A Decade Old!

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Van the Man is 10 years old! His birthday was on Thursday and it was one for the books! Van was very specific in what he wanted for his birthday this year. I'm so glad he told me his vision---it made it easier for me to plan the perfect birthday for him! 


1. Van wanted a Donkey Kong theme birthday. Isaac helped him put together this outfit. It's his Sven pjs with a tie cut out from foam scraps and a paper DK sign on the bottom. He wore it throughout the morning of his birthday.

2. Van asked, "Mom, the word 'happy' has two p's right?" Yes. "Ok, make the two p's look like Donkey Kong's drums on my poster." I made this poster before and during his piano lesson. After his lesson, he said, "Mom, when you make my poster tonight will you draw King K. Rool smashing my name?" I said, "No, Van. I already made your poster and I worked really hard on it so please be happy with it." He didn't flinch. He just shrugged and said, "Ok!" When he saw the poster the next morning, he LOVED it. 

 
3. When Van's cousin, Deacon, told Van about how he had a car parade for his birthday during quarantine and people gave him candy, Van began asking for a car parade on his birthday. He said, "Mom I want people to drive by and throw candy at me." So, I texted some Warrensburg friends, gave them an hour window to stop by and throw candy at him. Some of the friends made posters and one of our friends came with a megaphone. LOL.

We opened cards while waiting for cars



Van is our CARNIVORE. I call him a deprived carnivore because I eat very little meat and hardly ever buy it--usually for special occasions like Van's birthday. So Van said, "I want MEAT on my birthday. Bacon, eggs, and toast with a cup of orange juice for breakfast...in bed. YOUR bed." I said, "Woah, slow down. You can have breakfast in YOUR bed. NOT MINE." Isaac went the extra mile and designed the bacon and eggs into a DK. (turn your head sideways when you look at the pic).

Happy boy eating birthday breakfast in bed.LOL


Along with a birthday poster, we like to blow up a package of balloons and draw the faces of characters that go along with the theme. This year we had Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, Cranky Kong, Dixie Kong, and some barrels. Van made up a game where he would sing the intro to the first Donkey Kong and then start throwing balloons at us while we ran up the stairs. If the balloon hit you, you would lose. But if you put on a hat, you get an extra life. 

Van's best Warrensburg friend, Maxwell Sentgeorge.

Per Van's request--a vanilla cake with vanilla frosting and a DK iced on top. For dinner we had spaghetti and meatballs. The Sentgeorge family came over for celebrations. The kids played video games. Edy made Van her chocolate chip cookies--his favorite. Jake smoked 2 pounds of pork for Van and Maxwell gave him a Nintendo e-shop gift card.  Van kept telling me, "Thank you for this awesome birthday mom!"

Van is a very loving son. He expresses his love and appreciation often. He also has a stubborn side that gets under our skin, but I love his determination. He loves to just be himself. He doesn't care what others think. He just wants to do what makes him happy--like wear a Donkey Kong suit. He's also my little activist. He and William both root for the underdog. Van especially cares about girls being treated fairly. Anytime the subject comes up, he says forcefully, "Girls can do that too" or "Girls are strong" and "Why don't we have a girl president? It's just so unfair!" It makes my momma heart proud! He adores his older brother and constantly laughs at Will's jokes and funny voices. Will of course enjoys Van's response. They have their squabbles, but make up with a hug and "I love you." Isaac is good about reminding them that as brothers they need to be kind to each other and look out for one another. 

This weekend was was so awesome. Friday night, Isaac and I went on a date. We hiked around Lake Buteo in Knob Noster park and then got take out from Oriental Cuisine. When we were hiking we saw some people kayaking on the lake. We asked the camp site supervisor about renting kayaks. They recently started renting them out again so Saturday morning we took the boys kayaking! Will rode with me and Van rode with Isaac. Will right away said, "This is so boring." I said, "Think about it as relaxing." About 20 minutes later he said, "This IS relaxing." Pretty soon the boys got really whiney so Isaac and I took them back to the shore and headed back out on the lake without the boys. I could've done it all day, but we only rented them for two hours. :( Today after home church we went back to the park and hiked the Hawk Nest trail. I told Isaac that I'm going to keep taking the boys to Knob Noster Park until they love it.  Mwaaahahahah.  The local library put up a story walk. You can see the posted signs by Van in the picture above. There were 30 story boards. It was about a mouse who finds gifts for his mouse friend. Very cute.

Tonight we had a campfire in the backyard and made s'mores with the Sentgeorge's. I LOVE THE FALL.

I asked Van 20 Birthday Questions:
1) What is your favorite color? Blue.
2) What is your favorite toy? The Switch.
3) What is your favorite fruit? orange
4) What is your favorite movie? Lord of the Rings
5) What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? MEAT
6) What is your favorite outfit? My Mario shirt
7) What is your favorite game? Breath of the Wild, Mario Maker 2, Luigi Mansion 3, DK Country and Super Smash Bros
8) What is your favorite snack? Cottage cheese with applesauce
9)What is your favorite animal? Wolf
10) What is your favorite song? Night Begins to Shine Dragon Remix
11) What is your favorite book? Captain Underpants Series and Diary of a Wimpy Kid
12) Who is your best friend? Maxwell
13) What is your favorite cereal? Marshmallow Mateys
14) What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play with Maxwell and Will
15) What is your favorite drink? Milk
16) What is your favorite holiday? Christmas and my birthday
17) What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Books, stuffed animal, William
18) Who is your favorite celebrity/historical figure? Martin Luther King Jr., Roy Mc Nair and Ruby Bridges
19) If you could have any three wishes granted, what would they be? 
  • I meet Dave Pilkey 
  • I get all the Nintendo games coming out early and play them, and 
  • beat Walker, Deacon, and Will in Super Smash Bros. 

Have a wonderful week! We love you!

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