Big Week

October 12, 2007

QUICK UPDATE (TWO ITEMS):

1. Congressman Chet Edwards with his whole family on speaker phone just called and spent fifteen minutes congratulating Erin on her student council election results. What a guy!
2. Visit this website www.dontalmostgive.org and view the public service announcements linked there. The message really hit home for me. I know what the road to H-E-double toothpicks is paved with. I read or hear something and INTEND to follow up, do a good deed, write a letter, make a donation. Then the immediacy of my life takes over and I almost follow up, almost do a good deed, almost write a letter, almost make a donation. If this happens to you, too, let me give you a nudge. Here is a link to Han's webpage, where Han's mother has written an bang-up letter to our Senator. Take a look. Then, don't almost write--write.
   

As a reward for your activism this week, I'll give you a break from my haranguing and share the highlights of Erin's week. If I do, you have to promise not to take your eye off the bigger picture--inundating Senator Hutchison with calls, faxes, letters, and e-mails pushing for her support of the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2007 (see entries on October 8 and September 10 for KBH contact information, description of the bill, and pediatric cancer facts).

The fifth grade trip to Camp Allen exceeded expectations all around: no mosquitoes, mild weather (well, honestly, it was hot with a breeze, but not oppressive), excellent food (at camp? you may ask, but I understand Camp Allen has a well-deserved reputation for serving tasty meals), a crackling camp evening fire with humor geared to 10 year olds, and a copious amounts of free time. When was the last time a school field trip you attended could claim all of those things?


Erin also made a successful bid for student council at her school. Her speech was too funny--long on earnestness and honesty, short on zip, and definitely lacking in sound bites. I don't know exactly what she ended up saying, but it went something like this:

"I wish I could promise that if you elect me to the student council I will get us recess all day, field trips to Disney World, and better food in the cafeteria, but the student council can't do those things. If you elect me, I will listen to you, like Chet Edwards listened to me went I went to Washington, D.C. and work to make our school a better place."

Despite not overpromising anything, she won in a run-off and was exceedingly pleased. Erin also brought home another stellar report card with week, stayed on top of her homework, scored twice during soccer practice last night, and is improving on her Number Sense practice. In addition, she rode horses, sang, rang bells, and played the piano. Mainly, she has just smiled her way through the week. If she can, you should, too.

Now, get back to work, literally ( I have students to teach in about an hour and you have some task or chore at your home or job that you need to attend to), but also in the bidness of cancer advocacy. For motivation, here is a picture of our trip to DC in June when Senator John Cornyn (in the suit at the left) got on board the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. I sure would like to add a matching one with KBH!


This is a group of Texans who lobbied with us in Washington. Erin didn't want to wear the t-shirt everyone else was wearing because she thought "an outfit would make a better impression." The young man on the far right (with the knee brace) has Ewing's sarcoma. The rest of the group were mainly parents, siblings, and friends of children who had died from cancer and a couple of doctors and nurses who work with pediatric cancer patients. This is what the t-shirts say,


I sentiment we all can agree with.