First Day of School

Alena,

Today begins a new adventure for you.  In 13 short years, you will be graduating (hopefully!), and on to even bigger adventures.  It is likely you will be moving out of our home, out of town, and away from your family and friends.  We hope these next 13 years last forever, because we can't imagine you walking across that stage and receiving your diploma.

As you begin this school year, we hope you will remember some things:

Be nice to everyone.  You can never have too many friends.  You will start to build life-long friendships over these next few years.

Never be a bully.  Defend those who are being bullied and ignore those who try to intimidate.

Enjoy yourself.  Take risks, but never try something dangerous.

Be a leader.  Set a good example, for both your peers and your siblings.

Try any activity or sport you want, at least once.  Never quit a sport or activity in the middle of the season.

Be a team player.

Tell the truth.

Be respectful to your teachers and other adults.  Remember your manners.  You can never say "please" and "thank you" enough.

Apply yourself to your studies. Good grades will pay off immensely down the road.

I know mom and dad may embarrass you sometimes, but never forget to hug us goodbye and hello. We only get to do this daily for 13 more years.

Always remember where you came from and who helped raise you.  We are always here for you, in good times and in bad.

Love your brother and sister.  Read to them, play with them, make memories with them.  They look up to you more than you will ever know.

Know that you can share anything with us: your fears, your mistakes, your accomplishments, your excitements.

We couldn't be more proud of the person you have become. Enjoy these years, Alena Jane!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Big or Little?

So it was about a year ago that we purchased our lot and started this whole adventure.

As I mentioned before I fell in love with the area, but I had major reservations about what school to send our kids to.

I went back and forth many times, but actually had my mind made up last Spring that we would send our kids to Johnston, hoping they would be enrolled in Horizon Elementary which is closest to our house.  We attended the "orientation" for kindergartners and I remember feeling so small and just not right.  There were so many parents and it was quite overwhelming.

Fast forward to Kindergarten Round Up in Granger.  We decided to send Alena to this because even though I had my mind made up where I wanted to send her, Justin still wasn't quite sure.  I  immediately felt at home and comfortable in the school and even ran into a couple moms I had met previously who introduced me to other parents who live in our neighborhood.  By the end of that day, I had changed my mind about where to send my little girl for school.

Many of my reservations about a small school focused on her not having the ability to be in certain activities. I was also concerned that, if my kids did excel in a sport, would they be recognized if they attended a smaller school (not that I think this will happen, but you never know!).  I also wondered if my child would get as good of an education at a smaller school.

After meeting a few neighbors, (one who specifically moved out of Johnston so her kids could go to a smaller school), and discussing the pros and cons of a small school versus a larger school, I have been able to put my mind at ease.

Living in our development, we have the opportunity to send our kids to Woodward-Granger, Johnston, or Dallas Center-Grimes.  Lots of options.  The moms I have met have had nothing but great things to say about WG.  One mom was quick to point out that she has friends who have kids in the Johnston school district.  They love the school but are limited in what activities they can do because there are so many kids.  She stated many kids have to pick one sport to do and stick with that, hoping to excel enough to play varsity.

I also love the fact that Alena will have 6 other kindergartners in our neighborhood to play with (there must have been a baby boom in 2009!). I imagine her riding her bike to friend's houses, sleepovers, big neighborhood get togethers...If we had chosen to send her to a different school, I would have to drive her to Johnston to see her friends.

I am also looking forward to the camaraderie of a small town, getting to know many parents and children, and the overall feel of a smaller community.  More and more opportunities are being created for adults and children in this town (so many adults are in their 30s-40s), and the town is thriving.  We are also so excited to be closer to my cousin and her family.  We have been good friends our entire lives and it's fun getting our families together.

Tonight we attended the back to school night.  We toured the new elementary school (quite impressive), ate Smokey D's BBQ then headed to the old elementary school to meet Alena's teacher. She quickly found her locker and seat in the classroom before meeting her teacher, Mrs. Bengard.  We have heard such good things about her and I'm already impressed with her neatness and organization in the classroom. She said she was a little OCD, which is perfect for me!  She is pregnant so will only have a month with the kids before her maternity leave, but they will have one substitute teacher the entire time who Mrs. Bengard will be communicating with throughout her leave.

