Last month I participated in Time Out for Theta Mom.   I write quite often about taking care of ourselves especially during stressful times.  In going with the whole “practice what I preach” concept I am planning to participate on a monthly basis over at Theta Mom.

This month my time-out came on several occasions (gasp) I know.  Selfish momma here.  What on earth could I have gotten away with more than just once this month?  How could I be SO lucky to have that much alone time you ask?

I signed up for my 3rd event with Team in Training. I am doing the San Diego 1/2 marathon in June.  I have group training runs every Saturday morning and am supposed to be doing several runs during the week.  The runs during the week are sometimes at the gym, sometimes in my basement while refereeing my kiddos and occasionally outside while pushing over 60 pounds of children in the double jogger (that is a sight for sure and gets my heart rate up above what it should be I am guessing).

In addition to training, I am fundraising for blood cancer research.  Many people ask me why I keep doing events with TNT and my answer is I can’t imagine being at the starting line of a race without having trained and fund-raised for a cause I am passionate about.

Yes, signing up and training for an event is a undertaking but I want to do something bigger than myself.  I want to know I have sacrificed and spent time raising money not just training.  By this point I know I can do the 1/2 marathon.  I have already done 2 full marathons – now it is about making a difference in the lives of people with blood cancer.

I have written about running before  here and here. I am not sure in those posts I have conveyed how much of a release running can be.  How when you find your stride you just can’t help but keep going and pushing yourself just a little bit further.

It is not about how far or how fast you run (or walk). It is the only time I can really get lost in my thoughts.  My brain does not shut off very often but when I am running I can organize my thoughts, my creativity surfaces, and my stresses seem more manageable.

So for this month running has been my time-out.  My amazing husband allows me to take nearly every Saturday and train with a group of fellow Team in Training participants. That is a huge blessing and it keeps me sane!

I would love to hear what you did for yourself this past month!  If you can’t come up with anything then make a goal for April.  Take one hour just for yourself then come tell me all about it or if you are a blogger link up over at Theta Mom!

I made these blankets with lots of help hindrance from my 2 year old.

A big basement and all the toys have to be right on the fabric!

My fingers hurt from tying all the knots.

Thankfully the Olympics were on for most of the blanket making marathon which made for some good TV watching.

So when all 8 blankets were done we admired my work.

Each kid wanting to keep one for themselves.  Tough to understand that we were doing to donate the blankets to Project Linus.   Mason has gotten a few blankets from Project Linus while at Children’s Hospital.

“It is our mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.” – Project Linus

Project Linus is also a participant in Disney’s Give a Day, Get a Day program launched in January.  They are aiming to inspire one million people to volunteer a day of community service and in return Disney is giving each person a one day pass to a Disney Resort.   Sounds too good to be true doesn’t it?  I have found that most things that sound too good to be true – are!  Not this time.

We showed up with blankets in hand, dropped them off at a designated place and time and 3 days later I got my link from Disney to print my vouchers.  It was seamless and very organized.  I was impressed.

If the stars align and tons of other stuff comes to fruition over the next 12 weeks then we will be heading out to California for my 1/2 marathon in San Diego and we will do one day at Disney for a mere $75 (the cost of the fabric for the blankets).   There are tons of community service options listed on the website so if making blankets is not for you I bet there is something that will spark your interest.

The Disney program seemed like a no-brainer.  Giving back is so important and the Disney pass is just an added bonus!

It is amazing they are doing this program – many families could not afford to go to Disney  and now are getting to go.   Lots of community service hours are being logged which is huge blessing.  A win/win for sure! If for some reason you can’t use the day at Disney you can donate it to a charity!!

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday ~

February 2003

A bright blue Colorado sky.

A 12 week old little boy in his car seat.

A “healthy” report from the pediatrician at a well child check.

A call to my mom to tell her the “stats”, height, weight and of course how perfectly healthy he is.

I hang up the phone, turn on the radio and hear a story that changed my thought process immediately.

A local radio station was doing their Annual 36 hours for Kids broadcast from Children’s Hospital.  It was like a train wreck – I could not turn off the radio because I got sucked into the heart wrenching stories of families who have children treated at Children’s.  Families who uprooted their lives to move to Denver to have their child treated for a life threatening illness, a heart transplant, cancer, daily dialysis treatments.

It apparently is a whole other world to have a sick child.  I had no idea.  Call me naive or ignorant but I never knew anyone who had to even step foot inside of a  Children’s Hosptial.  All of my friends (myself included) had healthy children.

Listening to the stories of heartbreak and hope moved me to pick up my phone and call. It went a bit like this -

Operator “Thanks for calling Alice 36 Hours for Kids would you like to be a Partner in Hope for only $15 a month?”

Me “Sure”

Operator “Are you donating on behalf of a specific child?”

Me “Umm I was moved to call because I have a perfectly healthy 12 week old little boy and I can’t imagine being one of the families I heard about on the radio.  In fact, I don’t know anyone who has even had to go to Children’s Hospital”

Operator “Well thank you, that is amazingly generous.  You are helping children and families who have to be treated at The Children’s Hospital”

Me “Well I am very blessed to have a healthy child and happy to do something to help”

I have been Miracle Maker (previously A Partner in Hope) ever since.

Fast forward 6 years (Feb 2009) and Mason and I are in the lobby of Children’s Hospital waiting to be on the radio encouraging people to call and donate.

It went like this.

DJ “With us now is Mason Bernard and his mom Catherine.  Mason has spent a lot of time at Children’s Hospital.  He was 2 1/2 when he was diagnosed with Leukemia.  Tell me about that”

I recount the events of his diagnosis.

DJ “Recently you have spent quite a bit of time here at Children’s”

Me “Yes in 2008 we spent over 90 nights here.  We are in week 45 of 104 of Mason’s relapse treatment”

DJ ” I hear you have a story to share about how you got involved with The 36 Hours for Kids years ago.  Share that with us”

I tell the story (like above) when Mason was 12 weeks old.  I come to realize we are one of THOSE families -the ones that I heard about back in 2003.  The ones that had a child with a life threatening illness. The ones who benefit from the amazing facility and care that Children’s brings to the Denver metro area.

I of course, never in a million years thought we would be one of those families.  Before May of 2005 we were just like any other family in town.  Just going along about our life with our two children.  Ignorant really that kids even get sick at all.   We realize even with all we have been through that we are so very blessed.

We get to leave the hospital at the end of the day and there are so many people who have to stay month after month and sometimes leave without their child.  We have had our eyes opened to so many hardships and struggles.  It has made us appreciate so many things we once took for granted.

So today, as I listen to the radio-a-thon and am almost on the other side of this fence (at least compared to a year ago) I am thankful and feeling blessed.   I am glad I called in back in 2003 and committed to helping simply because I recognized I was lucky.  It makes me feel good and even today brings a smile to my face.

You just never know how life will unfold; so don’t wait to reach out and give to something you feel passionate about or drawn to.