Exciting news

I should have come and blogged this the moment I found out, but as you can tell, not much blogging taking place around here these days!

That aside, I have some really exciting news. I'm going to be in the Chicago's Listen To Your Mother show this year! I'm so thrilled about this. Not only is it going to be fun to take the stage again after doing it in 2012, but, this time around is going to be even better.

If you check the cast list, you might notice that another participant shares the same last name as me. My 14 year old Emma will also be in the LTYM show! She has been trying out for the last several years and wasn't cast. And I have to tell you, that I admire her for trying again and never giving up. She didn't let not being cast get her down - she kept trying.

If you remember from 2012, I almost died before the show because of nerves. And she's 14 and ready to take the stage by storm (but a friendly, happy, lovely storm!).

Anyway, we'll take the stage on Sunday, May 7. If you'd like to be in the audience, tickets are on-sale right now. And naturally, Emma and I would both love as much support from the audience as possible. I still might be terrified to take the stage this time around, just slightly less than last time.

I can't wait! Two months to go =) 

Need a night out?

**please note: parts of this post are sponsored. I'm being given tickets in exchange for sharing this information with you, however, as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!


Hey Chicago friends! Are you looking for a night out? Because we've got some pretty fabulous shows in the area that you should know about.

I'm pretty excited because I always love heading into the city to see shows. For me, a stage show is just magical. And truth be told, we don't see them often enough for my tastes, but life is busy and it's not always easy to get into the city. But the times we manage to make it, it is always well worth it.

The King and I

The King and I is running now at the Lyric Opera House.  Didn't buy your tickets yet? That's okay. They are running a special promotion right now.
You can get half off tickets to any Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday night performance of the King and I if you use the code SIAMBLOG when you purchase your tickets.
So you should definitely buy some tickets and "get to know" The King and I. (See what I did there? And yes, I will be singing Getting to Know You the rest of the day and I'm okay with that!)
I've never seen the King and I on stage before myself and I'm pretty excited to be able to finally say I have because I love the music from the show so much.

Please see lyricopera.org/promo for full offer details. Code expires 5/19/2016. For more information on The King and I visit www.lyricopera.org/kingandi

Cinderella

This week, the Joffrey Ballet is kicking off Cinderella. This is the final show of their 60th season it's running from May 11 to May 22, so get your tickets quick before the the coach turns back into a pumpkin.
But seriously, I've seen the Disney version, I've seen movie versions. Last year my husband took my downtown to see the Rodgers & Hammerstein's version. I've known the Cinderella story since childhood, but I'm excited to see how the Joffrey Balley takes it and makes it it's own. I have hopes which I know won't be disappointed.
Tickets are available for the show now and you can buy them on-line at joffrey.org/cinderella.

Van Gogh's Bedrooms

Speaking of heading downtown, tomorrow the kids and I are going to hop a train and head on down the Art Institute. Tomorrow is the last day of the special Van Gogh's Bedroom exhibit. Ever since it opened I've been saying that I want to go down, and in what seems fitting, I'll finally make it on the last day! My 13 year old has already been with some friends, but the 10 year old and I will be looking at it for the first (and last) time. In general, I love the Art Institute, but I'm especially excited to visit this exhibit. Plus, it's always nice to get out of the house and change up the routine a bit!
Anyway, if you have time in the next two days, you should head out and see Van Gogh's Bedrooms because I've heard from other people that it's well worth it!

Things You Should Know About

So I don't often share different events on my blog, but there are a few things I want to share with you.

First of, open sign-ups for Camp Kesem are taking place right now!

What is Camp Kesem? you ask. Well, I will tell you! Camp Kesem is a non-profit camp run through local colleges and universities for children who have a parent who had/have cancer.

What does that mean? you ask. Well, it means that Camp Kesem is run by very enthusiastic and wonderful college students. Kids who attend it, attend for free. It is at no cost to the family. There are locations all across the US. And it's a place where kids can go to have a lot of fun, but also to connect to other kids who know what it is like when mom and/or dad have cancer.

Let's face it, cancer is stressful on the whole family. And often times kids don't have a place to turn or none of their good friends have been in that situation so it can feel awkward to share. Cue Camp Kesem.

My kids have attended three years, and will be attending their fourth this summer. And we are SO happy we found it. If Camp Kesem isn't a fit for your family, feel free to share it with others who might need it!

Second, many places are having auditions for Listen To Your Mother (LTYM) right now!

This includes my sweet home of Chicago!

What is Listen To Your Mother? you ask. LTYM is a live stage show that takes place in 41 cities. It is people getting on stage and reading an essay that they've written about motherhood.

I was in Chicago's first Listen To Your Mother show and it was awesome. This year, I'm trying out. I'm nervous because I haven't tried since that first year. But whatever happens, I will be thrilled to see it back in Chicago.

In case you are wondering:
No, you don't have to be a mother. (You can write about your mother or mother figure in your life.)
No, you don't have to be a professional writer. (I was in the show, so that should clear that up!)
No, you don't have to be a blogger.
No, you don't have to be a public speaker.

