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What’s The BUZZ? Carole, Liz, and the Swim Moms Honoring the Great Moms in My Life for Mother’s Day MAY 2021 This Mother’s Day, I’m happy to say that I have not one, not two, but a whole cohort of moms in my life. I’m humbled and in awe of their ability to care themselves. They may not realize it, but Liz made them into the strong young men they are today.
To make matters more impressive, Liz has a master’s degree in public health and owns a business. All the while, she has been our boys’ biggest cheerleader and support system through school and their activities. But we got lucky there, too. Our sons’ swim teams were supported by swimmoms and dads — parents who always cheered and looked after every kid on that team. Our boys have been swimming since they were in middle school. Austin swam at college, and now Owen does, too. It’s a big part of their lives, so naturally, the people we saw every weekend became a big part of our lives, too. Each meet is usually at a YMCA, where spectators, participants, and officials pack into a steamy, chlorine-filled room for about eight hours on any given Saturday. It’s exhausting but well worth it to see your kid compete. Better yet, every swim parent was passionate about seeing the whole team succeed, and the swimmoms were on a whole other level. Moms like Andrea Hein, Mary Anne Bjork, Danielle Schultz, Sharon Anderson, Denise Flemming, Cathy Ruetten, and of course, Liz, were always supportive of our swimmers. If you were volunteering at the blocks, they made sure your child ate in between meets. They watched for each child’s race, and we all cheered when anyone’s child won or had a good race. It really was a village. We’re still close with our fellow swim parents. In fact, I regularly play euchre with the swim dads! I’m humbled by the great mothers in my life, and this Mother’s Day, I appreciate each one of them a little bit more. My mommade me who I am today,
for others, and I would be remiss if I didn’t use my cover article space this month to honor them.
First up is the first mom I ever knew: my mom, Carole. She’s a really special woman. Despite working and owning her own restaurant at one point, Mom always made sure we had dinner on the table every night and that we knew she was always there. I particularly enjoyed the years when my mom owned a restaurant called Someplace, just across the street frommy dad’s gas station. I’d often wander between the two businesses after school. It’s no surprise that my mom is a caring grandmother, too. When our boys graduated from college and high school in May 2020, we decided to surprise her by dressing the boys up in their graduation gowns and knocking on her door. The look on her face when she saw her grandsons was priceless. We stood 6 feet apart and outside, of course, but it’s a memory I will cherish forever. The mom of those two special boys — who are now grown up and are actually young men — is my wife, Liz. She is truly an amazing mother. After our eldest son, Austin, was born, Liz decided to stay home and raise him. Four years later, when Owen was born, she continued to be a stay-at-home mom. That decision was one of the best choices for our family. It allowed me to grow my business, and we didn’t have to worry about child care expenses or who would be available if the boys needed us in the middle of the school day. Frankly, if I was a single parent, I don’t know how I could have done everything that Liz did for our boys. (And I wouldn’t be where I was today without Liz pushing me, too.) One of the greatest gifts Liz gave our sons is the strength to be independent. She was always available whenever they needed advice or support, but she never did the tough work for them. Liz always empowered our boys to do what they thought was best and stick up for
my wife continues to amaze me, and our swimmoms gave us some great memories and lasting friendships. Happy Mother’s Day! — Jon Bockman
Sycamore 815.756.7413 • DeKalb 815.754.4200
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Get Fit With Your Family 5 Easy Ways to Get Everyone Moving
What’s That Noise? Your Guide to the Strange Noises Your Vehicle Can Make There’s something refreshing about May. It’s the first month where the sun is regularly shining, and it’s the perfect opportunity to roll down your windows and … what’s that? Is that a new noise coming from your car? Should you be worried about it, or is it normal? What could it be? If It’s Whirring or Humming The friction between your tires and roadways provides the perfect white noise to lull babies asleep, but irregular humming or loud whirring could be a sign that your car’s wheel bearings — the small balls that allow the vehicle to turn smoothly — are going out. Identifying where the noise is coming from can determine which bearings are in need of help, so have a mechanic thoroughly inspect your vehicle before driving too far. If It’s Squealing Your vehicle can squeal in multiple spots. The most common area is on the brakes. This squealing occurs when the brake pads are starting to wear
May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. As a parent, you probably know exercise is important for your children’s physical development. It helps build healthy bones, muscles, and joints and reduces the risk of developing diabetes and other diseases later in life. But did you know that physical activity also has many mental and behavioral health benefits? It’s been shown to improve children’s cognitive skills and concentration, boost their self-esteem, and reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. One of the best ways to encourage healthy behaviors in your children is by modeling them yourself. Studies have found that more than 80% of adolescents and adults are not getting enough aerobic activity, showing that children often follow in their parents’ footsteps and that exercising together can benefit everyone.
You may be thinking it’s hard enough just to get yourself to the gym, but Stephen Virgilio, author of “Active Start for Healthy Kids,” encourages parents not to limit themselves to traditional forms of exercise. Instead, think of exercise more broadly as “leading an active lifestyle.” And remember that exercise can be fun and a great way to get in more family time.
Become And Save Mone
Here are five easy ways to incorporate more movement into your family’s day.
1. Create a walking ritual. Start walking around the neighborhood before or after dinner each night. Aim for a 20-minute stroll. 2. Have a dance party. Clear some space in the living room, make playlist with everyone’s favorite tunes, and boogie down for as long as you have the energy. 3. Turn chores into games. Dirt has invaded from outer space and must be eliminated. Set the scene with your kids, grab your tools, and get to work removing the enemy while having fun. 4. Incorporate simple exercises into screen time. Start by making up fun names for exercises like situps or jumping jacks. Then, challenge each other to see who can do the most during your favorite show’s commercial breaks. 5. Get fit in the great outdoors. Cleaning up the yard, planting and maintaining a garden, or just running around outside are all great ways to get in more movement.
