What to do today?

Ah, Saturday mornings. I wake up, look at the clock, and think what great things I could accomplish today. Yeah right - I have been awake for 3 hours and I have made breakfast (and cleaned up - thank you very much!), wiped my son's disgusting nose about 20 times, and watched my daughter clean out my purse looking for gum. Remind me again why I can't seem to get big projects done when I am at home with my kids?

I did mangage to do a quick Valentine's gift for Teagan's teachers. I borrowed the idea from another blog. Super easy and CHEAP (my favorite word!) I started with 3 tiny bottles of hand sanitizer - who knew they had it in berry scent and it is even pink! BONUS! DING-DING-DING!! (Imagine I am winning a game show!) I cleaned off the stickers with what - you guessed it - GOO BE GONE!! Wiped them with windex and was ready to decorate.

I used stickers from Dollar Tree (where else?) and I found all the ribbon on an elastic hair tie for girls (also $1). I little strategic placement and tying and here they are. Ready for the teachers!

While shopping at Dollar Tree for the Valentine's gifts I found these great wall stickers. I think I bought about 8 sheets and used 1 for my frames the other day. A couple might go in my livingroom or bedroom. The rest are chalkboard material and I am using them in the kids' bedroom for good night wishes.


Here is how they look in Tate's room. You can see how much he enjoys them!
Here is Teagan's goodnight wish from Dad!
I also found the Dream stickers for Teagan's room. It goes perfectly in her room.

I am using these on the door for reminders for the whole family. The chalk erases pretty well and I like the way it looks on the door.

So there it is - my Saturday in a blog. Not exactly greatness, but it will do. After all it is Saturday! Have a good one!

Goo-B-Gone"r"

Among my amazing group of friends I am not the most crafty or creative one in the bunch, but I am definately the self proclaimed brawn! I pride myself on being able to hammer any nail without splitting the wood or even needing a step-stool to do it (hurray for us 6 footers!!) I love that I can ask my friends for suggestions on what to do and they will give me the straight up about what they think would work the best for me. I actually think this dependance on them is only fueling my lack of creativity. When I have an idea I always think to myself, "Oh, one of the girls will help me with this. I'll just ask them what they think." This isn't necessarily a bad approach to decorating, but I have decide I do need to be able to make some decisions on my own.

So, one of my New Year's resolutions is to do some redecorating around the house. I would like my livingroom to have a little more "punch" and want to focus on using greens, khaki, and other earth tones. I made some pillows (with no sew glue, of course, but hey at least I made them!) And I found a $6 matching pillow to go with.

I also grabbed some cheap Christmas decorations and a $3 vase from Wal-mart to give me a color scheme for my livingroom.

This next project is one I am most proud of so far. I wouldn't necessarily make a big deal out of the cost of my decorating, but the only way to get some of this done is to do it cheap (and by cheap I mean almost free!) I bought these frames for a total of $3 at Dollar Tree and painted them with white acrylic paint. After two coats I found brown paper for the background and used these wall stickers (also $1 at Dollar Tree) to fill them up. These are the colors I want to use for my bedroom. After getting some great advice from Amy B and Nikki tonight I think I will go with one wall of brown and the other walls with blue. (Pictures taken in my kitchen, please ignore the border. That is a project for later down the road)



I also bought these sheets and am thinking about having my Grandma (master sewer) make a bedspread out of them. We'll see how it turns out. It is definately a work in progress, but I have to say I am impressing myself by actually following through with some of my own ideas. Who knows where it will take me!!

This I how Tate helps me with redecorating! I guess we know where he thinks the trash can should be! Thanks buddy!
So thats where I end for the day. I had a great night of socializing with the girls and just having some away time. Thanks to my friends for always making me feel a part of the conversations even if I am not the next Martha Stewart or HGTV star. I know they will always help me out and make my stuff look good and they know I will always be there to hammer a nail and hang a heavy picture for them. Isn't that what it is all about? Thanks ladies!!