All you have to do is have a story to share, put it to paper, and be willing to read it to an audience.

If you want to submit a piece for the Chicago show, it must be done by February 5. So get to writing. And if you don't want to be in the show, then mark your calendar for May 1 and go be a part of the audience supporting those on stage!

Side note: If you aren't in the Chicago area, go here to see if a LTYM show is coming near you. If you click on the city name, you should be able to get audition and show information! I'd like to round up all the info for you, but can't commit to that right now!

Third, Chicago is getting a new kids camp this summer: Galileo Innovation Camps. They look pretty fun, and the camps have been in other parts of the country before, but this will be their first summer in Chicago. You can head on over to my TheMakerMom's blog to get more info on it. I'm definitely thinking about putting Mister 10 in it. I think he'd have a blast!

Alright, I think that's about everything to share with you for the moment. Let me know if you sign kids up for camp, or are headed out to a LTYM show!

Helping the Homeless

I noticed this week that a lot of people are talking about the homeless in the US.

While some are complaining, or saying it's just a scapegoat for other issues, I personally think it's great that we are talking about it and that so many people seem interested in helping.

So, I sat down and made a list of places in our area that help provide help to those who are homeless or are on the brink of being homeless. Some of these places I already knew about, but some are new to me (thanks to doing some internet searched!).

So here you go. Places that help, and places you can help provide that help.

Bridge Communities
http://www.bridgecommunities.org/index.html
They provide transitional housing, mentoring, and other services to homeless families in the DuPage Country area
Glen Ellyn, IL

DuPage PADS
http://dupagepads.org/
They provide interim and permanent housing to those who are in need, as well as support services to help people become self-sufficient.
Wheaton, IL

Fellowship Housing Corporation
http://www.fhcmoms.org/
They help single moms and their children who are homeless or at high risk for becoming homeless with two-year transitional housing and a path to help find permanent housing
Hoffman Estates, IL

The Harbour
http://www.theharbour.org/
They provide services and help to homeless teenage girls (who are often runaways or have been locked out of their homes). They offer both emergency housing and transitional housing
Park Ridge, IL

Journeys the Road Home
http://www.journeystheroadhome.org/landing/
They provide shelter and services to those in the area who are homeless, or are at high risk of becoming homeless
Palatine, IL

Lazarus House
http://www.lazarushouseonline.com/
They provide emergency housing and transitional housing to men, women and children in the Kane County area. They also have outreach programs to help those who aren't homeless, but are close to it.
St. Charles, IL

Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans
http://www.helpaveteran.org/
They provide transitional and affordable housing to veterans of any age and their families
Wheaton, IL

Shelter, Inc
http://shelter-inc.org/
They provide help and shelter to children who are being abused, neglected, or in need of supervision. They have a 24 hour hot-line so they can help at any time
Arlington Heights, IL

Willowcreek Care Center
https://www.willowcreekcarecenter.org/
They offer assistance for food and clothing. As well as health and dental services to those in need. They also provide transportation to those who qualify.
South Barrington, IL

Wings
http://wingsprogram.com/

They provide housing, help, and care to women and their children trying to leave abusive partners

Palatine, IL

Food Pantries

Barrington Township

Greater Elgin Food Pantry

Hanover Park Township 

Interfaith Food Pantry (Carol Stream, IL)

Palatine Township Food Pantry

People's Resource Center (Wheaton, IL)

Self Help Closet and Pantry of Des Plaines
St. Edna Catholic Church Pantry (Arlington Heights, IL)
Trinity Charities Inc Food Pantry (Schaumburg, IL)
Willowcreek Church Food Pantry (South Barrington, IL)

This list isn't all inclusive, there are lots of other places out there to help as well!

And if you don't live local to me, I hope this will inspire you to create a list to share with your friends and family!

Brrr.

If you live just about anywhere in the Us right now, you have probably spent much of this week being cold.

I too, have spent most of the week being cold.

Okay, that's a lie. I've been freezing. And two pairs of socks, a shirt and sweater combo, a blanket or two and a scarf around the neck is not always enough to keep me not freezing.

I am very, very, very sensitive to cold. I am annoyingly sensitive to the cold.

And you know what? I'm over people telling me to get over winter.

I live in the midwest.

Yes, we get winter every. single. year.

Yes, it gets cold every. single. year.

No, it is never a surprise.

But you know what? It still sucks.

I'm iron deficient, which makes me sensitive to the cold, even more than I have always been.

The cold aggravates my muscles that have been cut open multiple times and already hurt most of the time. They hurt more when they are cold. They spasm more when they are cold. And the cold affects my range of motion.

My joints get stuck in the cold: a result of leftover chemo side effects and a side effect of a current medicine I'm on.

That's just me.

Other friends also struggle to stay warm when it's cold because of medical things. Cold affects lots of joints. It inflames neuropathy. Etc, etc, etc.

The cold sucks and can aggravate a lot of other things already going on with people.

