MOPS held its annual Christmas party today. We were divided into our d-groups and rotated among three stations: devotional time with mentor mom, board games and appetizer preparation in the kitchen. Moms made four different appetizers for all moms, mentors and workers. A cookie exchange was also conducted.
Announcements:
*No MOPS Jan. 1st due to the holiday. We will have only one regular meeting in Jan. on the 15th. We will have our W.O.W. (Wiser Older Women) panel on this day.
*MOPS Tun O' Fun Day will be Jan. 29th from 9:30-1:00. MOPS covers pizza and admission. This event is for MOPS members ONLY who have paid membership dues or are on scholarship.
*Childcare workers desperately needed in MOPPETS in the 2-3 year old class. The more references provided, the fewer times we will have to draw names to fill in the gaps. Even if you know of someone who can only help out occasionally, please speak with Jenny R. Position may be volunteer or compensated at $15 per session.
*If you didn't pick up your Dec. newsletter, spare copies will be at the Jan. 15th meeting. Please note the directory information changes in this newsletter.
Have a blessed Christmas.
12.18.2008
12.04.2008
Dec. 4th Speaker Summary
Teresa Carlson spoke on Christmas traditions. We'd like to thank her for her talk. Listed below are some of the things she shared.
on traditions themselves:
*most of us have Christmas traditions, whether we realize it or not (i.e. when to open gifts, when to eat dinner, where we travel in the car)
*instill traditions at a young age to make them stick
*don't give your kids everything they want for Christmas, make due when you need to
examples of traditions:
*leave gifts from Santa unwrapped
*fill Christmas sacks with goodies and peanuts
*ask family members what their favorite baked item is and bake those items
*make homemade gifts: baked goods and jars with layers (soup and cookie mixes), coupon books for hugs, chores, etc.
*bake a birthday cake for Jesus
*give charitable donations
*if you have a really big family, go in together on hiring a Santa and take pics; save pics and compare them from year to year to see how your family has changed
*attend Christmas church services
*decorate with Christmas music playing in background
*names on stockings
*blast Christmas music on December mornings to wake up kids
*serve eggnog in special glasses
*put mini Christmas trees in kids' rooms and let them decorate with own decorations; photograph decorated trees and show in later years
*read Christmas themed books about candy canes and gingerbread and make/eat these items
*keep cup of candy canes out for visitors
*videotape kids' Christmas programs and play movies when kids are older
*take a name off the angel tree at the mall and buy a gift for someone less fortunate
*carol at a nursing home
*read Christmas story from Bible or from an age-appropriate Bible story book
*go to a movie with your older kids
*set up nativity scene minus Jesus; hide Jesus and have child who finds Jesus put Him in manger
*Marilyn mentioned that Dec. 6th is St. Nick's Day; set out kids' shoes and put candy or ornaments in them
*delve into the legends of the candy cane, stars on top of trees, bells
*do an advent calendar and/or light candles on advent wreath
*hang ornaments in memory of a loved one who has passed away; as you hang the ornament, share stories about that person
*C.O.W. Project (Change Our World): in lieu of gifts for adults, do a charitable project and share what you did as you gather with your family during the time you'd normally exchange gifts; examples of projects would be: pay for the person behind you in line at a business, give Christmas gifts to military families, give someone a ride, fill a baby bathtub with baby stuff and drop it off at hospital OB ward, invite a struggling family to your home and serve them a fancy dinner
on traditions themselves:
*most of us have Christmas traditions, whether we realize it or not (i.e. when to open gifts, when to eat dinner, where we travel in the car)
*instill traditions at a young age to make them stick
*don't give your kids everything they want for Christmas, make due when you need to
examples of traditions:
*leave gifts from Santa unwrapped
*fill Christmas sacks with goodies and peanuts
*ask family members what their favorite baked item is and bake those items
*make homemade gifts: baked goods and jars with layers (soup and cookie mixes), coupon books for hugs, chores, etc.