Why am I still awake?

While others (mainly Amy B) were watching The Bachelor I was trying to load the last of the dishes without my son crawling into the dishwasher (seriously one of his favorite things to do). Thankfully Tate is at a stage where he likes to climb in his chair and watch a little TV. Teagan is the good big sister and will tolerate a little Diego, so I bought myself about 15 mintues. Tate is clapping along to the "Go, Diego, Go Diego" theme song. I know all you moms are singing it right now!

Tate also spent some time working on his technology skills. Nothing but the high tech stuff at the Schaefer's!

I can't pretend that I didn't do my share of TV watching this evening. While my kids were supposed to be sleeping I skimmed my way through a couple shows on my DVR. I caught up on Top Chef. Hosea is my favorite - I just like to pretend that I could cook like he does, plus I think he is a cutie. And he had the guts to hook up with one of the other chefs with cameras everywhere - way to go dude!

When Top Chef was over I caught up on a couple episodes of Intervention on A&E. If you have never watched it I highly recommend it. I have been watching this series since it first started and I never cease to be amazed at what drugs and alcohol can do to a person's entire being. If you have a chance check it out.

Brad didn't get home til later, but in time to challenge me to a Mario Kart grand prix cup(for those of you who don't know "Kart" lingo, that is 4 races against each other and the other characters). Anyway - we got 1 1/2 races in before hearing Tate coughing pretty hard on the monitor. We decided to give him some medicine, kick on the humidifier, and see what happened. Much to our surprise (not really) Teagan was still awake also. We got Tate all settled only to get a phone call from our one and only college bound family member - Aunt Beth! So Teagan got to wish her a happy birthday and talk to her for a little while.

At this moment (10:30 pm to be exact) all is quiet with the kids and I am finishing up and ready to hit the sack. As always I told myself I would be in bed by 10:00 so I could get up when I need to in the morning. Once again that goal didn't happen, but I did get to do some really important stuff - hang out with my kids and watch them play and learn, try to beat my husband at Mario Kart, talk with my "baby" sister, and share my day.

The Schaefer/Van Zee Clan

When Gene & Carla got married 5 years ago us kids told them we needed to do a family shot. Carla was really impressed by our request thinking that we meant a family picture. (fCome on Carla!) Little did she know what she was getting herself into with this crew! It has become tradition to do a family shot whenever we are out together!!


What a good looking bunch!!

This is the best picture of Brad & I. It was the only one where he wasn't making one of his famous faces or I didn't have my hands in the air dancing as only I can dance!

By the end of the night it was Brad, myself, Becca, Shane, & Lindsay left. If you ever need an idea for a good time I highly recommend the Grand Piano Bistro in Des Moines. It is on Grand Ave and is a dueling piano bar. It is owned by a guy named Tony who used to play for the Nadas and he plays with Jared Hall. Jared is a good friend of ours from Simpson - he actually played the organ at our wedding. They are a blast and we have never been disappointed by a show. Needless to say - the evening was a success and as always the Schaefers managed to have a good time!

With this weekend over I feel refreshed and ready to deal with the week. The kids had a great time with my parents and hopefully this week is calmer than last. Have a great week!

No Fair

I was in the kitchen last night making supper while the kids played in the living room. Of course the TV was on so when I heard Teagan say “no fair” I assumed it was because there some girl on a commercial playing with some new doll that she suddenly wanted. I didn’t respond because as all you moms know once you start that conversation it ends in whining about how badly they need that toy. So, I ignored it and Teagan said it again. I caved - “What’s no fair” I asked. Her response threw me off guard. “Its no fair that Tate got to be in your tummy last. I wanted to be the last one.” What was I going to say to that? I told her that they were both special because she got to be the first one in my tummy and Tate got to be last (anyone have suggestions for what to tell Tate if he becomes the middle child? That’s a whole different discussion) Teagan was content with that answer and went about her business watching Disney channel and mothering her brother.