And you know what? I didn't know all of this when I decided to stay in the midwest, where I was born and raised, by the rest of my family, and my husband's family. So, the advice to just "Move someplace warmer!" isn't actually helpful.

Know what else? I don't think I need to even have to have a medical reason to complain about the cold. I see people complain about things every day. When people complain about their job, I don't just say flippantly "At least you have a job," or "Just get a new job."

I listen. I nod my head along. I offer hugs (real and virtual). I don't complain about you complaining about things: whether they happen every year or not.

If I want to complain a few moments about the cold, just let me. I'll let you get out your complaints too. I promise.

ChiTag

 **Note: I was provided the tickets to ChiTAG. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

On Saturday, the family and I woke up early and headed into Chicago to go to ChiTAG (Chicago Toy and Game Fair).

This is our 3rd or 4th year going ... I can't keep track!

Once again we loved it!

While we were there, the boy and I hung out together and my husband was off with the girls (as you'll see from the pictures!) This works better because the girls are more into sitting and playing and the boy is still about walking around and seeing everything! 

The Girls playing Donkey

We came home with two games: One called Donkey - which is a fun twist on Spoons. The other is called Pompeii.

We played and tested out a lot of toys - Legos, hex bugs, go karts.

The boy and I got sniffed by Zoomer Dino.

I took part in a puzzle competition (that I apparently did not win, insert sad face here).

I got to see a lot of friends from the area.

And the kids had a great time.

I seriously love ChiTag and I love to see all the great games that are out there.

We came home and decided that we haven't actually been playing our games enough lately, so we're going to try to sit down every Friday, after dinner but before Shark Tank, and try to play a game or two. I will report back how this goes and try to share some of our more favorite games to play!

It's nice that the kids are growing up now - it opens up a lot more games that we can all play together.

 

Baking Show

My daughter wants me to make this!

Today, I took an impromptu trip to the America's Baking and Sweets Show.

Prior to 10:30 am today I didn't even know such a show existed, let alone that it was close to my house.

My aunt called to see if my daughter could go with (her daughter and my daughter are the same age. Which sound weird, I know, but big families and age gaps work together to make this happen). So these two second cousins, who are really best friends, have a good time together.

Except my daughter wasn't home, so I sadly said no and went to finish reading my book.

But I thought about it. And thought about it. And I decided that I wanted to go over to the show myself.

So I did.

spray painting a cookie

The good news: about 2 hours after I got there, my husband was able to run my daughter over to meet us so the girls were able to have fun there together.

We walked around.

There was a lot of alcohol. And chocolate. Demonstrations to watch. And oh, some celebrities to meet.

Yes, we meet Sophie and Katherine of Georgetown Bakery (from DC cupcakes on TLC). They demo'd making some wonderful cupcakes - that should soon be on the TLC website. I'm not above admitting I took a few notes. Because who doesn't want to make better tasting cupcakes?

Miss M with Sophie and Katherine

Afterwards, we got their autograph and my daughter got her picture. She was SO excited. She has read one of their books and watches them on TLC. She even, courtesy of another cousin, was brought a Georgetown cupcake to eat. So it was awesome.

making some fondant flowers

I picked up a few things for myself. My daughter got some chocolate modeling fondant, and we just had a wonderfully good time.

Apparently, this is the 2nd year for this show, so I'm going to have to try to remember to watch for it to come back next year! It was a good time!

All Aboard!

In front of our train car

Two weeks ago, I was able to get away and take a mini-vacation.

My (now) 12yo wanted to spend her birthday in New Hampshire. So three weeks ago, we put her on a plane and sent her out to New Hampshire.

Don't worry, my in-laws live there and picked her up when she deplaned. She got to spend a week with graham and pop all by herself. Three years ago, at a similar age, our oldest daughter went out and did a similar thing for two weeks. So, technically, we were just keeping up the tradition!

right side of the room

She had a great week with them all to herself. I suppose, she got to pretend to be an only child while in the care of grandparents who thoroughly spoiled her (as it should be!) which was fabulous for her.

I wasn't opposed to her being out there for two weeks alone, except the second week was when her birthday hit. And I didn't want to be away from her for her birthday. I'm not ready to cut the cord that much yet!

So late Friday night, the 8yo and I headed into the city and boarded an Amtrak train headed for Boston. {The husband had to work and the 14yo had school so they had to stay behind.}

We do this because a) I dislike flying. A lot. No, scratch that, I hate flying with every fiber of my being and b) we enjoy taking the train. This is not our first train trip and I hope it won't be out last!

Leaving from a big station like Chicago, means we get to check any luggage we want, but we also brought one small suitcase on the train. Not all stations are big enough to have the staff/space to do checked luggage.

We splurged this trip and got a roomette. We've ridden in coach before. It's not bad, but it's not as good as getting a room. Plus, when we get a room, our meals are included in the price (they are not in coach seating - you pay when you eat like a restaurant). The roomette is the smaller of the rooms available on the train we were on. But with just the two of us, the smaller room was the perfect size!

bunk bed down!

