First Baptist Chapter of MOPS of Watertown, SD

Feb. events

2012-01-26T11:43:00.001-08:00

-Our slumber party and show and tell, previous scheduled for Jan. 19th, has been rescheduled for Feb. 2. Please see the previous blog post for show and tell information. Stratego will be on for brunch.
-The topic of the Feb. 16th MOPS meeting will be "Short Term Mission Trips." Clue is on for brunch.

Jan. 19th meeting

2012-01-15T14:57:00.000-08:00

Jan. 19th is Show and Tell for moms. I had this information mixed-up previously. You can bring one or a combination of the following favorite things: 1. sentimental item 2. favorite product (skin care, make-up, cleaning, book, magazine) 3. favorite product as explained in #2 to donate for a doorprize.
All of the previously mentioned choices are optional.
We will also be doing an optional recipe exchange. Cards will be available for you to copy down recipes which interest you.
Finally, we will be making a photo/recipe card holder craft.
This is also our slumber party meeting. You are encouraged to dress casually in pajamas or sweats. MOPPETS may also wear pajamas. Boggle is on for brunch and kitchen clean-up.

Dec. and Jan. Events

2011-12-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

*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

2011-11-15T06:45:00.001-08:00

-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

2011-10-07T09:16:00.001-07:00

*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

2011-09-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

*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

2011-05-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

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

2011-02-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

*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

2011-02-28T07:49:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-02-13T08:20:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-29T13:03:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

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.

Steering Meeting Minutes

2010-12-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

Steering Meeting - December 9th
Members Present: Jen Olson, Emily Shepherd, Christy Lickei, Malissa Van Vleet, Dorothy Bassingthwaite, Angela Syhre, Bridget Leiseth, Jennifer Olson, Teresa Carlson
Opening Prayer was conducted by all members.
I. Devotion - Luke 1:26-36 - The Birth of Jesus Foretold with discussion questions
II. Upcoming Meetings
A. December 16th - Christmas Party - We discussed seating arrangements for the party. It was decided that groups will be divided and assigned so that they groups are different from D-Groups for the day. Someone will stand by the door and inform people of where they will be seated. We will go over a reading about the meaning of Christmas. There will be a few short games led by Jen Olson. Christy passed along the different crafts we will be doing. We discussed making gifts for the workers in the MOPPETS rooms. Jennifer Olson will purchase trays, saran wrap and some supplies for assembling goody plates.
B. January 6th - cake decorating - free sit
C. January 20th - There was discussion about this open meeting slot. We debated over playing the DVD or moving up the slumber party. It was decided to show the DVD and work on a craft that is a little more time consuming to fill up that meeting.
D. February 3rd - 5 Love Languages of Children with Paula Wilde - sit in D groups
E. February 17th - slumber party - We talked about painting nails again and then also offering another activity that can be done for those who do not want to paint nails.
III. Mom's Night Out - February? - Teresa offered to host a MNO at her home. Last year the craft night was a big hit, so having a craft night/game night would probably be a success? We talked about coming up with a list for child care options if people don't have a sitter to watch their children.
IV. Position Reports
A. Finance - Malissa proposed that the Finance Chair be added as a signer to the MOPS checkbook. Sue would like to be able to share this responsibility with someone else in case she is not available to write out the checks. Checks are mostly written to child care workers and to steering members for reimbursements. All members agreed this is a good idea. Malissa will follow through with this and see what the bank would need to make this possible.
B. We all discussed different members of our MOPS chapter who are in need of extra prayers or support. The D-Group leaders will be in charge of coordinating those efforts.

The next steering meeting will be hold January 27th at 9:00. We closed with a prayer led by Teresa.

2010-12-11T14:54:00.000-08:00

Meeting Summaries for December
December 2nd -
Brunch was served. Opening prayers were led by Jen Olson and door prizes were given away through answering trivia questions.
Pastor Bob of our chartering church was the guest speaker. His topic was spending time with God. He talked about his personal struggle dedicating time each day for his personal relationship with God - which he calls T.A.G. (time alone with God). He found a way to enjoy it himself by doing his work on the computer where he can keep his files organized and reference online Bibles.
The mission of their church is to go out and make disciples out of the people they encounter. He shared a story about the verse Colossians 2:6-7. A tree that has not had to withstand drought does not grow deep roots but rather lateral roots. Those trees are the first to tip over in the midst of a storm. Just like those trees, people with deep spiritual roots, grown by going through times of drought, are better able to withstand trials. They turn toward God in times of trouble rather than away from him.
Pastor Bob shared the analogy of depressed or struggling people who look inward are like people trying to smell their belly buttons. They are so focused inward that they cannot see the answers to their troubles are found by looking up and out. Having that special time alone with God every day fortifies your soul and enables you to withstand the difficult times.
We did an activity working with the verse Jeremiah 17:5-8. Then Pastor gave us an outline of the steps he follows while journaling his T.A.G. For a copy of the handout, see Pastor Bob or ask me (Bridget Leiseth, publicity) and I can make you a copy.

Cookie Exchange/MNO Info

2010-12-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

The evening MOPS group is hosting a cookie exchange on Friday night at the Fireside Room at Cornerstone United Methodist Church from 7-10 p.m. Bring 1,2 or 3 dozen cookies and bring home the number you take to exchange. There will also be space and time to finish any projects you need time to work on sans children. There is no childcare for this event. Come and relax and meet the other MOPS mom's in Watertown!

November Meeting Recaps

2010-11-23T18:06:00.000-08:00

November 4th - We opened with prayer, ate brunch, and then held our annual silent auction.

November 18th - We opened with prayer and door prizes. After brunch, Kay Solberg from Classroom Connection came to speak about educational games and products that she carries at her store, Classroom Connection. There are so many tools for any type of kid in any developmental stage. Kay demonstrated different games, puzzles and products that serve many different functions at once. Spending time with your children engaged in activities is valuable. Before children enter Kindergarten, they are expected to know the information that they used to learn in Kindergarten. Kay also can order many different products if she doesn't have the item you are looking for in stock. A gift certificate to her store is a great gift for a teacher for Christmas.
We did a tissue paper craft. Tissue paper was folded and tied with a wire and then pulled out to create a flower that can be hung for a party or put on a stick for a party or used as a centerpiece.

Steering meeting 10/28/2010

2010-10-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Members Present: Jennifer Olson, Jen Olson, Christy Lickei, Bridget Leiseth, Dorothy Bassingthwaite, Teresa Carlson, Emily Shepherd
1. We opened with a devotional focusing on the verse James3:2-6 regarding keeping your speech pure so as not to praise God but curse man all in one breath. Our tongues are like rudders on a boat, directing our hearts.
2. Upcoming Meetings:
November 4th - Silent Auction - Members are encouraged to bring items to donate. Nice, gently used items are okay to bring. Services are a great idea. Each item will have a corresponding form attached that may have a minimum bid suggested, depending on the value of the item to ensure that expensive items are not being sold for drastically cheap.
November 18th - Kay from classroom connections will speak about educational games/craft
December 2nd - Pastor Bob is going to speak on the message, probably a holiday related message.
December 16th - Christmas Party - everyone brings treats, craft, games?
III. Position Reports
IV. Closing Prayer
Next Steering scheduled for December 9th.

Sherry's scrapbooking links

2010-10-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

Here are Sherry's links for her digital scrapbooking presentation from the October 21st meeting:

Blogs that search for freebies:
http://handpickedfreebies.blogspot.com/
http://suzee-q-stuff.blogspot.com/

Scrapbook kits:
http://summertimedesigns.blogspot.com/

Scrapbook templates:
http://mandagirl.com/free-templates
http://grandmastemplates.blogspot.com/

Free fonts:
http://www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts
http://www.dafont.com/

Photoshop Tutorials:
http://www.jessicasprague.com/index.php?option=com_alphacontent&view=alphacontent&Itemid=92

You can also download a free trial of Photoshop Elements! It's the full program, but it is only good for 30 days:
http://tryit.adobe.com/us/photoshopelements/?sdid=FIIHF

If you start playing around with this and have any questions let me know. I'm not an expert, but I've gotten pretty good at finding answers. You can find my number and e-mail address in the MOPS directory.

