We'll Miss You, Daddypa

August 3, 1942- September 1, 2008

An Oldie but Goodie

This happened a while back, but I forgot to post it, and don't want to forget!

One morning, Eli was chasing Chloe around the house, sword pointed, causing her to scream and feign distress.  Around and around and around they went, chasing and screaming, chasing and screaming, when I heard Chloe shriek in a loud voice, "Lord! Lord! Lord, please help me to forgive this pi-rate!"

The Summer Highlight Reel

As promised, our summer in one post or less!

June

The Highlights: Our annual trip to Buckwheat Farms in Apex to pick strawberries.  Chloe still talks about the "funny goats" and the horses she got to pet and feed strawberries.

Taking an impromptu week-long beach week, just Mommy and the kids.  It happened to be the same week as the annual Forrest family beach week with Grandma Kepley, so we had a blast with Jillian and her whole family.  Chloe got to play with Ava, on the beach.  Chloe + Ava = BFF!

Our first trips to the pool with friends. 

Eating LOTS of "ice cream on a cone."  "Choclit on banilla, please.  That's my fav-rit!"

A short, yet special, get together with Nana and Ed at Ann and Dean's house.

Spending an entire week at Mimi and Grandpa's house.  Chloe couldn't wait for us to leave, and constantly asked, "Are you going to New York City now, Mommy?"  or "Go to New York City! See you next week!"  not stopping until we finally left.  The highlights of her week included going to the beach with Grandpa and riding a boogie board, and going to the pool with Mimi and riding a golf-cart.

The Lowlights- Going to the pool the first couple of times.  Chloe would hold so tightly to my arms while wrapping her entire body around mine, that I thought I would drown.

Having to leave Mimi's house to return to this prison we like to call "Home."  She still complains about not getting to live with Mimi forever.

July

The Highlights: An Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration in Apex.  Chloe liked the moon bounce, painting, water run, and playing Lucky Ducky the most.  She also particularly enjoyed her patriotic sno cone.  (I don't know why.  It was rank.)

Fireworks! Chloe loved our escapades to view the fireworks in the Wal-Mart parking lot (2 days in a row. Thank you, Mother Nature.), and enjoyed every second of the show.  She reminisced "Remember America's birthday party, Mommy?" for weeks afterward.

The church picnic on the future site of College Park Baptist Church!

Filling her picnic basket with our lunch nearly every day, and going to a park after my workout.  I would let her pick the park most days, and she would describe her desired locale, "how about the park with the climber in the sand?" or "how 'bout merry-go-round park?" or "let's go to park by water-lake!" or "let's go to the park with the bridge today!"

Watching the new ducklings grow from babies to "little girls" to "big girls" all in a month's time.

The Durham Bulls baseball game.  Patrick’s company has season tickets to the Bulls, and we got to go.  We got to watch the game from the 2nd row, just behind 1st base.  The kids had a blast. Chloe liked Wool E. Bull, the cartoons on the big screen, and the music more than the game. She really got into the YMCAing and clapping and rooting and such.  We were certain we would only stay for a short time, and were completely ok with that, but the kids loved it so much we got to stay until the fireworks!  This time we got to watch them close up! Chloe loved them, and was absolutely giddy while watching them.  She squealed with delight, and smiled so big I thought her face would break.

Going to the pool and JUMPING in with Melanie and the other big girls.  Un-be-lievable.  Truly.

AUGUST

The Highlights- Mama and Daddypa's surprise party.  Chloe loves nothing more than a birthday party.

Going to the Science and History Museums with Carrie, her bro, and her boys.  Tons of fun!  Chloe really liked the butterfly room this time.  She was especially thrilled with all of the big blue ones.  (Cause Blue's my favorite colorrrrrr!)

Tootie and Ally and a trip to Chuck E. Cheese.  Thanks to the constant commercials of the rat and all his promises of fun on PBSkids, Chloe has been begging to go for some time.  Thankfully, it didn't disappoint, and she had an awesome time! It helped (my nerves, especially) that there was only one other little boy there for the entire first hour of our outing.

