Daydreaming with Doug and Lex

"Imagination will take you everywhere" Albert Einstein

2012-01-23T13:30:00.002-05:00

Yes, this is a hairband and feather, but to Chloe for a whole evening is was her Uncles Ira and Levi. Ira was the feather and Levi was the hairband She carried them around playing and pretending they were saving each other, protecting each other, and Levi (the hairband) was telling Ira (the feather) that he was precious and then saying "yes you are, yes you are" just like she says to Hazel. She went to bed that night holding her uncles snugly in her hands because she said she "needed to protect them".

Just another funny Chloe story that I thought I should share.

Hazel Leah, 4 months old and Miss Chloe enjoying being the big sis :)

2012-01-23T13:16:00.003-05:00

I love the way Hazel is looking at Chloe in this photo

Baby Hazel

2012-01-18T23:03:00.005-05:00

She has located her toes and if she is on her back she has a hold of them the whole time, super cute!


It's not her party, but she will cry if she wants to :) Momma getting some lovin from my little cuddle-bug

Simply amazing!

2011-12-24T15:55:00.003-05:00

October 24th, 2009

October 24th, 2010

October 24th, 2011

Baby Hazel, almost three months old

2011-12-19T10:52:00.002-05:00

This morning Chloe said "Mommy, Baby Hazel is growing up too fast".

Miss Chloe, two-and-half years old

2011-12-18T15:54:00.002-05:00

Good Morning Hugs

2011-12-10T12:56:00.000-05:00

Another photo of our girls hugging. We spend a little time every morning getting our hug quota filled.

Hazel Leah 10 weeks old.

Can you say JEALOUS

2011-12-10T00:11:00.001-05:00

My Mom and Pop are in Hawaii for 17 days. They sent us this photo today. Have fun you two! We love you guys.

What did you just say?!?!

2011-12-05T15:52:00.002-05:00

I am so glad that a friend encouraged me to start this bloggng stuff. I hesitated and thought I would never have the time or even know what to blog about. Doug and I spend quite a bit of time after the kiddos go to bed going back through our blog. It is funny to us that we enjoy watching our own life, as if we weren't the ones living it. In fact Mamaw, Pa, Doug, Chloe, Hazel and I spent Saturday evening watching some of the videos of Chloe we have taken over the last two years.

Here are just a few of the funny things Chloe said this past week, that I never want to forget, so I must jot them down in our online diary :)

Chloe always wants to know what is going on the kitchen counter, and she climbs up the drawer handles to find out. I have asked/told/demanded that she not climb on the handles (not working very well). Mamaw decided it was time to get that kid a footstool (duh, why didn't I think of that). Chloe carries it around to each room of the house so she can see everything and also get into everything :)

Well, she walked up to me a few days ago holding her footstool and said "Mommy this footstool changed my life".

On Saturday Chloe was cooking up something good in her little kitchen and brought some over to me for a taste test. I said to her "oh my Chloe, that is wonderful. Where did you learn to cook like that?" She said "Pinterest". I almost died laughing! That is when you know you spend WAY to much time on Pinterest.

Miss Chloe is fighting the dreaded toddler runny nose right now. My brother Levi took Chloe in the bathroom to wipe her nose and she had a very important question for him. She said "Levi are you going to be a Poppa someday?" I thought it was interesting that she noticed that Levi doesnt have children yet and wondered if he was ever going to.

And last, but not least. Chloe has started calling Mamaw her Grandmother. Today Mamaw stopped by and when it was time for her to go, Chloe ran to the door and said "goodbye Grandmother".

That is all for now.

Just can't get close enough :)

2011-11-29T17:08:00.005-05:00

Chloe cannot get enough of Hazel. She kisses and hugs her over and over.
Now, where would she get an idea like that??????
Maybe from Poppa.

Pinterest coming to life

2011-11-23T17:44:00.003-05:00

I made cake batter truffles this afternoon. I found the recipe on Pinterest. If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting the site you definitely should. However, I must warn you, be prepared to spend a ton of time on there. It is sooooo addicting. I also made white chocolate pumpkin cheesecake truffles today, but they didn't turn out that attractive, very tasty though. I actually like them more than the cake batter truffles.

She is too busy right now

2011-11-23T13:21:00.002-05:00

Anytime we ask "Queen Chloe" if she wants to do anything, play, eat, take a bath, etc, she says "I am too busy right now", She is so funny. In this photo I asked her if she wanted some yogurt and guess what she said. "I am too busy drawing right now".

Hazel has been very busy also, cooing and smiling. She is even starting to laugh a little. She seems to respond the most to her big sis.

There is no denying these two are siblings. Check out how much they resemble one another.

Chloe giving Hazel a few 'little' kisses

2011-11-21T23:32:00.001-05:00

A Baker and a Woodsmith

2011-11-21T11:42:00.007-05:00


Doug whipped us these tasty, little butterscotch maple cookies last night. These are some of the best cookies I have ever had! You can find the recipe here http://sugarcrafter.net/2010/11/05/maple-butterscotch-cookies


Doug finished up these nightstands he has been working on for quite some time. Every weekend for I don't know how long he has been saying "I am going to finish those". Well, he did this weekend! They are beautiful and they match the dresser he made for me a few years ago.

And one more reason why Doug is the Man! Last Wednesday Doug told me that I needed to be home the next day, because he had a surprise for us that was going to be delivered via UPS. I had to sign for it (so that meant it was over a certain dollar amount, right?). Hmmmm, I thought and thought and could not figure out what he had up his sleeve. We received our package Thursday evening and were ecstatic! Poppa surprised us with an IPAD2. He had a sweet message engraved on the back for me too. Here is a pic of Chloe with "her IPAD". She loves it and asks me "load more apps" constantly. We have had to do a little time restriction here and there or she would play on it all day! Thank you Poppa. You are the best ever XOXOXOXO

Ha-Pa again

2011-11-20T19:02:00.000-05:00

We gathered around hot pot this evening to celebrate Doug's 30th birthday. It was fabulous as always and Doug was the last one leaving the table, as always :)

Happy Birthday Old Man :)

2011-11-17T10:13:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Poppa! Welcome to the Dirty-30. We love you..

Hi!

2011-11-15T14:21:00.000-05:00

I just snapped this pic of my girls. LOVE!

Whoa there! Slow down!