Sherry Dalke

Evening Group

2010-10-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to remind you all that there is a MOPS evening group held at Cornerstone Church. They are in need of more members to keep their group growing strong, so if you have any friends who are unable to attend the morning group, let them know about the evening group.
For more information on the evening group you can contact Julie Grund at 754-0438.

Operation Christmas Child

2010-10-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Operation Christmas Child
This year we are once again presenting an opportunity to put together Operation Christmas Child boxes through the Samaritan's Purse organization. A presentation will be given at our meeting on October 21st.
The website for this program is www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/index/. On this site you will find instructions for assembling a box, things to include or leave out and the labeling materials you will need for your box. You can bring your box in to a MOPS meeting in November (4th or 18th) or drop off your box at Cornerstone Methodist Church.

On the Samaritans Purse website (www.samaritanspurse.org) you will also find other ideas for giving meaningful gifts to people in need all over the world.

October 7th Meeting

2010-10-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

October 7th Meeting minutes

Jen Olson opened with a word of prayer. Announcements were made including selling coupons for Herbergers Community Day, the silent auction coming up November 4th and starting to think about Operation Christmas Child boxes. Door prizes were given out based on magnets on the bottom of chairs.

Brunch was served.

A video was shown covering Momology - this years theme. The video gave information about different women and their application of the arts and sciences of motherhood. A mom's core was discussed as the first key area of motherhood. The mom core is knowing who we are and growing in our role as a mother, along with other roles in our lives. Our core includes temperament, experiences and emotions to create our unique perspective of life. Resilience is a key component of your core and especially important in motherhood.

After the video, discussion groups answered questions pertaining to the material presented.

Photos were taken for the directory in discussion groups.

REMINDERS!

2010-10-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

Reminders for MOPS members:

We will be taking directory photos on October 7th. If you are unable to attend that meeting, you can submit a photo of yourself.

Dues are now due! Local Dues: 25.oo for the fall semester or 50.00 for the year. 23.95 are the MOPS International dues. The local dues help cover expenses for the chapter such as childcare, craft supplies and hospitality supplies among other things. The International Dues enable you to be a part of the MOPS family with a subscription to Momsense magazine, an informational website and some promotional gifts. If you have a need for a scholarship, there are some available and the information is kept confidential. Contact Malissa Van Vleet for more information.

We are still in need of childcare workers, paid or volunteer, for the MOPPETS program. If you have anyone you think would be willing to help out, let Angela Syhre know.

Our Silent Auction will be held on November 4th. This is the biggest fundraiser of the year for us, so start planning your donation. This year we will also be accepting your services as an auction item e.g. housecleaning, babysitting, baked goods, wrapping Christmas presents etc.

September Steering Meeting minutes

2010-10-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

September 30th
Members Present: Jennifer Olson, Jen Olson, Emily Shepherd, Bridget Leiseth, Angela Syhre, Christy Lickei, Teresa Carlson, Dorothy Bassingthwaite, Malissa Van Vleet
I. Prayer
Reading of Psalm 139:1-16
II. Community Days
We will be selling coupons for community days at Herbergers in the mall on October 16th. The coupons are 5.00 and many of the exclusions have been removed from the coupons as compared to previous years. The coupons can be used in Herbergers on November 13th.
III. Upcoming Meetings
October 7th - theme video/discussion questions
October 21st - digital scrapbooking with Sherry Dalke
November 4th - Silent Auction
November 18th - Kay from Classroom Connection about educational games
IV. Mom's night Out
We discussed options for MNO - potentially offering childcare at the same time if someone is hosting. We also are considering getting a group together to go down to the new children's museum in Brookings.
V. Position Reports
Malissa reminded us that dues are now due.
Angela reported that we are still in need of childcare help for MOPPETS.

September Meeting Recaps

2010-09-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

Our first meeting was held on September 2nd. Much of the meeting was spent in introduction to the new year/new theme. Everyone was introduced to their new discussion groups and leaders. The new theme was introduced. We interviewed each other in our discussion groups using the questions for the "getting to know you" section of the newsletter. We also did a name-tag craft.

The September 16th meeting featured Lisa Sanderson speaking on development of children. She presented information on how to identify characteristics of your child's development that should be addressed. She works on behalf of an organization that serves as an advocate between families and schools to get the services children may need to be successful, no matter the type or severity of the issue.

August Steering Meeting Minutes

2010-08-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

Members Present: Bridget Leiseth, Teresa Carlson, Malissa Van Vleet, Jennifer Olson, Christy Lickei, Jen Olson, Emily Janes, Emily Shepherd

I. We opened with a word of prayer.
II. MOPPETS - Our current MOPPETS Coordinator had to step down. We are in need of a new coordinator. We discussed different options for workers in each childcare workers. There were some names suggested. Also, we discussed the possibility of high school students or Lake Area students coming in to help for different educational purposes.
III. Upcoming Meetings were discussed. We tried to schedule out the topics for the first few meetings. We planned out how the first meeting would be set up to get all mom's registered.
IV. Each steering position was given opportunity to discuss different concerns related to their position.
We discussed asking MOPS members to bring crackers for MOPPETS. We all agreed that crackers free of any nut products will be necessary to protect any children with allergies.
Dues for international and chapter will be due by the end of October.
Discussion group names were revealed and a brunch schedule will be listed in the first newsletter.
Craft meetings will be held on the 2nd meeting of each month to allow Christy to be able to plan accordingly for supplies and request any extra instructions be put in the newsletter at the first meeting of the month.
Teresa volunteered to start an update on the bulletin board in front of the church as it has not been updated for awhile. Bridget will supply the specific information that will be posted on the board about MOPS. Brochures for MOPS will be put in the welcome packets that First Baptist has to hand out to visitors to their church.
We are still in need of two if not three more Mentor moms.
We talked about marching in the Homecoming parade for publicity. The evening group is going to and invited us to join them. Also, we all felt that it would be a good idea to participate in a community service project as a chapter to get our name out there and also to give back and minister to others.

The next Steering Meeting will be held on September 30th at 9:00.

Facebook Page

2010-07-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

Attention all of you Facebook users: I have created a Facebook page for our chapter. You can search for it and add it to your profile or you can go to my profile and link to it from there (I will be happy to "friend" you in order to do this). I will update that page with reminders about what has been posted on the blog along with anything else you guys would like to see on there. We thought it was a great (and free) way to reach more people as it seems that so many of us are connected through digital media anymore anyhow. If any of you have any suggestions, just let me know. I'm not an expert so I might have done something incorrectly.

Ice Cream Social

2010-07-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

Join us for the M.O.P.S Ice Cream social and registration on Tuesday, August 10th at 6:30 p.m. We will be at the McKinley park shelter. Bring your families!

July 2010 Steering Meeting Minutes

2010-07-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

Members Present: Jennifer O, Jennifer O, Christy L, Malissa V, Donna B, Bridget L, Emily S

Devotion
*Getting Down to the Basics: Our Authentic Life
Philippians 4:8-9

Time of Prayer

Business
*Budget discussion - Education was given by Malissa on how to prepare the budget for each position. Reimbursement forms were handed out along with tentative 2009-2010 budget recap. Budgets are due at the August Steering Meeting scheduled for August 26th at 9:00.
*Welcome Packets - It was decided after a discussion that we will hand out the MOPS handbook on the first meeting date. We will not be handing folders out to everyone. Any additional paperwork that a mom joining after the first date would need will be put with the MOPS handbook (e.g. the Moppets form and the Mommy interview)
*Kick Off - The Ice Cream Social will be held on Tuesday August 10th at 6:30 p.m. at the McKinley park shelter. Postcards are being prepared and will be sent out soon. A discussion was held about the ad that has been posted in the Public Opinion in previous years for the ice cream social/upcoming MOPS year. The team decided that the 53.00 the ad costs does not seem to produce a fruitful number of new recruits. Instead of the newspaper ad, we will start a facebook page for MOPS as that seems to be a good way to connect more people. More information will be available on that at a later date.
*Speaker Ideas - The group discussed different ideas for speakers for the upcoming year. We are still in need of at least two Mentor moms, if not three. Please pray about this.

