Twins-2nd Birthday

I've been anticipating this special birthday for a while now but it definitely sneaked up on me.  We've been so busy with selling the house that I didn't even remember what the date was.  The day before their big day, I realized that TOMORROW was their birthday and we needed to get to the store to get some birthday treats for school!

Unfortunately they have no idea what it means to have a birthday!  I love the little things they do at school for them:  They get to wear a special birthday hat and pick out a new book to take home.  I'm still trying to teach them to hold up two fingers when others ask how old they are.  AJ picked out a present for each of them, but they don't yet understand the concept of tearing open wrapping paper. I guess it's true, that birthdays for the first two years are definitely more for the parents than the little ones we are celebrating.

Some days it feels like years ago when I found out I was going to be a mommy of twins and other days I feel like they were just born.  This stage is absolutely much easier than when they were 1.  From age 2 to age 3 is probably my favorite stage-I love hearing their vocabulary grow and seeing how the little things bring so much excitement for them!

Party Pics:

Lauren:  You are finally growing (at least height wise), and have become a better eater than your brother.  You still prefer your veggies and fruits over meat and carbs but hopefully that will change down the road.  You LOVE milk!  Your other favorites are corn, peas, yogurt, cheese and watermelon.  Your personality is huge and you are constantly making me laugh.  You are definitely the "loud twin," and you know when you want something.  "No" is frequently heard out of your little mouth.  You know when you are doing something you shouldn't and will smile real big, flashing your dimples, all the while being naughty.  We are going to be in trouble because you know how stinking cute you are that you think you can get away with everything.  I've seen you push and hit your brother a few times and you're never afraid to tell him to give you space.  You love morning and evening cuddles, but during the day, you are full of energy.  You still have 4 baby teeth that need to come in, plus your 2 year molars (God help us!).  The entire world is ending when you are teething!  Your vocabulary is amazing and you are putting 5-6 words together frequently.  You were really interested in potty training a few weeks ago and were going pretty consistently at home and at school, but recently you aren't as interested.  I've decided that's OK because I just don't have the time to work on that right now.  Hopefully you won't regress back too far.  Your favorite toys are babies, play-dough, anything crafty, and throwing balls around outside.  You and your older sister love dressing up and wearing "capes" around the house.  You do whatever she does and I frequently find the two of you laughing at who knows what.  Your teachers love you and each one has been sad when you have moved to the next room. I think you are going to be a very outspoken, well-liked little girl.  Thank you for making us smile and laugh every day!

Caleb:  You are fascinated with trucks, lawn mowers and tractors.  You will love riding on the lawn mower with daddy at our new house!  You are much more reserved than your twin sister, but there are many times when you are hilarious, laughing at yourself doing silly things.  You love books but are not too fond of having your picture taken (we call you Uncle Jerod, sometimes).  You give the best hugs any 2 year old has ever given and love to snuggle. If Papa is around, nobody else matters (unless they have ice cream or a cookie).  I look at your adorable face and just smile, thanking God for giving me such a sweet boy.  Over the last 6-9 months you have become a more picky eater.  You also eat much less than you used to and are really lengthening out.  Your favorite foods are watermelon, corn, yogurt, and peanut butter.  I usually give you peanut butter with apple slices.  You use your apple slices as a vector to move the peanut butter from your plate to your mouth!  You like your sleep and will often sleep more than your sister, especially naps during the weekend.  You have also shown some interest in potty training and like to sit on the potty.  We haven't had any success stories yet, but I know it's too early to start training you, plus I'm sort of dreading the mess that goes along with training boys!  You love pushing cars and tractors, throwing balls and stacking blocks.  You prefer to play with mommy or daddy and we often end up eating our dinner in the playroom so we can play with you.  Your favorite phrase right now is:  "I ride Papa's tractor."

It's been so fun watching both of you grow over these past two years.  We just wish we could slow things down a little bit!

Toddler Teeth

I said to Justin today, I can't wait for the day when all three of my kids can brush their own teeth without supervision.  What a chore getting three sets of teeth brushed, (plus my own), before 7:00 AM!