2011-11-15T08:31:00.003-05:00

Hazel Leah, 7 weeks old.


Hazel is 7 weeks old and is growing, growing, growing. She is 9 lbs and 15 ounces already. She didn't stay itty-bitty for long enough :( She is holding her head up and looking all around. and knows when her Poppa gets home from work. The second she hears his beautiful voice (one of my favorite things about Doug is his voice, it is calm and sweet. I love listening to him sing to our girls.) she starts scanning the room looking for him. Chloe is growing at breakneck speed also. She is all about her little sis. I am very fond of how she says Hazel so I ask her several times a day what her sister's name is, just so I can hear her say" baby Hazel". It is funny when Hazel is fussing, Chloe will say "Mommy your baby needs you, nurse her Mommy". She also gets right down to Hazel's face and says "yes you are, yes , yes you are". She loves to hold her baby sister's hand and wants me to hold her other hand and then says "we love each other together". We do this every morning during our little cuddle sessions. Aaaaah life is great. Freeze us now, I don't want them to grow up!

Chloe is enjoying her new favorite beverage in this photo. It is bubble tea, taro powder mixed with almond milk, tapioca balls and rainbow jelly in the bottom. It is an Asian specialty, different and delicious!

Oh, yesterday Chloe and I were having a little discussion (I can't recall what is was about) and she said "It just doesn't make sense Mom". That girl never ceases to amaze me, she is a trip!

Better late than never (finally posting these!)

2011-11-06T18:32:00.003-05:00

Our friends Sarah and Joe were married way back in August. I am just now getting around to posting some photos from their beautiful wedding. Chloe was the first and last one on the dance floor.

Doug was a groomsman for his buddy Joe. He was sporting his infamous fedora that evening. Hazel was still snug as a bug in momma's belly- I was around 38 weeks pregnant.


I told mom that she should probably wax her mustache before the wedding, but she refused. I also thought the straw- hat didnt really go with Pop's whole get up, whatever. You can't tell these two anything. Kidding, Sarah and Joe had a photobooth at their reception with a bunch of fun props, great idea.

I think the ol' fedora did the trick on my Mom. She and Doug were on the dance floor the whole night. Notice they are the only ones out there. They were having so much fun, I don't they cared or even were aware that ANYONE else existed. It was so cute watching them cut the rug all evening.

Miss Chloe sharing a dance with the bride, Sarah. Somehow, I didn't manage to get one single picture of the groom, Joe.

Congratulations Sarah and Joe. Thanks for letting us be a part of your day. We had a wonderful time!

Hazel's first coos

2011-11-05T13:05:00.000-04:00

Ba-gawk!!!!! Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T19:25:00.005-04:00


We attended the annual Reiman Halloween Party this year. It is a tradition that everyone crafts their own costume. We knew we had to ba-ring it. We considered many options and my Mom mentioned that we should be a chicken family (go figure, Mom and her love of feathered fowl). The next thing I knew my Mom had whipped out these awesome chicken get-ups for us. Hazel was an egg hatching out, complete with a hat with a little piece of shell sewn to the top. We never did manage to get a photo of her. She was busy nursing the WHOLE evening. Chloe was a baby chick, and, yes, Doug was thrilled to be a uh-hum...........well, lets just say rooster :) I think the funniest part of the costume is that you actually have to walk like a chicken in those silly feet. It was pretty comical watching Doug high step it after Chloe around all evening.

And for your viewing pleasure, our family getting down chick style to the musical genius of none other than 50 cent. Turn it up and enjoy.

P.S. We won best overall costume. Way to go Mother Hen for making these for us.

Oh, I almost forgot. Doug thought it would be fun to wear this to work on Monday. Well, he got there and no one else had on Halloween costumes! He didn't bring along any other clothes to change into. So, just take a second and picture Doug in one of his long, 3 hour meetings dressed as a chicken! I laughed off and on all day thinking about it.

More to come

2011-11-02T10:22:00.000-04:00

I have a TON of blogging to catch up on, but I can't seem to find the time! Hazel is growing so, so fast. She weighs 9 pounds already and is starting to respond and smile quite a bit. Miss Chloe is doing great with her little sister. We had a few rough days here and there, but things seem to be smoothing out (whew). I hope to find some time to post our Halloween photos and much more!

StumbleUpon find

2011-10-24T23:39:00.000-04:00

if you haven't tried StumbleUpon yet you are missing out

We finally surprised him!!!!

2011-10-17T17:57:00.003-04:00

Chloe and Grif are inseparable. He calls her "Chlo-nae" and he is "her Griffy".

Carter is always dreaming up some magnificent plan. I love his imagination.

Hazel Leah once again, snoozing.


Just as expected, Pop had to get the biggest rock he could find to lob at Ira and Carter.

Check out Ira's reaction.

I'd say dragging along the tripod was a good idea. We were able to get a family photo.

A few weekends ago the fam headed over to Blanton Woods for a picnic and hike. We played it off to Pop that this was all a spur of the moment deal and we just really needed to get the kids out of the house. Little did he know, we all had something up our sleeves. We have been planning a surprise for about 2 months. We have been waiting for the right time to present it to him. After a wonderfully delicious picnic complete with eyeball cupcakes (thank you Pam) my Mom read a beautifully written love letter to Pop expressing her appreciation for all that he has does for us everyday and all the times that he has rescued us in the past. This brought us all to tears. Once we all composed ourselves I let him know that there was one more surprise. I told Pop that we, meaning Ira, Levi, Doug, Pam and I want to send him and Mom to Vietnam. He was speechless, flattered, and probably a little embarrassed. Pop has been talking about going back to Vietnam for a long time, so we all decided we wanted to make it happen and soon. We were excited to finally surprise Pop. He is not an easy one to fool.

We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking in the woods and throwing rocks in the creek with the kids. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful memory for us all to share.

Since our afternoon in the park Pop has spent about every evening in front of the computer researching Vietnam. He even located a photograph of his old barracks when he worked at the Embassy.

In the blink of an eye, 2 weeks have past.

2011-10-06T20:13:00.001-04:00


Hazel Leah 2 weeks old, doing what she does best, snoozing.


I've got my hands full and I am loving every minute of it.