Our train left right on time at 9:30. Mister Man and I hung out for a little bit. We came well equipped with a book each, tablets, a ds, a few toys for him, and some knitting for me. When we were ready for bed, we had the attendant pull down the bunk bed so we could get some sleep.

It's kind of peaceful sleeping on the train. I suppose it must be similar to why babies like to be rocked to sleep? Some parts of the track are bumpy, but it wasn't bad at all! We both slept for quite a while (though I stayed up knitting and watching some videos and just enjoyed the peace and rhythmic rocking).

In the morning we went off to the dining car to get some breakfast. The dining cars are community seating - each table has 4 seats. They will fill the 4 seats up - so if you are traveling as a pair, you can get another pair (or single rider) at your table. Most people who ride the train are pretty friendly and will chat with you, and it's kind of fun to get to meet someone new! We arrived right before breakfast ended, so we sat alone. But we also learned at breakfast the train was running late due to a slow-moving freight in front of us. {As a side note: the train also has a cafe car on it, which has soda, snacks, simple foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, so you can get food on the train without needing to sit down for a full meal!}

We went back to the room and played some games, watched some Dino Dan (a show my son is in LOVE with), and spent time just looking out the window. It's really pretty to watch America go by the train window! We also kept pulling up google maps on my phone so we could see exactly where we were. Mister Man had fun seeing where we were and how far from home we had made it!

our lunch!

This is how most of our day was spent - hanging out, lunch, hanging out. Just before dinner time, we got into the Albany, NY station. This stop is kind of a special stop for the Chicago/Boston run. Because the Chicago/Boston run is also the Chicago/New York City run. From Chicago to Albany, it's one train. At the Albany station, they actually split the train into two trains. One to New York City, one to Boston. We didn't get to watch the trains split, but we did watch our train get the new engine hooked up to it. It was kind of fun!

Then it was back for dinner (which was a bit late). We got back to the room, did one episode of Dinosaur Dan and the 8 year old was tired. I told him to go to sleep. We were supposed to arrive in Boston at about 9:10, but I knew we were running late. I figured better to let him sleep and wake him up than to keep him awake and make him overtired tomorrow. I sat and got a bunch of knitting and reading done! I managed to finish my first vacation read (which isn't too impressive because I brought light, easy, quick reads!).

view outside Amtrak window

Finally, at about 1:15am, our train pulled into Boston (and yes, for those keeping track that 27 hours on a train factoring in the time change). I won't lie, I was pretty exhausted by this time and not happy about getting in so late. I wasn't quite mad either - there can always be delays when traveling: planes take off late, get rerouted, traffic jams on highways, etc - it was just so late at night and I was tired!

That said, overall, I loved our train trip. It's relaxing (okay, maybe not 100% when it's late). On the way home, it's kind of like a mini-vacation - you can't cook or clean or do laundry yet. You just get to hang out and read, play games, knit, watch videos, chat with the kids.

On the way home, it was Mister Man, Miss M and me. We had a lot of fun asking questions from a set of Brain Quest questions, in addition to all the other stuff we brought with! It was some good bonding time.

I highly recommend a train trip or two. I know, I know it takes longer than flying. And sometimes it can even take a bit longer, but it's so worth it!

View outside Amtrak window

PS - this post was not sponsored by Amtrak or anyone. That said, if they ever want to send me somewhere, I'll gladly go. I hope to someday take the train out of Chicago and go to New York City when it splits! ;-)    

And They're Off

The entrance

A few weeks ago, the kids and I were invited to Arlington Park.

Having lived in the Chicago suburbs for essentially my whole life, I always knew Arlington existed, but I had never been! The kids had been with my husband before, but I had never been. So when invited, I decided we would go. Which, turns out, was a fabulous decision!

Mister Man watching a race

First a little history. We have family ties to the racetrack. My husband's great grandfather was the head electrician there for over 20 years. His grandmother has stories about being there as a child. She also worked there as a young adult. We have tables in our shed that came from the racetrack. They were given to my husband's grandfather, after as a firefighter he helped fight a fire there.

Hanging out at the table

All of this to say, that there are some strong family ties to the track. And while the family talks about the track on a fairly regular basis, I had yet to actually go there. So it was kind of exciting to be going there for the first time! 

Pre-race Parade

Fridays, the admission price is discounted, and you are allowed to bring your own food in. We did bet a little, but of course, that isn't required. I could have spent 5 hours there, with the two kids, for $12 whole dollars (assuming I brought my own food and didn't place a bet). Definitely, a fun time in my price range!

We found a great little table to hang out at between races. It was close to where they do the pre-race parade. Which was nice because we'd walk over, see the horses, place our bets (a whole 2 dollars on each race. I'm telling you, I'm a big spender!), then go walk by the finish line to see the race. For one race, we went up to the grandstands to see the race. Mister Man liked being up there the best, but the rest of us preferred to be down by the finish.

