Race For The Cure

They say that laughter is the best medicine. Certainly the creators of these and other similarly amusing t-shirt slogans take that to heart when it comes to supporting breast

cancer awareness.

On June 13th, I'm heading back to my ol' alma mater to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure. This is my second year and I am very much looking forward to it. Though many participants use their race shirts to memorialize their loved ones whose lives were cut short due to breast cancer, the event itself is very uplifting. Along with the amusing shirts, seeing the sea of pink shirts signifying the breast cancer survivors is quite inspiring.

Below is my story that's on my race center webpage as well as the web address to my race site. Please feel free to copy and paste that address into your web browser to learn more about breast cancer, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, or ways you can help this cause. Perhaps one day this and all cancers will only be learned about in history books.

http://race.komennctriangle.org/goto/shaunaschmidt

I am participating in this race to honor the memory of two dear friends who lost their battles with breast cancer. My friend and former co-worker Libby Peebles died in the fall of 2000 and my friend and neighbor Shirley Feldbusch passed away in November 2005. I am also participating for my mother, sisters, grandmothers, stepmother, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, countless friends and myself who are fortunate enough right now to not be stricken with breast cancer but certainly face the threat since this disease has not been cured.

If you would like to contribute to this great cause, that would be awesome! You can contribute by making a donation. If that's not possible, then prayers for a safe race and the eradication of this dreadful disease are another way to contribute.

Vacation Time

My 8 year old son is on a year round calendar so we have to do our vacations throughout the year, rather than during the summer when most people vacation because he's in school. He was tracked out for a good portion of this month, so instead of a week-long vacation, we opted to take a couple of mini-vacations.

For Mother's Day weekend, we went to the beach. We "camped" (if you can call staying in our RV camping) at a KOA in Wilmington. It was actually warm enough to get on bathing suits and play at the beach. The boys insisted on getting in the frigid water and my 5 year old wanted to swim to Africa (he loves animals). My daughter wanted to get in the water too and I walked in with her, but didn't get too far in.....way too cold for my liking. While we were there, we also took a tour of the motion picture studios. It's where the show One Tree Hill is filmed. Though we don't watch that show, it was neat to see an actual production set. We downloaded an episode when we got home, just so we could see the sets we saw in action.






We just got back from a 2 day vacation to Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, NC. If you've never been there, I say it's well worth the trip. They just opened up so they have Grand Opening specials going on now. It's quite high-end so I don't know that we'll be able to afford to go often, or even at all, down the road. It's a hotel with an indoor water park. You have to stay at the hotel to be able to use the water park. It's so huge and lots of fun! They have several water slides to choose from. My husband and oldest son loved the "Howlin' Tornado" water slide. I told my oldest son that any ride with the word "howlin'" in it is not a ride I'll go on. I'm chicken and I'm not too proud to admit it! Oh! And I actually did back out of riding one that required you to ride on your stomach face first. I could not bring myself to do that ride. Just didn't seem natural to ride like that....perhaps it's being a teacher and teaching children NOT to go down slides like that! haha! I did ride the other slides with my oldest. He even bribed me with ice cream for one of the slides! Of course, it wasn't HIM that was buying it, but he would make sure I got ice cream for riding it with him. My 5 year old wouldn't go on a slide. He goes on Splash Mountain at Disney, but not any of the waterslides. Go figure! They had a little kid area which splashed water every which way and had a little water slide, which of course my littler ones enjoyed. They have a bigger kid/teen area that also splashed water everywhere and the MOTHER of all water bucket dumpers. They also had a wave pool and a fun, calm pool. The calm pool had an area roped off for a lily pad/log obstacle course that the boys loved! They also have an outdoor calm pool. Great Wolf Lodge also has a full restaurant, with a kid-sized buffet (really neat, in my opinion) in addition to their regular buffet. They also have a Dunkin' Donuts (my favorite!) and MagiQuest game (for those who love fantasy-type games). My husband is really into fantasy-based games so he loved doing this "scavenger hunt" type of fantasy game with the boys. They have a cub club area for kids to play, read, do computer games or crafts. The boys painted a ceramic piggy bank and car shaped magnet while my husband and daughter napped one afternoon. They also have a full arcade room and a spa. My husband paid for a massage as a birthday present for me. I'd never had one before and felt so relaxed afterward. The children really liked our room. It was huge, with a microwave and mini-fridge. But the "best" part was the "kids" area, made to look like a cabin and painted animal murals on the walls. It had a bunk bed and day bed for the kids...plenty of room! We really had a great time.

Graduation Day

Well, the school year has now wound down. This is always a bittersweet time for me as a teacher. I'm so proud and excited for my students as they embark on the next stage of their learning. I'm also very honored I was able to contribute to that process and always feel good about what's been accomplished. But I'm no good at saying good-bye.

Last night was my 5 year old son's preschool graduation. I admit to some tears welling up as I saw him wearing his cap and gown, my thoughts flashing 13 years ahead to when he'll be in one again graduating HS.

On Monday of this week, my 5 year old brought home a picture of a sad face with the word "sad" written on the page. To give you some background, I only work at the preschool Tuesday - Thursday mornings. The title of this page was "How I'm feeling today." I asked him why he felt sad that day and he said "because you weren't at preschool today." What's he going to do when he's in Kindergarten and I'm not there all the time? Oh no. Here come the tears again.....

Take Me Out To The Ball Game.....