All of the different steering positions were given a chance to address any questions.

2010-05-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

Summer MOPS Dates

Join us for MOPS in the Park this summer! We are meeting on:
June 3 and 17
July 1 and 15
11:30 - 1:00
We will be at McKinley Park, by the river on the South side of Kemp Ave.
Bring your own lunch.

Vendor Fair/ MOPS Bake Sale

2010-03-11T05:22:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, March 13th (9-4) is our big spring fundraiser. We are doing a Bake Sale at the City Auditoriums vendor fair.

We are asking each of you to bring at least one thing. This could be a batch of cookies split into four bags, this could be a batch or brownies split in two bags. We are also asking that you bring your items packaged and ready for pricing by 8:30 Saturday morning. Please you are are one that likes to bake, bring as much as you would like, the more we have to sell the better.

If you signed up to help during the event, please remember your time you signed up for.

If you are unable to drop you item(s) off on Saturday morning, you can drop them off at either Julianne's or Marcy's house. Please call them and make arrangements.

MOPS Steering Meeting

2010-02-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

I'm back... I tried getting a video up of one of our speakers, but it was too long. If you would like to view it please e-mail me (asyhre(at)gmail(dot)com and I will get it to you.

Our March 4th meeting will be the only one this month. We will be getting a tour of the Goss Opera House. We woudl like for everyone to be at the church @ 9 am that day, so we can have brunch and get the the Goss @ 9:45. The coffee shop and retail store will be open if you are interested in that.

March 25th is our Fun Day at the City Auditorium.

Schedule of Events:

9:30- fun day begins in the basement

-Park and Rec staff will provide an obstacle course and other structured activities.

10:30- move upstairs and play in main gym

11:20- pizza served in basement

1:00- end

-This event is like an open house. You may come and go as you need

- This event is ONLY for MOPS members who have paid their dues or are on scholarship

-Pizza and water will be served, if you wish for something else you will have to provide that

-This is a free event, with pizza and water included

-please keep your child(ren) home if he/she/they have a contagious illness other then the common cold in the past 24 hours leading up to the event.

April 23 we have a Mom's Night Out planned at Christy's house. More info to come for that.

April 29th is our Moppets Worker Brunch. Again watch for more info on that also.

The Moppets could use some crackers... please make sure they do not have or were proceed somewhere that had nuts or tree nuts in them.

Our next steering meeting will be April 8th @ 9am

MOPS TOMORROW!

2010-02-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

We will be having a PJ party... wear your PJ's and come ready to do a creative activity and then you get to choose either playing board games or watching a DVD.

Reminder:

2009-12-15T10:12:00.001-08:00

This Thursday is our Christmas Party. Remember your treats to share and we are asking that since was are sharing them with the Moppets workers that they do not require refrigeration and are easy to plate.

Thanks and see you Thursday!

MNO... with Evening Group

2009-12-09T21:14:00.001-08:00

The Evening MOPS Watertown Group has invited us to a cookie exchange on Friday night at 7pm.

It will be held at Cornerstone Church in the Fireside Room. Bring your cookies to exchange.

MOPS updates

2009-12-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Melanie, Kristen, Sarah and Marcy on their new arrivals.

December 17th is our Christmas party, remember your Christmas treats to share.

Needs some Christmas ideas, check out these blogs:

Home-Ec 101- many many recipes and household ideas
Tip Junkie- gift ideas to buy and make
MomAdvice- gift ideas, recipes and freebies
One Pretty Thing- make it gift giving ideas
sewmamasew- daily themed make it, sew it, buy it topics
The Crafty Crow- Children's Crafts

There are many many more out there and if you find some great ones please post them in the comments.

In January we will be visited by Lisa from the Watertown Resource Center(WRC) and then take a tour of the WRC. They are in need of some everyday living items. If you would like to donate any item from the list please bring them to out January 21 meeting when we will be touring the center.

Items Needed:

toilet paper, laundry soap, dishwasher soap, dryer sheets, new/used alarm clocks, pillows, ziploc bags (gallon size), diapers(size 4&5), phone cards, large garbage bags, batteries(9V,C,D), new/used vacuum cleaners, silverware, skillets & kettles, postage stamps, used furniture, used cell phones, socks(all sizes), underwear(all sizes) and canned food items

We are in need of Moppets workers. If you know of any one please pass that info on to Sherry. This is either volunteer or paid.

Erin is willing to put together a recipe book of our brunch recipes. Please either bring your recipes to a meeting or e-mail it to here.

November 5th Meeting

2009-11-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

Please remember you Operation Christmas Child Boxes. I will be bringing them over to Corner Stone Church right after our meeting. If you forget you can always bring it over to Corner Stone before November 19th.

Also remember your gently used/new donations for our silent auction. This can include donations from your favorite store, unneeded/used house hold things, baked goodies, frozen goodies, canned goodies and well the list could go on.

Mom's Night Out

2009-09-23T21:39:00.001-07:00

We are having a MNO on September 28 at 7:30. Please stop by Past Times for coffee (or other drink) and dessert.

Liquid Laundry Soap

2009-09-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

Recipe from: www.duggerfamily.com/recipes

4 cups hot tap water

1 Fels-Naptha bar

1 cup Washing Soda

1/2 cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

Unavailable...

2009-08-31T12:05:00.001-07:00

With the new year starting I hope to pick this back up again, but as of right now I am unavailable. Family life is taking front row and right now is all I can handle. I hope to start posting at least once a week, but we will have to see the out come from this week.

Uptown Girls Night Out

2009-08-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, August 20th, Uptown Watertown will be having Girls' Night Out. Our theme this year is Bingo. You need to pick up a BINGO card at Classroom Connection anytime after 4pm. Then between 4 & 8 you need to visit the 10 stores that your BINGO card sends you to and have the card stamped. Then turn in your BINGO card by 8:05pm at County Fair Banquet Hall for your chance at many great prizes. You must be present to win. Every store has treats for your enjoyment so you can visit more than just the 10 businesses on your card. Also, if make a purchase for $10 or more, you will recieve a ticket for a special drawing in which we are giving away a Jewel Pop necklace from Makepeace Jewelers. This a great night to get away, spend some time with a friend or two and do some shopping. If you have younger daughters that would like to come, they may also do a BINGO card and we are having a couple if special drawings for those 18 & under.

Summery for July 16th Steering Meeting

2009-07-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

We had proposals as follows:

1) Approved- Dues will raise to $25 per whole semester plus int. fees (fees reduced if you start later in semester, after October 1 or March 1) or $50 for the whole year plus int. fees. There are two ways of reducing your dues; help out in Moppets for a meeting/steering meeting or apply for a scholarship.

2) Approved- D-groups will be in charge of supplying family with a life change with one meal. This will be lead by the Table Leader. D-group Coordinator. is in charge of summer.

3) Approved- When a mom brings a child that is not theirs and receives compensation for it, that mother will be asked to consider a donation to the group for the amount they would receive during that time the child is in our Moppets.

Our Ice Cream Social will be Aug. 11Th at 6:30pm. This will be held at McKinley Park in the shelter. We will not be doing registration at that time, will just use it as a social event.

Registration will be at first meeting.

Our next Steering meeting will be held on Aug. 27Th at 9am. We will talk about the first meeting, craft/topics for the first few months of meetings and the budget for the year.

Our first meeting is September 3rd at 9:15am.

MOPS in the Park

2009-07-15T07:04:00.001-07:00

Reminder: MOPS in the Park is going to be held at Pemela's Tomorrow.

-11am-1pm

-There will be a climber, pony rides, trampoline

-We are asking for a non-parishable food item per child that comes out

-Bring your own lunch

-There will be baord games for the school age children

If you need directions please e-mail me and I will get them to you.

Thanks and hope you are having a wonderful summer!

