the mom next door:
Meet Mary Kay Hoal

Edited by Amy Crelly
Photo by Alexandra Frankel

Davis mother of five
Nathan is 17, Madison is 15, Jack is 9, Kayden is 8, and Kali is 4.

Married
Mary Kay and her husband, Ted, have been together 22 years.

Founder, President & COO of Yoursphere Media Inc.
She created Yoursphere.com – a safe online networking site for kids ages 9-18. It's designed to be totally “creeper-resistant” (no predators or fake profiles) and offers interactive peer spheres (on topics like sports, fashion, music and academics), plus contests, scholarship opportunities, rewards and more.

I couldn’t live without…
My family… and caffeine!

Describe yourself in three words:
Mother. Caring. Driven.

The best part of being a mom is…
Being lucky enough to love someone more than yourself.

The worst part is…
The laundry!

What do you like most about living in Davis?
The schools, the community, the people, our neighbors.

My favorite place to bring out-of-towners is…
To my dining room. I love to cook and entertain.

My favorite place to hang out with the kids is…
Around the kitchen table, talking over dinner, or on the ski slopes at Tahoe.

The best parenting advice I ever got was…
“ Always follow through on what you say you will do – whether it’s consequences or rewards.”

If you told me 10 years ago where I am today, I’d be surprised that…
I had five children, and was helping to solve a global social problem like keeping kids safe online.

When I need to relieve stress, I head straight for…
My running shoes.

My favorite “me-time” activity is…
A massage.

I must be doing something right because…
Another mom told me my two young boys were well behaved while having a playdate at her house… I thought she must be talking about someone else’s kids!

My favorite junk food fix is…
Salty potato chips or a buttery bucket of movie theater popcorn.

My proudest parenting moment (so far)…
The adoption of our child from foster care had such an impact on the lives of our other (biological) children that they now want to adopt when they are grown up.

Hardly anybody knows…
I can cut and clean a king salmon. (I worked for three summers in Alaska at a salmon cannery to earn money for college.)

What’s the quote you try to live by?
“Never doubt that a small group of committed individuals can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead

The Money Fairy leaves a $100 bill under your pillow – how do you spend it?
I’d take my husband to dinner or buy a Peet’s card.

The best decision I ever made was…
Marrying my husband.

Being a mom, I’ve learned…
You can never tell your children too many times how much you love them.