More Than a Mommy

Family Dog

The family dog…or should I say the dog that Mom and Dad take care of?!?

In all seriousness, we are extremely grateful we have a pup that completes our family…regardless of who may be the one actually taking care of him. Having a family dog does offer a chance for your children to experience a sense of responsibility. We have a rotating schedule in our house where one week one child is in charge of the dog food and the other in charge of the water dish…the youngest gets off easy at this point. I was surprised at how much the kiddos love helping to take care of the pup…named Barley. There is the occasional “Oops, I forgot to feed the dog!” moment, but for the most part, our family is working as a team to raise a well-loved puppy.

By Mary Bockert, ago

Encouraging Your Kids to Grow

So many times I tell my kids to stop growing for selfish reasons. For some reason, watching my kids grow out of one stage and into another causes a bit of sadness deep in my heart. I quickly get over it and am excited for their new stage they enter but a piece of me dies with that growth. It happens with each of my kids. I know I am not the only parent who feels this way either.

By Mary Bockert, ago

Working with Kids and Stay-at-Home Moms

Working with kids…You may be thinking, “What does she have to add to this topic? I mean, she is a stay-at-home momma, right?”
Well yes, I am a stay at home momma and love every minute of it but on the contrary, I am a working momma. I like to say that I am a “stay-at-home mom that works”…meaning that I consider myself a stay-at-home mom during the daytime hours while the kiddos are awake and while they sleep, I work.

By Mary Bockert, ago

Getting a Family Dog

Barley is (almost) 4 months old and let me tell ya…having a 3 year old toddler and 4 month old puppy is NOT for the faint of heart. I find myself wondering who got into the toilet paper, who broke the crayon to pieces on the living room floor, who took the laundry out of the laundry basket, etc. IT IS A LOT OF WORK. Why did we decide together a puppy you might ask?!?

By Mary Bockert, ago

5 Toddler Exercises to do in the Dead of Winter

I can feel the warmth on my skin, the sun beaming down and warming the earth’s soil as I walk barefoot on the beach’s sand. It’s about 89 degrees outside and the smell of saltwater is encapsulating the air. It feels good to be outside, run in the sand, and feel the hot sun on my skin.

I jerk awake and realize it is actually the dead of winter in Toledo, Ohio where the weather is COLD, the skies are gray and the sun is all but beaming onto my face. It hits me…

By Mary Bockert, ago

How to Serve Others with Your Child

Bake some treats for your neighbors

This has to be my favorite–and one we will definitely be doing again this year. Last year, Little Girl and I baked banana bread for our neighbors, but this year I think we may make an assortment of treats, like pumpkin spice donut holes, healthy chocolate peanut butter fudge, coconut-cranberry peanut butter truffles and my triple chocolate peanut butter truffles from the Healthy Holidays eBook. We like to attach a Bible verse proclaiming Christ’s birth.

Last year, we delivered the bread on a rare white Christmas morning, and it was a blast getting to know our neighbors (most of whom invited us inside!).

By Mary Bockert, ago