Dec. and Jan. Events

*Dec. 15th: MOPS Christmas Party. This will be held during usual MOPS hours. See previous blog post for what type of food to bring.
*Jan. 5th: Stranger Danger talk provided by the police dept. Brunch: Life
*Jan. 19th: MOPS Slumber Party. This will be held during usual MOPS hours. Wear pjs or sweats. MOPPETS may also wear pjs or sweats. The topic will be "My Favorite Things." Think of this as show and tell for grown-ups. Please bring one item that is special to you and be prepared to tell why it is special. You can bring something like a family heirloom or something as simple as your favorite book or lotion. Brunch: Boggle should bring slumber party snacks.
*Jan. 27th: Moms' Night out at Crismons'. 2325 Grant Drive. Starts at 6:30. Please bring a dessert or appetizer to share. Non-MOPS moms and small infants are also welcome. No electronic invites will be sent out.

November and December Events

-Thursday, Nov. 17th: MOPS Silent Auction Fundraiser. Please bring new or gently used items. Suggestions include but are not limited to children's clothing, baked goods, toys, home decor, furniture, gift certificates for businesses and services (cake decorating). Brunch will start at 9:15. Have your donated items ready for bidding at 9:30. Auction will run from 9:45-10:30. Non-MOPS members are welcome to attend this event. Stratego is on for brunch.
-Dec. 1: Rev. Bob Weiss will speak at our MOPS meeting. Clue is on for brunch.
-Dec. 15: MOPS Christmas Party. No regular brunch. Everyone should bring snacks to share. Please bring enough so we can make goody plates for the MOPPET workers. These plates are part of their Christmas gift from MOPS. In order to provide a variety of snacks we're asking that each d-group bring the following types of items: Stratego-healthy snacks; Clue-beverages; Life-sweet snacks; Boggle-salty snacks

Oct./Nov. Events

*Tonight (Oct. 7) is Moms' Night Out at Teresa's. It is not to late to attend.
*Next MOPS meeting is Oct. 20th. The Life discussion group is on for brunch and kitchen clean-up. We will have a panel consisting of one mother who has adopted domestically and two who have adopted internationally. Come listen to these women share their stories.
*Nov. 3rd Tina Buri will speak. Boggle is on for brunch. Please note the correction in your newsletter. My editing may have been hard to decipher.
*Operation Christmas Child boxes (participation optional) are due at the Nov. 3rd MOPS meeting OR may be taken to Cornerstone Church prior to Nov. 13th.
*Kristin J. will be selling Herberger's Community Day coupon books for anyone interested at the next MOPS meeting. Proceeds go to MOPS.
*If you know of anyone willing to babysit during MomsNext meetings (Tuesday mornings), contact Sarah D.

MOPS Kicks off Another Year

*Our next MOPS meeting will be Thursday, Oct. 6th. We will be watching the Momsense DVD and will discuss Operation Christmas Child. "Clue" is on for brunch.
*October 7th will be Mom's Night Out at Teresa Carlson's. Everyone should have received an Evite. If you did not receive an Evite, contact Jenny C.
*The topic for the Oct. 20th MOPS meeting will be international and domestic adoption. "Life" will provide brunch.
*If you have not paid your MOPS dues, please do so. Payments may be given to Kristin J.
*Tina Buri will be our speakger at the Nov. 3rd MOPS meeting. Topic TBA.
*Nov. 17th (changed from the 3rd) will be our Silent Auction fundraiser. This is a lot of fun and is an easy way for us to provide the needed income to help MOPS run smoothly. Please bring items to donate which are new or in good used condition. Suggestions include toys, baked goods, clothing, home decor or services you can provide (babysitting, cake decorating, etc). If you have an "in" at a home-based business, gift certificates for these businesses are always appreciated.

Have a great weekend and enjoy today's gorgeous fall weather!

