I Helping Daddy!

ILEA

Yesterday was Lee's graduation from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. It has been an EXTREMELY long 15 weeks that he has been down there. It really made me appreciate the single parents out there like my mom. Half the time he was gone it was summer vacation, which was challenging for one reason, then the rest I was back at school which was challenging for another reason. Lee, for the most part, enjoyed his time down at the Academy, besides needing to be away from family. He found it quite a bit easier than boot camp for the Navy, and parts were pretty interesting. Of course there were some boring days along the way.

Taryn and I were able to ride down to the graduation in Lee's police car. Taryn was excited at first, then quickly fell asleep for the ride there and back! Since we got there so early, we had quite a bit of time to kill, so Taryn and I took many a photo around the Academy.

After the ceremony got delayed a 1/2 hour, we were all a little stir crazy. They said that traffic was causing people to not make it in time. Though, I'm pretty sure it was probably Todd Rokita, the congressman who was speaking at the graduation.

When Lee's row stood up to goup and get their certificates, Taryn yelled out "Hi Daddy!" and everyone said "Awww." Then she followed it up by yelling "Daddy, I went peepee." I was a bit embarrassed to say the least. Fortunately, Lee's parents didn't understand what she had said, so I figured most the audience probably didn't either.

On the left is a picture of 3/4 of the Fowler Police Department, Don, Lee & Dennis. On the right is the sign that Lee and his classmates hit on the way out of the gym after every workout. One of the main focuses during their time there was that police officers need to be a good example when they are on duty and off-duty. Which is definitely true in a small town like Fowler!

After the graduation we went to a BBQ place called Squealers. It was delicious, but a little ironic that so many police officers went to a place by that name. We were even sitting at a table next to the sign above. I said I was going to get a sign like that for our driveway. That would really class the place up.

At any rate, we're more than thrilled to have Lee home. He'll be working most of the crappy shifts until the new guy is on his own. We're talking weekend nights, all the time. But, at least he is in town and can stop by whenever he has some down time.

Congrats Officer Klemme! Your family is proud of you!

Weekends are GOOD

We are officially over halfway through the Police Academy. 8 weeks down, 7 weeks to go. I must say... It. Is. Dragging. But, it makes the weekends even more sweet because it means the return of DADDY!

Sitting on the porch welcoming Daddy home.
Trying hard to immitate Daddy.

Daddy & Taryn with Matt Painter. Don't mind how flat he looks... Or the large line across his chin. It's totally him.

Happy Birthday Lee!

Saturday was Lee's 31st birthday. Man, that guy is getting old! We had considered going to the Benton County 4H fair, but it was too freakin' hot... So, instead we opted to go up to Lee's parents' lakehouse and stay up until 5am partying and drinking with their neighbors. Needless to say, I woke up Sunday in a world of pain and may have regained the title of pukey pants. Doh! It was a good reminder of why I don't drink like that every weekend anymore!!! More importantly, I know Lee had a fun time for his birthday and he woke up pain-free. Lucky bastard!

NYC Then & Now

Same place... 13 years later.

Had to include this pic just because I thought it was cool!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

On Wednesday Taryn went to her first Cubs game! Every year the Klemme family goes up for a game. We missed 2009's game because Taryn was a newborn and Lee had class. We missed 2010's game because Taryn had a double ear infection... Soooo, we finally made it for 2011!


Neil's family couldn't go this year, so we got a 15-person van and just fit! There were 12 of us, but with 4 kids in carseats, that takes up some space! When we got to CHI, we ate some lunch that we packed and headed in to the stadium.
Taryn was WAY too preoccupied with the hustle and bustle of Chicago to pay attention to the camera!

Family pic during BP!

Lee ended up catching a ball that was hit during the Astros batting practice. It was the first time Lee ever got a ball at a game. He said he was giving the ball to Taryn, but somehow I think he won't...

It's too bright out here!

It was a HOT day. Fortunately there was a bit of a breeze, but out in the sun, it was pretty unbearable. Fortunately we were right by this shaded standing area, so we kept taking turns watching the kids in that area. At one point Sonia said "Do they still play 9 innings?" Um yes. We all knew we weren't going to make it the whole time! Finally, in the 7th inning Lee's mom started bordering on heat stroke. We made it to the end of that inning and convinced Lee's dad it was time to go.

The kiddos in the shade.