The horses are gorgeous! If I say they are positively majestic, will that sound too cliche? Well, even if it does, they were majestic. Miss M was also very thrilled to see quite a few female jockeys. Okay, okay, me too!

The start of the race is fun to watch. As they get all the hoses into the gates. Once that last horse is in though, bam, that race starts without hardly a pause! The first few races started at a point very close to were we could stand. The rest started at other spots (because the races are different lengths and some are on the dirt and some on the turf).

But let's be honest. The real excitement is at the end. You can get pretty close to the finish line too. For almost every race, we were down there as close to front and center as you can get. I should specify here, this is for the races on the dirt. The races on the turf were on the inside track, and we didn't have the ability to cross the dirt track to get there!

View from the grandstand

Some of the races were REALLY close. Some weren't. In one race, one horse was disqualified (or something. I'm not going to lie, I didn't really hear what happened) other than at the end of the race 3 horses were first, second, third and 5 minutes later, a different horse was third place.

There were lots of people in derby hats. Some people dressed up. We went in very casually dressed. Which was fine too. I wanted to get a derby hat - some of them are so pretty - but couldn't find one I liked and could afford. I did try a bunch on though and that was fun!

All in all, we had a great afternoon at the racetrack. I'm anxious to get out there again at least once more this racing season (maybe twice if it's in the cards!)

As a side note, while we were at the track, I shot all my photographs in manual. I still don't have down 100%, but I am pretty proud of how a few of my pictures turned out!  

Dear Fellow Walker

Dear Fellow Walker,

I love that you, like me signed up to walk in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. You were in the walk with me. That tells me that you had done all the fundraising necessary, that you had accepted the challenge to walk. It also means that I can assume at some point breast cancer has touched your life.

I know, I know. We aren't supposed to assume, but as I've walked and talked to people, I've quickly learned people are here because breast cancer touched them in some way. I've met people who walk for their grandma, their mom, their daughter, their sister, a friend's aunt, a teacher who inspired them. I've met walkers, who like me, walk because they had or have breast cancer.

We are all here, in the same spirit: breast cancer has touched us, we want to make a difference so we walk!

I also know, like me, you were tired when we met. We met at mile 22, where we both chose to stop walking and get on the van to drive us to the end. You didn't know it, but I had just been hit by someone else walking on the sidewalk. I was tired, I was in a bit of pain (that, let's be honest, wasn't too bad, but I had just walked 22 miles and so at that point little things felt big).

You came on the bus. You looked tired, like me. You looked hot, like me. You looked like you had worked hard to get those 22 miles and were now ready for a break. You were a young woman like me. We wearily smiled at each other. I noticed the big sticker you had on your shirt. A pink sticker. It was hard to miss. And it said on it "Survivor Chic" among several pink ribbons.

I instantly wanted to meet you. Another young woman with breast cancer. I don't pretend to think I'm the only one, but at that moment,  I wanted to reach out. I wanted to say hi. I wanted to know your story. It's part of the reason to walk - to hear other people's stories. And I wondered how much we had in common. So I asked politely "When were you diagnosed?"

The look of shock that came across your face, well, it kind of shocked me! "I've never been diagnosed with anything!" You informed me. You wondered why I asked. So I told you, as I pointed (even though I know pointing is not polite) "your sticker" as I double checked to make sure I read it right.

Yep, all pink. With SURVIVOR CHIC printed on it.

"Oh this!" You said, looking down, "Yeah, I just put on because I thought it was cute!"

Wait. What? Did I just hear you right? I'm pretty sure that's when my mouth dropped open. You thought it was cute. I nodded and then turned to look out the window of the van. The woman next to me, who I think sensed that this was not going over well for me, patted my hand.

I stared out that window. Too stunned to talk. You thought it was cute? I was half tempted to lift my shirt, show my scars, make you really look and ask if they were cute as well.

I wondered, why if you haven't had breast cancer, why at a breast cancer walk, you would put a sticker on identifying you as a survivor. Why would you want to be in the same group as me? It wasn't fun. It wasn't cute.

Maybe I'm over-reacting. I had been walking all day. I was tired. I had just been hit by a random pedestrian who clearly didn't think that any of us walking that day were cute.

Maybe you didn't know. My friends, upon hearing about this, offered up excuses for you: maybe you thought it related to some band's song. Or to the television show. Or maybe you were in such awe of survivors you wanted to be like them.

I'm not sure what happened. I'd like to think you really thought the sticker was cute and that you put it on without thinking. I'd like to think you didn't know it would feel like a slap in the face to me. That it would make me want to cry, when I was already at a point in which I was holding back tears. That maybe you didn't realize that cancer isn't cute. It isn't something to long for. Or a club you ever want to be a part of. It's hard. It's painful. It changed me - and not in some glorious I-had-an-epiphany-and-am-now-a-better-person-so-make-a-cheesy-movie-about-me-in-which-the-world-can-think-cancer-was-a-gift kind of way.