Miss Chloe loves "that baby". She tells me about 1,000 times a day "I need to hold her". As soon as she touches her lap she leans over to kiss her baby sister and tell her that " you have really nice fingers Hazel". I love watching our girls together. I always wanted a sister, so now I get to live vicariously through Chloe and Hazel!

I love this one! It's Gorgeous!

2011-10-03T13:59:00.003-04:00


We made a last minute trip to our local orchard yesterday and took a hayride out to the pumpkin patch. When Chloe found the pumpkin of her dreams. With much excitement she exclaimed "I love this one! It's gorgeous!"

Hazel's first bath

2011-10-03T13:56:00.001-04:00

Hazel seemed to really enjoy her first bath and Chloe was very enthusiastic to help Momma. As you can see Hazel was not so happy when bath time ended :)

Baby Hazel Leah's footprints

2011-10-01T20:54:00.001-04:00

As Good As It Gets

2011-09-29T21:41:00.001-04:00

Hazel Leah's Birthday

2011-09-26T22:16:00.002-04:00

Doug was an amazing labor coach. Hazel was born about 2 minutes after this photo was taken.

He we are, a family of four. Hazel was just born. She is less than 1 minute old in this photo. I love it, we all have our hands on our new baby girl.

Pa entertained Chloe or maybe it was Chloe entertaining Pa during the labor.

First Smile caught on camera

2011-09-26T18:56:00.002-04:00

Check out the dimple, Chloe has one on that cheek too.

Head-over-heels in Love

2011-09-23T23:40:00.000-04:00

Hazel Leah is less than 48 hours old and we feel like she has been with us forever. We already can't imagine life without her. She is a very calm little gal so far and has only cried a few times. Miss Chloe is over the moon about her baby sister "Fragile". When she woke up this morning she yelled for Poppa and said "where is my baby sister, I need her". Chloe feels like such a big girl now. It is kind of surreal, it seems like just yesterday that she was born. Of course, I have completely fallen head-over-heels in love with Hazel. She gets more and more beautiful every minute. It is silly, but when I learned that I was pregnant again, I thought how could I ever love another child as much as I love Chloe? Sure enough I love Hazel just the same. I kiss her little head a million times a day and can't get enough of her baby smell. I just want to inhale her little cheeks. Doug and I are in heaven with our two little girls.

Hazel Leah A.K.A Baby Fragile (that is what Chloe calls her)

2011-09-22T23:21:00.004-04:00

Photo taken by Brook Rieman

Our Baby Girls

2011-09-22T10:39:00.002-04:00

This morning at 1:14 a.m. our little Hazel Leah was born at home.

She is a tiny gal just like her sis, weighing only 6 pounds and 6 ounces.

Everything went well after 36 hours of labor!!!!!

We will post more later, a little busy at the moment.

Overwhelmed with excitement

2011-09-16T03:11:00.003-04:00

Obviously I was so overwhelmed with excitement when I found this GORGEOUS dress at the Goodwill yesterday. I have been searching my whole life for a flowered dress that has a huge bow on the hip and a red scarf sewn to the shoulder. I also think it is very complimentary to my pregnant body. What luck!!!!!

Kidding, isn't this get-up hideous?

Uuuuum, yeah, this pretty much says it all

2011-09-13T19:50:00.001-04:00

Doug-Boy-Rooster

2011-09-13T19:42:00.002-04:00

This morning Chloe put her hand on my big ole' belly and said "Mommy when is the baby chicken going to come out? Let's name it Doug-Boy-Rooster". I am thinking she may be a little surprised when she sees that she has a human baby brother or sister and not a Doug-Boy-Rooster sibling :)

I think she looks just like Doug-Boy in this photo, minus the dress and headband,,,,,, of course.

One more post for the day

2011-09-04T22:38:00.002-04:00

I couldn't resist posting this photo of Miss Chloe doing the mambo (her new favorite dance move).

Project Completed !!!!!

2011-09-04T16:28:00.003-04:00


See what extreme insomnia can accomplish! My Mom and I started this project about a month ago. I have been dreaming up ideas for a new bedspread for awhile. This is not what I had in mind, but you know how projects grow. We decided to finally tackle yet ANOTHER one of my ventures and headed to Rader's Fabric Store in Danville (one of my favorite places to go) and began picking out samples to work with. We actually made Austrian shades for our bedroom a few years ago from the same fabric, so I wanted to incorporate them into the new bedspread. I picked out the blue and originally was only going to have one stripe down the side. My mom suggested that I put a few flowers on the one corner and the rest is history. We hand made all the flowers (they are called yo-yo's) and spent many a sleepless night hand stitching them on. And for the bedskirt, lets just say that I am really good at using a seam ripper now. My good ole Ma ended up finishing that up for me after my frustration got the best of me. I am especially proud of the throw pillows. Doug can't quite see the point in them, but what else is to be expected.

So, here she is, FINITO!

Oh, these yo-yo's have started a whole throw pillow craze. My mom has made several sets of pillows for friends and family. I will post some pics of them soon.

Still Patiently Waiting......................:)

2011-09-04T13:10:00.005-04:00

My friend/#1 photog Brook sent me this photo she edited earlier today. I love it, so I thought I should post it.

Patiently Waiting

2011-09-04T00:41:00.001-04:00

Photo taken by Brook Rieman

Check out her photography blog by clicking on her name.

"Howdy There Partner"

2011-07-26T23:25:00.001-04:00

Miss Chloe is learning how to brush her own hair, since she doesn't really prefer to have me do it, although she will let me................most of the time................sometimes............okay, less and less lately. She did a really good job of taming her tresses on this particular evening and was very proud of herself. She kept saying "I'm really good at brushing". Then she put on Poppa's hat and said "I'm a cowboy" with a southern draw nonetheless. She breaks out her southern accent now and again and it cracks us up every time.

Pool Party Marathon

2011-07-26T23:04:00.002-04:00

We spent 13 hours in the pool on Saturday. It was so stinking hot out and the pool was a very comfortable 85 degrees!. My sister-in-law came up with the clever idea of putting glow necklaces on the kiddos for our night swims, just so it would be easier to keep track of them. They were a huge hit. The kids loved them, but I think Pa was even more stoked about the glow sticks (go figure, fiber-optic-light man himself). They did look really cool under the water. We had quite the night swim and ended up staying out there until around 12 am. Finally, Chloe threw in the towel and called it a night............while still in the pool.