Up until last week I didn't even know when school started. I am such a planner and hate not knowing what the day was going to be like for Alena so I'm glad I got most of my questions answered.  I am a little nervous about her riding the bus so it's probably a good thing we won't have to tackle that the first week of school.  We learned about lunch options, field trips, the snack rotation, their daily schedule, and the free after school program the library offers on Wednesdays (early out day).

Although I am still in complete denial and keep telling Justin our daughter is too little to be in school, I know she is ready for this. She has been pretty quiet the last couple weeks but I think deep down she is excited!

Go Hawks!

State Fair - 2015

Instead of boring you with a play by play of this year's trip to the state fair, I'll do a quick recap:

• The weather was absolutely perfect.  Low 80's and cloudy.  Although we feared it would ran all day long, we didn't get a drop of rain until we were on our way out the door.
• It's always interesting what the little ones will decide to "buy" with their money at Little Hands On The Farm.  This year the girl's chose a little bag of Nutter Butters and C chose Oreos.  (I'm just glad I was able to talk them out of popsicles-I didn't really feel like starting our adventures with a big sticky mess, although C was messy enough from the Oreos).
• The butter cow is overrated. I usually sneak a quick peek over someone else's shoulder instead of waiting in line.  My kids could care less.
• Eating lunch while enjoying the Bill Riley Talent Show is always fun.  We watched the whole thing this year.
• As always the little ones collected as many tattoos as possible at the Varied Industries building. Addie and A each had 3 on their face alone.  
• One thing about going with kids is you definitely don't eat as much or try many things. You know that anything you plan to eat will have to be shared with at least 3 other mouths.  
• Our niece, Addison, came with us as she is spending a few extra days in Iowa before heading back to Wisconsin.  With both grandmas, we had 4 adults and 4 little ones.  Surprisingly we were still exhausted by the end of the day.
• I've avoided the Midway for the last 5 years but this year we ventured in as the older girls wanted to go on a few rides.  The twins also did a couple rides and were willing to go on any of the rides; My little dare devils!
• One out of the 4 kids napped.
• Unfortunately, the one who napped missed out on the Giant Slide.
• I milked a cow for the first time in my 34+ years of life.  The two A's also participated.
• We avoided all of the politics at the fair, except I did cast my kernel which I do every year.
• Baby pigs are pretty cute.
• We got our annual picture by the giant pumpkins. I'm not sure why this has become my annual state fair picture but I like that it's an atypical way to measure how much the kids have grown each year. 
• C's highlight was "the mommy pig that had a big poopy."  He also kept talking about "the baby pigs that were waking up mommy pig," and the "messy donuts."
• L's highlight was the Giant Slide. Immediately after we finished she wanted to go again and was quite sad when I told her she couldn't.  A promise of mini donuts quickly appeased her. 
• A's favorite part of the fair was the rides, especially the roller coaster.  

Overall, it was a very successful 2015 trip to the State Fair.  You either love it, or hate it, but I just can't see myself skipping over this annual tradition.  It is one of the best fair's in the country and although I've never been to any other state fair, I can see why it's so well attended.  Until next year...

Our Story

Some day I hope my children will want to hear how Justin and I met and fell in love. So here is our story:

The Meeting:
It was 1999, and I was a senior at Ames High School.  Justin had recently moved to Ames, following his girlfriend, the star of the Iowa State Women's basketball team.  It was my last season of track and I was anxious for it to start. It was 16 years ago when we met each other in the weight room at the high school.  Coach Duea introduced us, naming Justin as a volunteer for the track team.  Justin doesn't remember this meeting at all, so apparently I didn't make a good first impression!

Becoming Friends:
Track season started not long after that and Justin helped volunteer whenever he was able to.  Being a star on his high school track team, (he had the school record in the 110m hurdles until recently), he helped often with the hurdlers.  I not only ran on the shuttle hurdle relay team, I also ran the 400m hurdles, so I needed to be able to hurdle with both legs if needed. I remember him working with me on my trail leg, running along the last curve of the 400 meters.  I often complained that I couldn't hurdle with my right leg but he continued to encourage me to try.

