Out of the Mouths of Babes

Our travel adventures continued on the way home.

This time with Julia who apparently inherited her brother's fascination in crash landings. As they sat across the aisle discussing the different scenarios, I was secretly hoping their conversation wasn't going to get us kicked off the plane.  There's a very fine and fuzzy line these days and kids are not exempt. As they discussed fires, oxygen, emergency lighting, and life jackets- Julia yelled joyfully...

"Hey Carter, look at this! We don't have to worry about opening the door ourselves because this nice man in picture 4 and 5 is going to take it off and throw it out of the plane for us before we jump out!"

Ah, such fun thoughts before takeoff.

We were just happy to be on our plane.  When we returned the rental car I asked where the SmarteCarts were.  The attendant said they removed them because people weren't putting them away.  So how is one supposed to get a suitcase, 2 car seats, 3 bags, and 2 kids to the other side of the property where the terminal is located? No one knows the answer to that. I was overjoyed when one of the workers volunteered to drive us over and drop us off. Problem solved. Thank you sweet woman!

Well, until we got out of the car and the lovely tether hooks that went on so easily onto the hooks in the Toyota Camry will not come off.  The tether bars are flat and too wide.  The Hertz lady and I tried for 20 min and then grabbed some friendly businessmen to help.  Another 20 min, a Skycap worker, and a toolbox later we finally had our car seats back.  Next time I will look closely before I clip, not all tethers are created equal.

We dragged our wares into the airport to check in.  Unfortunately in this economy, the gate agents have been replaced by self-check in kiosks, which is great- when they are working.  None of them were.  And the line of 35 passengers all needed to be on planes in the next 30 min.  Thanks to some very helpful baggage handlers we did make it. And all the airlines are still allowing checked car seats as free luggage, but the catch here was you had to take them to the other side of the terminal yourself.

We finally made it to security.  Taking young kids through security yourself is truly an aerobic activity.  It takes us 9 gray bins to get all our stuff taken apart.  And with the kids getting older, we're traveling light! Then the harassment begins- ensuring the water cups are completely empty, grilling us over every prescription medicine, body searching the kids, critiquing the miralax powder, disassembling the leapsters, and the list goes on.

But the good news? TSA must have heard they are getting a bad rap by the preschool set and they have a solution. What do nurses do after they subject your child to pain? Why given them a sticker of course. The love language of the little people...  

There, all better now.  Have a great flight! Come back and see us soon!

THON

What is THON?

THON is action.  THON is love.  

THON is fun.  THON is heartbreaking.  

THON is painful.  THON is life-giving.

THON is believing. THON is hope. 

THON is a dance marathon fundraiser held annually at Penn State University in PA.  It was started in 1973 and in 1977 it became exclusively committed to helping pediatric cancer patients. THON decided to focus on one recipient- The Four Diamonds Fund in Hershey, PA.  Since the beginning, they have raised almost $80 million dollars!! These funds support the families of children in treatment paying for everything not covered by insurance and then some, fund hospital additions, support the therapy programs for patients, and most recently... spending millions to fully fund new research grants.

THON is the largest student-run philanthropic organization put on annually by 3,000 student organizers who handle everything from finances, to entertainment, to merchandise, to technology, to supply and logistics, to caring for the cancer families, to sweeping the floors, cleaning the bathrooms, and taking out the trash.  They do it ALL themselves. There are no adults in charge.  This is this is student run from the top down.  We came in contact with hundreds of them doing their assigned tasks and I must say I was impressed every time.  Their compassion and commitment was inspiring whether giving directions, selling a snack, or cleaning a toilet.

The essence of THON is the weekend long dance marathon.  The dancers are on their feet for 46 consecutive hours to honor the 46 children newly diagnosed with cancer every single day.  They are supported by a team of volunteers who encourage, feed, massage, and support them.  They are on their feet the entire weekend.  They eat standing up. They wash their hair standing up. They even pee standing up! It is a grueling test of physical and mental endurance driven by the compassion and admiration these students have for the Hershey Heroes battling cancer.

We were invited to attend THON this year by our friend, Matt, who is a senior at PSU.  He was chosen from thousands to be one of the select THON dancers on the floor of the arena.  We were so proud of his efforts and were excited to find out we would be able to make the trip. Friday morning we were up before the sun to board a plane- Happy Valley or bust :)

The kids were a hoot on the plane.  They have been on over 50 planes in their lifetime, but the older they get the more they want to understand about flying.  Two summers ago we were flying to Texas for a family wedding.  Carter announced he was not going because he refused to fly any higher than he could jump.  We convinced him to give it another shot and were thankfully successful. 

The fascination this trip? Emergency procedures.  Fun times.  When the flight attendant said, "Please remove the safety placard from the seatback in front of you and give me your undivided attention for the next 3 minutes." Carter was appalled that his fellow fliers did not comply.  He was hanging on every word... 

