Girls On The Run 2011...

As a parent, I have found that there are certain parts of my childhood that I hope I can connect with my children, and a part of my childhood was my love for sports.  I am extremely blessed by having 2 very active children who love all kinds of different things.  I don't think there is a sport out there that my son doesn't like, which is a double edged sword.  As a Mom, I want him to try everything to see if he likes it, but on the other hand there is new equipment to buy, schedules to keep, travel expenses, and trying to learn new rules while not looking like a dork by asking a ton of questions.

Then there is my daughter, who loved soccer, until a HS student kicked a ball into her gut so hard she passed out (a total accident!!!).  She was involved in a tumbling class and loved that as well, until she had an accident at a friends house and whenever she did a simple summersault or cart wheel, she would get a bad head ache.  That was awhile ago so I hope she will want to try it again soon.  She was super and so graceful!
Then this spring she brought home a flyer about a program called "Girls On The Run".  I had never heard of it before but the gist of it was that GOTR is a running club that helps girls get in shape not only physically, but emotionally as well.  She wanted to check it out, and thankfully my MIL called me and reminded me on sign-up day!

Girls On The Run is so much more than a running club.  My daughter actually looked forward to going to it on Tuesdays & Thursdays, and for her that is HUGE.  She has learned this spring that she is awesome just the way she is, she has made goals and reached them and she found a love for running!  Just this past weekend, I watched my 9 yr old do something that no one else in her family had accomplished.  She ran in her first 5k and looked like a seasoned runner while doing it.  I decided that I was going to walk over to a place that no one else was at so I could just enjoy watching my little girl become the champ she is.  It struck me as I watched her running, how much determination and concentration she had.  As she passed me on her first lap, the tears started to well up because I was SO PROUD of my baby girl.  I let the tears flow freely because as a Mom, you want good things for your kids, and you also want them to see the awesomness in themselves, that you have always known was inside of them.  I watched my child become a young lady this weekend.  Yes she still loves Spongebob & iCarly, but to sit on the sidelines and watch your child push her body further than you had ever thought of doing yourself, well in the simplest of terms, I am in awe and have an even bigger respect for what she has done.  When Hannah reached the finish line, I was cheering like crazy and wanted to give her the biggest hug I could!  After her race, she looked at me with the biggest smile and sense of accomplishment I was again, fighting back the tears.  I was in awe of this 48 pound tiny girl who showed how big her heart was and how competitive she truly is. 

I am writing this blog, not because I hope people will join, but because I want never want her to forget how amazing she really is.  She may be tiny in body size, but she is a GIANT when it comes to heart, determination, and competitiveness.  Great things come in small packages, and the best of all is my daughter.
I love you Hannah and one day you will understand when you have children of your own, how amazing they really are.  I made a promise to you, and today I will start training for a 5k that we can run together in soon.
You amaze me everyday, and God truly blessed me when he chose you to become my daughter.
Love ya P-Nut!
Mom

I may not have given birth to you, but you are still my child....

I was lucky enough to have amazing parents.  Not just Margaret & Bill, but also other friends parents who took me in like I was one of theirs as well.  Janet & Graham who lived right across the street from us and made me laugh all the time.  My nickname from Graham was "Katrinka".  He is a huge guy and he is the main reason why I love hockey as much as I do.  Graham was the type of Dad who made ice rinks in their back yard every winter.  Poor Janet would have us in her backyard all winter long.  I remember one of our favorite games was skating as fast as we could, dropping down at the line and sliding into the house.  It was considered a good slide if Janet came out and yelled at us or we heard something fall off a shelf in their bathroom.  How I am even alive to tell you this story is amazing to me ;) lol

Now that I have my own children, I think back more and more about all the "other parents" I had that helped raise me.  Being on the other side of the fence I can see now what Janet, Ann, Gail & JoAnn meant when they would say "I may not have given birth to you, but you are my child."  There are so many children in my life that I truly love as if they were my own.  They make me laugh with some of the things they come up with.  These kids touch my heart when I see how compassionate they are towards others who don't have as much as they do.  I am proud of each and every one of them.  My soccer boys may or may not go on to play HS soccer, but I am grateful that I was able to be in their lives for these few years.  Some of them may go on to run cross country or play football, and I will be on the sidelines cheering them on, because that is what parents do.  We are cheerleaders, doctors, taxi cab drivers and many, many other things.  I may not have given birth to them, but they are my children.

One thing I never thought about when my kids were little p-nuts was how much I would fall in love with their friends.  I have kids who stop by just to see me, even if my kids aren't home.  How cool is that?  I get a kick out of my sons friends when they all come through the door and say "Hey Mom".  I doesn't take much to make my day, and that is definetly one way to do it.  They moment I first saw both of my children, my heart grew more than I ever knew was possible.  Now as I sit back, I marvel at the way our heart can grow bigger every day.  I am blessed beyond measure to have so many wonderful young people in my life. They make me laugh and I treasure each and every one of them.  I may not have given birth to them, but they are my children and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for them.

