Principal for the Day

Each year a family donates money to the Danny Fund to fundraise and have their child be Principal of the Day.  This year an anonymous family donated in Sammy's name.  He became Principal Zweig last Friday. He looked so handsome all dressed up in his suit and tie and we cut his hair to smarten up the 'mad professor' look he had going (that is another story)!

Dr. R, the school Principal, welcomed Mr. Zweig and the two of them ran the school.  Sammy made announcements over the PA...the most popular one was "No homework tonight or Monday!"  Everyone, myself included, was very surprised at how articulate and confident Sammy sounded on the speaker.  He really sounded like a mature fifth grader.  He went on the rounds of the classrooms and stopped by my class to ask what the students were learning that day.

The representatives from the Danny Fund came in about 10:30 for the photo shoot.  Sammy took it all in his stride.  He shook hands and thanked people...I think he is a born leader....and posed very nicely for the camera.

By the end of the day, Sammy was tired...not so much from being Principal, but because of all the attention he was getting.  I think he loved every minute of it, however...he said the whole day only seemed like two hours :)

School Dance Festival

Last year the school held a big Super Sammy Day, turning the annual Dance Festival into a fundraiser for the Danny Fund.  This year we got to enjoy being a little more 'regular' as both Jack and Sam danced in their grade level dances and both were treated just like any other kid in the school.  We all loved that, not that we are ungrateful for the love and support showered upon us last year, but being normal is very dear to us all nowadays.

Of course, Sammy didn't so much dance as limp around.  But he enjoyed every minute of it, crazy thinning spiky hair and all!  Jack got a lot of attention from me as I was able to focus more on him and less on the media frenzy of last year.  I will post some more of his pictures on his blog.

As the end of the school year draws closer, activities galore are in store.  Sammy has already had his class picnic...pictures below.  Jack has his Chocolate Fever party (After reading the book Chocolate Fever, the third graders have a grade level picnic with a chocolate theme.  They even get chocolate spots which can only be 'cured' by vanilla pills!)  Both boys have Field Day to enjoy.  Both are on the Gold Team....we will see how Sammy copes with the challenges of team sports, Jack will be his usual sporty, competitive self :)

We have the baseball picnic, the baseball banquet, and the Montefiore day at Playland to look forward to.  I will try to post pictures and mini-rundowns as we go. That is, IF I survive all this insanity!!!!!

Class Picnic

Sitting with friends

Picnic Beach Ball Fun!

Dance Festival

Dancing with Partner

Friends since Pre-aschool!

Jack being.....well, Jack!

I Cried Today

I don't know what makes a day one of those days, but today was a humdinger of a day.  Last night I was so tired...you know, that tired to the bone, desperate for sleep kind of tired that makes you grumpy and a little high-strung.  Who am I kidding?   I've felt like that for months....it's part of the journey I'm on with my family and dear old cancer!

Anyway, I digress.  So last night, tired beyond reason, I sat in the kitchen comforting my amazingly strong son who had just HAD ENOUGH:  Sam is sick and tired of the treatment, fed up with not being 'normal'.  He says he is not a 'normal kid'.  He says he wants to be able to play and chase his friends at recess.  He says he wishes he had never had cancer, as it is too much now.

I validated everything, no sugar-coating, just plain agreeing with him.  It sucks, stinks, feels like crap, blah, blah, blah.  (My words, not his...."Cancer is stupid" is Sam's release....my real release words would make this blog R rated!  We are getting closer to the end of treatment, but tell a kid he has at least five more months to go and it doesn't register the same way it does to all our well-wishers.  It still seems like forever, and so much of his life has revolved around not being normal (his words).

Sam also showed how much things are getting to him when Leslie, his psychologist, had the session with him in the clinic.  Playing doctor often helps in a therapeutic way.  Sam has a monkey he looks after and often works on 'teaching' the monkey how to cope with the treatments he gets from Sam.  This visit was remarkably different: instead of helping the monkey feel better, Sam stuck the needle in the monkey's eyes, nose, ears...basically anywhere it would hurt, and with no plan to calm the monkey before treatment.

So, back to today:  I drove to school with the sunglasses hiding my tears, blamed allergies as kind colleagues checked in with me, and sucked it up and gave it my all once the students were in the classroom.  Only those closest to me knew what was going on.

This is a crying day....I have them....I will continue to have them spring up and surprise me for many years to come, I'm sure.  I hope Sammy does not continue to have them once treatment is over, and I won't let him know if I do.

Why share this?  'Cos I'm a sap!   No, it's because the people reading this who are in my shoes will relate and understand, they might feel better about their own crying days, they might give themselves a break and let it go...it happens.  I still feel like crying, the day is not yet over.  Tomorrow, however, is another day.