I didn't talk to you then. I wasn't sure of how the words would come out. But what I wish I had to said to you is this: As cute as the sticker may be, cancer is not. It's not something you want to be a part of it. It hurts me to see you wear that sticker so casually - like a fun accessory - after all that cancer did to me. I'm sure you aren't trying to be hurtful, but I really don't think that you should wear a sticker that implies you are a breast cancer survivor here, or maybe anywhere, but especially not here and not today.

And maybe we could have become friends. Maybe you would have seen it from my side, and I would have seen it from your side. Maybe we would have both learned something. That would have been good. But I sat, silent, staring out the window, biting my lip to keep from crying. I was just too tired to tell you all of this.

I know it's pretty unlikely you will read this. But if by some weird stroke of luck, you do, I hope you will see where I'm coming from. That I'm not mad. I was then, in that moment, but not now. Now, I hope that you never have an actual reason to wear a sticker similar again.

Love,
A fellow walker and breast cancer survivor

Avon Walk

So, this past weekend, I walked in my third Avon walk. I went knowing it would also be my last. It was bittersweet to say the least.

Yesterday, I woke up and took a little walk around the neighborhood. And no, I'm not crazy. And yes, I had just walked 30 miles the weekend before. But I could feel my muscles tightening up so I knew I needed to get them moving, even if it was just a slow, leisurely walk!

When I got home from the walk, I sat down to write a message on facebook. It was a lot longer than I thought it would be. But re-reading it today, I realize I can't say it any better. So today, I'm going to just copy and paste that message over here, because even though it's not polished, or proof-read, I think it perfectly sums up the last three years for me!

....

So I just took a short (slow) walk around the neighborhood, and as I watched the clouds roll in, I did some thinking. I'll share with you, and it's long (for which I'm sorry, but not too sorry!)

Doing my third Avon walk this year was, in a word, amazing.

There were some bumps in the road (literally and figuratively). There were too many stories that made me cry. Stories that made me smile. Hugs and cheering abounded.

I spent the entire walk with at least one of my teammates Sue, Cathy, and Laura (and most of the time all of them) around me. We had a some friends come walk with us for small bits of time. I got to see my daughter Abigail shine as part of the youth crew, and give the rest of my family a HUGE hug and walk with them for the last mile-ish.

The sun shone, the rain stayed away.

3 years ago I did my first avon walk, mostly because of Rita and Deanna, and joined this team One More Mile. Little did I know that other friends would join, that people who joined and I didn't know before the walk would become my friends too. I didn't know there would be so much laughter and so many tears, and sometimes both at the same time. I didn't know how much the kindness of strangers would encourage me to take one more step when I thought I couldn't. I didn't know how good a hug would feel as I was crying to get on a bus when I couldn't take one more step, despite desperately wanting to keep going. I didn't know that this year, I'd be the one who stopped and helped people and encouraged them and told them it will be okay as they cried getting on the bus because as much as they wanted to, they just couldn't walk one more step at that moment.

 I didn't know that over the course of three years, I would raise over $10,000 to help fund research, education, and treatment/testing for other women. I didn't know that I'd walk a combined total of 106.2 miles.

I didn't know how much I would cry at the finish the line the first year because darn-it, I had done it! I didn't know how much I'd cry at the finish line this year, because it was the last year and I was surrounded by so much love and some pretty awesome people.

In 2011 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It changed my life in some ways I'll never be able to accurately put into words. But it was the reason I walk in 2012. And again in 2013, and once more this year. Cancer sucks. Treatments are long and grueling. Complications only exasperate those feelings. But there are some beautiful and bright moments amongst all of that. The Avon Walk is one of those for me - despite feeling long and grueling.

It's been a good three years. This year, I felt stronger and healthier than I have at the other two years. This year, I finally feel healed from everything I endured from breast cancer. My body is no longer my enemy. It's a good place to be.

I will not for one minute regret ever walking in my Avon walks, but I also don't regret not signing up for next year. I had three good years. It was what I needed. And now I need to take a break. So I will.

But I know next year, as the walk happens, I will feel a bit of sadness. I won't have my walk sisters (who will always be like sisters in my heart) - Cathy, Laura, Sue - beside me. But I'll have the memories in my heart. And I'll go cheer for those who are walking again (Get ready Laura, Diane, Sally and anyone else who's walking... I'm coming with my voice ready to scream and some popsicles if it's hot!)

All of this to say, thank you to everyone - yes every single person - who donated, who cheered me (on facebook, on twitter, via e-mail), who prayed for us, who sent good thoughts, to the new friends I met on the walk, to those of you who helped carry bags when I needed it, to everyone who has been a part of Team One More Mile - Rita, Deanna (and mom), Becky, Jill, Diane, Sally, Charyn, all of Team Amazeboobs, And of course to my family who dealt with all the training walks, the fundraising, who support me, cheer for me and love me (even when I'm tired, crabby, and worn out!)
Pretty much thank you to each and every one of you. I couldn't have done any of this without you.

xoxo
me

Knit-a-thon done!