I also remember making fun of him, a lot, with the help of my fellow hurdlers.  Many times he would help us with drills, doing them before us, and we couldn't help but notice that his left foot turns in more than his right. (I still notice this and I think our son has inherited this trait-our pediatrician says some of the fastest runners have this trait.  So far, my son has yet to show his speed :)).  He often traveled to our out of town track meets if he wasn't working.  One Saturday we had a meet far away.  Most of the athletes were annoyed because our Prom was that night.  We prayed and prayed for the meet to get canceled and as luck would have it, it started raining and lightening during the meet. We all had to duck for cover in the bleachers.  A few athletes and I were snacking on grapes, when we decided to start throwing them at Justin.

We became friends during the season.  The day before the beginning of the state track meet, we gathered at the coach's house for a spaghetti dinner. As a tradition, we all brought a white shirt and markers to sign each other's shirt for the meet. Justin signed his name as Shaq and for a LONG time I thought this was how his last name was spelled.

The season ended, I went to Europe with my brother for a couple weeks and Justin did his thing. We didn't get back in touch with each other until I started my first semester at the University of Iowa. Justin, being an alum to Iowa, traveled back to Iowa City a few times during the fall to enjoy football games with his friends. On one occasion, he brought a fellow hurdler friend with him and the three of us enjoyed dinner out together.  Meanwhile, the current relationships we were both in fizzled out.

The Beginning of our Relationship:
During winter break, I lived with my parents and worked at the University Book Store.  One evening, Justin was working at Sports Page and my cousin was in town.  Justin had contacted me earlier and wanted to know if I wanted to get together after he was off work.  Thankfully, my cousin didn't mind going along for the ride and we met him at the store, then headed back to his apartment for a bit.  We didn't stay long, but I distinctly remember him having this motorized Christmas bear that creaked whenever it moved, (we still have this thing!).

During the rest of winter break, we got together many times, usually working out at City Hall together with Spalding and Slouch Socks, (names we gave to the other regulars), and running outside when it was nice.  We also spent a lot of time eating out. Our first official date was to Hickory Park.  I  couldn't believe I had actually found someone who ate as slow as I did!

After break, I headed back to Iowa City for my second semester.  I spent many, many hours in Mayflower's computer room instant messaging Justin.  We also communicated via email multiple times a week, (I still have most of these emails, printed off in a notebook).  We each made trips back and forth to see each other and I was so happy when he surprised me with a CD player for my old car to make the trips more manageable!

2003

Our first summer together was very similar to winter break: Exercising and eating out :).

Relocation:
Come Junior year, I was ready to move into an apartment and Justin was ready to relocate back to Iowa City.  I know this was a big risk for him because he liked his job in Ames and had formed many close friendships.  Knowing my parents would never approve of me living with him, we decided to live as close as possible.  My friend Lisa and I shared one apartment, while our boyfriends shared an apartment just down the hall.  How convenient, huh?  The four of us made many, many memories during those two years, and mine and Justin's relationship continued to grow.

The Proposal:
After graduation, I worked as a nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unity at the University of Iowa for one year before returning to school for my master's.  One evening during the summer, we went out to eat and then to Kent Park.  During my undergrad we frequented this park, walking on the trails, having picnics and giving me a break from my studying.  Justin had written me a letter after our first summer together, detailing the fun we had.  We attended a lot of weddings that summer, many that he was a part of.  In this letter he mentions envisioning us getting married.  On that day at Kent Park, Justin read this part of the letter and then proposed.

My roommate moved back to her hometown so I lived with my brother, right across the hall from Justin's apartment for two years.  Ironically, my brother and I were on similar career paths; he was in the PA program and I in the NP program.  After completing my first year of the NP program, Justin and I were married on August 13th, 2005, and moved to North Liberty, IA while I finished the program.

The Wedding:
Planning a wedding in the middle of August in Iowa is probably crazy. Luckily, we had perfect weather and a beautiful ceremony. We were married at St. Cecilia Church in Ames. This church has a special meaning to me as it is the church I grew up attending, where I received my First Communion and Confirmation, and where now, 10 years later, our three children were baptized.

After the ceremony, we headed to Reiman Gardens for some outdoor pictures before enjoying a fun reception at The Sheman Building.  There was plenty of dancing, good food, delicious cake and even some karaoke.  The next day we headed to Las Vegas for a short trip before our honeymoon in Aruba a couple months later.

It's hard to believe it has been over a decade since these events took place.  10 years, 3 kids, 2 houses and 1 cancer diagnosis.  I don't think we ever would have envisioned the path our joined life has taken us down, but we wouldn't change a thing.  Here's to many more decades together!