This past fall, RV manufacturers reported a 31% increase in sales compared to 2019. This was no doubt related to an effort to stave off the spread of COVID-19, which had more families opting to
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take road trips and camp instead of going on tropical and European vacations. While the great outdoors can be the perfect affordable backdrop for family vacations, it doesn’t come without a cost. You can hit the road without your bank account taking a hit with these three must-do tips! Stay for Free If you’re on a cross-country adventure, you will need a place to park and rest each night before continuing your adventure the next day. Rather than shelling out money every night, consider free options. Search for public land that’s part of the Bureau of Land Management or in a Wildlife Management Area that allows overnight camping. Walmart allows RV parking at no cost, but some locations pose safety concerns. To mitigate this, well-meaning RVers have listed Walmart locations with red flags. You can check them out at AllStays.com.
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Sycamore 815.756.7413 • DeKalb 815.754.4200
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down, and while this isn’t an emergency, you should have your brakes inspected and changed soon to avoid further damage. (Note: Your brakes may sound crunchy when they need immediate replacement. Avoid getting to this point.)
Squealing can also be heard under your hood. This can be a little more complex. Typically, squealing under your hood means the serpentine belt — a rubber belt that connects various components in your engine together — or another belt is loose or
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broken. This should be fixed immediately to allow your engine to function properly. If It’s Clanking, Clicking, or Popping Again, there could be multiple culprits here, so listen carefully to where the sound is coming from. If you hear a rhythmic clicking or popping noise, it could mean your tire’s hub cap or the tire itself wasn’t installed properly. Popping noises could also point to issues with your
$50 instant rebate and $50 mail-in rebate when buying $250 in qualifying brake parts. This offer is valid between May 1 and June 30, 2021, so don’t wait! See shop for details.
axle, which is the device that allows your wheels to rotate. You will notice this noise when turning if that’s the case. Again, this could be dangerous, so see a mechanic right away.
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We hear a lot of noises at Bockman’s. If you hear a squeal, clank, hum, or any other noise coming from your vehicle this spring, we can help you. Call us today to schedule an appointment and get back to the fresh May air in no time.
Meet Our Loyal Customers!
a Savvy RV User ey on Your Summer Road Trip
A special thank you to Kent & Karen Toyota for trusting us to service their vehicle! Your support makes all of this possible.
Save on Fuel Fuel could be your biggest expense, but you can cut down on the inevitable by driving slower than 60 mph when it’s safe to do so. Once you hit 60 mph or above in your RV, your gas mileage will drop. Furthermore, you can keep your gas bill in check by sticking to trips within your state, planning your route to avoid unnecessary detours, and leaving early to miss the traffic. Each little action could make a big impact on your fuel bill. Re-Use Items in Your Home You may have a long to-buy list for your RV, but not everything on there may be necessary. Before splurging on the latest gear, consider what you have in your home. Use old kitchen utensils and plates, cleaning supplies, bedding, and entertainment items like books and toys in your RV to save money and clear some clutter from your home. It’s a win-win! Looking for more RV tips? Check out GanderOutdoors.com or download apps like AllStay, RVParky, and State Lines. And Bockman’s Truck & Fleet can take care of all your RV needs. Call the shop at 815.754.4200 for an appointment!
Sycamore 815.756.7413 • DeKalb 815.754.4200
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Bockman’s Auto Care 2158 Oakland Dr. Sycamore, IL 60178 815.756.7413 Bockman’s Truck & Fleet 815.754.4200
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For the Love of Moms
5 Ways to Increase Your Family’s Fitness Need Help Identifying That Sound? We Can Help! 3 Tips for RVing on a Budget
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Earn Money When Your Vehicle Is Serviced at Bockman’s!
Get Paid to Come to Us! The Most Lucrative Perk of Our Customer Care Program
Use it on future services. Any rewards dollars you accumulate can be used partially or fully cover the cost of future repairs or maintenance. For example, an oil change and tire rotation in the fall could come in handy just months later when your battery dies weeks before Christmas. That added expense can be difficult to cover, but with accumulated rewards dollars, you won’t have to worry about covering the full amount. Instead, you can funnel your hard-earned money toward those gifts you still have on your shopping list! Use it to help others. If you have a cause that’s important to you, we can donate your rewards dollars to that cause! This is one of our favorite parts of the Customer Care Program. These dollars are there to support you when you need it, but if you would rather give that money away to local or national charities in
How many establishments will pay you to do service with them? Sure, there are rebate dollars, but those require you to mail something in after a set amount of time has passed. Those businesses are banking on you forgetting that these exist! Wouldn’t it be better if you could save money over time and receive discounts on the services you need? That’s the idea behind one of the most popular and lucrative perks in our Customer Care Program. Our rewards dollars perk allows customers enrolled in the program to earn back a percentage of their invoiced total on the bill every time their vehicle is serviced by the Bockman’s team. That money can then be used to cover a portion of their next bill or to help someone in need. Here’s how it works!
need, our team is more than happy to donate it for you. This is a great way to put a little bit of good back into the world without dipping into your personal bank account. We’re honored to have served this region for more than 50 years, and our rewards dollars are just one of the ways we return the favor. If you’re interested in signing up for our Customer Care Program or using your rewards dollars, please visit BockmansAutoCare.com/ Customer-Care-Program. Thank you for your support!
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Sycamore 815.756.7413 • DeKalb 815.754.4200
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