2011 It's Your Life

Once Upon a Time....

Once upon a time, in a little cozy town, on a wintry white night of December a baby girl was born.

Romance, Drama, Conflict, Sorrow, Triumph, Happiness and Hope fill the pages of her story. She continues to write chapter after chapter.
Characters have come in and stayed adding to her story filling it with love and laughter. While others have come in and gone leaving her to unravel the havoc that was created.
Each page that is turned she moves on and creates herself into something...a wife, a mother, a friend, an enemy, a movie star, a dancer, a villain, a rock star....giggles can be heard when many of the words are read, just as easy tears can fall when at times she feels sorrow or has pain deep with in the pages.
Yet as each page is written magic occurs.
Anything can happen in the story of life.

Happy 2011 to all. We are all main characters in our very own story...What will your story say this new year?

Once Upon A Time.......

Hey Santa get off my deck.....

Twas the night before Christmas
When all through the house

Not a doggie was snoring
Not even Thoreau

The stockings were hung upon each bedroom
doorway with care

In hopes that Santa soon would be there

Konrad and Koby were comfy cozy in bed
While visions of Lightening McQueen flashed in their heads

And Kim in her baseball cap (Red Sox of course)
And Kurt wearing one too had just snuggled in just before two

When out by the pool there came such a noise
Rasta and Thoreau barked as we jumped out of bed to see what was the matter

Running to the sliders we peeked
then tore open the curtains
and switched on the porch light

The moon shone bright
on the fresh fallen snow
It gave the ground a shimmer
and made everything glow

When what to our eyes did we see
but a sleigh filled with toys
and eight flying reindeer

The driver was Santa
all dressed in red

I smiled knowing I should be in bed

He guided the sleigh down to the deck
I wanted to say
Hey Santa what the heck!

Deer poop to clean wasn't something I wished for
But Santa gave a nod
And I moved my bod

He scanned the room for his cookies and milk
Gave a burp as he finished
With the back of his arm wiped the milk from his beard

He placed each present under the tree
Whispering a quiet "damn" as he got up
Placing his hands on top of each knee

Kurt and I watched him work
Filling each stocking
As he stopped for a moment to pat each dog

Then he turned with a pivot
Out the door he ran

Jumping into his sleigh
He gave his team a shout out

"Let's get a move on"
"We don't have all night!"

And as he rode out of sight
we heard him say-

"Merry Christmas to all
and to all sleep tight."

20 Things I Know For Sure

Oprah does a thing at the end of her magazine..."what I know for sure", she always comes up with a thoughtful piece about life...blah-blah-blah. I always close the magazine pondering her thoughts but then thinking how the hell did she come up with that? So I've decided to write about What I Know For Sure....
1. I know I love my boys and husband
2. I know that I am blessed
3. I know that I hate running, I know that I love running
4. I know I love to eat
5. I know I need sleep and coffee
6. I know I have great family and friends in my life
7. I know my kids stress me out
8. I know I'm not perfect
9. I know I have goals and passions I will conquer
10. I know life is short and I need to slow down
11. I know I love to write
12. I know this world is full of so much good but we hear of so much bad
13. I know my dogs, Rasta& Thoreau, bring me peace
14. I know books bring me happiness
15. I know my dad watches over me
16. I know I'm on an awesome journey called life
17. I know I must embrace everyday to its fullest
18. I know I love a warm chocolate chip cookie with milk
19. I know I want a mini van
20. I know laughing is fun and I don't do it enough
What do you know for sure?

Floating

I'm trapped inside- The sides all around me are round and smooth to the touch
Softly I breathe
Placing my hands on both sides I lean my forehead against the soft surface
I can look down-up-sideways
Softly I breathe
I'm not nervous- I simply glide, feeling the gentle movement under my feet
Floating- feels peaceful
Softly I breathe
The wind picks up
My body sways
Back and forth I float- violently
gasping for breath
My body rolls into the smooth sides
I tumble and turn
I'm nervous now- I can't get my body to remain still
gasping for breath
The wind pushes me up
I just want to get out
gasping for breath
The soft sides feel like they have turned to thick rubber
I can't break out- I'm trapped
gasping for breath
overcome with fear- wait-stop-the wind...it is gone
gently I now float
reaching over the tree tops
I breathe
....POP!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

At pre-school the kids were asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Some replied; doctor, teacher and even a paleontologist. Guess what my boys want to be?
Koby says, "Spider man!" Konrad wants to be, "Lotso." (He's from the new Toy Story 3 movie.) At first I tried to explain, "Guys you can't be Spider man or Lotso, they aren't real." Two sets of little eyes blankly stared at me. "Why not, mom?" They both cried out in unison. I thought for a moment...Why not?