Some days I'm 9, other days I am 90

I am again at another crossroad.  My body is steadily turning into my Mothers body, which means I no longer have the bladder of a camel, instead I now have to get up in the middle of the night or else I will wet the bed.  Long gone is the flat stomach of my younger 20-ish days, only to be replaced by this "pouch" across my mid section accented by stretch marks.  My complexion is now showing signs of wear & tear, like when I try to put on eye liner and only see that the color of the liner is enhancing the beautiful dark circles and bags under my eyes.  Not to mention the fact that I am outside alot of my day and I now have permanent frown creases between my eye brows from me squinting thanks to the sun.  I won't go any further with all the various aches & pains I have now grown accustomed to, but my shoulder will let me know when there will be a change in the weather.

Here's the thing that perplexes me though...Even though I have a body of a 43 yr old, I have the mind set of a child most of the time.  I play with my kids outside (ALOT), I am the champ of Marco-Polo, I help run a u-14 boys soccer team, so why in the world am I turning into my Mom?  I mean, when I was a kid, she was OLD...  She was like 50 something! ;)

Growing older (man I have a hard time even typing "that" word), means I am going to end up with an AARP card, eating dinner @ 3:30 p.m., getting all kinds of "senior" discounts.  I don't want to learn how to knit, I shudder when I find myself saying "when I was a kid...." and the thought of wearing a sweater during the summer time just makes me cringe!  UGH!!!  I truly wish our body would match our mind set, because then I'd be 24 forever!

I'd love to type more, but I have to go...No really, I gotta go!!!  I hate it when I sneeze....Darn bladder anyways...

Have a great day everyone!
Kathi

Happy Mother's Day (I miss my Mom)....

For the few Moms that will read this, let me first say "Happy Mother's Day"!  Being a Mom is one of the hardest jobs on the planet and we should celebrate our luck everyday, not just because a date on a calendar tells us to.

Mother's Day is a bitter-sweet day for me.  I love the homemade cards& gifts that my children make for me,the fact that  my daughter tries really hard to get along with everyone, & the extra hugs from my 13 yr old son are always an added bonus!  I love my children with everything that I have, and I know they love me deeply as well.  I am honored to be their Mom, even if Mother's Day is a hard day for me.

On Mother's Day it never fails, I will end up crying.  Not the happy, I am so touched by your thoughtfulness tears, but tears of sadness and pain.  See I lost my Mom 12 years ago.  She was my foundation, my rock, my best friend.  She always knew what would make me laugh if I was sad, she would hold me if I was scared, she would help my body heal if I was sick.  If I needed a good swift kick in the rear, she would do that was well, (actually she was a master when it came to wooden spoons ;) lol  My Mom meant everything to me and more, and there is such a big hole in my heart because of her loss, that I honestly don't know if it will ever heal.  It's almost as if the wound gets scabbed over and then something happens and the scab gets ripped off and the pain is just as raw as the 1st day I woke up without her.  People say things like "It gets easier with time", or "I can't even imagine what I would do without my Mom."  Well let me tell you, it SUCKS big time, and while I don't cry everyday, not a day goes by that I don't wish I could call her just to hear her voice, ask her advice about something, or pitch a fit about last nights hockey game and how blind the refs are.

The child in me feels lonely and lost, like the time when you wander off from Mom to play in the clothes rack or check out the candy aisle in a big store, only to realize when you go back to see her she has moved elsewhere and you have no idea which way to go.  The adult in me tells me to grow up because everyone loses someone at some point in their life.  On Mother's Day, I am always at a cross road, not knowing which way to feel.

  I pray that my Mom is in Heaven and someday I will get to look into those beautiful blue eyes.  I tell my children that Grandma Maggie is their guardian angel, watching over them and smiling  as she sees the incredible & amazing kids they have become.  I know she would be proud of both of them, and her refridgerator would be filled with their art work and copies of their report cards.

I have dear friends who have recently lost their Moms and to them I would like to say this:
This is one of the hardest things I have ever gone through in my adult life.  I know my Mom is no longer in pain, and that makes me thankful, but I am still saddened at what we have missed out on by her leaving us so soon.  It hurts my heart when I think of my Moms grandchildren who won't have the chance to see for themselves, what a cool Grandma she would have been.  I'm listening to my children playing with their friends and I realize that my Mom does live on.  It's in Hannah's laugh & Ty's gorgeous blue eyes &  I do get to talk to her everyday, when I am talking to God, I know my Mom is listening.
I pray that the burden of sadness is lifted soon for you.  Grief, sadness, guilt and anger are some of the heaviest burdens we can carry.  I pray that your load is lifted, as I pray my troubled heart is calmed by the thought of my Mom standing next to Jesus, saying "Look at my daughter and her children.  Aren't they awesome?"

