It’s Friday, which means it is time to sit back, relax, and meet another fabulous mother! Today’s mom is a fellow mom blogger and awesome mother of two kids. I have really enjoyed getting to chat with her over the last few weeks, and I know you’re going to want to read all about her! In the Mom Spotlight we get to see the connections we have to one another, find common ground, and learn from the daily wisdom of other mothers. We’re all in this together..We are all chasing Supermom. Let’s meet Kathryn…

The Basics:

Name: Kathryn Lavallee
Age: Just celebrated the big 3-0!
Kids: Zackary (4) and Benjamin (1 ½)
Hometown: Lumsden, Saskatchewan, Canada

Kid Stuff:

Children’s TV show I actually LIKE: I have a few. Martha Speaks, because there are some great moments of
family-friendly adult humor. Gofrette, because Zanimo Town seems like such a fun place to live. And I adore
kids art shows like Artzooka and Mr. Maker. Those guys make some incredible crafts!
My children are NOT allowed to watch: Anything with violence or adult content, which means that we don’t
watch much television in the evenings. My husband’s beloved Two and a Half Men and my Supernatural have
to wait until after the kids are in bed!
One kids’ movie I really love is: The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking. It’s from the eighties, but SO
good! Who wouldn’t love to wash the floors by strapping scrub brushes to their feet?
My favorite book(s) to read to my kids are: Anything by Dr. Suess is sure to be a hit. They also love classics
like Clifford and The Berenstain Bears. And the David series by David Shannon is always well received!
My kids go to bed at: Eight on the dot. I put the baby to sleep, cuddle my oldest for ten minutes, and then head
downstairs for some much-needed adult time!
My favorite rainy day activity is: Dependent on my energy level. If I’m feeling run down, a movie is great. If I
have more energy, a cool craft is so much fun!
When it’s warm out: We’re out of the house all day. From playing at the park to running errands downtown to
just spending time in the backyard, there’s no place any of us would rather be.
My favorite kid friendly restaurants are: Red Lobster, because we’re a family of seafood lovers, and Wendy’s
because it’s quick, cheap and we can get salad instead of fries.

Let’s Eat:

The pantry item I absolutely cannot live without is: Kraft Dinner. Yes, it’s unhealthy. Yes, it’s pretty bland.
Yes, it’s a cliché. But it’s cheap, it’s fast, and both kids love it. I’ll take it!
My go-to weeknight dinner is: Pasta of any sort. I’m really good at throwing together a delicious pasta sauce
with whatever we have on hand. So as long as I have a box of spaghetti or a bag of penne, I can whip up a meal
the whole family will love.
My go-to company meal is: Barbequed steak, messy fries and Caesar salad. It’s easy, hearty and everyone loves
it. Who’s going to say no to a melt-in-your-mouth steak, fries topped with lettuce, tomato, green onion, two
cheeses and gravy and a crisp salad?
The food I pretend to buy for the kids that is really for me is: Minigo yogurt. They get to eat some of them too,
but man, I just love those little cups, and the only way I can justify paying so much for them is if I’m doing it to
make my kids happy!
My food weakness is: Mint chocolate anything, especially chocolate covered mint cookies. TOO good!
I am not myself in the morning until I’ve had my cup of: Coffee. I’m a traditionalist. But every once in a while I
spoil myself with a Cappuccino or a Latte.

ME:

Aside from my kids, I am PASSIONATE about: Writing. My most inspired writing is a young adult fantasy
novel called Closing the Gateway. It’s currently sitting with a publisher here in Saskatchewan, and I am eagerly
awaiting the day it hits the market! And I love my review blog, Mommy Kat and Kids, almost as much as my
novel. Both are almost like children to me, because I went through so much time and effort to make them what
they are and I am so proud of how much they have grown.

If I had a whole day all to myself, I would: Probably wander the house aimlessly wondering what to do with
myself! No, really, I would indulge in some of the things that I hardly ever get to indulge in now that I’m
a mother. I would have a wine spritzer for breakfast, do some shopping, reading and eating of high-quality
chocolate in the afternoon, and have a long bath before bed. Oh, and I would sleep in until at least noon!
There’s a luxury that disappeared with the birth of my oldest son!
My absolute most favorite movie of all time is: The Boondock Saints. It’s grim, dark, violent, charming and a
total cult classic. A Night At The Roxbury is a close second. It’s the exact opposite of my other favorite, and also
a total cult classic. I like to fly outside the mainstream.
My favorite TV show is: I have three. Dragon’s Den, Supernatural and Hell’s Kitchen. None are really child
appropriate, so I have to watch them as time and network scheduling allows, but if possible, I never miss them!
My celebrity crush is: Brett Wilson from the Canadian reality show Dragon’s Den. He’s a millionaire, a
philanthropist, and was born in my home province of Saskatchewan. Plus, his smile is completely charming!
If you were to put my ipod on shuffle, you’d likely hear: a mix of classics including Led Zepplin, the Beatles,
the Rolling Stones and the Guess Who along with some modern bands like Hoobastank, Incubus and Billy
Talent.
The best book I ever read was: I don’t know if I could ever pick just one, but Insomnia by Steven King is
incredible. Every time I read it I tend to notice another detail that I hadn’t before. I also love the Earth’s
Children series by Jean M. Auel (can’t wait for the final book this March!) and I think the entire Harry Potter
series is a work of brilliance. When I want a classic, The Lord of the Rings trilogy or the poetry of Robert W.
Service are always good.
My spouse (partner) and I keep romance alive by: Making sure that once a week, usually on Friday, we sit down
together, turn off our computers, pour ourselves a glass of wine and just relax together. Having a chance to sit
down and talk, or even just watch a movie that doesn’t contain singing cartoon characters, is a great way to
remember that we are a couple as well as a couple of parents.
My favorite place to shop is: Online. Taking the kids out of the house is just TOO much! I would way rather sit
down in the evening and do my shopping quickly and peacefully. Isn’t the modern age marvelous?
I am sent to my breaking point when: I ask my oldest son to do something, he sincerely agrees and he then
immediately does the exact opposite. “Zackary!” I yell. “I just asked you not to do that!” “I know,” he
peacefully replies. Or even worse, “I didn’t.” ARGHHHH!!!
When I’m stressed out I: Pray for eight o’clock! Seriously, sometimes it seems like the only thing I can do is
hold it together as best I can and wait for the kids to go to bed. But when bedtime is still HOURS away, I’ll
sometimes put on a movie for the kids and just sit down and read, or maybe cook something yummy to help me
de-stress.
My favorite (most tolerated) way to exercise is: Walking with my boys around my small hometown. In the
winter, I pull one or sometimes both boys on a sled behind me. In the summer, I push Benjamin in a stroller and
Zackary rides his tricycle. It’s such a nice way to get some exercise and enjoy some time together too!
The best piece of advice I ever received was: Always keep moving forward. I never really began to be
successful at anything I did until I realized that just plowing forward was bound to get me somewhere, no
matter how many obstacles I might encounter along the way. I’ve noticed that even though I have days that
seem to contain one problem after another after another, if I deal with every issue as it comes up and doggedly
work through them, no matter how nervous I am or how uncomfortable of a situation I might be put in, I
invariably get some great news or a wonderful surprise in the coming days. I believe that every time we conquer
an obstacle we receive a reward, and we usually don’t have to wait too long to get it either!