At the age of 19, Kathie Ousley met her husband, Jason, and went from being the child of a Navy parent to being the wife of a Marine. Two short years later the couple gave birth to their first baby, Joseph.

“When he was born, it was 4 a.m., and we didn’t have a name picked out, so I let Jason pick,” Kathie said. “I loved being pregnant. To feel them kick, the ultrasounds, everything. It’s just such an amazing time.”

It was so amazing for Kathie that she decided to endure it not once, not twice, not even three more times but six times.

“I was literally pregnant or having a baby every eight or nine months,” Kathie said while laughing out loud. “At one point I had five babies under 5. Moms with one or two kids look at me like I’m crazy, but once you have three, you should just keep going. Three is the breaking point; after that it’s a piece of cake.”

The Ousleys, who live in Holt, didn’t plan on having a minivan full of children, but after three, they felt they needed one more.

“We wanted four,” Kathie said. “We had Joseph, Jacob and Kayla. I didn’t want an odd number, so we decided to have one more, except we had twins. After that I still didn’t want an odd number, so we had Gabriel.”

For Kathie, feeling like a zookeeper is common. With her husband, six children and nearly a half dozen other critters running around her home, it’s easy to get lost in the chaos.

“It’s kind of a zoo at my house,” Kathie said. “It can be pretty chaotic, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s so rewarding.”

Most people might think a family of eight would be plenty enough to keep themselves busy but not Kathie. Besides driving her kids all over town, coaching and volunteering, she is also a successful real estate agent. However, she said that of all the hats she wears, being a mother is the most important.

“I do feel like I’m pulled in several different directions,” Kathie said. “Every year I work really hard for the Relay for Life, and I’ve coached and done so many other things, but to me being a mom is the most important job. People don’t realize that you’re not just a mom, you’re an accountant, a teacher, so many things.”

It’s true that moms often take on many different roles, but it’s especially true regarding Kathie. While she is humble about the role she has in her home, her actions prove that she is a valuable asset not just for her own family but for the entire community as well.

“When Joseph was in sixth grade he was failing because of his ADHD, and the district was a nightmare to deal with,” Kathie said. “I literally went through the entire chain of command and walked away feeling like no one would help me. I was told that my child was on the path to becoming a dropout.”

Kathie said that after several battles with the district, she decided that enough was enough and not only contacted the civil rights office but ran for the school board and won.

“I’m one of those believers that if you’re going to complain than you need to step up and do something about it,” Kathie said. “There are kids in our district that we are losing and that’s not the kind of district that I want us to have. They gave up on my child, and it’s my goal that no child ever has to go through that again.”

Although Kathie said that her son’s situation has improved, she said that there was still a lot of progress to be made.

“I think the first step is speaking out,” Kathie said. “I’ve always encouraged my kids to do what they believe in, and I have to be an example of that. I want them to see that I will fight for what I believe is right. I want the public to see that too. I am their voice, and I want to do what’s right even if it’s not popular. Our children are our future, and we need to nurture that.”

Kathie is often the one who stands out among the crowd at school board meetings, speaking her mind, and is often one of the only board members to vote differently from the group. But it’s her strong spirit that makes many stand up and take note, Superintendent Dr. Chris Belcher said.

“Kathie brings a true passion to every board meeting,” Belcher said. “She has the best interest of our students at heart and is willing to speak up and make her points known.”

Kathie’s children think she stands out from the crowd also. Her 12-year-old son, Jacob, said that with everything she’s involved in she still takes time to be a hands-on mom.

“She does a lot of stuff for us,” Jacob said. “She takes all of us everywhere. My brother to basketball, my sister to dance and the twins to their sports. She’s really strong and teaches us to be strong. I’m really proud of her for being on the school board, and she’s the only girl there — that’s pretty cool. No matter how busy she gets she always takes care of us, and I really love her for that. Not everybody can balance it all, but she does.”

Kathie said her talent has always been being a mother.

“I’m not talented in very many other areas, and I think that’s why God gave me so many kids” Kathie said. “It’s my job to teach them to make right choices. There’s nothing more in this world that I love than my children. I absolutely love being their mother.”

Kathie’s husband, Jason, said that he didn’t know how she did it all, especially when it came to taking all six children with her to Wal-Mart.

“Kathie is so intelligent and could have done anything career-wise but she chose to dedicate her life to being a great mother,” Jason said. “I don’t know how she does it, but she gets it all done; it’s like a magical mother thing or something. She never forces her beliefs on our kids; she guides them, and I think that has allowed them to be free-spirited. She gives them courage and lets them be individuals. She’s just really a great mother.”

Staff writer Carrie Alexander can be reached at 628-6010 or carriealexander@npgco.com.

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