When the twins only had a few teeth, they loved sucking on their toothbrushes and would allow us to at least brush over their few teeth a couple times.  Then, a while later, they both started hating the toothbrush.  We literally would have to clamp them down and double team them to get their teeth brushed.  After a while, we had to stop doing that because I didn't want them to associate brushing teeth with being held against their will.  Thankfully that helped and they now will at least take the toothbrush from us and attempt to brush on their own.  We've started singing the ABC's or counting while we brush which has seemed to help. I usually make it to S or T before they decide they are done, but at least it's progress.  There are still times when C will fight us so we have no choice but to resort to "forced brushing."  We're all so relieved when it's done in the morning, only to know that in 12 hours we will be repeating the process.

We brush AJ's teeth and although she sometimes states she doesn't want to, she doesn't give us much fuss. She likes to choose who does it each morning/evening and of course it's always the parent who ISN'T holding her toothbrush.  For over the last year and a half we have been flossing her teeth and using mouth rinse.  (OK, not daily but a few times a week!). Unfortunately our period of time where we thought it was OK to give her fruit snacks on the way home from school caught up with us.  She has her first cavity (or two!), so will need to make an extra trip to the dentist. Hopefully this is a good learning experience for all of us. I haven't bought fruit snack in forever and will never purchase them again!  Plus, I'm hoping AJ and the twins will continue donating their Halloween candy every year to the local dentist who will exchange their candy for money-a great deal!  Yes I feel like a guilty parent for "allowing" my child to get a cavity.  The first dentist AJ saw, (mine and Justin's dentist), blamed me for feeding her too much candy and juice.  As you can imagine he got an earful from me and I will never see him again (nor will AJ).  I could go on and on with how wrong he was to say that, but I'll step of my soap box now...

I really like AJ's new dentist and wish I had taken her to a pediatric dentist all along.  Her first visit was great. They let her color on her little "bib," explained everything so well and she got many "prizes" when she was all done (stickers, toothbrush, a flashy new ring...).  Her dentist explained there are some people who can get away with out flossing and there are those who can't.  Unfortunately, AJ falls in the later group (as do her mom and dad).  Hopefully we can make flossing a regular part of every one's dental routine (although I'm not ready to tackle that with the two littlest Schaacks yet-poor L is still waiting for 4 teeth to come in!).

And in 8 hours the process will begin again...

Meal Planning

Being a working mom of three, my meal planning usually takes place during the weekend, doing our weekly grocery shopping on Saturday or Sunday morning, (with the rest of city).  For years now I have been planning our menu week by week, aiming to only have to make one stop at the grocery store each week, (or week and a half if I'm lucky).  Many times I would ask Justin and Alena on inputs regarding what they wanted for meals that week.  Alena loves breakfast for dinner and would usually respond with "french toast or waffles."  I would flip through my recipe books looking for favorite recipes or being daring and trying something new, knowing my time to prepare dinner during the week was limited.  The meal planning became one of my least favorite weekend activities!

This past Winter my co-worker mentioned that they had signed up for a meal planning program where recipes were sent to them each week.  I thought it was crazy, paying $60+ for a meal planning program when you could just find new recipes on the Internet for free.

Then I came across a special for the same meal planning program, Fresh 20, which was hard to pass up.  My co-worker continued to rave about the program, saying the recipes were good, her cost of groceries were similar to previously if not a little less, they wasted less food/groceries, and meals took less than 40 minutes to make.  We decided to try it and I recruited my sister in law and brother also, splitting the price, thus making it even more affordable.

Fresh 20 is a meal planning service that focuses on fresh, healthy meals, using 20 fresh, seasonal ingredients per week.  The plan gives a detailed guide regarding grocery shopping, and meal preparations that are done during the weekend to make completing meals during the week even easier.  Each meal will serve a family of 4, although we find that we often have left overs.  There are options for a vegetarian, classic, gluten free or kosher meals.