Sure there are many reasons why they can't be fictitious characters, but with my love and at times, obsession with Disney who's to say they won't become some character....but I digress...Why not?

So I reply..."You know what guys...you can be Spider man and Lotso! You can be anything you want to be." "Yahoo!" They turn around to run, Koby shooting spiderwebs and Konrad screaming, "I'm Lotso!!!!"

Smiling- I wonder what will they be? It sure will be fun waiting and watching.

Then I got to thinking....When do people really know what they want to be? How do you know? There are so many pressures on people to be something. To become something. To make money. To get stuff and lots of it. Then things happen,
black hair turns grey. Lines become wrinkles. Stomachs carry ulcers. Frowns replace smiles. Laughter is smothered by worry.
What do you want to be when you grow up?

"HAPPY." I reply

I call Spider man and Lotso in the room and give them each a big hug.

Pay it Forward

I just signed up for a run. It should be an awesome run. I will get to run(JOG), in my case, across home plate at Fenway Park. It is also awesome because I get to raise money for soldiers that are coming home. Since I signed up and will be running to honor my cousin Justin who served in Iraq...I've got to thinking... What does it mean to sacrifice?

In the game of baseball Big Papi might sacrifice a fly ball to send Pedroia home.
A mom or dad might sacrifice a new basement because their child needs braces.
But what if you are a soldier and you've been called to duty. The duty to serve your country. What does a soldier sacrifice?

Wearing a dusty helmet and carrying a heavy gun, that soldier sacrifices...
Fighting in the hot sun, that soldier sacrifices...
Sweat, fear, loneliness, tired, that soldier sacrifices...

What happens when the tour of duty is over and the soldier returns home?

Family and friends have been living their lives...
Soldier's children have grown, taken first steps, said their first words...
New babies of soldiers have been born while they have been away keeping us safe...
What does it mean to sacrifice?

I will never know the true meaning of what it means to sacrifice especially for people that I do not even know...I am not a soldier.
So this run makes me honored to be able to give back to Justin and all who have sacrificed for my family and my boys, Konrad and Koby.

For all the soldiers...you are a HERO
He or she, committed to keep us safe...YOU HAVE SACRIFICED
Everything they do is for our country...YOU HAVE SACRIFICED
Ready to serve at any moment...YOU HAVE SACRIFICED
Outstanding...YOU HAVE SACRIFICED

I will run (jog) strong that day in your honor.
Thank you for all that you do.

Please help me in raising $1,000 (or more) for the soldiers coming home.
Go to runtohomebase@redsox.com
Hit support
Donate to an individual
type in Kimberly Storch
press search
thank you, God Bless

The ZONE

ZONE...to be in a zone. There is a NO FLY ZONE for pilots. There is the END ZONE for football players. A SAFETY ZONE for worker people. A CRIME ZONE for the police. There are WAR ZONES for soldiers. There are TORRID, TEMPERATE, VARIABLE & FRIGID ZONES near the equator. There is a COMFORT ZONE in all of us. Yes, to be in the ZONE...just chillin. But wait....what if we should attempt to step out of our COMFORT ZONE. That is what a very inspirational person often tells me. "Kim-get out of your comfort zone." That advice began with my jogging in half marathons. I'd get discouraged and down that my breathing was off or my time was slow. I'd want an easy solution...slow down or walk. But I'd always hear...GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. Slowly that advice would sink in and I'd train harder. Each race I feel a bit stronger...However, at times, I still need to tell myself to get out of my comfort zone. Which brings me to how I recently stripped off my comfort zone when I decided to do another Pelissey Penguin Plunge on New Year's Day. I was nervous and scared to do the plunge but I heard the words deep with in...comfort zone. So off I ran and dove into the frigid cold waters! So happy to start the New Year with my comfort zone off. Yet in every day life I have a huge comfort zone to get out of...it's not sitting on the couch or staying in bed. (I wish) It is the PERFECT ZONE, of wanting everything as close to perfect as possible, so that I turn into a total and complete stress case... the Christmas Tree is still up! the bathroom is messy! the laundry is piled high! the dog hair is everywhere! GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE....with these words and the knowledge that I can apply them to many facets of my life I have come to the IT'S OKAY ZONE. Not being perfect is OK. To just do the best I can...BUT not to settle and become complacent...to just stay a tad ahead of my comfort zone and know that stepping outside the zone I can breath an "AH"...and just chill.