Right then, in that moment, life was a bowl of cherries :)

2011-07-26T22:54:00.003-04:00

Poppa is home from work, we have a beautiful baby girl, and feasting on Ranier cherries.

Can't ask for much more.

It's Official!

2011-07-19T19:55:00.000-04:00

Miss Chloe is 25 months old today and officially swimming, underwater, on her own. She pushes off the step and swims across half the shallow end of the pool (around 8 feet) all by herself. Her little body wiggles all around and up and down. It is darn near the cutest thing I have ever witnessed.

I think this kid was born with gills

2011-07-17T22:32:00.001-04:00

Front Yard Florist

2011-07-17T21:59:00.001-04:00

Not- so- Lazy Summer Days

2011-07-17T17:07:00.002-04:00

Chloe helping Pa fill sandbags for the water-slide on a sunny Saturday morning in her nightgown.

Carter, Griffin, and Chloe camped out for the first time with Mamaw and Pa. They swam all day, roasted marshmallows around the bonfire, caught fireflies, enjoyed a late-night swim, and then finally passed out in the tent. Griffin curled up next to Pa and Chloe next to Mamaw while Carter told "Once upon a time, a long, long time ago stories". He was way too excited to sleep.

Chloe is the official "cocoa butter applier". She is not a happy camper if she discovers I put it on without her.

Good luck getting any corn for yourself if Chloe is around. This kid loves corn on the cob. She ate 2 1/2 ears!

30 weeks down!

Carter and Chloe playing "stick guitar" while waiting for the fireworks July 4th

Tee-Hee

2011-07-07T20:22:00.001-04:00

Chloe has a pretty funny name for corn-dogs. She calls them "porn-bobs". Just a little something that I couldn't let go by without documenting it on the blog.

2011-07-04T23:12:00.002-04:00

Fashion Trend Alert

2011-06-28T22:40:00.001-04:00

I have been having a really hard time finding fashionable, yet functional maternity wear. I think I nailed it this time with this futuristic helmet. What do you think?

Watch out Michael Phelps. You've got some competitiion!

2011-06-28T22:22:00.003-04:00

Miss Chloe learned how to swim today! We were playing around in the pool just like any other day. Mamaw decided that we should give water noodle a try and pushed it over to Chloe and she grabbed right on. Before long she was all over the pool, kicking away all by herself. We were thrilled! The next thing we knew she was letting go of the noodle and swimming under water over to us. She spent the next couple of hours swimming back and forth to Mamaw and Mommy. She was so excited, as were we! Every time she came up out of the water she would say "Chloe did it, Chloe swimming!". She was pretty tuckered out after all that hard work. On the way home she told me that she was really tired, she turned her head to the side, and quickly drifted off to dreamland.

Something new everyday

2011-06-26T19:31:00.002-04:00


We have been getting annihilated by chiggers this year, especially Miss Chloe. She is covered right now. The other day she noticed that she had one right next to her little booby, she lifted her shirt and said "look Mom two-ones nipple!" I really loved the two- ones part. Anyway, I have been telling her to try not to itch them, just rub them, and they will heal faster.

So, this morning I peaked around the corner, she was playing with her lizard and frog. She was taking the lizard's front foot and scratching its neck with it saying "oh no, my chiggers are itching so bad". Then she wrapped one of the frog's front legs around the lizard and said "it's okay I'll take care of you, don't itch them, just rub them" and took the frogs other front foot and rubbed the lizards neck with it and said "that's better".

Cracked me up! I love spying on her while she is pretending. It just blows my mind sometimes, the stuff she comes up with is so funny.

Our little Grease Monkey

2011-06-26T10:33:00.000-04:00

If Poppa is "doing", Chloe is "doing" too. She helped him change the brakes on the car yesterday. She gets really into it and wants to talk all about what they are doing. She hands him tools and says "here Poppa and your welcome" with every tool she gives him. She puts the tools back in the box, and helps clean up. Speaking of cleaning up, boy did she need it after the car repair. I went out and she had grease on her face, hands, shirt, and everywhere else. She ran up to me and said "Chloe fixing Poppa's car, new brakes!".

Who is the Man?!?!?!

2011-06-24T08:09:00.003-04:00

My man is! We bought a new car last night. She is a beauty, I think we are going to call her Pearl. She is a Buick Enclave CXL, fully loaded with heated leather seats, wood grain dash, heated washer fluid (huh), 8 passenger seating, and whole bunch of other bells and whistles that we have to get accustomed to. We are really excited and also in a little shock right now. This baby is N-I-C-E. Thank you, thank you, thank you a million and a half times over babe. Doug you are the MAN! XOXOXOXOXOXO

Yay! Yay! Yay!

2011-06-22T22:00:00.000-04:00

If you can't tell, we are more than a little excited that Chloe is potty training. She is very proud of herself and wants to sit on the potty ALL THE TIME. She will sit there for the longest time and talk to her guys about the importance of not pottying in their pants. It is so cute. Way to go girl. We are well on our way now!

On another note, Chloe has been saying today that she loves Pa's truck. He takes her on special rides around their yard. Apparently she over heard us talking about websites, because today she came up with "www.chloe loves pa's truck.com". She says it clear as day, except for the the www part, that gets a little jumbled up and sometimes comes out w-x-y-z. She is hilarious.

I'm really old now

2011-06-22T21:48:00.001-04:00

Our baby girl turned 2 years old on June 19th. We enjoyed a relaxing, rainy day playing with our girl. Later that evening Poppa, Chloe, and I sat out on the deck and had ice cream cones while we sang happy birthday. At the end of the song Chloe said "Poppa I'm really old now". We have been telling her she is going to be older, so I guess she took it literally :). Happy Birthday girl. It has been the most exciting two years to date! We love you.

A little more challenging in 2011

2011-06-13T02:28:00.002-04:00

2009-baby Chloe contained to Momma's belly = easy to capture great shot.

2010-Momma picks up baby Chloe, baby Chloe looks directly into the camera = super lucky.

2011-Momma tries to distract and entertain almost 2 year old, not-so-baby Chloe so Poppa can get a few good shots = a bit more challenging!

Here we grow again!

2011-06-12T22:36:00.002-04:00

June 12th, 2011

June 12th, 2010

June 12th, 2009

Growing up too fast :(

2011-06-10T18:36:00.000-04:00

"Huge Sand Pile!"