I was most worried that we wouldn't like the meals but honestly we have liked nearly all of them. I do make some substitutions occasionally. For example, this week's meal plan included a meal with scallops. I don't care if they are deep fried and covered with chocolate sauce, I won't eat scallops. So we just skipped that meal and had a leftover night instead. Actually I have found that we usually don't need to make all 5 meals during the week and sometimes will save a meal option for the weekend or skip one all together.  I enjoy cooking and like that I am learning some new techniques, using ingredients I haven't used before, and trying different combinations of foods.  This week one side dish was an apple and celery slaw with a homemade dressing.  It was yummy!  Many times Justin and I find ourselves saying "that was a really healthy meal," and every meal is so light you don't get that sick to your stomach feeling that can sometimes happen.

Grocery shopping is actually enjoyable again.  I'm sure you've heard that you should only shop the perimeter of the grocery store because that is where the nutritious foods are.  I can definitely say I do that now (except when Justin needs crackers :)).  Most of my grocery cart is filled with produce, followed by meat and dairy products.

I look forward to my weekly email with next week's meal plan and the service will continue for an entire year. I plan on keeping the recipes we love and adding them to my personal recipe book so that when the year is up, I will have a conglomerate of new recipes to choose from.

I've also recently created a menu board that we can look at each week. Usually the first thing Alena asks me when she gets home from school is "what are we having for dinner?"  Hopefully someday she will be able to read the board and will have a different question for me when I see her after school.  It's helpful for me too because I sometimes rearrange the meals and forget what order I was going to make things.

I love that the meal planning for the week is taken care of for the next year and I'm looking forward to trying many new light, healthy, delicious recipes!

Independence Day

Fourth of July fun at Okoboji-photo bomb. We had a fun time with beautiful weather!

Red, White and Blue Cocktail

Love the view from the house

All the kids

C would do this all day long

Breakfast at O'Farrell Sisters

My Dam Race

Dam to Dam.  Why do thousands of people sign up to run this now half marathon race?  Part of it has to do with the history of the race, being around for 35 years, (although I have heard rumors that the established run actually started a few years before 1980).  For years it was the largest 20k race in the country and runners from around the country wanted to participate. The race route itself is flat with spectators who gather along most of the route to cheer you on.  The thousands of volunteers makes this one of the most organized races I have ever been a part of.  From packet pick up to the end of the race, I have always been impressed with how well put together everything is.

I enjoy running this race so much and was sad that I have missed the past two years, (bed rest forced me to skip out two years ago and last year I was just too busy raising the three little ones to train).  Months of training, early morning or late evening runs, and long Saturday morning runs can be draining, but all worth it when race day comes.  

Packet pick up was Friday afternoon and was located in a new location this year-Veteran's Memorial Auditorium.  I love how runners are spoiled with free food and drink at packet pick up:  pizza, beer, sub sandwiches, chips. cookies, cookie bars, Powerade, and donut holes.  Definitely not ideal pre-race food, but I was sure to stock up on the peanut M and M's on my way out.

Mom and I went to bed early Friday night as the next morning started at 4:45.  We had to catch the bus to Saylorville Dam from Merle Hay Mall and the last bus left at 5:45 and we didn't want to be cutting it close.  I always enjoy my annual school bus ride to Saylorville Dam full of anxious runners.  We arrived at the dam with about an hour to spare so we sipped on our water, did some people watching, and made our way to the kybos before getting our muscles warmed up for the race.

With 15 minutes prior to race time we said our goodbyes and good lucks and headed to line up for the race.  I love looking south while standing on the bridge that goes over the Dam and seeing the top of the 801 Grand building. It looks so far away, and it's hard to imagine that in less than two hours I will run the distance from point A to point B.

After the national anthem, we were off.  The beginning of the race starts in the country, running along cornfields and horse stables. The middle section of the race takes you through some of the older neighborhoods of Des Moines, where there are always lots of spectators.  Finally, the end of the race brings you along the Des Moines River, across the Center Street bridge and into downtown.  The ever changing atmosphere keeps your mind focused.

