June 20 update

Welcome to another Van De Walle family update, YOUR one-stop source for all things Van De Walle and Van De Walle-related. Brought to you by Titleist and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

In this episode, Brian's unpaid parking tickets nearly gets Joe arrested. Brian attempts to smooth things over by asking out the female arresting officer. Unfortunately for Brian, she is somewhat obsessive and does not take well to his later attempts to break up with her!

Wait. That's a synopsis of an old "Wings" episode. My mistake. And now...time for a word from our sponsors.

We do have some exciting news to share. I don't know if I can put this into words. I'll try. Okay. Here goes. After a very long time, a time full of laughter, tears and adventures, Kelly...has finally turned 30. I know! It's crazy.

Also, we bought a house.

Well, not yet. We close on Friday. The house is located just outside of Beaverdale. Off of Lower Beaver Road. And Jess and I graduated from Buena Vista, who are the Beavers. This is a lot of Beaver-related coincidences. I think we should get a pet beaver. Shhh..don't tell Jess. It'll be a great surprise. I have a leash picked out and everything. Ohmygosh it's going to be spectacular. I even have him named: Gnarles Livingston.

Mr. Gnarles Livingson-Van De Walle

I'll post photos of the house soon. But it is a 3-4 bedroom (1 basement non-conforming room) ranch-style with a finished basement complete with a bar. It was built in 1960 and has been completely updated/renovated by someone who knows what they were doing. See, what's good about that I don't have to "fix" anything (see: screw anything up). We couldn't be more pleased. It was our first-choice back in December. And now it will soon be ours!



And now...the photos!

"I should really endorse stuff"

"I eat you!"

"Oh my, are you about to take a picture of ME?  Good heavens. Okay, hold on."

Momma and Sloane in Colorado. 

Yey for grey sweatpants and train shirts!

What giving up looks like.

"Go to sleep? Get by me first you must."

DJ SloaneFace. What, what?

Until next time.

March Update! Haircuts, Spring Break and Laughing Fits!

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. Unfortunately there hasn't been much to report. After the excitement and ballyhoo of the first rollover Sloane apparently has had no need for an encore.

"I'm going out on top," she says through a series of grunts, coos and sudden yells.

She has developed a very exciting "poop face" reserved for only when I'm holding her.

It's that kind of father-daughter bonding that really fills my heart.

Other developments include the ability to mimic mom and dad, though only when moving her tongue back and forth. When the three of us do it simultaneously I'm sure we look like a very smart family.

We recently made our first trip down to Arkansas to visit Grandpa and Grandma Van De Walle. Sloane was great and we learned that Sonic has gluten-free items on their menu, which was a nice surprise. I don't know why I just plugged Sonic. Perhaps I'm hoping for free Mocha-Hazelnut Java Chillers for life. We had a great time and grandma only made Sloane "work" for a short time. "Work" meaning trying to roll over, not making shoes or anything. I don't think. I was gone a lot.

Some other exciting news, Jess passed her oral exams, meaning she will graduate in May with a master's degree in educational leadership and policy studies. This has been a major accomplishment and I'm very proud of her. Though it's hard to type that with her messing with me as I'm typing this because she wants to surf the Internet for Gap clothes or something.

Okay, I'm going to end this because I need to defend myself. In the meantime, here's a fun video of Sloane.



Jess: "I'm glad we had her. I now have found someone who thinks I'm hilarious."

In light of Sloane's chipper mood and willingness to laugh I did 10 minutes of Richard Pryor. Nothing. Not even a giggle. Jess pops her head up and Sloane laughs her head off. I'm concerned.


And now for the photos!

"This is all kinds of awkward."

Not at the table, Carlos.

"You're sure you've done this before..." 

Yep! "Thanks for the first haircut grandma!" 

This juice endorsed by Sloane. Well, more specifically, Sloane's chin, neck and bib.

This picture amuses me. Alyse, you've been Sloaned!

She loves leaning against this thing. Doesn't have any interest in crawling. But loves to stand.

As always, you can find more photos on our Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/castle_vandewalle/sets/

1st rollover!