2011-06-06T22:21:00.001-04:00

We made this sand-box for Chloe a few weeks ago and she is completely obsessed with spending every waking minute playing in it. She calls it her "huge sand pile". First thing that comes out of her mouth every morning is "Mom want to play with Chloe in her huge sand pile, sound good?" When she first saw the mountains on our trip to Colorado she yelled " look Mommy and Poppa really huge sand piles!"

2011-06-06T12:43:00.003-04:00

367 days down and no turning back!

2011-06-05T21:01:00.001-04:00

367 days ago we made the decision to remove the television from our house. I have never been much of a TV buff and when I made the suggestion to say goodbye to the old feller, Doug agreed, and the rest is history. I honestly don't know how we ever had the time for it before, our evenings fly by too fast as it is. I know one thing for sure, I will never look back and say, "hmm, I wish I would've watched more TV".

5 Days of Pure Laughter

2011-06-04T10:18:00.003-04:00

We flew out to Colorado to visit Doug's Aunt Betty. We arrived on Wednesday evening and stayed in Denver overnight. Betty hooked us up with a condo. The next morning we headed out to Steamboat Springs. We took the scenic route (by the way every route is the scenic route when you are in Colorado) and stopped off at Vail Ski Resort to stretch our legs. We pulled up to our condo and lets just say, we were not disappointed. The place was beautiful with an awesome view from our balcony of Steamboat Ski Resort. There was an indoor pool, 2 outdoor pools, sauna, steam-room, the works. Way to go Betty! We spent the next few days relaxing, swimming, eating, hiking up to Fish Creek Falls, which was 283 feet tall, taking long drives through the mountains, to lakes, the Alpine slide, playgrounds, and anywhere else we felt like stopping. One afternoon we stopped at a playground, we got out of Betty's car, Chloe squatted down next to the back tire and said "hear that, hear that, air coming out of there"! Betty looked at Doug, Doug looked at me, then I looked at Betty. The stupid tire was going flat, air was pouring out of the valve stem, AND the kid informed us of it!! I know what you're thinking, NO flipping way, but I am telling you this truly happened. So, that became the joke for the rest of our vacation, well, one of many jokes. We had so much fun with Betty. We literally spent more time engaging in uncontrollable laughing fits than anything else. It really was 5 whole days of pure laughter. Chloe and Betty were quite the pair. They took to each other right away. Betty thought it was hilarious when she taught Chloe to say Ch-ch-chia, until Chloe got sick and tired of it. Every time Betty would try to get her to Ch-ch-chia, Chloe would say "no Betty, no Ch-ch-chia", which only made Betty laugh more. Okay, one more Chloe story. We went out to get ice cream one evening, Chloe leaned over and caressed my face and said "Mommy you are sooooo cute and soooo nice". I said "you want some of my ice cream don't you". She nodded her head and said "please". Not a second after she was done with my ice cream, she leaned across the table, put her hands on the sides of her face, and said "Betty you are sooo cute and soooo nice". Needless to say, she got some of Betty's ice cream. Once again we found ourselves in a fit of laughter. Next up Poppa, you get the point. The kid knows what she is doing.

We took off out of Steamboat and headed down to Central City a.k.a Blackhawk. It is an old mining town that has been completely restored and is now a gamblers paradise. It was a beautiful little town tucked in to the mountains. We decided to stay there that night. So, we checked in at Lady Luck Casino/Hotel. Doug and Betty went gambling for a bit, returning with nada, zilch, uh-hum; no winnings. We stayed up late the that night reminiscing with Betty and believe it or not laughing hysterically at anything and everything. The next day was our last day in Colorado. We drove back to Denver and ended up hanging out at Betty's place. Doug did a few home improvements including installing a new kitchen light, changing a few door handles, and literally yanking out some wooden spindles thingies circa 1960. Betty dropped us off and we were sad to tell her goodbye. We really had so much fun. It was one of the best vacations we have ever been on. Chloe was a traveling champ, even with all the long car rides. She kept us in stitches and has been asking about "Aunt Betty Heimansohn" every day since. Every time she hears or sees an airplane she says "go see Aunt Betty". Today she saw an ant on the table, she said "Aunt Betty!". Anyway, there I go again telling Chloe stories.

2011-05-22T12:53:00.001-04:00

This morning Chloe and I were doing our daily kitchen routine of loading the dishwasher, wiping the counter, etc. Chloe was begging me to put her up on the island. I told her no and that I was almost done anyway. She let out a big sigh and dropped her head in dismay. Then she looked up at me with her big, brown, puppy dog eyes, lifted her shirt up, put her hand over her heart, and said "Mommy Chloe's heart-beep is broken". She dropped her head again and quickly walked away.

Dollhouse Update

2011-05-15T14:28:00.003-04:00

I'd say it was a good buy. It is now 2:26 in the afternoon and Chloe has been playing nonstop with her dollhouse since 10:00 this morning. She was so excited that she wouldn't even eat her breakfast! We love playing pretend with her. She calls the Mom "Mommy Alexis" and she named the little girl "Maryanne". We are amazed with the scenarios she comes up with.

Oh Garage Sales, how I love thee

2011-05-15T09:27:00.003-04:00


I hesitated to buy this dollhouse, thinking that Chloe wouldn't like it. Oh my, was I wrong. She did not make a peep for at least an hour, we could not even get her attention. She was fully focused on her new house! It came with all the accessories, even a laptop computer. I got it all for $15. The house alone sells for around $80.


I couldn't pass this treasure up. $15!!!!

I bought this swingset for $100. The guy actually wanted $150 for it. He also had a trampoline that looked like it had hardly ever been jumped on. I asked him if he was going to sell that also. He hem-hawed around and said that he would sell it for $40, and that I could have the swingset for $100, SOLD! Pa and Mamaw had originally planned on getting the garden in the ground yesterday, oops. We ended up spending the rest of the day breaking down and setting back up all of our garage sale finds. We couldn't have done any of it without you guys. Thank you so much.

Ooh-na-na what's my name?

2011-05-11T18:30:00.000-04:00

2011-05-09T17:49:00.001-04:00

Uno!

2011-05-08T20:12:00.003-04:00

Whew (wipes sweat off brow). We found out on Friday that we are not having twins. Of course we would welcome the blessing of two babies, but we are relieved that we are only having one. We are still getting used to the idea that we are going to have ten more little fingers and ten more little toes around here. Miss Chloe has changed our life in such an amazing way. We can hardly imagine what this little bundle will bring.

Cheers to that!

2011-05-03T20:15:00.002-04:00

Okay, we have been having a lot of discussion about the natural goings on of the human body. Yeah, I am talking about pee and poop. Chloe has begun potty training, we have a long way to go, but we are excited about getting started. So, earlier this evening she was pointing to where she pees and where Poppa pees. Then she turned around and pointed to where the poopy comes out and then pointed to where Poppa's poopy comes out. No big deal right? Here is the funny part, she then turned around stuck out her booty and bumped up against Poppa's booty and in a very excited voice said "cheers"!

I'm telling you, this kid keeps us in stitches.

TuTu adorable

2011-05-02T20:46:00.029-04:00

We were at the store a few days ago when Chloe spotted this tutu. We weren't planning on buying it for her, but she ran all over wiggling her hips, twirling in circles, and watching herself in the mirror. Doug looked at me "juicy eyed", that is when I knew the tutu was going home with us. She is all about dancing in her tutu. We went on a walk at Mamaw and Pa's place today and I just threw the rain boots, so she wouldn't get all wet. They looked so cute with her tutu, so I had to grab my camera and take a "few" shots.

Playing around with photoshop and the Technicolor Dream World action

Handsome Pa and pretty little Chloe

May 2010

I love this photo of my babies

2011-05-01T17:37:00.000-04:00

Either our kid has a really tiny head, or that is a huge mushroom!!!!

2011-05-01T17:36:00.001-04:00

McCormick's Creek

2011-05-01T17:31:00.001-04:00


Poppa showing Chloe how to blow bubbles at a friends "Bubble Birthday" party at McCormicks Creek


Chloe racing to pop the bubbles.

We went on a little hike the nearby "waterfall off" as Chloe calls it. This was her reaction to seeing a waterfall for the first time.

We were getting pretty tired at this point. Poppa snapped this shot of us staring off.

Adios Amigos

2011-04-29T08:45:00.001-04:00


Doug was just a little excited this morning as he headed off for his last day of "work" at Consona.

This kid is too much!

2011-04-28T19:09:00.000-04:00

Poppa, Chloe and I were just lying in bed chatting about our day. Poppa leaned over and gave me a kiss. Chloe said "Poppa" as if she wanted a kiss too. Poppa said "Oh come here Chloe, I will give you a kiss". She said "no Poppa, Chloe wants sumpin else. Chloe want's to watch a movie". We were laughing so hard. She is hilarious. I just had to take a minute and blog about it.

Morel Madness

2011-04-28T18:17:00.001-04:00

It has been has a great mushroom season. We have been slaying those bad-boys! We have found several pounds already. Chloe is the green-horn of the bunch. She goes out there with us every time and found her first mushroom yesterday! We found a large patch of yellow morels. Mamaw, Pa, and I were preoccupied with excitement over how big these dude's were. Most of them were around 4 inches tall. Then we heard Miss Chloe say "Chloe found mushroom, big one". We looked over, and sure enough, she was squatting down, picking a big morel! She was so stoked, she danced around with her prize saying "mushroom, Chloe pick it". In the photo above she is giving the mushroom a hug. What can I say, she loves her mushrooms!

Chloe was not happy when I told her the mushroom needed to go into the fridge. I think the disappointment is clearly written all over her face.

Never a dull moment with Miss Chloe-22 months old

2011-04-26T10:52:00.002-04:00

We have been having some very interesting conversations at dinner lately. Chloe has been cracking us up and amazing us with the things she comes up with. Here is just a small "taste" of our dinner-time conversations as of late.

-Sunday evening-

She got on a roll with the 21 questions.

She likes to ask herself a question, then she gets a huge grin on her face and answers it "yes"or "no", and then laughs hysterically after.

"Mochi has a tail? Yes."

"Poppa has a tail? No"

"Wadi has a stinky butt? Yes." (This one really got me).

"Chloe likes it when Pa hold you" Yes." (yeah, she refers to herself in third person).

"Momma has a stinky butt? No." (whew, I was worried she would say yes).

"Poppa has a stinky butt? Yes." (ha!)

"Chloe likes Mamaw's house, go! Yes".

This went on for most of dinner. Doug and I just sat back and laughed and waited to see what she would come up with next.

-Monday evening-

Chloe has recently noticed that we don't always call each other Mom and Pop and has been asking what our names are. She has Lex, Doug, Jim, and Nancy(she thinks Nancy is really funny) down pat. So, yesterday I told her that our last name is Heimansohn. She skipped around all day saying "Chloe Heimansohn", which she actually says pretty well.

Let me just preface the next part. Someone gave us one of those leapfrog letter dealios that makes the sound of each letter, we have been messing around with that quite a bit, and I got Chloe an easel, so she wants me to write the alphabet like a hundred times a day, which I do (I am a sucker, I know). In the last few days I have been trying to teach her the actual sounds the letters make.

So, anyway, at dinner last night she was telling Poppa that her name is Chloe Heimansohn and then she made the sound for H three times and then said H!!!! Our jaws were on the floor!

We were lying in bed last night, having our bedtime conversation/roll around, and around, and climb all over Momma and Poppa. She was just rattling on about her day, then she put her little hand on her chest and said "Chloe nice, Chloe has good heart". It was too sweet, I almost cried.We have been telling her to pet the animals nice, so I think that is where the "Chloe nice" came from. And, she has been saying "Chloe cute" lately. When she does we say "yeah Chloe is cute, but more importantly Chloe has a good heart", so apparently she is been picking up what we are putting down :)

Oh, another funny thing. Whenever any two or more people are engaged in a conversation, Chloe runs over, grabs a leg, and tugs until they notice, and then says

"what ya talkin bout?" She really likes to say this to Pa, "What ya talkin bout Pa?"

What will today or tomorrow hold???????

Lilacs and our lovely little lady

2011-04-24T16:19:00.000-04:00

Our baby girl's curls

2011-04-22T16:54:00.002-04:00

The sounds of spring

2011-04-19T11:25:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday to my Pop

2011-04-19T09:18:00.003-04:00

Today is my Pop's Birthday. I have been writing letters to my parents for their birthdays. I really can't think of a better gift than to tell someone how much they mean to you. I wrote this letter over the weekend and gave it to him privately. I had not planned on posting it, but he thought I should. So here it is.

April 15, 2011

Dear Poppa-

Happy Birthday! So here we are, you are the BIG 60, and me the not as big 30 J. Can you believe it? I know I can’t. Over the years we have had so many good memories together as father and daughter. I would like to spend some time reminiscing on those times in this letter to you. When I decided to write this, I was thinking about all the things I wanted to say to you. One thing that kept coming back to my mind was, when did I realize that my father was different than my friend’s fathers? I am not sure exactly when this happened, but when I was younger I had no idea that you were so amazing. Now, don’t take that wrong way. What I am saying is that I thought that all Poppas played ball with their kids every evening after working all day, and that other kids had the most awesome bicycle tracks in their yards, or that their poppas went sledding with them at 1:00 in the morning. Man, was I wrong! I think I started to see this, when all the kids wanted to live with us. And, when I would go to my friend’s house their father was always watching TV or whatever it is that most men do.

I remember when you went out to Utah to get our stuff out of storage. We weren’t there when you got home. I clearly recall pulling up in the driveway and you had set our trampoline up by yourself. Lord, knows how tired you must have been, but that didn’t matter, you did it for us. We were so excited, and when we ran up to it, there were three letters taped to the legs of the trampoline with our names on them. I remember that you drew a balloon my envelope. After a quick romp with the boys (I am sure it was a WWF session for Ira), I went into the house, you were sound asleep in the bed. You hadn’t shaved in a few days, and you looked kind of different to me, I crawled into bed with you and laid my head down on your chest. I was so happy, my Poppa was home.

Poppa, you have always made me feel so incredibly special. I always loved it when you would bring home flowers that you picked for Mom and you would put one on my pillow, whose father does that? Mine! I remember when we would be in the old station wagon, listening to John Mellencamp, he was John Cougar back then, but anyhow, and songs like china girl or taxi dancer would be playing and you would hold my little face by the chin and sing to me. I have to admit though; you set a high standard for my husband in the romance department. While I am on that subject, I know that because you treated me with so much love and respect growing up, that I chose someone to spend my life with, who treats me the same way. So, thank you. And of course, the way you are with Mom is beautiful; you have set a great example for me and for Doug. I also love the way you have taken Doug in and treated him like a son. It makes me feel great to know that you guys truly like each other and I know he thinks of you as a father.

Another memory I would like to touch on are our family ski trips. I will never forget our first trip to Colorado. Our condo was amazing with the spiral staircase. Ira, Levi, and I thought we had died and gone to heaven. I always loved riding up the lift with you. The boys and I often talk about our night skiing adventures. We thought it was so cool that you would peel oranges for us on the ride up in the gondola, you were always thinking of us. I thought it was awesome when you learned to snowboard with me, even if you did almost crap your pants that one time J. And of course your signature WOOOOOOOH has been a theme ever since.

Skydiving, how could I not mention our skydiving adventure! I was thrilled when I finally got to go jump out of a perfectly good airplane with you. I remember how scared you were. Your face was ghost white. I was looking to you for courage, but I think I may have held you up that dayJ. Thanks for taking me, I will never forget it.

One time I went with you to pick up a load of river rock. I am not sure where it was, but we were in one of the big trucks. I thought you were so strong/crazy when you were picking up these humongous rocks and putting them in the back of the truck. I remember I would search for the big ones and you would come pick them up. On the way home we laughed our butts off. I can’t remember what we thought was so funny, but it was a good time and once again I just felt special when I was with you, even if was just picking up a load of rocks.

Remember when we went and picked up the bedroom suit early to surprise Mom? We set it all up before she got home, turned off the lights, and hid under the blankets. We were all trying so hard to be quiet. I remember Levi was so excited that he kept giggling. I will never forget Mom’s face when she walked in the room. She was so surprised. Of course the presentation was most of it. You have always had a way of making everything more exciting. I guess that is what Mom means when she says “put another quarter in and hold on for the ride”.

A recent memory that I cherish deep in my heart was during the birth of Chloe. Right before she was born, you were holding me up, you had your head next to mine, and I could feel your tears falling on my shoulders. I am so glad that you were there; I can’t imagine bringing her into the world without you being with me.

Watching you with my daughter touches me in a way that I didn’t anticipate. I mean, I knew that it would be fun seeing you with your grandchild, but I didn’t know how special of a relationship you guys would have. She loves her Pa and I truly love sitting back and just observing you two together. It melts my heart. There are many days when I am ready to go home, but I wait for you to get there, so Chloe and I can spend time with you. I think I love it so much, because I can kind of re-live my childhood and see how you were with me when I was just a tyke. Sometimes I think “wouldn’t be great if I could be Poppa’s mom? I would give him an amazing life, like he did for us.” I bet for sure that I was your Momma I would definitely give you some well deserved whippins on your backside though! Of course, that dream is impossible, but I promise to give my children everything I can, like you have done for us.

I could go one for pages and pages with all the wonderful memories we have had. These are just a few that are in the front of my mind at the moment. I have been so blessed to have a great childhood and you and Mom are to thank for that. You have given your lives to us and I am forever grateful to you.

Poppa you have been the BEST, most unique, adventurous, ca-razy, beautiful, romantic, inspiring and creative father anyone could ever ask for. I have always felt so safe and protected if you were there. The sky could be falling, but if you were there, then no worries. You are my hero and always will be. You have worked so hard, loved so hard, laughed so hard, and definitely cried so hard, and all for us. You are truly “one of a kind”. I have always been so proud that you are my Poppa and I love you dearly. Thank you a million times over.

Your Daughter

Lex

P.S. I have stocked up on quarters, so keep the ride “a goin”!!!!!!

Way to go Baby!

2011-04-19T09:13:00.001-04:00

Doug recently accepted at position at Exact Target.
Congratulations! I knew they would snap you right up.

What a beautiful spring day!