People have asked me before, "what do you think of when you are running for that long?"  Like most runners, I try to keep my mind off the race, and focus on other things to help pass the time, but without fail your mind usually moseys back to the race.  I often think about seeing my family at the finish line cheering me on and that is enough motivation to keep going.  Near the end of the race, I scope out other female runners ahead of me who I think are beatable, and make strides to pass them.  The last mile is usually the longest, where you are literally focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, swinging your arms in sync and keeping your breathing in check.  Seeing the spectators lining the last few blocks to the finish line is an awesome sight and helps you finish the race in fashion.

After receiving your medal runners head to the water/powerade station and then keep walking towards the beer and food:  BBQ sandwiches, nachos, ice cream, kettle corn, fruit, chocolate milk and cookies.  After running 13 miles, you have free reign to eat whatever your heart desires.

After reuniting with Justin and the little ones, who were busy playing in the water near the library, we went to watch for my mom to finish.  Unfortunately a certain someone wanted more kettle corn so I headed back for that and missed my mom finishing.  I'm so proud of her for walking/running 13 miles even when her podiatrist told her it wasn't a great idea :).  After watching the little ones play in the water for a little longer it was time for AJ's race.

At the last second during packet pick up the day before, I decided to sign her up for the Kids Fun Run.  She was really excited about it and again I was impressed with how well organized it was.  They had the children line up by age and each age group got to run towards the finish line, receiving a ribbon at the end.  She wanted me to run with her, even though her friend Gavin was running too, so I lagged behind videotaping while she ran toward the finish.  I'm no expert, but I'm pretty impressed with her form and speed.  Let's hope she wants to continue running! 

As we were getting ready to leave the area, a woman was just finishing the half marathon race, 5 hours after it had started.   Her husband came up to us, telling us how amazing his wife was for not quitting and finishing the race.  Two police officers on bikes rode along beside her and although they offered to give her a ride to the finish line, she refused.  That put everything back into perspective:  Whether you are an avid runner or doing your first 5K, it's all about the experience.  No I didn't PR this year, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and will be back again next year.  I'd love to see all three kids run next year, and hope to make this a family tradition.

This was the twins's favorite part of  Dam to Dam

Colorado Bound

May 20th we started our venture to Colorado to see "Addie and Kelsey" (and Jason and Deaner, too, of course).  This was the first time we would have all three kids in our vehicle.   During our two previous trips to the centennial state my parents went too and AJ always rode with them, forcing poor Grandma to sit in the back seat with her.

We took off after a full belly of oatmeal and fruit and made it over 4 hours before making our first stop.  I was economical and packed lunches that morning so we stopped at a rest stop somewhere along the beautiful Nebraska landscape :).  It was really windy, but we managed and there was a little sand pit that the kids played in, (although I cringed a little knowing they would be getting sand all over the van when they were done).  After potty breaks, diaper changes and dumping sand out of their shoes, we hit the road again.  On any other day, each kid would fall asleep for a good 2-3 hours.  Yeah, not that day!  The twins took mini-I-don't-need-a-nap naps and AJ "wasn't tired," so after a couple more hours of riding everyone was ready for another break.  We stopped at a Wendy's and shared a Frosty and allowed the kids to get their wiggles out.  We spent the next few hours making up silly games, playing any song or watching any movie possible to keep everyone happy.  This was definitely the longest stretch of the trip.  Just an hour away from Loveland we stopped for dinner because the twins were still on Iowa time and according to their internal clock it was time for dinner.  A little after 6:30 CO time we pulled into Canterbury Court.  The twins fell asleep pretty well that first night while the older girls spent 40 minutes deciding where they were going to sleep.  In the end, AJ ended up sleeping with Justin in the basement all week while I slept in the guest bed upstairs.

Day #1:  Deaner had to work, so the rest of us played outside, went to the park for a bit, then went to their indoor pool/aquatic center after nap.  AJ and Addie loved the hot tub and the twins enjoyed jumping in the pool from the side.