Well, this weekend's knit-a-thon was, what I would call, a smashing success!

My fingers are slightly cramped and I might not knit much today, and I slept like a rock last night but that is a small price to pay!

I updated at least hourly over on instagram this weekend, so if you're following me there, this might be repeated information, but here's some stats about this weekend

29 hours knitting (in a 37 hour period)
$1000 raised
11 washcloths knit
36 photos shared (on instagram)
Over 20 miles walked (yes, I walk and knit at the same time)

Whoa! You guys, I'm pleased as punch over this! It was so much fun. And everyone was so supportive. My spirit is happy, my heart is happy.

There's still work to do. I need about $1500 in donations to meet my personal goal, and the walk is a month away. I also need to train more for the actual walking part!  

Go Retro Part Two

A bit ago I told you about Retro Fitness and about how I had been going, and loving it!

I didn't tell you about all of it though. So much goodness there, I had to hold a few surprises back.

One thing I LOVE at Retro Fitness is the Cardio movie theater room. Yes. Cardio. Movie. Theater. It is exactly as it sounds: a room full of cardio equipment and a large screen with a moving projecting. Every day they pick another full length feature film and it plays in the room on repeat. You can go in there, run (or, if you're like me, walk) on the treadmill and watch a movie. Or use an elliptical. Whatever your pleasure.

This absolutely helps the time pass and is just so cool! I could easily get lost in the movie and just keep walking.

The treadmills have a coach feature!

Another thing I loved was the equipment had built-in trainers in them. Now, the only gyms I've been in, aren't exactly brand new, so maybe this is standard today but it's not something I've used before. I've been on machines that have built-in programs, but the treadmills here have a built-in trainer, which is called the "Coach". I used the coach several times. You tell the machine what your goal is and how long you want to exercise for. A lovely lady comes up in video and walks you through a program. I did it three times and each time said I wanted the same type of work-out. This training program is neat because it has different combinations and so none of the three work-outs was exactly the same.

I wanted to walk and build endurance (That Avon Walk will be here before I know it!) and was very pleased with it. It starts with some stretching and progresses into the work-out. At the end, the trainer walks you through some more stretching exercises again. It was fabulous! 

I loved my time at Retro Fitness. Of course, now it's March and my time there is over. I'm sad about this.

Overall though, I can tell you, this is what I love about Retro Fitness:

• The space is bright and open
• That staff is helpful and up-beat
• The smoothies are delicious
• The personal trainer blew my socks off and was fabulous
• The machines are new and have great built-in trainers/programs
• I can watch tv easily while working out
• I can watch a movie in the theater room while working out
• Two-thirds of my children are old enough to work-out with me there (not so at the gym my husband goes to)
• Great location right off of Route 64, which is a main road in the area

Miss 11 and I working hard!

Now, with all of that said, I will also tell you, I won't be extending my membership. I will also tell you that I want to. However, we are moving. Yep, moving. I've been hinting since fall we were in the process of making some big decisions. Well, they are made, and we won't be living by Retro Fitness anymore. More on the move later, but to join Retro Fitness (like so many other gyms) you must make a year commitment. And since I know I won't be here in a year, I can not make that commitment. Were we not moving though, I'd be getting a full membership hands down.

I can say I loved my month at Retro Fitness, and if you are in the area, I hope you'll pop in, look around and try it out yourself. You won't regret it!  


 

*As a reminder, I was given my one-month membership in exchange for writing a blog post about my time there. I'm giving it a second post just because I loved it there that much!

Phantom of the Opera

First let me say, I am the luckiest mom ever. For real.

Phantom of the Opera is currently in Chicago. I LOVE Phantom of the Opera, which shouldn't be too hard to imagine because I love a lot of musicals.

Phantom holds a special place in my heart though. When I was 8th grade - in a new school, in a new district, after leaving all my old friends and feeling kind of lost and alone - I was in choir. I had been in choir at my old school and loved it and knew I wanted to do it at the new school as well. For one of our concerts we sang Music of the Night. I didn't really know about musicals, plays, etc - I mean, I knew they existed but I didn't get it yet. But, I thought this song was so beautiful. When I learned it came from a show with more songs? Well, I checked it out further and fell in love. This led me to learn about other famous broadway musicals and started my love for singing them with dreams of seeing them live on stage someday!

When the husband and I were still dating, he took me to see Phantom. It wasn't my first trip downtown to see a stage production, but it was an important one. I know that musicals aren't my husbands first love, or even in top 10, but he took me. He went with me. He would do it again. I already knew he was my true love but that just cemented it.

Anyway, fast forward. Last year we saw Phantom was coming back to Chicago. I had little hopes of seeing it - a lot happened last year and so I didn't even consider trying to see if I could get tickets to go.

Christmas morning. My 14 year old had been telling me leading up to Christmas that I was getting the best present ever from her (you know where this is going, right?). I honestly thought I was getting a Doctor Who shirt (like my 11yo got me) or something similar. So I opened her present and it was a ticket to go see Phantom of the Opera with her!

