Today the kids and I took a trip down to Rainbow Beach to participate in
Chicago's Breastfeeding Promotion Walk, which was also honoring Kathy Baker, my beloved La Leche League co-leader.
There were all sorts of activities for kids, along with various vendors. But it was kind of hot~
This guy was on the Chicago Bulls. He said he was one of 11 children, and the only one his mom breastfed. He was also proud to tell us he was the only one who was 6'9" and 230 pounds!
The actual walk was really beautiful~
Mary and Sam liked getting their faces painted~
After lunch, they took some time to remember Kathy~
Kathy was such a support to me after Mary was born (she bought Mary her first pair of tights) ~
Kathy's grandson, Cameron~
Sam, the eternal sports fan~
Kathy left behind both her parents, her husband, 6 children, and many grand-children~
This is what I contributed to an article following Kathy's unexpected death:
Kathy was my co-leader for five years. I had the privilege to call her my friend for longer than that. She was so generous with her spirit, time, resources and wisdom. I know of so many stories of Kathy going above the call of a leader to help a mom in need. We all know how wonderful Kathy was with babies. But what made her special was she made every mom feel like she was the best mom in the world. She wasn't a baby whisperer, she was a Mother Whisperer - calming mothers' fears. There was nothing more comforting than having Kathy Baker in a room with you - whether it was while leading a group, or while freaking out about your newborn's tongue-tie. She always said exactly the right thing in exactly the right way. I know Kathy has done amazing things for the international breastfeeding community, but right here in Lombard, she has brought hundreds of meals to new moms, taken time off of work to support a widowed mom during surgery, and provided child care for other moms in crises. Kathy always introduced herself as the Grandmother of our group. She really was a Grand Mother to all of us. I love you Kathy, you will be missed.
And because I know Kathy would have encouraged me to meet my childrens' needs - following the walk, I let them swim for a bit in beautiful Lake Michigan (as long as you avoid the broken glass and other debris in the sand, it's all good) ~
My superstars, before the race~
The weather couldn't have been better~
Can you tell he's not used to wearing a helmet?
I love his smile here~
I don't know how they do it!
This was Charlie's first year doing the longer race (200 meter Swim, 8k Bike & 2k Run). He had a respectable time of 44:10~
Waiting for Sam to start~
There he goes!! He was a little apprehensive about the race as we were driving down (Charlie was, too, the first year) ~
Crossing the finish line~
Sammy-bones!! Sam was so proud of himself. He finished his 100 meter Swim, 4k Bike & 1k Run, in 26:46 ~
He immediately said he didn't want to do it next year (we think he'll change his mind ;) ~
I love my kids~
We're off to Sleeping Bear Dunes tomorrow!!
