Amber Flinn
Amber is a central Iowa native. Amber has been married to her best friend Tommy since 2007. Amber feels she has the best job in the world, being a stay at home mom to her two boys, Miles (August 2009) and Graham (May 2012). On any given day you may find Amber in her pajamas past noon, ignoring a couch piled high with clean laundry and a sticky kitchen floor desperate for a scrubbing. Much of Amber’s joy and fulfillment comes from serving her family. Amber is passionate about advocating for her son Miles and other children with special needs. Amber is currently learning and enjoying what it means to raise a healthy infant with her son Graham. Besides loving on her family, Amber enjoys ethnic foods, nerdy strategy and card games, lazy days, and good books.
How Important Is Resiliency?
I was once out to dinner with a friend when she told me something she had recently learned: resiliency is one of the most important character traits a child can posses. My initial reaction was...
My Journey: Warming Up to Special Needs
The first time someone referred to my son as a special needs child, I felt indignant. Sure my son had medical issues, but I wasn’t ready for the term "special needs" to apply to...
Five Things Not to Say to a Special Needs Parent
At times it seems as if there is an enormous gulf between raising a typical child and raising one with special needs. Until my second son came into this world, I as a special needs...
Planning for the Unthinkable, Part 2
A few months ago I shared a post about the importance of life insurance. Perhaps even more important than life insurance is a will. Just as with life insurance, I started thinking about a...
Saying No to “No”
It's pretty bad when you start annoying yourself. Maybe my annoyance stems from this year's long, harsh winter. Or maybe two young rowdy boys who only want to wrestle, run, or act as wild...
Chores for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Whatever Mommy and Daddy are doing, our two young boys want to “help.” When Tommy is hanging up a new picture, the boys are right beside him, both wanting to hold a tool for...
My Social Media Detox
I love it! I hate it! Let’s just say, “it’s complicated” between me and social media. This post on social media may seem strange given the fact that I write for Des Moines Moms...
Planning for the Unthinkable
Motherhood pushes many of us to consider ideas and concepts we would not have otherwise contemplated. This was true for my experience with life insurance. When my husband and I were expecting our first...
Throwing Out the “How To” Books: Embracing My Unique Child
There seems to be an endless litany of parenting “how to” books, blogs, talks, and pamphlets. These materials encompass a wide variety of topics: sleeping, nursing, potty training, behavior management, communication, etc. Obviously, there...
I Wanted to Breastfeed…
August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week; and Des Moines Moms Blog is joining people in more than 170 countries in the celebration. We are pleased to bring you a series of posts this week...