BEST THING TO DO ON SATURDAY MORNING
Play football at the Interbay YMCA
Sam: I play cornerback for the Eagles. The cornerback is in charge of one corner of the whole field. If I don't make the tackle, the safety does. I like playing cornerback best. You get knocked down a lot. I got thrown out once because I just ran over this guy who tried to break my arm.
Leigh Ann: I kept hearing them say, "get him out of here." I said, "not Sam Schumacher. He's a nice boy; he doesn't get thrown out of games." I'm the mom who's running up and down the field, trying not to get caught on the other moms' videos.
Interbay YMCA, 4411 S. Himes Ave., Tampa, 813-839-0210.
BEST PLACE TO PLAY ON THINGS THAT AREN'T PLASTIC (Sam)
BEST PLACE TO WATCH FOR YOUR SHIP TO COME IN AND REMEMBER GOOD DAYS
(Leigh Ann)
Ballast Point Park
Sam: I've been going there since I was a baby. There's a huge playground and a bunch of slides and swings and stuff like that. I play football just for the fun of it. It's also the best place to get kicked out of for skateboarding.
Leigh Ann: Actually, he's been going there since before he was born. I used to come here when I was pregnant and dream about the future. And I'll always remember the sweet days when he was a baby and then a little boy. The day he got kicked out of the park? Some dorkball kid on a bicycle kicked him out because he was on a skateboard. There's a sign that says no bikes, no skateboards. I said to Sam, "that's no fair; he was on a bike. You think I could take this kid?" And he said "yeah."
Sam: Yeah.
Ballast Point Park, 5212 Interbay Blvd., Tampa, 813-832-1207.
BEST PLACE TO SEE HOT RODS (Sam)
BEST MOM-AND-SON SATURDAY NIGHT DATE (Leigh Ann)
Biff Burger
Leigh Ann: It's this old fashioned drive-in diner that's been there for like a hundred years. They have live bands and real hot cars — hot rods, sports cars. Everyone comes and opens the hoods and walks around looking at the cars. There's probably not a complete set of teeth among the entire congregation.
Sam: There are old fords and Chevies and Impalas …
Leigh Ann: Sam's a gear head. He comes by it honestly because his dad's an old-school shade-tree mechanic.
Biff Burger, 3939 49th St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-527-5297.
BEST PLACE TO GET RECORDS AND T-SHIRTS
Daddy Kool
Sam: That's Kool, with a K. They pretty much have the CDs I want — Good Charlotte, Green Day, Cake and a lot of other bands. I don't know what they are. They have good T-shirts too. I have a Daddy Kool T-shirt.
Daddy Kool, 671 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, 727-822-5665.
BEST BASS PLAYER
My dad (Steven Schumacher)
Sam: His band is the Urbane Cowboys. They're really good and they play at a lot of different places. I go see them at Skipper's Smokehouse and sometimes I dance with my mom.
BEST THING ABOUT BEACH PARK MONTESSORI
Leigh Ann: They have only three rules: Respect yourself. Respect the environment. Respect other people.
Sam: They have a Coke machine.
Beach Park Montessori School, 4200 W. North A St., Tampa, 813-289-3747.
BEST BREAKFAST PLACE
Mama's Kitchen
Sam: They have the best breakfast deals in town, but I only eat one kind of thing in the morning: cheese grits.
Mama's Kitchen, 5524 S. Dale Mabry, Tampa, 813-831-6400.
BEST FRIEND A PERSON COULD EVER HOPE FOR
Bob Connors
Leigh Ann: He's my next-door neighbor. We call him dad, Bob, grandpa, whatever: DBGW. He's been our angel forever. He's 81 years old and he rocks harder than anyone I know. This man's just incredible. He's been everywhere and done everything. He was a photographer for John Kennedy during his campaign. He's retired now, but he still loves his Manhattans. You don't have to edit anything you say around him. He's been Sam's surrogate grandfather since day one. He's truly our guardian angel. The man's a saint. We love Bob. We are so lucky to have him in our lives.
BEST PLACE TO MAKE YOUR TOY DREAMS COME TRUE (Sam)
BEST PIPED-IN MUSIC IN A TOY STORE (Leigh Ann)
Toys R Us
Sam: It's the best place to get Playstation II stuff. They have the biggest video game selection in the world. Their Hot Wheels selection is pretty good, too. Their GI Joe selection is the biggest.
Leigh Ann: Sam's room is like a GI Joe Quonset hut. I like him too. I wish you could just sprinkle a little water on one and poof! He's real. There to serve and protect. GI Joe is one hotay potatay. And he never runs away scared.
Toys R Us has several locations throughout the Bay area.
BEST WAY TO SPEND
A SNOW DAY
Driving Around the Neighborhood
Leigh Ann: When we have no obligations and no time to kill, I have Sam give a neighborhood tour driving my car. We drive all over the neighborhood with him behind the wheel. With the neighbors, we're either waving or ducking, depending on the look on their faces. I have this Midwestern ethic about teaching kids to drive. I never want to have him come in and say, "Mom, I had to crash that car."
BEST POOR MAN'S THERAPY
Local Al-Anon Meeting
Alcohol doesn't have to be involved; you just have to have the same kind of crazy life. It's free. All you have to have is the need. It's a place you can go with a roomful of people who know what it's like to have problems.
Al-Anon meets in several locations throughout the Bay area; 813-881-9372.
BEST PLACE TO MEET
THE GANG
New World Brewery
Leigh Ann: Sometimes Sam says, "Mom, let's call the gang and go to New World." We meet the gang and play foosball. We love you, Mike and the gang.
New World Brewery, 1313 E. Eighth Ave., Tampa, 813-248-4969.
BEST DYNAMIC DUO
Pappa Louie's and Vinyl Fever
Leigh Ann: Sam and I go every Friday night to Pappa Louie's. It's like the Tampa version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It's my best friend Georgia's family. It's a fun place with pizza and Greek food and kids, kids, kids everywhere. It has a video arcade, and everyone just eats while the kids run around. And the best thing is that the best record store in town, Vinyl Fever, is right next door.
Pappa Louis Pizza House, 4110 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, 813-289-3647; Vinyl Fever CDs, Records & Tapes, 4110 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, 813-289-8399.
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2003.