Day #2:  Both Jason and Deaner had to work so we decided to keep all the kids at home with us (instead of having Addie and Kelsey go to daycare).  We packed some snacks and loaded both mini vans to head out on our little adventure.  A year ago, we went to a really nice outdoor park/splash pad in Fort Collins and thought it would be fun to head back.  It was perfect weather and luckily not very busy, so we were able to keep a good eye on 5 kids running around.  Addie and Alena did their own thing and I'll be honest and say I didn't really know what they were doing the majority of the time.  Justin and I each were in charge of watching a twin (of course they couldn't be doing the same thing), and poor Kelsey just did her own thing-sometimes playing with the twins and big kids and sometimes playing with some random kids at the playground. I think one adult even asked her where here mom/dad was!  Hey lady, we're doing our best to watch these kids!  While pushing CW on the swing, the mom next to me asked how many kids I had.  (Apparently she realized I was having a little trouble keeping track of everyone).  Regardless, everyone had a grand ole time, no one got hurt, and no one got lost.  I call that a success.

Day #3:  We all decided to head to Denver and go to the Children's Museum.  We got there a little before lunchtime and had a picnic outside before heading inside.  There was an amusement park nearby and the kids enjoyed watching the roller coaster and other dare devil rides.  The museum was really busy for the first hour (think end of school field trips!), so it was a little chaotic at the beginning.  Again, AJ and Addie did their own thing with Kelsey usually in tow behind them with an adult.  There was a fire truck with child-size jackets/hats.  Caleb was in heaven and looked absolutely adorable in the get up.  There was also a big bubble area where you could stand on a platform and raise a square rope that would form a bubble all around you.  The twins got inside with Justin and of course when Caleb was getting off the platform, he stepped into the pool of bubbles.  Every step he took caused bubbles to form from his right foot!  Although cute, I'm sure it annoyed the crap out of him so I took his shoe and tried to wash if off as best as I could in the bathroom.  Let's just say, bubbles are made of lots and lots and lots of soap!  Then I attempted to dry his shoe with the hand dryer.  Poor guy.  Luckily we found an area that was only for kids under 3, and get this-you had to take your shoes off!  So we spent a lot of time in this area, which was perfect for the twins.  I'd be a liar if I didn't say Caleb probably enjoyed watching the tractors and construction workers outside the window more than the actual exhibits.  Lauren loved the little house, kitchen and general store that was just her size.  (Have I mentioned how girlie girl she is and how macho boy he is before!!!).  The older girls made rockets, painted, built a house, and lots of other fun things I probably missed out on since I was following around the munchkins. It was a fun day and we were all tired on the ride home.

Who's missing?

My Little Firefighter

Day #4:  Since this was our last full day here, we decided to just play outside and at the park. Jason lives in a cul de sac with a great group of neighbors.  The kids are always outside which is fun and everyone just helps watch all the kids.  AJ and Addie dressed up as Anna and Elsa most of the day, acting out different parts of the movie.  Kelsey and Lauren played with dolls together and Caleb just wanted to be on something that moved, asking you to "push" him whenever he had the chance.  That night we decided to get a little ice cream so we headed to Baskin Robbins right as a huge thunderstorm was coming, complete with hail.  This is pretty atypical for CO and that night Loveland received 4 inches of rain!

First Manicure For L

Elsa and Anna

Day #5:  It was time to head home.  We decided to start the trip after lunch, praying to God everyone would take a nice long nap. It was the best decision ever!  All three kids fell asleep for a little over 3 hours and we were able to drive another 2 hours before stopping.  We stopped at Valentino's (somewhere in NE) and enjoyed a yummy buffet.  Everyone filled their tummies.  Then like ghetto travelers, we changed the kids into their jammies in the restaurant bathroom, brushed teeth and headed back into the van.  We made it home without another stop!  It was amazing and such an easy trip home!

It was definitely a bitter sweet trip as it may have been our last trip to Colorado (to visit my brother).  If all the stars align, they are likely moving to Madison, WI.  We are looking forward to them being 5 hours closer and many more get togethers.  We will miss our trips to Colorado though.  Traveling there, any time of year is always fun and there is a plethora of things to do there.  I have a long list of things we never had the chance to do.  I'm sure we will still make family trips out there in the future, but it's so nice having family there to enjoy it with.  I'm just not sure skiing in WI is going to compare to CO.  I know AJ will love having Addie closer. They are the best of buds and play so well together.  What a great trip!