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Monica Swanson

the grommom

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Parenting and Family

Something New for Praying Moms

by Monica 8 Comments

On any given day, there's a lot we can worry about as moms.  My boys do some crazy things: They surf powerful waves, jump off big rocks, and dive deep caves.  Of even more concern to me though is the heart issues that all kids must go through to grow up:  Identity issues, relationships, academic stress, questions about their own faith, and so much more.As moms, we carry a heavy burden, don't we?Like many of you, I am a total believer in the power of prayer.  Prayer is my greatest

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Categories: Encouragement and faith, Miscellaneous, Parenting and Family

Boy Mom Book: Can I get your Input? On Boys and Technology.

by Monica 42 Comments

Hi friends!I'm back again, asking for your input for my upcoming Boy Mom book.As I am working on the book, I thought I would also share a bit of the writing/publishing process here.   I never want to bore anyone with nerdy writer stuff, but some of you have asked me about the process, and I think it would be fun to share.  Last week I did a few Instagram stories talking about what I was working on, and the responses were so encouraging.  (Feel free to ask specific questions if you're

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Categories: Miscellaneous, Parenting and Family

Boy Mom Book: Can I get Your Input? On Raising Healthy Boys

by Monica 38 Comments

Hey friends!  I am really excited right now!  As I mentioned in my New Year's post, I am on the official countdown to turning in my full Boy Mom Book manuscript in April.  April may sound far away, but as all busy moms know, it will be here in the blink of an eye!  The good news is, I've been working on this book since last May.  And I'm so thankful that this first book contract has offered me such a reasonable schedule.  Because life is so full for my family right now, it's a huge blessing to

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Categories: Health/Fitness, Miscellaneous, Parenting and Family

Merry Christmas! And some (realistic) Thoughts to Help You Enjoy the Holidays

by Monica 8 Comments

Family Christmas card

Merry, Merry Christmas! I pray that you have a most wonderful Christmas celebration with people you love.  My parents are in town, and my husband has a rare Christmas off work, so this is a very special holiday for me!Before I sign off and dive into all of the holiday festivities, I thought I would share a few things I'm reminding myself of this season.1. Expectations are dangerous: For best results, lower them.  Yes, it is Christmas...and some of us can't seem to shake the mindset that

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Categories: Miscellaneous, Parenting and Family

My Son Wrote a Book for You and Your Kids! — Sub-Marine, a tale of Fear, Trust, and Courage.

by Monica 25 Comments

A great new adventure book, written by my son....Hey friends!  I hope you are in the midst of a fun, joyful, and meaningful holiday season.  Today I have something SO special to share, I am literally giddy.  It's the highlight of my holidays.  And, (right alongside my own book announcement,) it's a highlight of my whole year!... My son wrote a book!...And unlike my book, his is DONE.  Published.  Ready for purchase!  (He did every single bit of it himself and I could not be more

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Categories: Miscellaneous, Parenting and Family

Life in our 40’s: Let’s talk about SLEEP!

by Monica 8 Comments

Welcome to one more topic in our series all about Life in our 40's!  Dr. Dave is back today to chat with us about SLEEP!  Though sleep is important at every stage of life, it seems that most of my friends start to struggle with their sleep in their 40's.  Add the holidays to that, (AND A PUPPY!) and you might just have some challenging nights on your hands.  (just ask us :))Anyways, we tried to keep this one short, because YOU ARE BUSY.  (And probably a bit sleepy too!) Also you might

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Categories: Miscellaneous, Parenting and Family

Books to Read (or give) in December!

by Monica 5 Comments

Though we are suddenly knee-deep in the holidays, and life is very...Very...busy...you know what I'm doing now, more than usual?  Reading!  Yep.  Most nights, I am tucking my little self into bed a few minutes early, turning off the news (right?) and enjoying some reading time before I sleep.  It's part ofmy attempt to simplify the holidays, and to get more sleep. (<--a topic Dr. Dave and I will be discussing soon!  I'm so excited!)We've also had some cool, rainy weather here lately,

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Categories: Miscellaneous, Parenting and Family

Happy Thanksgiving and some very BIG NEWS!

by Monica 86 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving Friends!!  I truly have so much gratitude in my heart right now.  For the last few weeks I have been thinking so much about this topic, and all of the ways choosing to focus on gratitude impacts our days and our lives. I wanted to write a post about all of that.  And I tried.  (Of course many people have written on the topic before, but you can never say too much, right?)  I was wrestling with putting my thoughts into words, and as I sat there staring at the screen, a

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Categories: Miscellaneous, Parenting and Family

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