Being Authentic

2009-07-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

The word for July (idea taken from MOPS leaders website) is Authenticity.

Authenticity refers to the truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, devotion, and intentions.

From Wikipedia

I struggle with this one a lot. I want people to think that I have it all together and that I do not need help. In reality I need a lot of help and most often just some one to vent to. I have been working on being truthful to my self on how I am feeling about things. I have leaned that in order to be truthful to others, you must first be able to be truthful to yourself. This can be a hard one. You could be feeling one way, talk yourself into having it all together, then you loose it and don't know why. I have had theses days and when I go back to the beginning and think about what all lead up to it.

I think the best example of that is when some one ask you, " How are you today" (your friends, relative, and others that would care). Do you tend to just say, "good". I know I do it. My sister will ask me how my night went or my day is going and it just seams to roll off my tongue. This is not always the case. I think people are less likely to open up to you if you make them feel you are perfect and never have anything go wrong. Something I have been working on changing and really trying to be more authentic.

How about you? Are there areas in your life and need more truth in them?

Where in the bible does it talk about truth and authenticity?

Last MOPS in the Park...

2009-07-01T04:51:00.000-07:00

Our last MOPS in the Park will be this Thursday, July 2. It will be at McKinley Park off of Kemp from 11-1. Remember to bring your lunch and join us for an afternoon at the park.

Relationships

2009-06-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

This was posted on the MOPS E-mail that was sent out. Sometimes I need help remembering this.

The most important thing in any relationship is not what you get but

what you give. (Eleanor Roosevelt )

I think she was right on with that statement.

REMEMBER!!!!

2009-06-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, June 18th, MOPS in the park.

-11-1 at McKinley Park (south side of Kemp)

-bring your own lunch

Make Your Mark Count!

2009-06-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

I was reading through some of the old newsletters today and found this, Chinese Proverb, in the corner of one of the pages.

A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark.

Chinese Proverb

MOPS Reminders

2009-06-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

On Thursday June 4, 2009 we have a few things going on...
1)MOPS in the Park
-At McKinley Park off of Kemp
-From 11ish to 1
-Meet in the grass if shelter is being used
-Bring your own lunch

2)Steering Retreat
-At Marcy's
-From 6-9
-Bring a bag with a few things describing yourself and a family photo.

Last meeting of the year... Thrusday, May 21, 2009

2009-05-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Our last meet we introdused the new theme for next year, took a survey of the spring half of the year and introduced our two graduates. Our craft was a beaded bracelet that went along with the poem (under the picture).

A MOM'S COLORFUL WORLD
Does Mothering really matter? Does anyone really care?
The PURPLE bead means I'm significant A Godly mother is rare. It's easy to lose my idenity. Sometimes I'm not sure who I am.
The PEARL reminds me that I'm unique In the eyes of the Son of Man.
GREEN speaks that I'm growing Developing patience every day As circumstances confront me And I see the need to pray. When sometimes those around me Don't seem to understand
The RED reminds me "I need the Lord" To stay close and hold my hand.
The color ORANGE represents "caution" When I'm not sure where to go I need to move ahead slowly The Lord will lead me I know.
The YELLOW is a warning For me to stop or slow down To accept some help from time to time Friends offering assistance abound. There are also time when I need a break
The PINK stands for having fun So get away and try to relax And play 'til the day is done. As the days and weeks turn into months It's easy to lose perspective
The CLEAR bead reminds me to think clearly And ask the Lord how to live.
The color BLUE stands for the vastness of life There's a race I need to run I will leave each day for Jesus 'Til I hear the words, "Well Done!" -Author unknown

>We will be meeting at McKinley Park the 1st and 3rd Thursday of June from 11ish-1. Please join us and bring your own lunch.

two events and a summary

2009-05-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

Announcements:

*Event 1: Antiquities Fundraiser (photography) for eve. Cornerstone MOPS group. Weekend of June 4-6th. $10 per ticket. Free sitting and 2-10x13 pics. Option to buy more pics, but not required.

*Event 2: Share your little ones with the residents of Benet Place Sr. Apts. Monday, May 18th at 3:00PM. The residents would like to see your children as a late Mother's Day celebration. To get to Benet Place, go south of town on Hwy 81. Turn left at the top of the first hill. Go all the way down to the end of the road. Go right at the fork in the road. Go all the way around to the back of the property. (The white building is Mother of God Monastery- wrong place.)

*Books recommended by moms at the MOPS field trip to the library:

FOR KIDS
Just In Case You Ever wonder by Max Lucado
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Pigeon books by Willems
anything by Sandry Boyton

SUGGESTED AUTHORS FOR MOMS
Karen Kingsbury
Lorraine Snelling
Francine Rivers
Lori Wick
Ted Dekker
Dee Henderson
Jan Karons (Mitford series)

Apr. 23 steering minutes

2009-04-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

members present: Marilyn, Jennifer O, Jen O, Angela, Sherry, Marcy, Juliane, Jenny C., Jenny R.

devotion: theme was remembering to praise God and give thanks during stressful times; followed by time of prayer

business:
*vendor fair: $226 bake sale profits, $760 table fees, $986 profit before expenses, approx. $900 after expenses; attendance between 90-100 people; discussed possibilities of other locations for next year: Wtn. Christian School gym, Co. Fair Banquet Hall (high rental fee), Great Plains Gym, Hy-Vee upper room; lots of competition with other vendor fairs
*MOPPET worker brunch: 17 invites sent out; violet pots will be centerpieces and gifts for women; Jenny R. is going to have Jenny C. forward an e-mail with more detailed info on this event, she'd like an RSVP to see how many moms are coming; help needed Wed. night to set up at church; booklets will be compiled as gifts for regular workers and moms will sign thank-you notes
*May 7th: library field trip; tour, talk by children's librarian, snacks served in community room; Linda hasn't been contacted yet. If this doesn't work for her, a tour of the Goss might be substituted (not of the Tut exhibit). Sherry may also have us do a book exchange
*you may register early at either May meeting for next fall and receive a discounted price; Sherry distributed a reg. form today;
*May 21: craft, introducing next years "Together on Planet Mom" theme, survey/evaluation, possible bracelet craft
*We will have our summer meetings the 1st and 3rd Thurs. of June. Time will be 11-1 at McKinley Park. We will not have a park meeting in August. This one is not well attended and this will also give us more dates to work with for the ice cream social. Time for ice cream social TBA. Sherry will make refrig. magnets again this year with summer dates.
*Steering for next year: Marcy and Jenny will coordinate, Angela- crafts, Jennifer O- hospitality, Jen O- d-groups, Juliane- fundraisers, Sherry- MOPPETS, Marilyn and Teresa- mentors. Finance and Publicity are open. Existing steering was asked if they want to switch jobs or stay the same. Barb B from WOW panel is interested in mentoring.
*suggestion made to reduce number of fundraisers
*suggestion made to cover the cost of mentor mom registration fees; we don't think it's fair to ask them to pay to volunteer
*Roxanne, Renee, Amber and Carla mentioned as possible MOPS graduates; graduates will be recognized at last MOPS meeting in May
*Marilyn is attending Summit in Sioux Falls and will be speaking.
*suggestion made to have four mentors: 1 for ea. d-group
*suggestion made to have a "head mentor"
*suggestion made for next year to have stickers affixed to children in nursery with mom's name and allergy info.
*we will have a summer steering retreat, most likely the first week in June before summer activities start and people start going on vacation
*charter fees have increased due to more materials being distributed; we are short in the gen. fund to cover this expense, so money may be taken from the surplus in the craft fund

respectfully submitted

MOPS Apr. 16th meeting

2009-04-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Announcements:
*Apr. 23rd: Steering committee meeting at 9AM. If you are interested in becoming a steering team member, you are invited to join us. Childcare is provided. Come even if you think the area that interests you appears to be filled.
*Apr. 30th: MOPPET worker appreciation brunch at 9:30AM. Bring a brunch item to share with our workers and bring your kids. This is a time to give back to our workers who give so much of their time to us.
*May 7th: 9:00AM library field trip; NO BRUNCH, eat breakfast first, please do not be late
*May 8th: Moms' Night Out Scrapbooking Evening at Cornerstone (in conjunction with the eve. MOPS group) at 7:30PM in atrium. Bring your own scrapbooking supplies and a snack to share. You should have received an electronic invite. If you did, please take two minutes to respond "Yes, No or Maybe." If not, please know that everyone is invited. Bring a friend.