She's mobile!







At this rate she will reach the kitchen by early 2013.

Soooo....update!

It comes to my attention that I haven't updated the blog in awhile. In an odd coincidence, women are the ones pointing this out. They're so helpful.

Instead of writing a novel about our lives, I'll provide a summary:

Thanksgiving: delicious! Sloane is cute!
Christmas: yule log! Sloane is sooooo cute! What's a yule log? It sounds nasty. Never mind. Sloane is cute!!!
New Year's: zzzzzzzzzz
Martin Luther King Jr.: Day off from work! Sloane remains cute!!!

Since I've updated the blog a stampede during Bon Om Thook (Khmer Water Festival) celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, killed 347. I'm 90% sure the two are unrelated.  We also lost Leslie Nielsen, who gave us such quotes as:

"Just think; next time I shoot someone, I could be arrested."

Man, I'm really bumming myself out here.

Anyway, we've since moved out of our tiny Smurf house in Cherokee (actually, if I lived in a mushroom I probably wouldn't leave) and moved in with grandma and grandpa Weishaar – or Nana and Papa as we've collectively determined to be their names until we decide to try something else – my vote is for Gangy and Pop-Pop (Arrested Development reference FTW!).  I'm supposed to specify that FTW means For The Win! So there you go, squares.

I'm enjoying my job at Intger. It's keeping me incredibly busy. I don't have a problem with that until it interferes with my Sloane time. Then I put on my Mustache of Rage. I'd love to tell you what I'm working on but it's far too secretive. Let's just say that that everything you buy from here on out will be because of my clever marketing tactics. You won't be able to help yourself. Quick! Go to your cupboards! All that in there? I made you buy it. I'm supremely powerful. Unfortunately I live with someone who is much more powerful, whom will not let me purchase and install a throne: Gangy (trying it out! It's catching on!).

Sloane is now "eating" solid foods, though that's a very loose term considering there's little solid about blended sweet potatoes. I'm quite an expert at feeding her chin, neck, bib and floor. Sometimes she accidentally swallows. When Jess gets done feeding her it's like she never even ate. After I'm through with her she looks like a lion seconds after devouring a gazelle.

Finally, in a case of self-promotion, I'll also say that you can read more about Sloane, our lives and general nonsense by visiting the Marshalltown Times-Republican newspaper. You can read a page from my Daddy Diary here.

And now....

The PHOTOS!

Last weekend in Cherokee. 

You lookin' at me?

Four generations of Van De Walles (#3 is clearly the best. Who's with me?!)

Four more generations of awesomeness! 

Five-month photo. She advertises for Grandmas everywhere.

Sloane enjoying her socks, oblivious to the fact that we're taking a picture here.
Grounded.

Enjoying her jumper (too small for it but we make it work).

Green Beans!!! I EAT YOU!!!! 

Gooooooo Hawks!

Have a laugh

I've been waiting for this for about three-and-a-half-months. The laugh. Granted at the moment she sounds like a cross between a pterodactyl battling a Sasquatch and an 80-year-old coal miner but it's still the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.

Happy Saturday!

Laugh Test #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_vwBRbgKvw

Laugh Test #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vUIye5Prko

Photo Phriday

Just a quick update to post a few photos from my cell phone that required far too much effort to actually get here than I'd care to recall to relate.

I might be totally off but I think Sloane looks pretty much exactly like this baby. I'm awaiting my royalty check, Pampers. 

Sloane clone.

Taken by aunt Alyse in the hospital the day she was born (Sloane, not Alyse. That would've been some trick).

Sloane in a cute hat. Or cute Sloane in a hat? Cute dad holding cute Sloane in a cute hat? Yeah, that's pushing it. 

Family

Taken by grandpa & grandma.

Aunt Alyse (very patriotic)

Smiley videos

Fun smiley bath time (don't worry, it's of Sloane): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg287vQSJso

Bonus Kelly-sounding-like-a-tired-idiot-trying-to-keep-Sloane-"talking"-by-speaking-jibberish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jObT1uOeuEI