MOPS Summer Meeting dates

Here are the summer meeting dates:
June 2nd
June 16th
July 7th
July 21st
We meet at Riverside park at 11:30 a.m. Bring a lunch! Riverside park in on Kemp ave by the Elks club.

W.O.W. Panel

At the May 5th meeting we had a Wiser Older Women Panel. Four women with children who were grown came to share some wisdom with us. Here are some of their answers to the following questions:
1. Can you describe one thing that you think you did well related to the holidays when you had little children? What is one thing you might have done differently?
-Going to see family and decorating the tree together.
-Give less gifts and do more for others (like the giving tree).
2. Can you describe one or two traditions that you had in your household with little kids that you look back and are happy about?
-Dinner together every night.
-Sunday - family day - go to church together and then do something fun
-Early morning devotional before school
-Traditions should be passed down. Go our of your comfort zone to find traditions.
3. What are your best tips for keeping your cool when your children are losing theirs?
-With age comes wisdom and patience. Figure out why they are upset.
-Be silly to diffuse small issues.
-Stay calm and let them figure it out on their own, but discuss it afterwards.
-Count to 10, come back together after and get down to their level to talk about it
4. How did you settle disagreements between your children? How did you avoid destructive sibling rivalry, competition and comparison?
-When children are fighting, have them say something nice about the other child.
-Never compare them to each other, let them be their own little selves.
-Have them sit on their hands in the car when they were getting into it.
-Let them work it out and compliment good problem solving.
5. What are some effective ways to maintain stability for children when families are separated either due to job circumstance or divorce?
-Maintain amicability.
-Keep kids out of it!
-Stay in touch with each other with technology available.
-Remember that God is with you always. Kids will sense the tension, so it's important to stay vigilant about how they are doing.
6. If you had it to do all over again, what is the one thing that you are most proud of doing as a mom? What would you change?
-Accepting Christ and raising children in a Christ centered home is a source of pride.
-One wouldn't yell as much when the kids were younger.
-Proud of raising good, service-orientated adults.
-It's hard to turn them over to God when they need to leave the nest. Never stop praying for them.
7. Were you able to pursue passions and interest outside the home? And if so, how did you find the balance between giving your family the time and attention they needed while still fulfilling your outside commitments?
-All agreed they didn't do enough activities for themselves.
-Leaving children is good for them. It gives them social skills and also security when you come back.
-After leaving you come back better, refreshed.
8. What does a healthy relationship with God as a mom of preschoolers look like and what are some practical, daily tips for making it happen?
-Quality of time is important. Set up a time or two every day to get into the word and pray.
-Live daily as a reflection of Jesus' love.
-bible study groups
-Children are your gift from God. Pray always every day. Ask God to help you show love to the world every day.
9. What did you do on a day to day basis to nurture your marriage or relationship in the midst of the circus of small children?
-God calls us to him first, our husbands second and all other relationships third. After the children go to bed is a great time to talk and connect.
-Be creative and create an atmosphere for intimacy.
10. How important is it to have peer relationships as parents? What are some practical tips for maintaining these relationships?
-Find friends within your church where your families can bond.
-Camping and canoeing with friends over the summer.
-Have game nights with kids and adults
11. How do you find relationships with other people with small children and how do you nurture those connections?
-Don't wait around, go to them! Knock on a door or invite a family over.
-Many families feel the same way.
-A good book to read:
Authentic Relationships
Wayne Jacobsen and Clay Jacobsen

Mom's Night Out

The last Mom's Night Out will be held on Tuesday, May 10th, 7:00, Perkins for dessert and coffee. Come, chat and have a treat!