Meeting:

*We had a presentation by the W.O.W. (Wiser Older Women) panel consisting of our mentor moms and two guests. A summary of this presentation will be in the May newsletter.
*We broke into discussion groups after the panel.
*Thanks to the moms who volunteered to babysit in the nursery.

MOPS Apr. 2nd meeting

2009-04-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

Announcements:

*Please consider being a part of our steering team next year. Prospective members may come to the next steering meeting on Apr. 23rd at 9AM. Childcare provided. Some of our current steering members are not returning to their positions. Others are happy to give up or change their positions if a replacement can be found. Please come even if the position that you are interested in appears to be filled. You might be surprised. The following is a list of steering positions: coordinator, co-coordinator, discussion group coord., hospitality, publicity, finance, MOPPETS, creative activities and fundraising. MOPS Int. has also recently created a "service" position for reaching out to the community.
*Thanks to Juliane and all the other moms who gave of their time, talents and contributed financially to the vendor fair.
*Please bring a recipe card with your brunch creations to MOPS meetings. Give them to Jenny C. and she will publish them in the newsletter.
*MOPPET Worker Appreciation Brunch will be held Thurs., Apr. 30th from 9:30-?. Please bring a brunch item to share with our MOPPET workers. You may also bring your children. This is our oppotunity to give back to the workers an show them how much they mean to us.
*Apr. 16th is the Wiser Older Woman (WOW) panel rescheduled from January's cancelled meeting. Rollercoaster Gals have brunch.
*The May 7th MOPS meeting will involve a field trip to the library. Please eat breakfast before you come as no brunch will be served that day.

Featured speakers: Marcy K. and Marilyn P.

The topic was grief and the joy of Easter.

Summary:

Marcy spoke at her high school graduation. The verse she chose for her theme was Jeremiah 29.11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." These words proved to be very applicable with upcoming challenges in her life. She attended college in Tenn. and struggled with changing her major and finishing school at Northern in Aberdeen. Her father told her if she was that concerned about the changes, making the changes must be the right thing to do. Two months after she moved to Aberdeen, her father passed away in a farming accident. Eleven days later, her best friend passed away in a car accident. Switching schools had enabled her to go home as much as needed, something that would have been difficult from Tenn.

Marcy discussed the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. People go through these stages at different paces. Marcy experienced some depression. She explained that grief doesn't go away, but as time goes on, it is not as painful as "fresh grief."

Marcy also lost a baby she was carrying last fall. Despite her losses, she feels blessed to have the husband and family God has given her.

Marcy followed up her talk by singing a beautiful solo.

Marilyn said God has given her the gift of being a good listener. She believes healing occurs through listening. She said that we all have a "loss line" with varying degrees of losses on it. These losses differ. Marilyn believed losing a school board election and seeing her son get married were types of losses. She also lost her mother. Losses impact other losses and little losses can help prepare you for big losses. God has a part in all these losses. People also need to keep in mind that the stages of grief are never "completed."

Marilyn also experienced depression after a loss and sought help. Help can come in the form of a counselor, friends or a family network. A recommended book is the Grief, Recovery, Loss Handbook available in the hospice library at the hospital. Sometimes people express concern over some family members during a loss but may overlook how other family members are handling the loss.

One passage Marilyn quotes is Matt. 5.4, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." We can be comforted in knowing that one day we will be reunited with those we have lost in heaven.

Marilyn distributed materials and a poem she wrote herself about grief. That poem will be published in the May edition of the MOPS newsletter.

A time of discussion re: grief followed the speakers.

May 26th Steering Meeting

2009-03-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

*set up for vendor fair; got two extra tables in to accommodate more vendors (total of 20??? vendors)

Brief meeting:

*Sue will be at church from 9-2 tomorrow with no lunch break for anyone wanting to drop off baked goods
*will charge 50 cents for pop due to good deal at Hy-Vee
*worker appreciation still on for Apr. 30, Sherry will be gone and Marcy will help run the event
*no brunch at May 7th meeting due to library field trip
*we WILL have brunch at the last meeting of the year
*cost is $21.95 if you register for MOPS prior to May 29th; then the price is $23.95; you can pay Kristin now

Mar. 12th Steering Meeting

2009-03-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

All members present.

*devotion on changing life seasons: seasons can change suddenly
*time of prayer
*24 moms attended Tun O' Fun; $339 spent; event went well
*positive feedback provided re: PJ Day, Tina B, Ramona A.
*e-vites have been switched to Zoji.com, your spam filter may catch these
*next steering meeting is Mar. 26th; will set up for vendor fair at this time; Teresa will bring two large boxes for us to tack signs on
*Juliane is sending out e-mail invites which can be forwarded on for the vendor fair in lieu of postcard invites
*11 confirmed vendors for fair, still waiting to hear from some, can have 18 vendors max.
*Jenny will sent out mass e-mail bake sale reminder; Juliane may include something about bake sale in her e-mail, too
*d-group leaders are to call their members and ask them to help with bake sale/vendor fair
*Jenny will do MOPS table at vendor fair
*Sherry will be in charge of children's activities for fair
*Angela will do a lunch run for the vendors
*Emily J. has volunteered to do a shift at MOPS table
*discussed provided water and a treat for vendors to thank them
*those sitting at MOPS table need to keep a count sheet of how many people attend
*Jenny will put up downtown area posters, Sherry will do churches, Juliane will do other areas
*Apr. 2 Marcy and Marilyn will discuss grief and losing loved ones
*Apr. 16 W.O.W. panel rescheduled
*Apr. 23rd steering
*Apr. 25th is summit in Sioux Falls, let Sherry know SOON if you want to go; eve. group members are going
*Apr. 30th (fifth Thurs.) will be MOPPET Worker Apprec. Brunch; discussed having children sing songs and compiling books for the workers
*All moms should bring items to brunch; d-group leaders can discuss what members should bring
*brunch time 9:30AM until finished
*May 7th field trip to library (tentative)
*Next year's MOPS theme is "Life on Planet Mom" (galactic theme)
*dicussed future fundraising ideas: selling raffle tickets and winner gets their house cleaned; selling CDs for $10 and MOPS gets $5 profit from ea. CD sold
*Male viewpoint needed for May newsletter article; Angela's brother may be a possibility
*Kristin said a training category will be a new part of our budget; $ to be allocated for convention expenses
*reviewed mid-year evaluations completed by MOPS moms; would be nice for moms to share recipes of items they bring to brunch
*thanks to Roxanne and Sarah for babysitting today

Mar. 5th MOPS meeting

2009-03-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

Announcements:
*Thanks to Kristin J. for organizing the Tun O' Fun event. Well done!
*We have had many directory revisions and additions in recent months. Some of the e-mails and phone numbers listed in the directory may no longer be correct. There are also some new moms. I am reluctant to publish the info. on here for security reasons. Please check your Jan. and Mar. newsletters to see what these latest changes are.
*There will be TWO steering meetings this month: Mar. 12th (due to cancelled Jan. meeting) and Mar. 26th. Anyone interested in steering involvement next year is invited to attend the next meeting. Childcare is provided. Steering is a great way to meet new people as it involves a much smaller group and more time is spent together. :)
*Kindergarten screening will be held at Garfield school Apr. 29-30 and May 1st. (Wed-Fri) Your newsletter did not list the Wed. date. Contact Garfield to make an appt.
*Mom's Night Out to be held at Marilyn P's house on Friday, Mar. 13th at 7:00PM. If you didn't receive an e-vite, please contact Jenny C. (number on back of newsletter). Come for games, food and socialization.
*Thank you, Sherry, for babysitting in 2-3 class today.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT:
*MOPS Vendor Fair/Bake Sale (fundraiser for MOPS) to be held at First Baptist on Sat., Mar. 28th from 10-3.
*If you want to rent a table to market your home-based business wares (i.e. Tupperware), cost is $40. Contact Juliane (number on back of newsletter).
*If you know of someone who'd like to rent a table, contact Juliane.
*ALL moms needed to help out by:
-attending vendor fair
-inviting others to attend vendor fair
-bringing baked goods (see below)
-working a shift at the bake sale
-working a shift at the MOPS publicity table
-Watertown has a very budget-friendly MOPS program. We are about the most inexpensive group in the state. In order to keep our dues low and also to cover childcare costs, we need all moms to pitch in and help out with this fundraiser. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year.

