It's not summer yet in the cosm

Seems like everyone else outside of New England is already on school vacation for the summer.  Not here.  The kids have three weeks left of school.  Thank God.  I'm not ready for them to be home yet.  Just figuring out our summer plan now.  Seems like a combination of Rec Camp, Theater Camp and lake/beach trips will be on the agenda.

I'm not calling it Summer until softball is over and the kids are out of school.  Just so you know;-)

You might assume (somewhat correctly) that my life is all about softball right now.  However, there are a few things to share outside of my Coach Kim world.

I am producing a series of monthly videos for Rasamaya Movement Centers to be published on their blog.  May kicked off the first series, which was all about knee health.  Love the idea behind the series and love working with Carrie Tyler, the owner/founder.  I have fallen out of practice with yoga and it's uplifting just to be around her energy.  Hoping to pick back up my practice and teacher training once... wait for it... softball is over.

TheMotherhood held another live video Cooking Connections event with celebrity host George Duran.  This one was about Summer Picnic Recipes.  I hope ConAgra picks up the series again for future episodes.  They are so much fun for me to produce and I always pick up new recipes and tips.  Confession: I've almost forgotten to switch cameras during them because I'm so engrossed in the content.  Almost.

My inbox is starting to fill with opportunities for my post-softball schedule.  It's not completely stressing me out, so that's a good sign.  Right?

OK.  It's not physically possible for me to NOT talk about softball.  My high school team is awaiting seeding results for tournament.  They finished 12-4 for the season and will fall somewhere between 3-5 out of 26 teams in the division.  Our senior pitcher has 495 career strike outs and should hit 500 during prelims next week.  It's an exciting time of the year.  Although I can see the light at the end of the tunnel... and have determined that it's not an oncoming train... I'm not ready for it to be over yet.  Looking forward to seeing how far we can take it in tournament.  When my team plays united with confidence, they are unbeatable.

Does it feel like summer yet where you are?  Kids out of school yet?  Any fun plans?

Coaching high school softball is like having a newborn in the house

I've done both, coaching high school softball and raising newborns.  Currently in my 11th season coaching high school.  Been a Mom for almost 10 years.  Coaching high school softball is SO like having a newborn in the house.  Don't believe me?

Here are a few similiarities:

- Your house looks as if a bomb went off.  Yet, you are so tired just trying to live each day, you just.don't.care.

- You worry about whether your newborn and/or team is well nurished, at the expense of forgetting to feed yourself.

- Everyone around you feels the need to share their knowledge and tell you exactly what you are doing wrong and how they could do it better.

- Just when you think you don't have the strength to go on, a diaper explodes on you and you manage to dig deep for more strength in order to clean it all up.

- Just when you think you don't have the strength to go on, you get a smile, a brief moment to show you that what you are doing IS making a difference.  It gives you motivation to keep going.

See?  Told you so.

I survived not one, but two newborns in the house.  Certainly, I can survive this softball season in one piece... right?

It takes a village [guest post]

I'd always heard the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child," but never realized the profound truth of this statement until I had a child of my own. On August 4, 2005, I gave birth to my daughter, Lily. Immediately following her birth, Lily was lovingly surrounded by family and friends: our own personal "village." At this time, our family was complete, and life seemed perfect. Nothing could prepare us for what was to happen next.

Shortly after returning to work from maternity leave, I began to experience some troubling symptoms. I was having difficulty breathing, I felt exhausted all the time and had no energy whatsoever. And although many of my symptoms could be attributed to being a new mommy, I decided to make an appointment with my doctor in order to get to the root of my health issues.

After a full battery of diagnostic tests, and just over three months after the birth of my daughter, I received the news that would change our lives forever: I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, caused by my having been exposed to asbestos as a child. I thought I was experiencing common postpartum symptoms, when, in reality, they were the symptoms of mesothelioma.

My initial prognosis was not good. I was told that, without treatment, I had fifteen months to live, at most. My first thought upon receiving the diagnosis of mesothelioma was not about myself or my health; my primary concern was Lily, and what would become of her if something happened to me. My husband and I knew we had to do whatever it took to ensure I would be there to raise my daughter. We made the decision to fly to Boston where I would undergo surgery to remove my left lung.