We have been spending quite a bit of time this month on the ball field. My 5 year old just finished up his soccer season and now we're gearing up for baseball with my oldest. I can't believe how much my boys have learned. Last Spring, all my 5 year old did during soccer was sit and pick the grass. Needless to say, we didn't sign him up for Fall soccer that year. Then, over the winter, he kept mentioning wanting to play soccer (mostly to get a trophy....at this age it's all about the trophy). I told him we would pay for it only if he promised to actually play this year: STAND UP, run, kick the ball and listen to the coach. Well, he did do those things and even got the ball a few times. My boys are not aggressive at all so my 5 year old mostly waited for the ball to come to him. But I consider it a great improvement from last year.

This season will be my 8 year old's third season playing baseball. He has been practicing with his Dad: throwing and catching baseballs. My husband's sport is baseball and he enjoys passing down this love of the sport to his boys. My oldest is also showing quite a bit of growth. He can throw the ball really hard now and he's getting better and better at catching it. He's also not getting nearly as frustrated when my husband corrects him like he has in years past. I'm one proud Mama of both of her boys!

We've also taken in some professional baseball as well. We have a mini-season ticket package for the Durham Bulls, a local minor league team, which we have been doing for the past several years now. This is one of our family time events that we enjoy. The children aren't quite at an age to be completely interested in the game, but my oldest is getting close. We try to get the season tickets that have the "Kids Run The Bases" nights. My husband says it's because the kids love running the bases (and they do) but I think he secretly enjoys it too. The adults are allowed to run with their small children. He's going to be really disappointed when our littlest one is in the "older kid" category!

Speaking of kids run the bases, I have one "Mommy horror story" to tell. When my oldest was 3, he was old enough to run the bases at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, which is where the Atlanta Braves (yes, the Major League team) does their Spring Training in March. So, after the game we asked him if he wanted to run the bases and he said he did. Well, when we get in line, they tell everyone that only the children can run....no adults. Not ones to disappoint their son we told him Daddy couldn't run with him and he still wanted to run so we let him. Well, they had my son in the front of the line and I had a bad feeling it would not go well since my son had never run the bases before and wouldn't know where to go. So, they let the line of kids run, starting from the bleachers at 1st base. My little 3 year old ran with all of his might to the first base and stomped his foot right on that base so confidently, looked back to smile at us and got bombarded by all of these bigger kids running with all of their might to all of the bases. He started crying, not knowing what to do next. I start leaping over seats (my second son, an infant, in my arms) trying to get to him. At that point, I didn't care I wasn't allowed on the field....my son needed me! They led him to me, avoiding a confrontation with those big burly security guards, and we praised him for being so brave for trying. When my second son was 3, we let him run the bases there, knowing he had his older brother to keep up with and show him the way.

On a funny note, at the Durham Bulls kids' run the bases one evening, my husband was in line with the boys waiting to run while I was in the stands, holding our baby daughter. Seeing that they're getting close to the starting line, I get ready to get up to meet my boys at the other end when I realize I can't find the diaper bag. All of the sudden, it hits me.....my husband's got the bag! And this isn't one of those chic bags that could double as a brief case or something more sensible for a man to be carrying. This was a huge neon, can't miss green...quite obvious it was a diaper bag....and here he was running the bases, holding the hand of my 3 year old, huge diaper bag thrown over his shoulder. I was laughing so hard, I was crying. I'm so blessed to have a husband who doesn't care what he looks like or what he's carrying when it comes to having fun with his children!

Kids Say The Darndest Things...

You know how teenagers many times are embarrassed by their parents, no matter if they do/say something or not? From the parents perspective, it's totally unintentional (well for the most part anyway). I have decided it's payback for all of the times their darling children unintentionally say embarrassing things as preschoolers.

My 3 year old daughter has been on this "kick" lately about wanting a baby sister (or brother or both depending on the day). Well, my husband and I have about decided that our family is complete. I say "about" because we have tossed around the idea of adopting, more so before I was pregnant with her, and I will never say never to the possibility of adopting. Anyway, we're at the indoor pool a few weeks ago when my daughter joyfully announces (quite loudly) that she's going to have a baby sister and even pats my "perma-pooch." Thankfully, no well-intentioned strangers congratulated me.

On one of the 90 degree days at the end of April I pulled out the Elmo sprinkler for the kids one afternoon. They had the best time running around and jumping over Elmo. It brought back memories of my now 8 year old son when he was just shy of 2 years old. One hot summer day, I had gotten him in his bathing suit (no shirt), pulled out the sprinkler and sat in a lawn chair fully clothed, enjoying the day and watching him gleefully running around, getting wet. My son, not one to leave anyone out, says to me "Mama, take your shirt off and run through the sprinkler with me!"

My 5 year old is my dramatic one. Everything is a crisis for him. He gets so passionate about even the simplest things. He'll give me this face that only he can do (and words do no justice for). He somehow ruffles his brows so his forehead is all wrinkly. He bulges out one eye while squinting the other one, his mouth in a half-smile/half frown all the while saying as though he were giving a moving rendition of Hamlet: "MOM! I NEED some juice!"

My 8 year old is quite smart. He loves to read and learns much of what he knows by reading through Science encyclopedias. Well, his third grade teacher tells us this week that recently she was having the class vote on a leader-response phrase to say when she needs to get the class's attention. For example, when the class gets a little loud, the teacher will say "Peanut Butter" (or some other previously discussed word) and the class (those who are listening) will respond with "Jelly" (or previously discussed response that relates to the teacher's word so as to be easily remembered). The idea is the class knows this is the signal to be quiet so more and more will stop talking and instead say the response when they hear more and more of the class responding with "jelly." Well, the teacher was taking suggestions for their class's attention-grabbing phrase for the class to vote on. One suggestion was "Oreo - Cookies." My son confidently raised his hand to offer his suggestion and said "Hydrogen - Molecule." He said it actually came in second!