I on the other hand couldn’t get her comment out of my head. Its true that she gets treated like she is older than 5 and has more responsibilities than she would if she didn’t have a younger sibling, but are we making her wish she was an only child? Or making her life as an older sibling more of a job than something she enjoys? Teagan, being a girl, has always seemed older than she is, but since Tate came into the picture she has become quite the little mother. Many times going way too far with the “nurturing”. We ask her to do things for us, but then scold her for going too far. I forget that she is only 5 and doesn’t understand that her role as a sister is different than the role of a mom.

Once again my children have made me wiser to the world and I have made it a personal goal to do a better job of when I ask her to help me with her brother. I am an older sibling and I know there are days when if allowed to, could have beat my brother to a pulp, but I wouldn’t change our relationship today. I don’t want my kids to resent each other because they were born. Whether first, last, or in the middle. Just some food for thought for those of you with multiple children or thinking about it. A side note about the picture at the top of this post - this is one of few pictures of Teagan by herself I took the last couple of months. A note to self "take pictures of the kids by themselves."

Tater's Tubes

Tate got tubes in both his ears today and his adenoids taken out. We had to be in Iowa City by 6 am, so that meant a 5:30 departure. He was awake the entire ride and was a champ while we were waiting. I only had black socks in the diaper bag - Brad said he looked like an old man vacationing in Florida! Anyway - he went with the nurse. If you've ever had to hand your child over to a dr. or nurse you know how that feels, but I was comforted by the fact that it is a simple procedure that would only last about 30 minutes. We waited about that and he was brought back to us - not happy, but with us. It took awhile for him to "wake up", but he eventually calmed down, drank some juice, and we were home by 9:30.There is just something about the diaper hanging out of the gown that I can't resist! I have a picture from when Teagan got her tubes at this age too. The afternoon has gone really well and Tate is pretty much himself. We will see how the night goes. My little man is such a trooper!

Congratulations Mr. President

The kids and I were on our own for supper tonight, so I made some chicken with noodles. You can see by the pictures how much the kids enjoyed it!!

Teagan is pretty much pretending to like supper so that she can have dessert. Hey - whatever works!!

President Obama

Barack Obama was sworn in as our 44th president today. I had a chance to watch most of the activities on TV and found myself very hopeful and looking forward to where he will lead us. His speech was very good and I know I will print it off and read it often. Here is a link to it if you are interested: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28751183/?GT1=43001

I really enjoy watching the Obama's as a family. I think they are true and not just for show. Michelle Obama seems to be a very strong, independent woman. Her style is simple, but elegant. I feel like I would see her shopping at the Gap right next to me!
I like this picture of the family. I can't even imagine the pressure that is on all of them as a family and as the first family.

I also love the fact that the girls are obsessed with the Jonas Brothers and like the same stuff Teagan does. It really puts their family into perspective for me. I wish their family nothing but the best and am anxious to see what the future holds for all of us.

Rascal Flatts

We had a great time at the concert last night. Jessica Simpson was interesting to watch (lets just say the husbands probably enjoyed her a little more than the wives). Rascal Flatts put on a great concert and we had a blast! There were some issues with our seats though. When we arrived they told us that they didn't sell enough tickets to open our sections and were going to relocate us. OK - not that big a deal, but it took forever and we ended up almost behind the stage. It was actually closer to the stage than I have ever been so I didn't think it was bad.

They pulled this little girl up on stage during "Stand" and they finished the song right in front of us. It was pretty cool!

"Life Is A Highway" was one of the highlights of the concert. Check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3GmVXQ57pk
They also did an amazing medley of "Movin On", "Sara Beth", & "Feels Like Today". I can't find a video of the Des Moines concert, but here is video of the Kansas City concert which is the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtq0R1dSdK8

A concert is never a bad time when you love the songs and can belt out the lyrics with friends! The ride home was a blast from the past - great songs courtesy of Blake and his trusty I-Pod! We would have thought we were at a Bon Jovi concert! Thanks for the great time everyone!

