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The Four Stages of Pumpkin Picking
By Danni Koko The fall semester is here, and if you live in certain corners of the country, you can probably guess what the autumn field trip is going to be before the permission slip even comes home in your child’s schoolbag. That’s right, it’s everyone’s perennial favorite: the trip to the pumpkin patch. “Of…
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What is the ideal family size?
Is there a perfect number of kids? How does life change when your family grows? Does family size have a sweet spot? By Danni Koko “Would you like another?” It’s a common question women ask each other on a mom’s night out. And no, we’re not talking about adult beverages. We’re talking about children. Such…
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Families with Multiple Kids – Do You Get Economies of Scale?
By Danni Koko If you’re thinking of growing your family and want to know the truth about where you could get financial economies of scale, I’ll offer up some of what I’ve experienced. In my honest opinion, there are some ways you get economies of scale with multiple kids, but some pretty big ways that…
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How to Make a Jesse Tree
By Danni Koko “I want to do something for Christmas!” If your kids are anything like mine, they are convinced that their level of excitement can exponentially speed up time. Since we have yet to even reach Thanksgiving, and since Mom always gets pulled into these projects, I was not quite ready to dive into…
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I Kept This to Myself, Until I Was Ready to Share It
By Danni Koko There is never an easy way to talk about the hard times. But the truth is that I had a miscarriage, and in the days following my own experience with pregnancy loss, I was flooded with a range of emotions. In the aftermath of this experience, I channeled my feelings of both…
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I had a miscarriage. Then we discovered our baby’s name.
My story of pregnancy loss, and the surprise ending that brought us comfort By Danni Koko I lost my baby to miscarriage, and like so many people who bravely walked through this experience before me, I felt suddenly caught in a surreal existence of sadness and grief while the rest of the world seemed to…
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A Mom’s Struggles with Contact Paper
By Danni Koko It’s back to school time, which means stocking up on pencils and dry erase markers, getting into our daily routine of running late for the bus, and my favorite parent activity yet: covering my kids’ workbooks with contact paper. Oh, contact paper. The clear, clingy sheet of vinyl that’s supposed to prevent…
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Exciting News! My New Children’s Book Release!
Now available on Amazon! Pick up a copy here! In Our Amazing Eyes, we learn that our eyes are unique! Eyes come in many different shapes and colors. This children’s picture book depicts the beautiful diversity of the human eye with simple words and illustrations. Have you ever noticed there is very little children’s book content about…
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I’m Going to Come Clean: This is How I Really Feel About Disney
By Danni Koko After many years of staying quiet, I’m going to come clean. I’m just not that into Disney. There, I said it. I’m holding my breath right now. Many of you might be more than a little incredulous. How can a mom of young children not be completely taken with the magic of…
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Four Things I Learned About Adoption That May Surprise You
If you know me, you probably know that I’m an adoptive mom because I talk openly about it. I know I’m biased, but like all mothers, I really believe my son is the most perfect baby in the whole world. With his sweet smile and sparkly eyes and laid-back personality, “Hendrix” is truly a rock…
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Here’s What’s Changed in My First 10 Years of Parenting
My children have been kind enough to point out, on occasion, that I was born in the 1900s. My husband has long kidded that he’s older because he was born three months ahead of me, and we’re now at that point in parenthood where we’re expected to be not only older but also wiser because,…
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How to Start a Group for Young Parents at Your Church
It’s something I hear often from other parents. “I wish my church had a group like this.” I’ve received emails and phone calls from friends and strangers alike asking for guidance on this subject. People are always surprised to hear that a church has a Young Parents’ Group because, despite the fact that there are…