Cyndie is highlighted in the Stroller Strides Newsletter!

So, each month a different mommy is highlighted in our Stroller Strides Newsletter. I was chosen for August's newsletter. I put some effort into my responses, so I thought I would make a blog entry out of it!

1. What name were you given at birth?

Cynthia Dale Burke. Named after Dale Evans Rogers, wife of Roy Rogers, yes...the cowboy. My mom was (still is) a fan and collector of Roy and Dale memorabilia. And yes, I've heard "Be glad she didn't name you Trigger" once or twice in my lifetime. ;-)

King of the Cowboys and Queen of the West

2. What is your hometown/town of birth?

St. Louis, Missouri. GO CARDINALS!!! My family is all still in St.Louis, so we have a very close connection to my hometown. Plus, it's technically my hubby's hometown too. It's always fun to see old friends when we go back to visit.

Robin, Mom, and Me before Mom's First Pitch

3. What was your major in college? Any regrets?

Elementary Education, University of Missouri-Columbia (MIZZOU!). No regrets.

4. What was your career before being a mom?

I wanted to be a teacher from the time I was in 3rd grade, bossing around my sister and all the other littler kids on the block making them play "school." I taught 3rd grade in Madison, Wisconsin while Chris was in grad school for 6 years. When Andrew came along, I took a leave, and then we literally left. For the West Coast. Now that he is in SECOND grade (what?!) I miss the classroom terribly. But I am coping by volunteering all of my free time at the school, and will be PTO president for the next two years. I'm chalking that one up to a resume builder and hopefully making some good reference connections. :-)

5. How did you meet your significant other?

Chris and I met in February, 1991, in High School. Yep. HS Sweethearts. We were both in Orchestra (he, much more talented than I), and we were taking a train trip to Chicago to see Phantom of the Opera (since we had just played that for our Pops Concert). I was taking pictures the whole time, and he was cracking jokes left and right. Did I mention my parents were on this trip too? ;-) Long story (albeit a cute one) short, I broke up with my current boyfriend when we returned, and started dating Chris a month later. Our relationship survived me leaving for college (I was a year older), a move (his family to MN), and then different colleges. We were married July 31, 1999 (in St. Louis...it was 105 degrees that day), and just celebrated our 11 year anniversary. Next February, we will have been together for 20 years. Wow. That sounds crazy even to me! We're celebrating by Chris taking Sabatical and heading to Hawaii (without children).

Chris and Cyndie, 1991

6. What are the ages of your babe(s)?

Andrew Michael, 7, starting second grade in the fall
Lauren Grace, 3.5
I attempt to blog about our family here, although I've just started: http://peltofamilyblog.blogspot.com/

7. What are your hobbies?

Photography, running, Stroller Strides!, music, biking, Geocaching with Andrew, anything active and fun! Couldn't do any of it without my daily Cup (or two or three) of Joe! ;-)

8. What is your favorite invention?

Right now it's my smart phone. Seriously, I don't know how I would keep track of the insanely busy schedule my kids keep without it. Plus, I can play on Facebook all. the. time. ;-)

9. Why do you participate in SS?

The answer to this question has changed over the few years that I have been participating in Stroller Strides. I have always been involved in a MOMS group since having children. I'm the kind of person that needs and craves the support system (read: social connection) of other moms. So I started SS as a way to get "running" again. Lauren was almost a year and Andrew was in preschool. My sister had started participating in SS in StL, and loved it! So when she was visiting one September, we tried out one of Rachel's classes and I. Was. Hooked. At first, it was just for the great workout. My attendance was sparce, since it revolved around Andrew's preschool schedule. Then I was practically non-existent when he was in afternoon kindergarten. I just couldn't make it work. And I missed it. Terribly. Although I found out that what I missed most wasn't the awesome workouts. I missed the other moms. Thankfully, Rachel let me bring Andrew on his bike that summer (I can't thank her enough!) after Kindergarten, and I haven't looked back since! It's my "me time," and I crave it! Plus, Lauren gets to hang out with all her SS buddies, and Andrew gets to ride his bike and play at the park. It's a win-win for all of us. I am getting stronger and healthier (thanks to Rachel and her AMAZING instructors!), I am showing my kids that it's important to take time for myself (and that the world only revolves around them for the other 23 hours each day), and I hope I am modeling the healthy and active lifestyle that I want my kids to lead. I crave my workouts, and am a grumpy crabby mommy when I miss too many of them. I can't stand the thought of going to workout at the gym (I'd rather go to SS in a driving rain!) I love the feeling I get when we are done with our workout, and we all hang out and catch up on each other's lives. My sister owns a Stroller Strides Franchise in St. Louis, and I am her biggest cheerleader! I'm so proud of her and her business. In a way, I feel like my participation here is helping support her efforts. Thank you to all of you who make Stroller Strides what it is. I appreciate each and every one of you, and look forward to seeing you at our next workout! :-)

The Pelto Family, August 2009

Chris, Cyndie, Andrew and Lauren