydney, Braylon and Seth.

Bryce:

• I tackled my dairy, soy and birch pollen allergies.
• I learned how to roll, sit, crawl, walk, climb and run!  Thanks for the lessons big bro.
• I met my amazing (and really big) family.
• I met my fantastic neighbors.
• I learned to say "look, uh-oh, hi, Mama, Dada and Ooooooooooooh."  I also meow like Boots :)
• I learned to clap.
• I relished my naps, my bedtime and all of my many many meals.
• I graduated to the big bathtub and LOVE taking baths.
• I had an awesome first birthday party.
• I learned about Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Halloween, the Fourth of July and New Years Eve.  WOW! :)
• I learned how to hug and kiss and share.  I love doing all three, but only with very special people.
• I learned how to dance.  I have awesome moves!

 It certainly has been a fantastic year here in Vandyville.  Life truly is sweet and we're looking forward to another wonderful year together in 2012.   All our best to our friends and family in the coming year!