Steering Meeting Minutes for 4/28/11

Members Present: Jen Olson, Dorothy Bassingthwaite, Angela Syhre, Malissa Van Vleet, Emily Shepherd, Jennifer Olson, Christy Lickei, Sarah Dahl
I. We opened with a devotional based on scripture Esther 4:13-16.
II. Upcoming Meeting
-May 5th - Wow Panel - sit in d-groups
-May 19th - Last Meeting - end of year surveys, introduce next year's theme, game-maybe Jeopardy?, Christy will bring short craft that if not finished, can be put in a bag to take home
-Summer Meeting dates will be the same as other summers: every MOPS Thursday in June and July at Riverside park.
III. Worker appreciation brunch May 12th at 10:00 (note time change) - table leaders will contact moms about what to bring. We discussed playing some game for fun. No one has volunteered to share, so Angela might ask people she thinks would have something to contribute.
IV. Mom's Night Out in May - We decided to have a dessert/coffee night at a restaurant. Malissa was going to check with Past Times to see if we could have it there. If not we will decide on another location. May 10th at 7:00 was decided.
V. Position Reports
A. Hospitality - Jennifer Olson will be stepping down. The position is likely filled.
B. Finance - Malissa will be stepping down. This position is open. Prepay for next year's international dues is available at 21.95 - 2.00 off.
C. D-Group - Emily will continue next year.
D. Creative Activities - Christy will be stepping down. The position is open. Christy will be bringing the craft bins with supplies from previous crafts, for people to look through.
E. Publicity - Bridget is stepping down. This position is open.
F. MOPPETS - Angela will continue next year. We can start thinking ahead of workers for next year.
G. Mentors -
H. Coordinator - Jen will continue next year.
Next Steering meeting will be May 24th at 9:30.

Meeting Summary from April 21st

Marnie Lammley came to speak to us to discuss different activities you could do to experience nature with your children. Here are some of her ideas:
-Get a free sheet of paint samples from a paint section of a home improvement store. Ask your kids to match the different greens to things they can find outside. You can use different shades of brown, blue, gray, yellow.
-Take a coffee filter and use markers or q tips dipped in paint to color the filter. Pinch it in the middle with a clothespin and you have a butterfly.
-Find insects or butterflies outside and glue them to a paper plate. Use a different plate for each specimen and they can have their own bug collection.
-Cut out pictures of birds in magazines or guides. Glue them to Popsicle sticks and put a clothespin on them. You can then position the birds in trees or wherever you would see that bird and let your kids try to identify them with a field guide. There are many field guides available for free at the game fish and parks office.
-Tell your children if they are lost in nature that they should hug a tree. The physical act of a hug is calming to children and this will also help them to stay put until they are found.
-Make binoculars or a telescope out of paper towel tubes or toilet paper tubes. They work very well for looking at objects in the distance. Kids can personalize them themselves.
-When going on a walk, put some masking tape sticky side out on your child's wrist like a bracelet. As you are walking, ask your child to put things they find from nature on the bracelet, like flowers or rocks or feathers or bugs. Then when you are done walking, you can talk about each thing you found.
-We were all given the opportunity to make some crafts: a bird feeder with pine cones, shortening, birdseed and twine; a pet rock with rocks, paints, googly eyes; and a candle made by pouring canning wax into a hole made in the sand (you can line the sand with shells or anything else you find outside before pouring the wax in).

Steering Team Meeting Minutes

Steering Team Meeting Minutes for 3/24/11 Members Present: Jen Olson, Jennifer Olson, Bridget Leiseth, Angela Syhre, Teresa Carlson, Emily Shepherd I. We opened with a round robin prayer. II. Upcoming Meetings April 7th-Prayer Yoga with Marilyn Peterson-If moms have mats, they should bring them. Comfy clothes would also be beneficial. April 21st - Marnie Lammel, Naturalist May 5th - WOW panel - Jen Olson is going to ask a few moms from her bible study if they would be willing to participate. May 12th - Worker Appreciation Brunch - Angela would like to ask the Moms if there is anyone willing to share a talent with the group. The Brunch will begin at 9:30. It is also helpful to remind us all to say thank you to the workers to express our appreciation. May 19th - Last Meeting - No speaker planned because there is usually enough going on with the end of the year tasks. We discussed holding one more MNO in May for the year. If anyone has any ideas, bring them up! Position Reports: A. Finance - We raised 105.00 on the bake sale after the 60.00 table fee was taken out. There were not many people at the vendor fair because of the weather. The extra goodies were frozen and will be brought to the Fun Day to eat. B. We as a team discussed the needs of a mom in our chapter who is in need of support at this time. It was decided that we would ask the chapter to bring meals for this mom to the fun day and Teresa would deliver them. We prayed for her to close the meeting and ask all of the chapter members to do the same.

