Raising Kids
We’re a family who road trips. We live 1000 miles from family, and so far our record for driving to visit them is four times in one year. That’s 8,000 miles of road. That’s a lot of Raffi. We started the kids young -- I think the earliest long trip was a 13-hour drive to Arizona when my son was barely two months old. It’s [...]
Archives for July 2015
Military Resources6 Ways Military Families Can Financially Prepare for Civilian Life Transition
When you or your spouse are in the military, it is easy to become accustomed to some of the financial benefits: a secure job, housing, insurance, and the use of the commissary. Regardless of whether you are separating voluntarily, involuntarily, or retiring, your finances will be affected by your transition. As you prepare for the [...]
What It’s Really Like for a Military Family Giving Birth Overseas
When my husband and I moved to Italy a few years ago, courtesy of the Air Force, having a baby wasn’t even a blip on my radar. I wanted to see Europe, travel to new places every weekend, and enjoy time with my husband. As far as I was concerned, you couldn’t do all of those things with a kid in tow. The irony is that after living there [...]
Schedule / RoutinePreparing Toddler for New Baby? 10 Easy Ideas to Try
As you inch your way into the third trimester, you start thinking about how you will parent a demanding toddler and newborn simultaneously. I mean, you could go cold turkey and give your toddler the surprise of a lifetime, but there's a chance it could go horribly wrong. Our son will be approximately 27 months old when our [...]
What and How Much Should Your Really Toddler Eat?
Most parents want to feed their children a healthy diet but when it comes to toddlers, it can be difficult to balance their somewhat uncivilized behavior with healthy food. With a little patience you can teach even your toddlers to eat healthily, dare I even suggest in a stress free way? Related: 25+ Easy, Healthy Lunches for 2 Year [...]
4 Awesome Strategies for Parenting Toddler Boys
Parenting toddler boys is an adventure. The other day I heard the toilet flush and my heart sank. After all, I was home alone with my son and I was not the one in the bathroom flushing the toilet. This meant only one thing was possible—my toddler was flushing the toilet and I was praying it wasn’t my iPhone circling the [...]
MilSpouse Life5 Things You Miss Most Living Far From Family
When we first moved to Japan, I knew it would change us forever. So much of the change I anticipated was good. Honestly. We wanted to come here. We volunteered. And we are really pretty happy here. People often ask us if we will extend our tour in Japan when our time is up. Countless military families do this, and funny enough, some stay [...]
One Important Choice Military Spouses Must Make
I used to be a very pessimistic person. If things didn't go as I thought they should have, negative feelings would fester until I lashed out in some way. I would often be in a bad mood but covered it with a smile, rolled my eyes at overly cheerful people, stressed out about the small stuff, and put up walls to block out criticism. I [...]
Mom LifeMy Favorite Moments in the Last 10 Years of Being a Mom
I became a mother in 2004 when my oldest son Daniel was born. I knew I always wanted to have children and he was the reason I was able to fulfill that dream. In 2006 we had our 2nd little boy Drew and in 2010 we completed our little family with Joshua. [...]
20 Small Chores Even a Toddler Can Do
My toddler was furious. He’s always show a bit of a strong-willed side, but I could tell he was not going to back down over this. I was cleaning with the spray bottle and he was adamant about cleaning right along with me. He was determined to do exactly what I was doing without assistance. This got me thinking that it was time [...]