Playing with Ally.  I was almost sad she doesn't have a big sister.  She just loved having Ally here to play with and talk with for the week.

A Mt. Airy trip complete with Pilot Mountain, Speedy Chef, and Tootie's house.  Chloe LOVED the mountain, and found a perfect rock to bring home and add to her collection.

A day in the old neighborhood.  Lunch at the old pizza place, a drive by the old house, playtime at the old park (which has been completely renovated and is incredible, I might add.  Figures.), and a sprinkled doughnut, hat, and balloon from the old Krispy Kreme.  In Chloe's words, "You're the goodest Mommy of the world, Mommy!  What a fun day! Thank you so much for the fun day, good Mommy! I love you!"

The lowlights- Tantrums, talking back, and intense anxiety when I leave her in the gym or church nursery.  It's tiring, sad, frustrating, and downright bizarre.  She would normally trade me for most anyone at our church in a heartbeat. Hopefully this will soon past.

Daddy Blog: Tricycle Tragedy

I can still see her desperate face screaming in slow motion, "Daddy, noooooooooooo!!"  I had placed Chloe on the porch and Eli by the fence so that I could watch them as I backed the van out of the driveway to make room for shooting hoops.  Unfortunately the trike that was directly behind the van did not receive the same care.  I heard Chlo's scream right about the same time I heard a strange crunch and scraping sound.  I hopped out to survey the damage.  It wasn't pretty.  But Chloe sweetly and gamely tried to ride the trike afterwards.  She could only go in circles and the trike would occasionally tip over.  I think I should probably buy the girl a new trike.

Daddy Blog: If, Then Logic

It always warms a parents' heart when their child learns new social skills.  Like the art of blackmail.  Drawing some kind of connection between the themes of the previous post and the previous post before that, Chlo now announces to me, "Daddy, if you say, 'Wolfpack is stinky,' then you can win!"

Daddy Blog: Divided House Indeed...

More like stacked house.  Chloe announces to me often in a sing-song voice, "Wolfpack is stinky!  Tarheels is good!"  Wonder where she got those ideas...

Daddy Blog: The Race Home

Having to take two cars to church on Sunday evening (Terri has choir practice) has led to a "race" home after service.  Chloe has decided to abandon her Daddy allegiance in favor of girl allegiance and cheers vigorously for Mommy to win.  Chloe holds this position even when she is riding with me.  She has decided not only that Mommy should win, but that Daddy shouldn't win.  "Daddy,"  she says, "Don't win.  You aren't supposed to win."  Another time she counseled me, "The Lord doesn't want you to win."  She has also chided me, "Daddy, Mommy is a very nice Mommy.  Don't win!"  She has even led her brother astray with her rubbish.  In the past Eli would shout through the windshield for Mommy to get out of the way, but now chimes in, "Don't win, Daddy!"

Beyond the Blue

In the car, on the way home from church, on a particularly beautiful Sunday.  The sky was bright blue and full of billowy, fluffy white clouds.  Chloe said to me,

"Mommy, I want you and me to get on an airplane and fly up in the sky.  Then we can fly up into the cloud, and when we get there, we can open the door, and get out, and play with the Care Bears!  That would be fun, wouldn't it, Mommy?  Can we do that, Mommy, can we? Or do I have to wait until I get bigger??"

On Women's Roles

Yesterday, I told Eli he was "awesome at baseball" and Chloe immediately responded with, "I'm awesome at being a cleaner, right Mommy?" Then, before I could answer she darted to her room and returned with an armload of pretend food, then announced "and I'm also an awesome cooker!"

 

In the car today, Chloe asked who I was talking to on the phone.  "Daddypa," I responded.  "Oh! Is Grandma there, too?" "No, she went to pick up Melissa from school." "Oh, well, is Memaw there?" "Nope, she's at work." "But Mommy! Girls aren't posed to work!"