March Announcements

*Please remember that on March 3rd we are touring the Lake Area campus. We will not be having brunch that day and we need to leave at 9:15 a.m. sharp, so it would be a good idea to try and drop your children off at 9:00.
*We are going to participate in a bake sale on March 12th at the city auditorium. There is a vendor fair being held that day. This is a good fundraiser for us every year. An email with more information will be sent out at a later date.
*We will not be meeting on March 17th due to spring break.
*Jenny Crismon is hosting a Military Mom Appreciation Night on March 25th in her home. Please see the Evite she emailed out or email her for more information (cjcrismon@wat.midco.net)
*Our annual fun day with the children is scheduled for March 31st at the city auditorium. There will be different areas set up downstairs for the kids to run around and play on. We will be ordering pizza for everyone at the conclusion of playtime. The exact times have not been set, so I will be sending out an email with more information on that closer to the date.
*I will not be handing out a newsletter in March. The April meetings are:
April 7th - TBA (we are still juggling two different topics/speakers schedules). Brunch will be provided by Grandma Moses.
*April 21st - Naturalist Marnie Lammel will speak on activities/games outside with your children and other topics at her discretion. Brunch group is Jane Goodall.

Steering Meeting Minutes 2/24/2011

Members Present: Jennifer Olson, Emily Shepherd, Jen Olson, Malissa VanVleet, Teresa Carlson, Dorothy Bassingthwaite, Christy Lickei, Bridget Leiseth
I. Devotion
II. Upcoming Meetings
-March 3rd - tour of Lake Area campus - leave @ 9:15 - no brunch
-No meeting - March 17th - spring break
-April 7th - WOW panel
-April 21st - Marnie Lammel, Naturalist
III. Upcoming Events
Bake Sale March 12th - We will need people to sign up to work different shifts for the bake sale. We will have preprinted labels there to mark the plates.
March 25th Emily and Sarah night @ Jenny Crismon's - Evite from jenny will be sent.
City Auditorium March 31st - 10:00 or 10:30? What time should we order pizza?
IV. Position Reports
A. Finance - 60.00 was raised in Community Day coupons; budget looks good
B. MOPPETS - The MOPPET worker appreciation day will be hold on May 12th.
C. Coordinator - Jen shared that Marilyn Peterson is working on getting her yoga certification and was wondering if any MOPS moms would like to do a few yoga classes. We discussed maybe having this as a topic for a meeting. Jen is going to check with the church to see if they would be okay with this. Marilyn might need to get her hours sooner, so we might change out the April 7th WOW panel for a May date and have the yoga on the 7th.

This Thursday (February 17th) is our pajama party! Wear your pajamas and bring the kids in theirs too!

Also, the evening Mops group is having an Antiquities photo fundraiser. Here is the information on that opportunity:

Each coupon is $10 per family. Only 1 coupon per family. By purchasing the coupon you will receive a 10x13 photo and the sitting fee is covered. There is no obligation to purchase any other photos. The photo dates are April 14th, 15th, & 16th. We will contact you closer to the date of the photo shoot to schedule your photo time and date. Can contact Julie @ 520-2791 anytime.
Julie was at our last meeting to observe how we run our meetings (she had the tiny baby with her...). This is a great way to support our sister organization.