BAKE SALE DETAILS:
-We're looking for a variety of goods, so use your creativity (pies, bars, cookies, breads).
-Wrap items at home and label. Wrap a variety of sizes (i.e. single items, pairs, half dozen).
-Drop off baked goods at: 1. First Baptist Church on Fri. from 9-noon or 1-3. 2. First Baptist Church at 9AM the day of the vendor fair 3. At the home of Jennifer O. (phone number in newsletter and MOPS directory)

QUESTIONS?:
-contact Juliane (fundraiser coord.) for vendor fair info.
-contact Jennifer O. (hospitality) for baked sale info.
-contact Jenny C. (publicity) if you'd like to work a shift at the publicity/welcome table

Mar. 5th Speaker Summary (thank you, Jen. O. for taking notes)

*Ramona A. (4-5 MOPPET worker) was the featured speaker. She illustrated her personal testimony by decorating a cake as she spoke.
*talk based on Isaiah 64.8
*The cake being decorated represents us. We are molded by God.
*Ramona lost her mother at a young age and became a Christian after her death.
*Before we become Christians, we mold ourselves. Afterwards, God molds us. He molds us to fit His plan for our lives.
*God builds our lives under pressure and trials. Ramona had a break down but never gave up hope.
*God chooses what we go through, but we choose how we go through it.
*When Ramona's sixth child was 4 yrs. old, her husband left her. She thought God dropped the cake on the floor. She pulled herself up and called on God. God is molding her to this day.
*God doesn't mold us for a few weeks or months, but for a lifetime.
*Give everything to God, humble yourself and be open to His plan for you.

Have a great weekend!

Feb. 19th MOPS meeting

2009-02-19T17:30:00.000-08:00

Announcements:
*Purchase Herberger coupon books from Juliane. Unsold books should be returned to MOPS by the 26th.
*MOPS Vendor Fair fundraiser:
-First Baptist Fellowship Hall
-Mar. 28th
-10AM-3PM
-If you have a home-based business (i.e. Tupperware) or make crafts, you may rent a table for this event. Contact Juliane.
-If you know of someone else who may want to rent a table, contact Juliane.
-Table rental cost is $40.
-ALL moms are asked to bring pre-wrapped baked goods for a bake sale to be held in conjunction with the vendor fair. More details on bake sale to come. Last year this was a good fundraiser for us.
*Steering committee meets next week @ church @ 9AM.

Misc.:
*Drawing held for Applebee's gift card, with Malissa V. winning. Congratulations!
*Speaker was Tina Buri, coord. of Women's Ministry at Cornerstone, wife, mother to four children. Topic was marriage.
*Broke into d-groups for discussion time following speaker.

Speaker notes:
*Romance is tough with preschoolers in the house.
*Eve was created to be Adam's helper. She was formed from his rib.
*Some women may have husbands who aren't fulfilling their roles in the way God intended. We still need to fulfill our role as wives. Suggestion made to pray and seek counseling in these situations.
*We filled out a private survey re: our relationship with our husbands.
*Satan is battling us for our husbands' affections. To combat this, we must show a tremendous amount of affection to our husbands.
*Spend time apart from the kids for better intimacy.
*There are four factors which kill romance:
1. Sin and not forgiving ea. other.
2. Age and the toll it takes on our bodies.
3. Forgetfulness: Try to forget the negative things your spouse does.
4. Laziness
*Don't speak negatively of your spouse in public.
*Women's role as translated from original Hebrew and Greek found in the Bible (Gen. 2.18-25):
-"ezer" from root "azar": means "surrounding, girding, defending," Just as God is our helper and shield, we are to be an ally in war to our husbands
-"tsela" from root "tsala": means "limp, become lame, incline to one side", God gave Adam the need to have a need for a helper
_"basar" means "of the body of humans" from root "ba sar" meaning "to be joyful/cheerful", a joyous face makes you beautiful, a woman is a beautiful message of joy
FROM ALL THIS, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE A BEAUTIFUL ALLY TO OUR HUSBANDS.
*Ephesians ch. 5 describes the role of women: submit to husbands as to God; respect husband
-"hupotasso" is Greek for "submit"
-God knew the fall into sin was coming and Adam would need a helper
-today we experience battles inside and outside the home
-mens' roles are to be head of their wives and to love their wives; God is in charge of us through men.
*When on a date, if you can't come up with other topics of conversation, it's OK to talk about your kids. That's what you have in common and talking about them may lead to other topics of conversation.
*Don't go through life with the thought that your spouse may not have been the soulmate intended for you. Accept him.

Feb. 5th MOPS meeting

2009-02-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

Today was pajama day. Two rounds of Bunco were played. Angela did a Foot Hand Scrub creative activity. Recipe for the foot hand scrub is as follows:

1 c light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 Tbsp. olive oil

Mix and keep unused portions in fridge.

If you wish to have the recipes for the appetizers from our Dec. 20th meeting, two of the appetizers can be found in the January newsletter from today's meeting. If you missed today, January newsletters will be available at the next meeting, as well. The other two recipes will be published in the March newsletter. I had copy machine issues at the church- long story- and that is the reason the recipes are split up. Thanks for your patience in this matter.

MOPS Vendor Fair fundraiser is Mar. 28th at First Baptist from 10:00AM-3:00PM. If you run a home-based business or sell craft items, you may rent a full or half table to sell your wares. We will also be having a bake sale. Contact Juliane with questions re: table rental or if you know of someone who would like to rent a table. More details on bake sale in March newsletter or in e-mails to come.

Jan. 22 Steering Minutes

2009-01-22T11:12:00.000-08:00

Members present: Sherry, Marcy, Marilyn, Angela, Juliane, Jennifer O, Jen O, Jenny C

*Roxanne watched our children in the nursery.
*took steering committee survey; Sherry will review results
*time of prayer
*input regarding recent MOPS meetings: flags in popcorn boxes with d-group names creative; better to hang up nametags than to lay them out on tables- will try new approach
*Feb. 5th meeting: Bunco, hand softener craft, wear pjs, bring a Bunco set if you have one
*d-group leaders are going to contact members to remind them of upcoming events, this is a good opportunity for d-group leaders to keep in touch with their group members
*Moms' Night Out is looking good, three eve. group members and one alumni (alumus?) are joining us so far, plus a few from our group
*Tun O' Fun is Jan. 29th from 9:30-1:00; pizza serving to be staggered
*Feb. 19th meeting: Marriage; speaker is Tina Buri from Cornerstone Women's Ministry; may also discuss "Date Night in a Minivan"
*Sherry is going to do an Applebee's gift card give away (late donation from Silent Auction).
*Mar. 5th meeting: Ramona A. gives her testimony (tentative); may do mini cake craft
*NO MOPS Mar. 19th due to spring break
*Apr. 2nd meeting: Dealing With Grief/Easter message
*Apr. 16th: WOW panel (rescheduled from Jan. 15th)
*Apr. 25th is MOPS leadership summit simulcast in Sioux Falls; consider whether or not you're going to attend
*May 7th meeting: Discussed field trip possibilities: 1. scavenger hunt 2. Women's Resource Center 3. Have Joyce Anderson (school psychologist at Garfield) speak on reading to preschoolers, go to library and listen to children's librarian talk and/or get a tour; most steering members preferred the third option
*Vendor Fair will be Mar. 28th pending church approval; discussed upping table rental to $20 per half table and $40 whole table, depending on our budget; time 10AM-3PM; want to have bake sale, coffee and walking tacos; committee to be set up to help with vendor fair; Sherry may do face painting for kids; may have coloring table for kids; Juliane will do postcards; Jenny will do posters and newspaper ad; some disagreement on whether or not to do walking tacos, committee to present options and steering will vote on this; will run newspaper ad Wed. the 25th
*Herberger's coupon books available for community day sale
*We will not do the Watertown Mall Community Day Fair: hard to get moms to sign up to sit at table, only five charitable organizations participated last year, mall doesn't advertise this event, we got no new moms from this last year, frees up another possible weekend for MOPPET worker apprecation brunch
*Sherry would like us to check out the Kids Link Card Kit on the MOPS (Leaders?) website; possibility of doing this for Moms' Night Out with evening group in a private home; Marilyn is considering hosting at her house

Respectfully submitted.