Like all Bleacher Bums, Taryn did not when to say when. She ran herself ragged and was a walking toddler-zombie by the time we left. When we got back to the van, we were all milling around making a sandwich for the road and getting drinks. Taryn got in the van, got in her carseat and tried to buckle herself in. She was ready to hit the road! I managed to get some water and a piece of string cheese in her before she passed out and slept most the way home!

It was a long, tiring, hot day and the Cubbies couldn't pull off the W. On the way home, we started deliberating if the Chicago trip was just getting to be too much for the kids. The tickets are SO expensive and you have to get the kids a ticket once they are 3. Next year we'll have 2 new babies in the family (Christi is due in August and Sonia in December!). It's all just getting too hectic. An Indianapolis Indians game may be a better option!

Pics of the Swearing In

At the town meeting.

In training... Notice the donuts on the table. Cliche?

At the gun range.

That's Officer Klemme to you!

It's official! Last evening at the Fowler Town meeting, Lee got sworn in to be a Fowler Police Officer. And then they handed him a badge!! Crazy!

Taryn and Officer Daddy
Lee's "shield"

On a related note, we do have to relocate to Fowler, IN. Police officers are required to live in town limits. So, we went house hunting on Sunday and I think we found our place! It's a brick ranch on the edge of town on over 1/2 an acre. It has a big screened in porch, a basement and a 2-car garage. The only downfall is the woman that had been living there is 102 years old so some parts of the house need a little TLC. But, after we rip out the carpet and curtains and paint, it'll be a whole new place! The house was built in 1957 and looks like a time capsule from that year! It's bizarre but cool!

The Klemme's Are Moving to Fowler!!!

Where?

Fowler, IN. It is a small town of about 2,400 people that is about 30 miles west of West Lafayette. It is on SR 41, 100 miles from Chicago. There is actually a restaurant called the 100 Mile House which is 100 miles from Chicago and Indy. That restaurant made the national news the year that the Bears met the Colts in the Superbowl. Yes, that might be the town's main claim to fame.

So, why would we be moving from the exciting metropolis of West Lafayette to the small town of Fowler? Lee is going to be one of Fowler's Finest, a Fowler Police Officer!!

This has been a long time coming. Lee actually first sent in his application for this job last May! He then took a written and physical fitness test last July. In the fall, they called all of his work references and came and interviewed all of our neighbors. After Christmas they interviewed all of his personal references. Mid-January they brought Lee in for a "character" interview. At the end of January, they interviewed ME! Finally, a couple weeks ago Lee had the BIG INTERVIEW with all of the other cops (all 3 of them) and a couple members of the town board. A week and a half passed and finally, during the Purdue game, Lee got the call! And I don't think he has stopped smiling since!!

There are still a few things to get through. Lee has to have a psych evaluation on Thursday and get a physical done with a doctor. But otherwise, he starts March 21st! And after just 40 hours of observation with the chief, 8 hours at the gun range and 8 hours of class work, he'll be able to arrest people! Wow!

So, if you're ever passing through Fowler, IN, you've got a friend on the police force!

Pics from Lee's 30th

The Klemme's... A family that drinks together stays together. Although you won't get that kind of advice from those so called "therapists".
The bride-to-be and her maid of honor. Jamie needed a beer to take her mind off of those nuptials that are less than three weeks away!!

Johnny, Zach & Lee. We were trying to figure out what Zach was doing here. Our conclusion was that either he was trying to throw up a "WEST SIDE" gang sign or he had broken his finger earlier in the day and was happy to have finally drank away the pain.

SISTERS-IN-LAW!

BIG CHEERS FOR 30 YEARS!!

July 23rd, 2010 was Lee's 30th birthday! Hard to believe this crinkle-headed little baby is now in his THIRTIES. I know his family is having trouble believing that the baby of the family is THAT far from being a baby!

Friday night we went out to Harry's... Where else would we go? It is the same place that Leee celebrated his 21st birthday! I would venture to say that he drank quite a bit more on his 21st, but I wasn't there to witness it firsthand since I was only 20. BOO!

We had a great time with lots of old friends and some family. Lee's cousin Johnny, sister Sonia & brother Neil all made it out for the night. Randomly, the class of 2000 was having their class reunion this weekend, so we ran into a lot of folks from the grade below us. Lee even got harrassed by a couple ex-girlfriends.

As usually happens these days, Lee drank at the pace he could when he had a tolerance to back it up. So, he was "sleeping" in the car by about midnight.

And to top it all off, Saturday morning, he uttered these words: "I think I'm hungover." For anyone that knows Lee, this is a pretty huge deal. Even now, on day two, he's still napping it off. He's really jumping into this hangover thing with both feet!