Steering Meeting Minutes 1/27/11

Members present: Jennifer Olson, Emily Shepherd, Christy Lickei, Bridget Leiseth, Jen Olson, Angela Syhre, Dorothy Bassingthwaite, Teresa Carlson, Malissa Van Vleet

Jen Olson present a devotional reading from the book "Diamonds in the Dust" by Joni Eareckson Tada regarding the changing of seasons. All members participated in an opening prayer.

I. Upcoming Meetings
A. February 3rd - The Five Love Languages of Children
B. February 17th - Slumber Party - We discussed activities for the slumber parties. Jen presented an idea for "speed friending" similar to speed dating. Nail painting was popular last year so that will be an option. Also, Christy will be bringing the board project back for people to finish.
C. March 3rd - Jen Olson arranged a tour of Lake Area. There will be no brunch served. We need to be vigilant about being on time.
D. Family Fun Day - We discussed different options for the child's activity day. The Auditorium got to be long in the last part of the day. The kids became restless and there were not many activities for younger kids to do upstairs. If we do decide to have it at the Auditorium, we will shorten the time frame. Jen will look into different options, including swimming at the Holiday Inn.
E. We discussed different topics for future meetings including exploring nature, WOW panel, and having another bake sale to pad the finances.

Mom's Night Out

Teresa Carslon has been kind enough to host a Mom's Night Out in her home. Friday, February 4th at 6:30 come and visit, enjoy yummy food and maybe play a game or two. You are asked to bring an appetizer/snack to share and if there is a game you have fun playing, you can bring that also.

We hope to see you there! This is a great opportunity to just relax and laugh with the MOPS members in a different setting.

Directions to Teresa's home:

Option 1 - Go North on Hwy 81 to the big old house (26th St) and take a right. Go East all the way across the Interstate. Teresa is the 3rd house on the left - yellow, 2-story.
Option 2 - Take interstate North to exit 180. Exit right and go the the third house on the left.

January Meetings Recap 1/6/11 and 1/20/11

1/6/11 Cake Decorating with Jennifer Dingsor

Jennifer Dingsor came to share her experiences with us regarding starting her own cake decorating business in her home. She started watching her aunt make cakes when she was young and she enjoyed it. One year her young boys wanted a Curious George cake for their birthday and she decided to try to make it on her own. After she was successful with that cake, she started to make cakes for friends and trying new ideas.
She makes her cakes usually on Fridays, preparing for weekend parties. It takes her about 4 hours to complete the cake. She does research on the internet regarding the design.
Here are some of the tips and tricks of the trade she shared:
-Greasing your pan with shortening and dusting with flour is the best way she has found to get the cake out of the pan in one piece.
-If you are going to try and shape a cake by carving, she puts it in the freezer for a few hours to help it harden and hold it's shape.
-Carve the dome created when baking off of the top of the cake for a clean look.
-After you've frosted your cake, let it sit 5-10 minutes, then smooth it with a paper towel.
-If you want to copy a picture onto a cake, Jennifer makes a copy on paper. She then puts wax paper over the design and traces the design onto the wax paper with colored food gel. She takes the wax paper and places it gel side down on top of the frosted cake and then fills the design in with frosting.
-Jennifer uses tips, bags and couplers for her frosting. You can buy these at Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Klein's and also online. She makes a fondant recipe she found online. It uses marshmallows for a better flavor. You can find it online.
Her buttercream frosting recipe:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (not melted)
1/2 cup Crisco
2 tsp. vanilla
Cream the above together.
1 bag powdered sugar
Enough milk to get the right consistency (2-4 tbsp.)

Jennifer demonstrated making shells, rosettes and stars with the cake tips. She also showed how she makes shapes by rolling out fondant and cutting it with small cookie cutters to add to a cake.

1/20/11 Craft Day with Christy

Christy presented a craft for hanging children's artwork. We painted boards and picked between several different sayings to paint on the board. Small safety pins were hot glued to the board to place art work. Some people were unable to finish. Christy will be bringing the supplies back to the February 17th meeting for the people who were absent or who didn't finish.