I was SO excited. It was just going to be the two of us. We just had to wait until Feb 1, the dates she was able to get tickets to, to see it. Now, my daughter has never seen it and didn't really know the music - just what the commercials showed. She had been avoiding it, wanting to hear it for the first time in the theater.

So almost 3 weeks ago, during another snow storm, we boarded the local train and went into the city. We went to a fabulously great dinner - where we were the only ones in jeans, but they sat us so the dress code wasn't strict, but we felt slightly out of place. We indulged in the most decadent dessert and then headed to the show.

Let me tell you, the show does not disappoint. If you live in/near/close to Chicago, call and try to get tickets somehow. They did a fabulous job! The actors and actresses - amazing. The singing - perfect. The orchestra - perfection. The dancing - beautiful. This is an amazing production of the show. Granted, I have only seen one other production, but this had it's own spin on it. Sometimes I get nervous seeing something the second time when it's a "new" production because it could be too different. But this was done perfectly - not the same, but not so much change that you felt they did it just to be different. It made sense and was done so well. I loved the set - how it rotated to be different rooms. Just so amazing!

Sitting there, in the Cadillac Palace Theater, my daughter by my side, both of us having a great time. It was priceless. Except, it wasn't. My daughter saved up and spent her hard-earned money to take me. She's 14. She doesn't always want to be seen in public with me (which I get, I remember being 14), so it was even more special to me.

The night was perfect (even though we actually lost the tickets they mailed to us, had to call and have them reprint for us to pick up at the box office and I thought I was going to have a panic attack and die when we realized the tickets were lost but now we have a funny story to tell so it all worked out in the end). My daughter got to see Phantom for the first time. I was reminded of why I fell in love with it when I was almost the exact same age she is right now. I'm not sure it gets any better than that.

These memories. This is what I want my kids to remember in 30 years - these moments that were so perfect, even in their imperfections. Not that I yelled too much or was sick too much or waited to long to do the laundry, but that we could go and enjoy Phantom (or whatever other shared love we find) and have a great night.

Retro Fitness

So, not that long ago someone asked if I would be interested in trying out a gym and blogging about it! Of course I said yes, yes I am!! (note: yes, this is a sponsored post, but as always all opinions are my own!).

So, the last week of January, I headed over to the new Retro Fitness in Carol Stream to check-out their open house.

Treadmills!

Immediately I was struck by how bright and fun it looked. Red and yellow everywhere. Beyond looks though, my second thought was how friendly everyone was. The staff was great. And oh, did I mention we got to try some of the smoothies? Because, yum!

Rocking the compression sleeve!

I met one of the personal trainers and was instantly put at ease by him. I've talked before about my lymphedema, and it's something I worry about. Certain exercises I just can't do or I will make it worse {but in general, exercising is good for it}. T, the trainer I spoke too, impressed me first by knowing what lymphedema was. As we spoke further, he told me he was trained to work with people who had issues and felt confident he could help me.

I left so excited about being able to come back for a month and use the gym! Which is a great thing, because a) I am not athletic and b) these days exercising scares me because of my arm and the anemia that is still a problem and c) I'm not exactly a gym rat by any stretch of the imagination!

working out is so much more fun with tv lol!

So, the open house was all well and good. I left excited, but let's be honest. I wanted to really try the gym, to go work-out and experience it!

So last week, 3 times I went over and worked out! The first two days I stuck with the cardio machines - treadmill, elliptical, bicycle, and stair climber. {side note: the stair climber is by far the hardest thing for me. I thought I would die lol!} Friday I met with the personal trainer and had a training session. It. Was. Awesome.

I loved the machines. I love that I could plug my phone into them to stream music or netflix. I love that I got to watch tv on the machine - not just a few tvs spread out around the gym.  And the trainer? He delivered! He didn't just talk the talk, but he walked the walk. He worked me out perfectly - in a way that I felt pushed, but not too pushed. He didn't do anything to my arm that made me wonder should I be doing this? Everything was perfect. I even did more sit-ups than I ever thought possible with him. Of course, when he told me to do sit-ups I mentioned that I couldn't even do 1. Turns out I can! ;-)

Smoothie bar

After two of the work-outs, I decided to get a smoothie. Mostly because they are delicious, but also because I felt like I needed to reward myself for going and the smoothies aren't only just a nice way to do that, but they are healthy. Traditionally I might have rewarded myself with some extra chocolate, so, smoothies are definitely a great option!

My son in the child care room

The staff continues to be wonderful and amazing! A few times I've had to ask "hey, how do you use this?" and they answer without making me feel like a complete idiot for not knowing! I love it!

I haven't been back this week because a) we were out of town and b) my car broke down. But I will definitely be going back and using the gym for the rest of this month.

There are some cool areas I still haven't used (like the theater room) that I want to try out and definitely come back and share with all of you!

That said, if you are local, you should absolutely stop by and check Retro Fitness out and give them a try. I don't think you will regret it!