No MOPS and other announcements

2009-01-14T19:13:00.001-08:00

***NO MOPS TOMORROW (JAN 15TH) DUE TO WTN. SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVING A LATE START***

Other announcements:
*Tun O' Fun is Jan. 29th from 9:30-1:00 for MOPS MOMS ONLY; pizza and admission covered by MOPS
*Moms' Night Out is Jan. 30th from 8:30-11:00 at Applebees; please reply to your e-vite if you have not done so; if you have NOT received an e-vite, please contact Jenny C.
*Herberger's Coupon books are for sale for $5 either at the registration table or by contacting Juliane; sale is Feb. 28th
*Next MOPS meeting is scheduled for Feb.5th. Wear your pjs and come to play Bunco.
*Worker for 2-3 class needed BADLY. Roger is out the rest of the year due to surgery. If we don't find a replacement, we will have to go back to our old system of drawing names and having moms do shifts. Contact Jenny R. if you know of someone who wants to volunteer or be paid.
*January newsletters will be available at the Feb. 5th meeting.

Dec. 18th MOPS meeting

2008-12-18T11:47:00.001-08:00

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.

Dec. 4th Speaker Summary

2008-12-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

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

Dec. 4th MOPS meeting

2008-12-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

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.

Nov. 6th MOPS Meeting Summary

2008-11-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Announcements:
*There is still time to buy Herberger's Community Day Sale books. The sale is Nov. 15th.
*Operation Christmas Child boxes were due today. If you are still working on a box, you may take it to Cornerstone Church prior to Nov. 16th.
*The next meeting (Nov. 20th) is our silent auction. Non-MOPS friends/family are invited to attend. Please contact Juliane if you have an "in" with a local business. Business donations are greatly appreciated for the auction.
*From now on, extra directories, newsletters from the most recent meeting, and MOPS business cards (to hand out to potential MOPS moms) will be available at the head of the brunch line at each meeting.
*Next meeting is Nov. 20th. Bumper Car Beauties are on for brunch.

Meeting Summary:
*two new moms were introduced at brunch
*Michelle G. of M.G. Photography in Clear Lake gave an informative presentation on how to photograph using the features on your digital camera. A more detailed summary will be published in the Dec. newsletter.
*Angela showed us how to make a photobook craft.

Oct. Steering Meeting Minutes

2008-10-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

Members present: Marcy, Jen O, Jennifer O, Angela, Marilyn, Krisitin, Juliane, Sherry, Teresa, Jenny C.

*Devotion: How to get more moms involved in MOPS leadership.
*Suggestion made to do two feedback surveys per year instead of one to give people more opportunities to volunteer to help.
*More help is needed with fundraising. A fundraising committee is in the works.
*Time of prayer

Business:
*Positive feedback on Christy L's web presentation; summary to be printed in Nov. newsletter
*MOPS Sunday should be done annually to keep members updated. A short report will be read each year.
*e-mail Marcy with questions for photographer at Nov. 6th meeting by Oct. 31st; Jenny will send out a mass e-mail about this.
*Angela brought sample photobook craft
*mentors are to help moms in regards to where to sit at a meeting; red flags mean sit w/ d-group; nametags on tables means informal seating
*in order to save time, moms will fill out their own forms at a registration table when they bring an item to the silent auction
*topic of Dec. 4th meeting TBA; possibility that Ramona A. will give a testimony
*we will most likely have stations again for the Dec. 18th Christmas Party; we will learn how to make freezer appetizers; all should bring a snack to share
*new eve. MOPS groups starts at Cornerstone in Dec. ; Pamela can put you in touch with the contact person for that group (Becca L.)
*no steering meetings in Nov. or Dec. Next meeting is tentatively set for Jan. 8th (yes, this is not the 4th Thurs.)
*Jan. 15th topic will be Wiser Older Women panel. If you know of someone who would be a good panelist, please contact Sherry.
*Kristin is going to try distributing "I Owe You" forms as reminders to moms who have not paid dues. She got the idea for this at convention and will see how it works.
*All 50 booklets are out for Herberger's Community Day Sale. Juliane will get more.
*budget: $208 in fundraising, $693 in crafts, $215 in general, $20 in petty for a total of $1137.00. We received $200 from First Baptist.
*fundraisers thus far have raised: Lone Pine $128, Pizza Ranch $232, T-shirts $75
*Mark Mar. 28th on your calendar as a tentative date for vendor fair
*Juliane needs help soliciting businesses for silent auction donations. If you have an "in" with a business, please let her know.

We wish to thank Roxanne and Sarah for helping out in childcare.

Respectfully submitted.

Oct. 16th MOPS Meeting Recap

2008-10-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

Meeting began with a brunch courtesy of the Dunk Tank Divas. Thanks, ladies! This was followed by announcements:
*can still purchase Herberger's Community Day Coupon books for $5 from Juliane
*Operation Christmas Child boxes due Nov. 6th. Instructions found in your Oct. newsletter. Place filled boxes on shelf on wall next to restrooms.
*Mom's Night Out has been bumped back to its original date of Oct. 27th. Meet at Applebee's at 5:45 and then on to theater to see "Fireproof." Please RSVP either way to your evite. (forgot to announce this today)
*Silent auction coming up Nov. 20th. Start gathering items to donate. May bring crafts, baked goods, home-based business items, commercial business donations, used items in good condition and donated services.
*copies of 2008-09 MOPS directory distributed
*Rockin Rollercoaster Gals are on for Nov. 6th brunch.

Meeting moved to church sanctuary where we watched a slideshow of the MOPS International convention in Texas. All those who attended had a great time and strongly encouraged others to attend future conventions.

Discussion group time: What are your favorite websites? Answers will be compiled and published in the Nov. newsletter.

Christy L. gave an interesting and practical presention on things for moms to do online. She presented on blogs, photo sites, kids' sites, and mom-friendly sites.
Thanks, Christy!

Steering committee meets next Thurs. at 9:00AM. Next MOPS meeting is Nov. 6th.

Oct. 2nd MOPS Meeting Recap

2008-10-02T11:11:00.001-07:00

Meeting opened with a social time followed by announcements. One round of Mommy Bingo was played with Angela S. as the winner. Directory rough draft was provided for moms to edit. Moms watched a video (I missed most of it due to being out with a one-year-old, so can't provide a summary, sorry!) :) D-group time followed with questions related to how God is a part of your life.