Welcome to your thirties!! And RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE STILL IN YOUR TWENTIES!!! (I gotta live that up for the next 6 months!)

Happy Birthday Lee!

*
It's a little late, but, hey, I'm busy these days!

Thursday was Lee's 29th birthday! Seriously teetering on 30 there! I may have reminded him of that once or twice. And he quickly reminded me that I am only 6 months and 6 days behind him. DOH! We celebrated with dinner at Bruno's with Lee's family and my mom. Then we drank some Bud Light with my mom. Party down!
And here is the little bundle of joy that makes us REALLY feel old these days! Although, we HAVE been awake 3am more in the last 2 months than a year of college... Ok, maybe not, but it's probably coming close!

And here is how many outtakes it took to get one picture! How many months before she learns to cheese it up for the camera?

Congrats Lee!

Congratulations on making the Dean's List! Always knew you had it in you!

What has Lee been watching?

*
I'm sure this has been a question on everyone's mind since we gave up ESPN, HGTV, the History Channel, etc: What has Lee been watching? Some of the shows, I think, are slightly better than the hours of Sportscenter he had been logging.

However, some of the shows are a little worrisome...

Good shows:
The news
Family Feud - LOVE the Feud!
Cash Cab - Lee is scary good at this show. I think he needs to start cabbing around NYC trying to get on this show. Unfortunately, cabbing around NYC is super expensive.
Doing Davinci - other than the name (did they really have to call it that?), this is pretty educational and interesting.

Worrisome:
The Lake County news show - worst news show ever, it is painful to watch. I'm pretty sure there are junior high news shows produced by the students that are better than this!
TMZ - Oh. My. Gosh. I don't even know who half the "celebrities" are that they talk about on this show.
Time Warp - there is nothing really wrong with this show. I just think it is boring. How many things can you watch in slow motion. Really?
Lots of nature shows - which is good for him, but I hate them because I don't like watching animals die.

6 more weeks!

*

As we close in on these last 6 weeks of pregnancy (only 3 weeks until she is considered "full term"!), I have really started to wonder. Just who will our baby girl look like...

Daddy? Or Mommy?

I guess only time will tell.

But, MAN don't I look way more alert than Lee in my picture? I am totally doing the Vogue. And the bangs/spike combo was totally the newborn style back then.

I may kill my husband...

*
*
*
Every Sunday, I get an email from the American Pregnancy Association. It tells you what's going on with your bun in the oven, what to expect, etc. There is always a section called "Tips for mom's partner". Lee was reading this section today, and it was all about how fat & unattractive I may be starting to feel and how to make me feel better about myself.

Lee apparently chose to go another route. He gave me a new nickname today, and it is not flattering.

This morning, I was opening a pack of Chips Ahoy (see previous post about my love of cookies). I guess I made a loud noise while opening the container. So, Lee said it sounded like a grizzly bear was tearing into it. My mom laughed, Lee laughed harder... I did not laugh. And now he won't stop making grizzly bear jokes and comments.

Update: He just told me he is surprised I can type so well with my big grizzly paws. He's gonna get murdered.

The hilarity continues. Topics for today's jokes:
- Our baby is now a bear cub.
- I hunt for salmon.
- I hibernate.
- Best of all, I steal picnic lunches in state parks.

Bathroom update

The floor is done... Good work Lee! Onto the shower walls!

The fireplace saga

*
Our house was built in 1974. Over the years, parts have been updated. The people before us updated most everything. However, there are still random hideous gold stuff. Which looks extra bad since a lot of things have been updated to have brushed nickel. So, we have been slowly getting rid of the gold crap left around the house.

Last week, we turned our attention to the fireplace. Lee is going to be building a mantel for the fireplace when he is done with the bathroom, but the doors of the fireplace were that hideous bright gold. We started looking into how much it would cost to buy a new set of doors. Turns out, it would run about $300 for a cheap set! That hurts the ol' one income bank account.

So, Lee decided that he would paint our current doors. I agreed since worst case scenario we just have to dish out the $300, which is where we basically are now. So, he got some grill paint that withstands heat, and painted it black. I was nervous to see it when I got home from work, but I must say, I am quite happy with how it turned out!

However, Lee got greedy and decided to try to paint our fireplace tools as well. It was going fine, until he tried to tighten the stand and broke it. Whoops.

Now, we just have to figure out how to get our gas fireplace to WORK!