This picture is being added a little late, but it sums up the night.

Lazy Sunday Morning

Ok, so I know we should be at church, but we have been really good lately and decided to have a family day. Brad made doughnuts for breakfast and then unloaded the dishwasher with Teagan. I know - where did that come from? But thats where it ended. I finished up sweeping and mopping (yes, mopping) the kitchen while Brad and the kids laid low.

As I am speaking Brad is teaching Teagan how to wrestle and they are having a sudden death match! Tate is just hovering around them watching.



We are headed to Des Moines for the Rascal Flatts concert tonight. I am super excited - always a good time with good friends. Jessica Simspon is opening for them and I have to admit that I am kind of excited just to see her. There is something about her that intrigues me!

So that is the plan for today. Not much else going on until we leave. The kids will be hanging out with Grandpa & Grandma Schaefer until we get home tonight. Have a great Sunday and take a minute tomorrow to celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. I can't even imagine what every day would be like if he didn't dedicate his life to change.

SNOW DAY!!!

SNOW DAY!!!!
Our day was supposed to start out with Tate getting tubes in his ears and his adnoids out, but Brad and I took a look outside at 5:45 this morning and decided not to brave the elements. We have rescheduled for next Wednesday morning - hopefully we will fair better travel wise.'

So, today is a snow day for the kids and I. Not sure what we will get done, if anything, but it is still a snow day. I am in the process of trying to find my camera - it is MIA at the moment. I would like to get some pictures of the kids. Have a great day everyone!

Sledding

It snowed last Friday night and Saturday morning and left great snow for sledding. It started out with Brad shoveling the drive and turned into everyone getting a chance on the sled. The driveway works out perfectly - just long enough to get going fast and not such a big climb back to the top! The kids had a great time. Tate couldn't get back on the sled fast enough and even tried to chase Teagan when she dared to go without him!!

I think this picture is hiliarious! Not only is Teagan holding on to Tate for dear life, but look at Brad's follow through. He is SO into it! What a good dad!

One of us had to be at the bottom to "catch" the sled. By the end of the morning Teagan was crashing into the neighbors yard across the street - and loving every minute!

Right before the last trip down for Tate. Teagan gave him a good push and he giggled all the way down. Then it was back inside to warm up and actually try and get a few things done. Yeah right, like that happens when you have kids. But what fun would life be if you didn't take time out for moments like this? There are a lot of people who don't and realize that these moments have passed them by. My goal is to have more of these moments with the kids.

Aunt Beth

So I can't go any further with talking about my kids without mentioning one of the most important people in their lives - Aunt Beth. This is her with my nephew Jackson and Teagan. The picture pretty much sums up the relationship she has with her neice and nephews. They count down the days until she comes home from school and Teagan has occasional meltdowns about how much she misses Beth. They have been known to have late night slumber parties and mean matches of Sumo wrestling!!

Both Derek and I have watched her grow up into a beautiful young woman who has created some great relationships with not only her family, but those people around her. I know how much my kids mean to her and what she means to them. So, Beth - this will probably embarass you, but I had to say it. Our kids (and us) are blessed to have you!!

Christmas at Grandpa & Grandma Schaefer's

Teagan is opening her gift from Grandpa & Grandma. Not sure who was more excited!

This is why they were both excited - a Hannah Montana guitar!! Teagan has been eyeing it and Grandpa would love to get her started on some lessons.

Daddy enjoyed the guitar too!

This is Tate opening the train table from Grandpa & Grandma. He wanted it out of the box right away, but it was assembled a couple days later. Those pictures will show up later!

Uncle Brett was trying to put together Kate's new art easel, with some help from Tate. Quite the team!




Both Teagan & Tate had to have their turns on Kate's sit-n-spin!