PCDC

For over 5 1/2 years we have been driving to Principal Child Development Center, scanning our badges multiple times to get into the building, walking down the hallway or up the stairs, to drop off our daughter in her classroom.  She has moved from room to room with each birthday:  From Infant Investors to Tiny Traders, to Little Lenders and Junior Bankers, and finally to Senior Brokers.  With each transition we've met new teachers and parents, and Alena has met new friends.  There are a few friends she has been with since the very beginning. They all started in that infant room; the room that was so very hard to leave many, many mornings.

Her first day at daycare and her first drawing

First teacher

She's had a ton of opportunities at this daycare; more than I could have provided had I stayed home with her.  Jump Bunch, Music in Harmony, field trips. water play, daily art projects, and summer camp.  Her lessons each day have focused on reading, math, science, and art.  To say we have been happy with our daycare selection would be an understatement.  The convenience of her daycare being downtown made it easy for Justin or I to drop in and attend any of these activities or take her out to lunch.

(Pics from a recent school trip to the zoo.  This is Alena's BFF Gavin.  Rumor has it they got married a couple weeks ago at school.  This included rings made by another friend and a first dance)!

When we first started touring daycare centers, this was the first one we went through.  Obviously, we compared all other centers to this one.  In the end we couldn't picture sending our first born anywhere else.  So we took a chance and put Baby Schaack on the waiting list.  We've never once regretted that decision.

Besides the numerous activities that are available at the center, throughout the years we have frequently received communication from her teachers.  At first, this would entail a photo from something fun she had done that day or pictures of her sleeping on a cot for the first time.  Reassurance that while we are away at work, she is being well taken care of and having a wonderful time.  Over the last couple years, that communication has expanded to something called Teaching Strategies where the teachers send 2-3 emails a week with pictures and explanations of what the child is learning.  Most of the time when I ask Alena what she has been doing in school, I get zero response back.  At least this proves she actually IS doing something.

We've always had our routine when dropping off Alena.  In her current classroom, she signs herself in and then we walk into the room to greet her teachers.  After hugs goodbye, we wave to her from a window that looks into her classroom.  Justin and I each grab something random to wave at Alena:  A plastic dinosaur, an x-ray of a hand, safety goggles.  It's a cute routine that leaves us all smiling as we separate for the day.

Tomorrow will be our last day doing this.  Our last time signing her into the center.  Our last hugs goodbye.  Our last silly wave.  

Leaving your child in the hands of someone else every work day is very challenging. Those who have never done this, cannot understand the difficulty surrounding this.  There are many who criticize this decision.  There are times when I struggle with my decision to be a full time working mother, especially when I see pictures of stay at home mothers doing fun outings during the week with their little ones, meeting up with other mothers, or lounging around in pajamas all day long.

Being a working mom means I have missed some milestones.  But in my eyes, I did witness those first steps, the first roll over, the first time drinking from a cup.  Daycare has always been good about NOT telling us when a milestone has been completed, allowing us to see it for our own eyes, believing this is a new trick.  I've learned to be OK with this.  I miss lounging together with my kids in the morning, wondering what the day will bring.  Instead we hustle every morning so we can be out the door in a timely matter to get to work, and get the little ones to breakfast.  My opportunities to meet other mothers is pretty much non-existent. This is probably the most challenging for me.  Although I have plenty of adult interaction during the day, I miss these connections. Most play groups are during weekdays in the middle of the day.  In fact, most activities for moms with little ones are at these times.

But, I know being a stay at home mom is a very challenging job as well, and stay at home moms long for adult interaction and breaks from their children.  All types of parenting is difficulty, whether you are a stay at home mom/dad, or working parents.  It's not the quantity of time we spend with our children that matters, it's the quality.

Change is always difficult, and knowing that we will no longer be bringing Alena to PCDC is hard to grasp.  This school has more than prepared her for kindergarten and she has made many friends.  Unfortunately, as each child moves on to kindergartens in different towns, she may not see many of these friends again.  I think saying goodbye will be hard for all of us.

Thank you PCDC for helping shape the daughter that has grown up before our eyes.  She is well behaved, well mannered, smart and confident.  She is a respectful friend and a caring sister.  Bring on Kindergarten!

Pics from Graduation today: