Patience Pays Off

I have been scanning Craigslist for months looking for a nice used loft bed for Lily. Her room is rather small and a loft seemed like it would allow for a lot more space for her to play.

Then, a few weeks ago, I saw the Holy Grail of beds had been just been posted by the Bloomington Habitat Restore. It was a Pottery Barn loft with desk area below. This was exactly what I had been looking for, in great shape and at a very reasonable price. Corey and I drove straight there and I practically flew up to the counter to hand over my money in exchange for the "SOLD" sign.

It was very difficult keeping the secret but we kept the disassembled bed in the garage until Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Corey and I tried to work as quietly as possible to assemble the bed while Lily snoozed in the basement (we told her she might have a glimpse of Santa that way, since he obviously would come in through the chimney of the wood stove). Being obsessed with all things medical, I created a little doctor's office below by making some curtains out of bed sheets, and adding a little plastic drawer set filled with bandages and first aid supplies. I printed out a handful of x-ray images I found online, an eye chart and some signage for her office. I punched holes in the signs and they are hung on tiny command hooks I installed. She can switch out the x-rays and change the "open" sign to "closed". We also added some inexpensive light bars from Ikea to the underside of the bed so that there is ample light, even with the curtains closed.

The bed was a great success and she has been doctoring everything in sight. Such a lucky find and I think I might love it even more than she does.

The new Lily

Shockwaves hit the Rieman household last Thursday when Lily made a split-second, yet drastic decision. She decided to cut her hair. My lovely friend Leslie was planning to just take a few inches, but after the hair started hitting the ground, Lily made a chopping motion to the back of her neck and said "Cut it to here". I thought she was joking because we talk almost daily about cutting it but she always insists on keeping it super long. Her nickname could have been "Lily Long Hair". It soon became apparent that she wasn't joking and I had to fight the sudden urge to cry. I know that I threaten to cut it whenever we fight over brushing, but here she was, saying she was ready and I wasn't prepared. Within minutes, the deed was done and Lily was over the moon with her new look. I think it's pretty darned cute, myself.

The anticipation…

Her first look…

We like it.

The Milking

This morning I slipped on my Mom's coveralls before heading out to take care of the rabbit and chickens.  The familiar fabric and smell of the coveralls flooded me with memories of my Mom. As I knocked the ice out of the chicken bucket, I felt transported back to my early years. I was sitting in the patched up lawn chair, scratching a cat and chatting with Mom as she milked.  As we talked about life and the world, the metronome "splat… splat… splat" of goats milk hitting the metal pan kept pace. I remember the smell of the udder wash, the rag from one of Dad's old t-shirts and the steam rolling off the washing bucket. I remember the way her steady, powerful hands could express twice as much milk as mine could in the same amount of time. I remember the gentile and loving way my mom stroked the goat's neck to tell her she was "all done". We had some deep conversations in the milking room. Some of my very best memories in that dusty, cobwebbby space. As a kid, I took all of that time for granted. Now I look back and realize how special it really was. Two times per day for 20 years, I knew I could find my mom and have her (almost) undivided attention. In that room she taught me who I was, and to be strong and brave and how to be a good person.

So now, as I wear these coveralls, I try not to be sad, but to be happy - for the wonderful life she gave me and the memories I like these that will always keep her close.

Kitchen Remodel

In our home as in many others, the kitchen is the "hub" of activity.  Corey and I love to cook and the walls of the kitchen were pretty confining and there was little room for seating.  Dinner parties meant a few people in the living room, and others in the kitchen.  We have always said that the one thing we would love in a house would be an open concept kitchen / living area. A few weeks ago, we realized that this was actually a real possibility in our current place.  The wall between our kitchen and living room was not load-bearing, and a row of upper cabinets could be moved to another area without any loss of storage space.  Bye bye ugly blue countertop!

In just a few weeks, the transformation is almost complete!  We also added a bar for extra seating. I can now see the lake while cooking breakfast and talk to Lily while she plays in her room!  Here are some "Before and After" photos.

 There is room to seat 5 or 6 at the bar. Woohoo! Party time! Excellent.

Big Woods Brewery

The word "shy" would not be included in any list used to describe this kid.  I wanted to share a few photos from our recent dinner at the brewery in Nashville.

Lily really liked the man playing guitar.  In return, she had to do a little performance of her own.

Next, she chatted up the guy behind the counter.

She loved the dough they gave her. 

Good times!

Everyone always asks, the dress is from http://www.betterwithabow.com She makes amazing things! This one is a little too big for her, but she insists on wearing it nearly everyday, anyway :)

Senior Video

For those who do not follow my business blog, I wanted to share this Senior Video we created a few weeks ago.

Brook Rieman Photography Senior Experience from Brook Rieman on Vimeo.

Unsettling

Last night Lily slept in our bed. She's started getting more fearful of the dark and last night she had a rough time getting to sleep and wanted to be with us.

At 3 in the morning, I wake up to quiet giggling. Then maniacal laughter while she is still fully asleep. Then, in the happiest voice imaginable, she sing-songs "Dad-dy got a base-ball, Dad-dy got a base-ball".

Next, she says "Mommy! It bounces!! It flies!!!". Then she rolled over and finished sleeping. Too funny.

Horse lover

Lily has been talking more and more about horses. She likes to pretend she is a horse and when she gets tired of that, Corey and I have to play the role of the horse. She can often be found riding around the house or the grocery store on an imaginary horse, saying "Gimme Up Girl!". We tried to tell her it's "Giddy Up" but she doesn't believe us. She says we need to buy a real horse and can't understand why she cannot have one right this moment.

She loves to talk about the horse my mom had, Rusty. Tonight she said "Mommy, I'm going to play Grandma and you play Rusty". We played for awhile and suddenly I was overcome with emotion, realizing in what a real and tangible way my Mom's soul is continuing to live on through her grandkids. Lily loved her (and continues to love her) so much. It only makes sense that Lily wants to be like Grandma and I can't really imagine a better role model for her to have in life.

Unfortunately for Mom, I was never bitten very hard by the horse "bug". What fun she would have had teaching Lily all about horses, their care, training, and of course, how to ride.

Fish Family

We are the very lucky recipients of a hand-me-down fish tank from a friend.  I knew it was a nice tank, but I guess I didn't realize it was THIS big. It is really amazing!

The base was a natural pine that didn't really fit with our living room decor. A quick coat of paint helped it match our other furniture quite well.



Lily was ready for fish right away. As the tank filled, she kept asking where the fish were, because she couldn't see them yet. We plan to keep cichlids in this tank and after doing quite a bit of research online, it looks like we need to let the tank cycle for anywhere from 3-6 weeks before adding fish (for best results). That is a long time for a 3 year old. To help add a little "life" to the tank, I decided we needed to add a photo of our very own fish family. I set up my lights in the kitchen and took a family photo, carefully placing our bodies in such a way that we could be seen behind the tank ornaments. I wanted us to be exactly life-sized, so I meticulously measured our head size and had a 20x30 print made.



I attached it to the back of the tank and voila...





I just love the way it turned out. It definitely takes guests by surprise.

Sleepover

Tonight I overheard Lily ask "Daddy, can I have a sleepover with Chippy?". He said "of course" seeing as he is on her bed most nights as she falls asleep anyway. Tonight though, she wanted the two of them tucked in together.

Kids can be cruel

Me: "Lily, I love you."

Lily: "I don't love you, Mommy, I only love Daddy. Don't worry, I'll love you some other time."

Me: "Like when?"

Lily: "When Daddy takes me to the dentist. Then I will love YOU, Mommy."

Makeup Artist

Lily and I have been watching YouTube videos on makeup application and apparently she has learned a thing or two about it. If anyone wants to hire her, let me know.



And if makeup isn't your thing, she is also a skilled nail artist.

The other side of the lens

You know the old saying, "The cobbler's son goes barefoot". That is what happens with photographers. I have hard drives full of pictures of Lily and Corey, but very few of all three of us. Well, luckily that has changed thanks to the amazing Stacy Able of Stacy Able Photography in Columbus, IN.

I absolutely ADORE the images she captured of our family.

And yes, there were chickens.

Stacy, you are incredible. Even faced with a cranky 3 year old and a personal (unfounded) fear of chickens, you rocked it.