He was most concerned about a water landing.  Now let me remind you, the first leg of the trip is a 20 minute jaunt down I-85 to Charlotte.  If we see water, we are in more trouble than we thought.  He proceeded to get out of his seat to remove his seat cushion to see how it becomes a flotation device! Always prepared :)

Meanwhile the presentation has moved on to the oxygen mask segment.  Julia begins to yell, "I don't want oxygen!! No oxygen!!" Apparently we have a little 'surgical PTSD'.  I kept telling her she wasn't getting oxygen.  We were in an airplane, not a hospital.  It took a little convincing, but she finally believed me.

Hopefully we can fly without making too much of a scene for the rest of the trip.  We had a relaxing layover in Charlotte as we enjoyed breakfast in the rocking chairs, under the warm sunshine, listening to the piano music.  Much better.  We had an easy last leg as we flew into Harrisburg.  Carter had the people around us laughing pretty hard as he outlined the escape procedures should we crash into the ice-covered Susquehanna River surrounding the airport. I am happy to say we touched down on the runway as planned.

After getting our luggage, loading our cart, picking up the rental car, and installing the car seats- we were off to State College.  It is a scenic drive along the winding river, through the mountains, and into the valley.  The kids were wiped from their morning adventures...

By the time we arrived, everyone was refreshed and ready for some lunch.  We were blessed with an unusually warm 70 degree day! Unheard of in PA in February.  There were flip flops, shorts, and tank tops everywhere you looked.  We decided to seize the day and enjoy downtown and the PSU campus.

Look who it is... JOE PATERNO!!

Congrats on the Big 400!!

Then we headed over to the BJC arena for the THON kickoff.  The line of students was wrapped around the building! They descended on the place full of excitement and anticipation. Time to get this party started!

One of the first activities is learning this year's line dance.  It is a specially written and choreographed dance that commemorates the past year's events as well as the meaning of THON.  It is performed every hour to keep the dancers motivated.  After a few rounds the kids had learned it, too. Here's a little line dance action for you...

If you want to learn the moves yourself, here's the closeup lesson.

For 46 hours, the BJC is packed to overflowing while everyone dances, cheers, plays, eats, sings, laughs, cries, remembers, dreams, believes, hopes, and STANDS for the little cancer heroes. The families are treated to a weekend of fun and memories as the special guests of THON for the entire event.

We were excited to be there in support of Matt, the dancers, the families, and all the heroes.  It was like the craziest, most energetic, most extravagant pep rally you could ever imagine! Every hour they organize different themed activities on the floor for the dancers and families from color wars to water fights to life-size jenga to county fairs to cookie decorating to board games to volleyball and the list goes on. The kids had a great time.

On Saturday morning we had a chance to spend an hour on the floor.  It is a huge treat to be able to join the heart of the action.  It is a bustle with games, food, toys, people, and fun.  Carter and Matt...

Kim and Julia with the Geico Gecko...

(We also had visits from the Phillie Fanatic, the entire cast of Star Wars, the Nittany Lion, and many more!)

Carter loved all the games being played and was right in the middle of the action...

making friends left and right and joining water fights whenever possible...

The fun continued into the stands, too!

Julia liked the Red Cross Bloodhound...

We had lots of yummy local treats, too- Creamery ice cream, philly pretzels, and more.  Mmmm :)

We had a wonderful weekend spending time with some of our favorite friends.  Mike, Kim, Michael, Meghan, Matt, and Madison- thanks for the memories and the fabulous hospitality! We can't wait to get together again!

We had to fly back Sunday morning and weren't able to attend the last day.  It is one of the most moving parts of the weekend as all the Four Diamond families are honored and the angels from the past year are remembered.  It is a powerful way to push the dancers through the last few hours of THON.  I teared up several times during the weekend just in the time we were there.  At several points on Saturday, cancer kids got up to share their own survivor stories.  Such powerful testimonies. Their words speak volumes for the battles being represented here. 

Every time I looked around at the crowds to take it all in, I was overwhelmed that these thousands of college students all KNOW.  They know that 46 kids are diagnosed with cancer everyday.  They know that pediatric cancer receives almost no public funding.  They know that cancer takes a serious toll on young children and their families.  They know that cancer costs money.  They know that these kids are true heroes.  They know that research funding is our only hope for a cure.  They know that the only way research will happen is with money.  They know that they can make it difference just by STANDING up and believing, alongside all their friends.  And that is exactly what they did.

In the end though it is worth every moment as the final total is revealed.  THON 2011 raised...

for pediatric cancer!!!
Yes, that's $9.5 MILLION!!!!!

Congrats PSU! You blew this one out of the water!
We love you Penn State!

