Laundry Service??

As a mom, sometimes I wish that I could really afford just to hire someone to do the laundry. That I could just send the laundry out dirty and have it come back clean. With 6 people living in our house, the laundry piles up quickly, especially now with school in session and the girls (my daughter and niece) require both school and play clothes.

But I can't afford it. And now that I think about things a little differently, I don't know that I'd really want to do that. I mean, I get to do laundry because I get to wear clothes everyday, because I'm a living, breathing, singing, dancing, running, laughing Mama. And I have my daughter and niece to prove that's they're living, breathing, singing, dancing, running, and laughing too.

So why is laundry such a dreaded chore? Why is washing the items that we have to have such a dreaded chore? Afterall, I know what cute outfits of my daughter's are in the wash and they're usually in the wash because they're her or my favorites so they get cycled in more often in the "what to wear" items. This is true for me too. I have favorites that I miss wearing when they're sitting in the mountain of laundry. So, why dread it?

Fellow SHM Sheilah and I took on the laundry mat yesterday...not to do laundry together, but to capture some beautiful portraits of her. She's been on a month long challenge to face her truths and dare to reach her goals. It's been a month of self-exploration and it's ending with a new view of herself. I had the pleasure of being the girl photographing her. She was open to my ideas (and had a few of her own). I suggested the laundry mat and she loved the idea.

I captured a few images there that maybe, just maybe, changed my view of the laundry mat. Over the last month, Sheilah has changed her views about herself. Personally, I think this is harder to do than changing our views about a situation or place. If she could do this over a month, I think this one time in the laundry mat has forever altered how I view it and the chore of laundry.

How do you feel about laundry service now?

Kat

My truth about running

I hate running. There is probably nothing that I like less than running (well, maybe washing dishes). I really thought that once I got into my training miles that I would really start to enjoy running. I just don't. I struggle to get up in the morning to put in all my training miles because I hate running that much. I've even had days where I hope to trip, fall, and break my leg just so I don't HAVE to run anymore.

I have to run. I've committed to the 1/2 marathon on 10/10/10. It's not that I don't want to become physically healthy; it's just running is not going to be the way for me. I thought I would learn to enjoy it. Afterall, I enjoyed my first 5K that I did in February. And the one in May. But that's the competitor in me. Even though I knew that I suck at running, I was competing with myself and that still makes it a competition to me and it makes me give it my best. There is no competition in the training miles and it's getting harder and harder to get up and do them.

Yesterday's "run" was the worst. No motivation. Cramps. Sore foot. Horribly hot weather. And then to top it off in the back of my mind I kepting thinking of the words someone from the SHMC posted on my page and I questioned more than ever why I was out at 7 am, with cramps, a sore foot, in the hottest humid weather to run when I hate running!

Those words were simply this: ‎

"Pretending I'm something I'm not because I'm worried of what people will think of me just makes me miserable."

I am NOT a runner, so why the hell am I pretending to be? Why am I doing all of this when running makes me miserable? Why would I keep getting up on very little sleep to do something I don't enjoy? Yes, I feel accomplished after running because I completed my miles or I sweat out 5 gallons of water weight, but mostly I feel accomplished because it's DONE! And I don't have to do anymore running that day! Then I go back to dreading the next day's miles that night before I go to bed.

Honestly, running makes me more miserable than not having confidence in my body or being overweight. After the 1/2 marathon it will be time to find a new avenue for me to achieve my fitness and physical goals. Until the 1/2, I will slave away doing something I hate because I've committed to it and I ain't no quitter!

Anyway, now you know my truth about running. So when you see me not motivated with getting up early in the morning and running, you truly know why! I hate it, but I'm doing it anyway.

Still (even though sometimes I'm not sure why) loving MY life,
Kat

I'm Gettin' There

It's amazing to me how much I respond to music. Whether it's getting ready to party with the girls and dancing to some Lady Gaga with my Baby Gaga or sitting back and relaxing to more mellow music of some 80s love ballads, music speaks to me.

When I was a teenager, I first heard Lila McCann do an acoustic version of "I Will Be," the inspiring song for my blog. I still remember exactly how I felt listening to her sing the words to the song. It's my all-tme favorite song now, so I scoured the internet for a video of the song to post to help inspire others.

Though I couldn't find the song, I came across this song of her's that I had never heard before. The song struck with me well today as I was very emotional, for no apparent reason. I just wanted to share it with any of you who are following along my journey and traveling your own journey of "getting there" as well.