Happy Mothers Day Margaret Corrine Robertson Long.  You were an amazing Mom, and I am grateful that God took one look at me and said to himself  "I have the perfect  Mom for a little spitfire like you".
I love you,
Kate

Twister of emotions...

I will rarely ever post any type of political comments because things can get ugly fast if you don't have the same exact ideals as someone else.  This will be a first, and probably last post of this kind, but I have some things I need to get off my chest.

Osama Bin Laden was killed on Sunday.  The man who terrorized millions of people was taken down with a bullet from a gun of a trained Navy Seal.  When I first heard the news, I must admit that there was a primal feeling that welled up inside of me.  I was happy that this piece of dirt was gone, wiped from the face of this Earth. I thought of all those affected by the tragedies created by this one piece of dirt, this mass murderer.  I prayed that they would somehow find solace knowing that this piece of dirt was erradicated by men & women who trained for years just for those 40 minutes.  I was proud of them because they did something I could never do.  I thought of the person who had this piece of trash in his sites.  What went through his mind?  Was this piece of dirt scared or happy knowing the end was coming?  Then it hit me like a ton of bricks...

This piece of dirt went from mass murderer to martyr in a second.  He got the ending he wanted.  Those of his followers who are still alive will even be more determined to hurt Christians, Jews, even Muslims & citizens of democracy because of this act of revenge created by the USA.  Have we opened up Pandora's box?  Time will tell, but I have an uneasy feeling that we are headed down a very scarey road.  These extremist know only hate and murder.  They are the most unrelenting people who will stop at nothing to get their way, and they want to get rid of freedom, which means we will all have to fight to keep our way of life and our ideals.  Are you ready to defend yourself and the things you hold dear?  Would you be able to kill someone else if they threatened you and your freedoms?  I'd like to think I would be able to, but I pray that I will never have to find out.

Something else amazed me yesterday.  You would think that people would come together in a time like this, and yes for a few minutes they did in NYC, D.C, and other big cities around the country.  By the time I got off the computer last night, there were people arguing in such a fevered pitch it was almost laughable.  The D's & R's were going at it and it was ridiculous.  President Obama signed the order, gave our troops the go ahead to try and capture, but, kill if necessary, this piece of trash.  Give credit where credit is due already.
He signed a piece of paper and that is where is credit ends.  The rest of it goes to the troops who trained for months, sacrificed time away from their families & worked their butts off, all for this mission.  They looked into the face of pure evil and blew if off.  Literally, blew his face off.

These men & women sacrificed their own lives to get rid of the most wanted man in the world and yet there are arm chair QB's pitching fits over who should get credit for this?  Really?  You mean to tell me that instead of being grateful for our troops sacrifices to keep us safe you are going to blog and post statuses on your FaceBook about how "your side" deserves the credit?  Really?  I have never been more disappointed in my fellow countrymen before yesterday. What I saw was ugly, ungrateful & disrespectful of the thousands if not millions of people who have had to endure hardships because of this piece of trash.  This was a win for all of us, and I don't care what "side" you vote for.  Last I checked our volunteer armed forces don't wear an "R" or a "D" on their helmets.  They are AMERICANS first and foremost.  These men and women give up so much to keep our flag flying, our right to believe in whatever religion (or not) we choose, to keep our children safer and this is the thanks they get?  Really? 

While you didn't get a very good nights sleep last night because your dog kept pushing you to the edge of your bed, just remember that all over the world there are troops sleeping in mud & sand to defend our way of living.  If you get your lunch today and you start complaining that the food was "luke warm" or a little salty, just remember that there are troops eating meals in little pouches, without the option of it being heated up, not knowing when they will have their next meal.
Got a little sniffle or allergies acting up?  Somewhere in this world are troops who are being shot at, some of them being wounded and they are praying that medical help comes to them before it's too late.  They volunteered to defend this great nation, and I truly hope that we, as AMERICANS, get over this nonsense of bickering and playground bullying.  The face of evil was blown off yesterday, but somewhere in the shadows is another rat waiting to take it's place.  Quit being so ugly and have a little humility and be grateful for those who stand to protect us.

Many people in the military know the best way to defeat the enemy is to divide & conquer.  Even though this piece of trash is dead, he is still dividing us as a nation.  WAKE UP people and don't give them the satisfaction!  We are better than this. 
ONE nation
under God
INDIVISBLE
With LIBERTY &
justice FOR ALL.

Saving money saves my sanity!