And we thank you :)

Carowinds

Today, we seized the opportunity to get away and have some fun courtesy of our Give Kids the World Passport.  It is an amazing gift given to all their child alumni.  For the one year after your Make A Wish trip, your family may visit over 100 amusement parks in the country for one day free of charge.  It is an incredible blessing that makes the emotional and psychological benefits of wish trips last even longer.  Things around our house have been stressful and emotional lately and we are gearing up for a long week of appointments at the hospital starting bright and early tomorrow.  So it seemed fitting that today we would take a break from it all and have some fun at Carowinds...

The kids had a ball riding all the rides at Planet Snoopy...

 

One of the benefits of going now is that the crowds are light and the lines are short.  The kids were able to stay on most of the rides over and over again.  I think this was their 4th flight? And just as exciting as the first :)

I love that they are at the age where they love the kiddie rides just as much as the big rides...

Neither of them had any hesitation to jump on the roller coasters, too! I must say I was not that daring at their age.  They rode everything they were tall enough to ride.

For Carter that included one of the bigger coasters with the bar over the top and your feet dangling beneath.  He rode it twice in a row and even volunteered to ride in the front seat!

Julia was very sad to be too short.  She must have measured herself a dozen times.  It won't be long.

There were plenty of other fun rides to keep her distracted.  She loved driving the cars.  They were really cool old-fashioned corvettes...

Daddy and Uncle Anthony rode a few of the big rides and then joined us again.  I think The Intimidator had done him in though because he almost lost his cookies on the pirate boats...

I must say it did some serious bouncing and spinning (that would be why it was Daddy's turn to ride).  He went into right after The Intimidator.  I think 39 may be the age limit for being hurled 211 feet at 75+ miles an hour.  Not for the faint of heart or stomach...

It didn't take that kind of height or speed to remind me I'm not a kid anymore.  Somewhere around this point...

I was thinking, "Man I feel dizzy and lightheaded. I am getting too old for this." I really think the peak for amusement park years is 18-24.  After that it is just painful.  The long list of precautions and red Xs on the entrance signs should just say, "Middle-aged parents best not ride."  I much prefer to be the smiling, waving, picture-taking, pack mule parent waiting by the gate :) That works for me.  Unless we're talking about the Carousel, I can do that.  After two consecutive trips on The Scrambler today I was feeling, well... scrambled.

Overall it was a great time...

topped off with one of the highlights from the day... The Icee Mixer!

15 flavors of Icee paradise! It was like Feeney's for slurpee fans :)  I'm thinking I need one of these walls in my kitchen. And yes, we went back for refills :)

We all left hot, tired, happy, and hungry.

A great day finished off by a great meal at Cracker Barrel.  Billy and I spent the meal telling the kids about all the things that weren't invented when we were kids and when there grandparents were kids.  It was hilarious! You should have seen their faces at the idea that we didn't have cordless phones, DVDs, remote controls, kids' TV channels, or computers.  Carter said he loves to eat the old-fashioned food and hear about old history.  Yes, that would be us :)

The whole conversation started last week when I pulled out an old VHS tape for the kids.  I then told them it had to rewind first.  If your ever bored and want a challenge, try explaining to your preschoolers what "rewind" means and why you have to wait.  Julia just looks at me like I'm nuts.

Fun 4th of July

We enjoyed a fun weekend in Atlanta with some of the kids' cousins, aunts, and uncles.  The kids love to play together and enjoyed every moment of their three-day long playdate.  

 

 

The weather was surprisingly cool and refreshing- perfect for our day of fun on July 4th.

Nothing quite says summer holiday like kicking back in the pool...

The kids and their cousins couldn't wait to swim.

But first Carter had to march a few laps on patrol.  Duty calls.  Always business before pleasure...

He was kicking back in no time enjoying the fun...

It didn't take long before a water war had broken out...

I give these two credit, still returning fire while taking it right to the face...

Even Mason overcame his fear of the water to join in the fun with Uncle Billy.

It still impresses me to see Carter swimming without his floats.  One week of swimming lessons and this kid is a fish.  He shocked me last week when he dove in the deep end and now he can swim unassisted...

Julia really looks up to Jordan and jumped at the chance for a private piano lesson.  So sweet...

While upstairs the Marines were ensuring our safety...

Happy cousins- Taylor, Mason, JuJu, Jordan, Carter, and Kyle

We had a delicious cookout dinner- hamburgers, hot dogs, corn cobs, homegrown tomatoes, mac n cheese, fruit salad, and of course.... watermelon!

We had an ice cream cone bar for dessert- yummy Bluebell creations!

The kids could not wait for it to get dark enough for sparklers.  It began to feel like waiting for Christmas morning.  For kids that are usually asleep by 7:30pm, they had no idea how much daylight is left while they're snoozing.  By 9:30 it was finally getting dark and we broke out the sparklers.

Then headed in to watch the NYC fireworks on TV.  Carter had to suit up in his gear for the armed forces salute...

Then it was time to hit the hay at 11pm.  It was a full, fun Fourth!

HAPPY 234th BIRTHDAY AMERICA!