2011-04-10T22:49:00.000-04:00

The afternoon began at Mamaw and Pa's house. First we had to pay a visit to the chickies. My Mom has wanted chickens since the day they moved into their house 18 years ago. It just so happens that the neighbor went to TSC a few weeks ago and thought the chicks were cute, but then realized that she didn't really have a place for them to grow into adult chickens, so she brought them down to my parents place, and of course Mom was thrilled to have 12 new babies to care for. Chloe loves them, especially the two black ones. She always tells Poppa "get it, black one, Chloe hold you". The chicks spent their first day outside in the pen that Mom and Pop made this week. Miss Chloe wanted right in there with the chicks. She is not a bit afraid of them. From their house, we headed out on a bike ride to Swinford Park in Plainfield. Chloe is now old enough to ride on the back of the bike. I gave it a try last summer, but the helmet was too big. The helmet fits perfectly now, so we went out for a ride today. She loved it. She said "Momma ride bike, Chloe ride with Poppa, Chloe likes it". We hung out at the park for an hour or so, had a bite to eat, and then headed back to Mamaw and Pa's. Chloe was worn out and fell asleep on the way home. We had a wonderful time and I think we will be heading out on the bikes again soon.

2011-04-10T10:43:00.004-04:00

Poppa and Chloe have been working on getting the grasses cut down this weekend. I went out to see them and take a Chloe a drink, when I handed it to her she said "thank you Mommy Bear". Too darn cute, I can't stand it.

2011-04-10T10:23:00.003-04:00

2011-04-09T00:19:00.001-04:00

2011-04-09T00:17:00.000-04:00

Our big-little suprise

2011-04-08T21:35:00.000-04:00

Okay, the initial shock has subsided and we have accepted the fact that we are going to have another baby...........and possibly two! Our midwife has a sneaking suspicion that I am carrying twins. I am 4 months along and twice as big as I was with Chloe at this stage. We are a little freaked out at this point, but are trying to keep cool until we know for sure. We will find out more on May 6th.

Hey, Good Lookin'

2011-04-08T19:14:00.002-04:00

Doug all dressed up for hmmmmm, well lets just say it's TOP SECRET information until further notice.

Woot-Woot

2011-04-08T19:03:00.000-04:00

I finally received my diploma today and just in case you happened to overlook it, I graduated with High Honors!!!!!

Funny Faces

2011-03-18T12:43:00.001-04:00

Who needs paper? Painting on your face is much more amusing

2011-03-18T12:31:00.002-04:00

We have spent hours and hours painting and drawing in the last few months. Chloe is obsessed with drawing circles, triangles, and hearts. Doug and I are amazed at how much her dexterity has improved in such a short time. She got so excited a few days ago when drew a triangle. As soon as her Poppa got home, she ran over to the door and grabbed his hand, said "mon Poppa", led him over to her tablet, and showed him the triangle. She always asks me to draw her a picture of "Wadi"(Levi) and "Wyra"(Ira), those are the names she gave them, which is funny, because she can say Levi and Ira, but she prefers Wadi and Wyra. We have enjoyed drawing with her too. It is very therapeutic to spend the evenings drawing with our little girl.

Okay, I have hesitated to post about this, because nobody likes it when someone brags on their kid all the time, but I cannot resist any longer. So here I am bragging on our girl.

Chloe wants me to write her name ALL the time now. When I begin to write her name, she will spell it to me, C-H-L-O-E.

LIke Poppa

2011-03-18T12:03:00.002-04:00

This morning Chloe and I were cutting up a few kiwis for breakfast. Chloe picked one up and said "hairy". I said "yeah, kiwis are kind of hairy aren't they?". She looked off to the side (that is her latest thing, she walks all around the house saying ummm, and always looks over to the side when she says it) and said "ummm like Poppa!". We both broke out in laughter and I agreed with her that kiwis are hairy, like her Poppa.

My Mom's Masterpiece

2011-03-17T09:01:00.000-04:00

My Mom made this amazing wall-hanging for my birthday. I love it so much, I can't stop staring at it. It couldn't fit our house any better. Thank you so much Ma.

Miss Chloe, 21 months old

2011-03-17T08:18:00.000-04:00

And......................We're Back!

2011-03-17T08:17:00.000-04:00

It has been nearly six weeks since I have blogged. We have been so busy with life, life, and more life. I was in a fever-pitch finishing up my Master's Degree, then we had a 30th birthday/graduation party for uh-hum.........me, and somehow I managed to invite 53 people to our house (not the smartest idea ever). Of course we had to finish up a million and half home improvement projects before the blow-out. We decided the weekend before that the half-bath, a.k.a "man-hole" needed to remodeled, so we were tiling until the wee hours to get that finished. Doug pulled another one of his signature all-nighters. It looks amazing now. Not the smelly, yucky, grimey "man-hole" it used to be. Hmmmm, maybe I should come up with a better name than "man-hole", sounds really bad, and looks even worse in print. Anyway- the party when very well, we all had a great time and ate waaaaaaaaaaay too much food. About 24 hours later I left for a five day cruise to the Bahamas with my Mom and my sister in law. So, I am back now and my goal all week has to been to blog. Then, we all came down with the flu from hell. Seriously, it was up there in the top 3 worst flu bugs ever. We are finally starting to come out of it (hopefully), so here I am playing a little game of catch up in the blog world.

I think I will start out with an adorable photo of who else? Chloe.

A little, o.k. a lot blurry, but I still like it.

And, now I can't get any of the other photos to upload, (sigh).......................well, I guess I am going to post this and try again later.

One more photo of our girl

2011-01-31T17:47:00.000-05:00

Catching up

2011-01-30T19:53:00.006-05:00

I have been slacking on the blogging this month, because I have been working non-stop on my school work. I am proud to say that I have completed my Master's degree program!!!!!! It definitely was a tad more challenging with Little Miss Chloe around to help distract me and I am a such a sucker. I would much rather play a game of hide and seek with our baby girl over my studies, but I managed to finish all the 1 million papers and exams!

There is one funny little Chloe-ism that I must share before I go. The other day we were driving home from Avon and Doug was in the backseat with Chloe. He was singing her the Elmo song (she has grown super fond of Elmo lately). The song goes "La, la, la, la Elmo's song. I wrote the music, I sing the words." Well, Doug sang "I wrote the music, I sing the sing the song." Chloe quickly corrected him by saying " No Poppa, words". We were dumbfounded! Man, we better not slip up around this little booger, especially when it comes to Elmo's song.

I have much, much more blogging to catch up on, but this will do for now. :)