Announcements (also a summary of newsletter announcements):
*You can still purchase Herberger's Community Day coupon books for $5 from the registration table. Please return any unsold books to MOPS. Sale is Nov. 15th.
*MOPS dues due Nov. 6th. Please pay at registration table or inquire about scholarships.
*Additional MOPPET workers needed. We may have a helper for the 4-5 year old class, but we will be needing someone for 2-3 class after Christmas. Position is volunteer or paid. If you know of anyone, please see Jenny R.
*Sherry D, Kristin J, Juliane L, Pamela C, and Jenny R are currently at MOPS convention in Dallas. They wish to thank you for your support.
*Please make sure all snacks brought for MOPPETS contain no nuts. We have a child with a nut allergy.
*Silent fundraiser auction will be held during MOPS meeting on Nov. 20th. Start gathering your items today. Suggested items include: crafts, baked goods, home-based and local business donations, used items in good condition and services (i.e. cake decorating).
*If interested in joining a playgroup contact Bianca N. Playgroup meets next Thurs.
*Moms Night Out, originally scheduled for Oct. 27th, will be moved due to school conferences. Watch e-mail for updates and an invitation. The date in your newsletter is no longer correct.
*MOPS Sunday is Oct. 12th at First Baptist. All that is asked is your attendance in the 10:15 worship service. The church has a nursery available. By attending, we show the church that we appreciate their support.
*Operation Christmas child boxes will be collected by Nov. 6th. Place donated boxes on coatrack on wall by restrooms. See www.samaritanspurse.org or contact Jenny C. for more info. Tags for boxes found in newsletter or may be printed from Samaritan's Purse website.
*Oct. 16th meeting will be a technology presentation by Christy L. Nov. 6th will be photography and photobook craft. Nov. 20th is silent auction.
*extra newsletter copies available in basket to right of fellowship hall entrance at First Baptist

Sept. 25th Steering Minutes

2008-09-25T11:37:00.001-07:00

Here are the minutes from the Sept. 25th steering committee meeting. I apologize in advance for any errors.
Meeting led by Sherry D. Present were Kristin J, Angela S, Bethany O., Jill S., Julianne L., Jennifer O., Jenny R., Jen O., Jenny C.

*opened with devotion about listening
*welcomed Bethany O. and Jill S. (MOPS members from Sisseton) who are interested in starting a MOPS group in their area and wanted to observe how steering meetings run
*reminder issued that coupon books are still on sale and still may be purchased from the welcome table or from Christy L. at the next MOPS meeting
*opportunity to purchase MOPS t-shirts for $10; Juliane L. may see if the deadline can be extended (currently Spet. 30th)
*five moms have signed up for playgroups, Bianca N. will coordinate this
*ideas expressed that perhaps we should have either a second table at registration with the publicity person taking pics and the d-group coord. recording address info. OR try having steering groups rotate stations during the first meeting and having this be one of the stations.
*more MOPPET workers needed; Jenny C. will contact volunteer center; tech school early childcare students and homeschool group suggested as possibilities to try again
*reminder that their is a child in 2-3 MOPPET class with peanut allergy, please be mindful of this when sending crackers
*time to announce the silent auction (second Nov. meeting)so people can start getting things together to donate
*MOPS Sunday at First Baptist during morning church service on Oct. 12th (10:15?). Moms encouraged to attend and represent MOPS. Nursery is available.
*Oct. 2nd MOPS meeting will be run by Marcy K. "House of Mirrors."
*Oct. 16th meeting topic TBA. Possibilities include testimony by Ramona A, Kindergarten readiness, or best ideas from moms sharing time
*Nov. 6th meeting is photography by Michelle G. Photobook craft to follow.
*d-groups assigned for brunch need to remember to help out with cleanup
*discussion that system may be needed so moms know where to sit at meetings, mentors may help explain seating, nametags may be laid on tables, when flags are up this means to sit in d-groups
*Mom's Night out tentatively set for Oct. 27th with dinner and a movie beginning at 6:00. More detailed info. TBA via e-mail.
*Kristin J. reviewed budget status. MOPS receives $535 per year from First Baptist. Dues are due Nov. 6th. Currently there is $831.52 in account.

Respectfully submitted.

Sept. 18th Meeting Recap

2008-09-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

MOPS met this morning with a great turnout! A video of Financial Peace University was shown with discussion time following. Mommy interviews were also conducted. Poll results from the discussion time and mommy interview results will be published in the Oct. newsletter.

Other announcements:
*MOPS t-shirts on sale for $10 until Sept. 30. Contact Juliane L. (# found in MOPS Welcome Packet and Sept. newsletter).
*Fundraiser Night at Pizza Ranch next Monday beginning at 5:00PM. Workers needed. If you can't work, come to eat or order takeout.
*Herberger's Community Coupon Books on Sale. Contact Juliane L.
*next steering meeting to be held Thurs. the 25th at the church
*newsletter deadline Sept. 25th if you have any announcements
*Jenny C. may be contacting you regarding getting your photo taken for the directory if we haven't done so already. Photos are optional.
*Workers needed for 2-3 year old and 4-5 year old MOPPET rooms. Volunteer or compensation. Contact Jenny R. if you know of someone.

Have a fabulous weekend and God bless!

Sept. 4th Meeting Recap

2008-09-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the first MOPS meeting, here's a recap:
*viewed video segment from MOPS International
*Sherry introduced the steering committee members via video clips
*photos for the new pictoral directory taken
*Shrinky Dink nametags put together
*welcome packets distributed
*Herberger's coupon books on sale; contact Juliane Lloyd (contact # in newsletter)
*newsletters distributed
*mentor moms (Marilyn Peterson and Teresa Carlson) introduced
*d-group (discussion group) assigments made
*please pay dues if you have not already done so: $23.95 to MOPS International plus local group dues ($20 for fall semester, $40 for whole year, or $3 per meeting-your choice) OR contact Kristin Jenc (contact # in newsletter) if interested in a scholarship
*extra newsletters to be kept in basket on table by fellowship hall entrance for those who didn't receive one
*next meeting is Sept. 18; speaker will discuss Financial Peace University program. Brunch served at every meeting.

***We are in desperate need of a MOPPET worker for the 4-5 year old class. If you know of someone who can help, please contact Jenny Rieffenberger (contact # in newsletter). Position may be volunteer or financial compensation is available. Worker can work all or some MOPS meetings. ***

If you have any other questions re: MOPS, please post a comment and I will do my best to give you an answer or put you in touch with someone else who can help.

Steering Committee Meeting Minutes

2008-08-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here are the steering committee meeting minutes as recorded by Teresa Carlson on Aug. 28th (thanks, Teresa).

*steering committee is to bring a brunch item and a box of crackers for the MOPPETS to the Sept. 4th meeting
*contact Sherry if you are interested in helping assemble welcome pkts
*Sherry will explain MOPS fees @ first meeting
*Jenny R will explain MOPPETS policies @ first meeting
*Julianne will discuss Pizza Ranch and Herberger's fundraisers @first meeting
*steering team members and d-group leaders will be introduced @ first meeting
*e-mail Sherry a pic of a family adventure as well as a pic of your family
*nametags to be made @ first meeting
*getting to know you time to be held @ first meeting

MOPS 2008-2008 Starting Soon!

2008-08-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

It's almost here! MOPS 2008-2009 begins Thurs., Sept. 4th at 9:00AM. If you missed the Aug. 14th kickoff, you may register at either of our Sept. MOPS meetings. The following meeting will be held Sept. 18th.

Before coming to the first meeting, please label any bottles, sippy cups and diaper bags you will be bringing with you.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
When you enter the building, stop at the registration table in the main entry. Here you will:
*fill out a nametag for yourself and any children you have in the infant/toddler room (ages 2-Kind. will have nametags provided by the childcare workers)
*drop off any registration forms you picked up at the kickoff picnic
*If you didn't attend the kickoff, you will need to pick up a registration form for yourself and any children you have participating in the MOPPETS program. You must fill out one form per child. (You don't need to stand at the registration table while you fill out your forms.)
*If you have not yet paid your registration fee, you may do so at the registration table. The ladies at the table can explain the different options for paying the fee (per meeting, semester or year) and can also provide information regarding MOPS scholarships.
*If you are unsure about whether or not you want to be in MOPS, your first meeting is free. Because the first meeting involves a lot of "introductory stuff", we ask that you attend a couple of meetings before deciding whether or not MOPS is for you.

OTHER INFO:
*After you stop at the registration table, you can escort your children to their rooms. All rooms, with the exception of the 4-5 yr.room, are located down the hallway to the left of the front door. If you need assistance, any of the moms present will be more than happy to help you locate a room.
*The MOPS meeting will be held in the fellowship hall, straight ahead of the main entrance.

Looking forward to seeing you then!