A couple of years ago, I was tired of being a stay at home Mom.  I didn't have any identity except "Darren's wife or Ty & Hannah's Mom."  I wanted to work out in the real world, be able to buy clothes for work, be called Kathi or Kate, have adult interaction instead of being the house ref between my 2 children.  Then everything went to hell in a handbasket.  Jobs in this area are few & far between, I hadn't worked in over a decade, I wasn't even sure where my old resume was anymore.
My idea of going out into the workforce and "contribute" to our family was dead in the water.  I found out from our tax man that all I could earn was 3k and then we would have been bumped into a higher tax bracket.  UGH!!!

A few months ago it hit me like a ton of bricks!  If I couldn't really work and earn a check, then what if I went out and tried to save as much $$ for our family as I could?  I could do that!!  I asked hubby what our finances were, and man was that an ugly picture.  He raised his voice a few times while trying to explain what his spread sheets meant, but I got a clear picture, not only where we were at that moment, but where we could be in 2 years.  Needless to say, the picture 2 years down the road is alot prettier, but I strapped on my savings cap, grabbed my scissors, cruised a few websites and started shopping with a new goal in mind.

Instead of working on a grocery list from week to week, I started looking for patterns in the grocery store ads and I started shopping from cycle to cycle.  Now instead of paying $14.99 for laundry detergent, I buy it when it's $5.99 on sale with coupons.  Do I get 2 or 3 instead of just the one?  Yep, but I get 2 or 3 times more for my money that way.  I do have to figure out where some of the "extra's" go between uses, but so far this year I have managed to save my family$2,000 on groceries alone!  How?  Coupons & sales.  Yes it's the dreaded "C" word, but if I can save my family at least $6,000 a year then it's crazy for me not to do this.  The money I am saving can be put towards additional payments for our car or better yet, towards our mortgage & kids school fund.  I am still buying the brands we love, although I won't buy Frosted Flakes with Tony the Tiger unless I can get a really good deal ;).

I know some people really get a kick out of me when I get excited over a good deal, while I see other peoples eyes glaze over when I mention coupons,lol, and that is fine by me.  I love the fact that I have turned a new page and instead of wanting something I couldn't have (a job), I have created a new position for myself called "Chief Deal Hunter".  That is a positive for me, and I have always tried to maintain a positive attitude in my life.  How much time do I spend on couponing?  Maybe about 4 hours a week, by the time I buy the papers, cruise the different websites to find the breakdowns on the sales and clip the coupons I need for that week.  Sometimes I spend more time, sometimes I spend less, but on average it's around 4 hours a week.
  Look at this breakdown and you can see how I have created a great savings advantage for my family:
hours a week:4
$$ saved ----$2,000 (actually it's a bit more, but it's easier for me to calculate this)through today
total hours spent:  68
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Hourly savings wage?  29.41 an hour!
*****************************************************************************************
Best part about this job is I don't have to pay out anything to the government!  No taxes, medical, SS, etc.  Where in the world could I find a job that would pay me such a wage in this day & age?  Sure I have had to throw away some expired coupons in the past, and I do make a mess when I am clipping, printing and sorting, but it all works out in the end, much to our advantage!

So for those of you who think they are too busy, that is fine by me, but for those of you who are of the same mind as I am, what do you think your hourly savings would be?  Just something for everyone to think about!

Kathi
a.k.a.  Chief Deal Hunter ;)

Goecaching...

When I was a young child, of course I played army, cops & robbers, cowboys & indians, with all the kids in my neighborhood, but my favorite was pirate.  ARRGH!!! lol
I have always been a treasure hunter/pirate.  I love to scour thrift stores, if we are up north, I'm looking for Petosky stones, and now I am starting to get into something new called geo-cacheing.  Some of you may already be a part of this new "treasure hunting" community, but for someone who is new to this type of hunting, this is totally cool!
What is it?  Well a group of like minded people who love to reasure hunt decided to start a website called http://www.geocacheing.com/ .  Now this type of treasure hunting is completely free to those that want to join in on the fun.  All you need is a GPS device and some fun people who like adventure.  Visit the site and see how many cache's are in your area.  I was surprised to find that in my small community there are 12 different "sites" just in our community park alone!  I have only searched for 2 and found them both and man was it fun!
I can't wait to share this adventure with my children.  Now what did I find?  I found 2 small containers that were filled with "trinkets" like stickers, erasers, pencils, things like that.  I didn't take anything because I didn't have anything to replace it with, but I know both of my children will get a kick out of this.
So now my friends, when it's the middle of Summer and your kids are driving you crazy with the "I'm booooored" song, you have something that is fun for all of you.  I'm planning on checking the site out whenever we go out of town.  What a better way to explore new surroundings and see cool things?  Pack a lunch, grab your GPS, and head out for a day of adventure!
Have fun and let me know if you try this.  I plan on taking pictures so I can show you some of the things we have found :)