*bake a birthday cake for Jesus
*give charitable donations
*if you have a really big family, go in together on hiring a Santa and take pics; save pics and compare them from year to year to see how your family has changed
*attend Christmas church services
*decorate with Christmas music playing in background
*names on stockings
*blast Christmas music on December mornings to wake up kids
*serve eggnog in special glasses
*put mini Christmas trees in kids' rooms and let them decorate with own decorations; photograph decorated trees and show in later years
*read Christmas themed books about candy canes and gingerbread and make/eat these items
*keep cup of candy canes out for visitors
*videotape kids' Christmas programs and play movies when kids are older
*take a name off the angel tree at the mall and buy a gift for someone less fortunate
*carol at a nursing home
*read Christmas story from Bible or from an age-appropriate Bible story book
*go to a movie with your older kids
*set up nativity scene minus Jesus; hide Jesus and have child who finds Jesus put Him in manger
*Marilyn mentioned that Dec. 6th is St. Nick's Day; set out kids' shoes and put candy or ornaments in them
*delve into the legends of the candy cane, stars on top of trees, bells
*do an advent calendar and/or light candles on advent wreath
*hang ornaments in memory of a loved one who has passed away; as you hang the ornament, share stories about that person
*C.O.W. Project (Change Our World): in lieu of gifts for adults, do a charitable project and share what you did as you gather with your family during the time you'd normally exchange gifts; examples of projects would be: pay for the person behind you in line at a business, give Christmas gifts to military families, give someone a ride, fill a baby bathtub with baby stuff and drop it off at hospital OB ward, invite a struggling family to your home and serve them a fancy dinner
Dec. 4th MOPS meeting
Announcements:
*MOPS Tun O'Fun Day will be held the morning of Jan. 29th. MOPS pays for admission and pizza for MOPS MEMBERS ONLY. Tun O' Fun is not open to the public during this event. More details in the Jan. newsletter.
*Seeking mature Christian women to sit on the W.O.W. panel for the Jan. 15th meeting. Contact Sherry.
*Thanks to Juliane and all moms who provided donations and purchased items at the silent auction. $677 was raised (a record).
*If you requested a change in the directory, changes have been published in the Dec. newsletter. Leftover copies will be available at the next meeting. I don't want to publish the items on here for security reasons.
*MOPS will be having a meeting on Dec. 18th. All moms are to bring a snack to share. Contact your d-group leader to see whether you should bring something sweet, salty or a beverage. ALSO, an optional cookie exchange will be held. Bring 1/2 dozen wrapped cookies. If you want to exchange more than a 1/2 dozen, this is fine. Just keep items in sets of six. You can exchange the amount you bring. Questions, contact Jill S.
Hope I got that right. :)
*MOPS will only have one regular meeting in Jan.due to the first being New Year's Day. Our Jan. meeting will be held on the 15th.
Meeting:
*A potential new mentor mom was visiting today.
*Sherry had a package opening game for us to play.
*Teresa spoke on Christmas traditions. Details on this in a later post.
*D-groups discussed Christmas traditions and what to bring for the Christmas party.
*MOPS Tun O'Fun Day will be held the morning of Jan. 29th. MOPS pays for admission and pizza for MOPS MEMBERS ONLY. Tun O' Fun is not open to the public during this event. More details in the Jan. newsletter.
*Seeking mature Christian women to sit on the W.O.W. panel for the Jan. 15th meeting. Contact Sherry.
*Thanks to Juliane and all moms who provided donations and purchased items at the silent auction. $677 was raised (a record).
*If you requested a change in the directory, changes have been published in the Dec. newsletter. Leftover copies will be available at the next meeting. I don't want to publish the items on here for security reasons.
*MOPS will be having a meeting on Dec. 18th. All moms are to bring a snack to share. Contact your d-group leader to see whether you should bring something sweet, salty or a beverage. ALSO, an optional cookie exchange will be held. Bring 1/2 dozen wrapped cookies. If you want to exchange more than a 1/2 dozen, this is fine. Just keep items in sets of six. You can exchange the amount you bring. Questions, contact Jill S.
Hope I got that right. :)
*MOPS will only have one regular meeting in Jan.due to the first being New Year's Day. Our Jan. meeting will be held on the 15th.
Meeting:
*A potential new mentor mom was visiting today.
*Sherry had a package opening game for us to play.
*Teresa spoke on Christmas traditions. Details on this in a later post.
*D-groups discussed Christmas traditions and what to bring for the Christmas party.
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