After my surgery, I spent over two months recovering, then immediately began chemotherapy, followed by radiation. During this time, with the help of our "village" of family and friends, Lily was well-cared for and growing. She was with my parents in South Dakota, learning to roll over and eat baby food, and growing more and more each day. Since my diagnosis, my parents had become like stand-in parents to my daughter. Instead of being her grandparents, they were raising Lily like she was their own child.

My parents, in turn, had support as well. Since both my parents worked full-time, extended family and old friends helped lend a hand with Lily. Together, our village made sure my baby girl was healthy, happy and safe. Thanks to our family and friends, my daughter received the love and care she so desperately needed during this trying time. And knowing that Lily was loved and well cared for gave me the peace of mind I needed in order to focus on my health and recovery.

Now, as a family, we embrace life and every second it gives us. Although it isn't always easy, we do the best we can. We take the bad with the good. We live our lives to the fullest and try to learn life's lessons as they come. With my diagnosis, as grim as it was, I learned that I am not alone, and that life, no matter how fragile, is always worth fighting for.

---

Heather Von St James is a mesothelioma survivor and a guest blogger for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Her story is one of hope and inspiration and she hopes to spread her message to anyone who may be going through similar situations to her own.  Check out Heather’s story on the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog.

Sam's Club offering 25% off @YesMemory video transfer orders #yesmemory [spon]

OK, Sam's Club members, time to dust off your old VHS tapes and send them in for transfer to DVD.  YesVideo just announced on their blog that Sam's Club is offering 25% discount within the month of May.  No better time than now to preserve those memories.

Visit www.samsclubdvd.com to learn more about video transfer services available at Sam’s Club or http://www3.samsclub.com/clublocator/ to find a Sam’s Club near you.

Disclosure:

This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador for YesVideo.  Visit www.facebook.com/yesvideo to join the conversation.

Mother's Day Meat House $50 shopping spree

Confession: When we were dating, I didn't let my husband know I could cook.  I was living in Boston at the time and my lifestyle involved eating out with friends a lot.  He would often cook for me when we saw eachother on the weekends... and since he was really good at it, I let him.  He assumed that because I didn't cook often, that I couldn't.  I allowed him to believe that.  It was a good gig.

ehem

Until...

My (now late) uncle out in Missouri, who owned a catering business, outed me.  You see, a love for cooking runs through my blood.  My uncle.  My dad.  My Grammy.  Each with their own specialties, but each gifted.  I appreciate good food.  It helps to know how to actually make it for yourself.

That being said, just because I CAN cook, doesn't mean that I always feel like it.  Which is why I have let my husband do almost all of the grilling in our 15 years together.  Whenever we grill, we prefer to buy our meat at our local neighborhood butcher, The Meat House.

I'm picky about the quality of the meat we consume.  It's not just that I have high end taste (I do), but I'm also concerned that the food we consume is getting overly processed.  

Hello, pink slime.  [shudder]

The Meat House sells quality meats and became our go-to place years ago.  I absolutely LOVE their marinated steak tips.  They are hands down the most tender and delicious in the area, specifically the Maple Bourbon and Burgundy wine.

OK, now I am hungry.

If you are, too, and would like a few recipes to inspire you, check out The Meat House Blog, which includes recipes and tips from chefs.  If you're still looking for a great Mother's Day gift, skip the last-minute flowers and consider cooking Mom a yummy dinner instead.  To help you out with that, a giveaway.

Giveaway:

One lucky Mommycosm reader will win $50 gift card from The Meat House.

Mandatory Entry: Simply leave a comment on this post with your first name and state initials.  Tell me: who grills the meat in your house?

One comment per person, please.  You must supply an email address in order for me to contact the winner.  (Note: I do NOT recommend putting email within the content of the comment itself. SPAM is not a quality meat.)

Submitting a comment constitutes agreeing to the terms of the Official Rules.

Deadline:

All comments must be received by Mother's Day: Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 7pm (et).  Mommycosm will use Random.org to choose the winner.  Any comments received after the deadline will not be considered for the giveaway.

Disclosure:

I received a gift card in order to facilitate my review.  Giveaway provided by The Meat House.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Update on Monday, May 14, 2012 at 10:33AM by Mommycosm

And the winner is...

Which is this comment...

Congratulations, Shawna!  Check your inbox for information on how to claim your gift card!

Thanks to everyone for participating.  Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!