IF: Gathering

   

Twelve of the South Shore Boston MOPS Mamas gathered together with over 100 women from 35 South Shore area churches to talk about "If Jesus is who he said he was, what does this mean for us?"

Here are some of the things we heard:

"He will make all things new....He is not done with us yet....We see broken but He sees Beloved....He has come to bring us joy....He wants flourishing for all of us.....He does not make mistakes....He will be enough when the storm comes."

Join us next February for IF: Gathering 2017, but in the meantime check out the daily study called, "IF: Then What?" which includes a verse, reflection questions, and a two minute video to encourage us in what to do with these truths.

https://ifgathering.com/

A MOPS Baby Shower

Mops of Quincy hosted a baby shower in partnership with the Boston Center for Pregnancy Choices. 

Part of the mission of Mops is that all Moms are welcome, and we wanted to reach out to a Mom who lives nearby! 

Alleah and her family gave us their permission to share some of the photos of the time we celebrated together.

Trying to guess the gestation lengths of different animals

Getting to know each other while eating delicious food

Making babies out of playdough for Alleah to choose the winner

Opening presents for the Baby Girl

The bathtub was popular with the little ones

In addition to the food, games, and presents, each of the women put their finger print on a special gift to send our support with this Mom.

We hope Alleah might be able to join us for a future MOPS meeting!

The Family Dinner Project

 

Lynn Barendsen, Executive Director of the Family Dinner Project came to talk with us.  She told us that recent studies have linked regular family meals with higher grade-point averages, resilience and self-esteem, lower rates of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, eating disorders and depression. She also gave us tips for setting dinnertime goals, overcoming obstacles such as conflicting schedules and engaging everyone in meaningful conversation.

 

If you missed the meeting, or would like to learn more, you can go to thefamilydinnerproject.org, where you will find:

 

*A Guide for "4 weeks to better family dinners"

 

*Easy Recipes

 

*Dinner Games

 

and

 

*Conversation Starters

 

Click on the links above, or go to the website to sign up for the newsletter with even more ideas!

Paint Night

Mornings together for breakfast, a stirring topic, and great conversation are the mainstay of MOPS, but every so often we have an evening out!

This time we created hopeful encouragements to Spring at Paint Night.

Pick up a copy of "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed, so that you can join us for book club, which will be our next MOPS night out in May!

In This House We Will Giggle

Recently a fellow Mom let us know about an upcoming Saturday morning conference 

through the Mops of Quincy Facebook page. Eight of us (plus a MOPS Grandma!) were able to spend the morning in Norwell to receive some encouragement from Courtney DeFeo.

As a mom in the throes of parenting, Courtney believes that instilling virtues in children starts with laughter, not lectures. That perspective propelled her to write "In this House we will Giggle", in which she offers motivating reflections, real-life stories, and inventive ways to cultivate virtues.  Each chapter focuses on one virtue with insights into how this plays out in real life and activity ideas. 

In addition to recommending the book, we wanted to share an idea from each virtue to get you started and perhaps thinking about how some of these might work for your family. Here are some of her practical and fun ideas for empowering our kids to become responsible, humble, patient, loving, joyful and generous adults!

Responsibility:

When it's time to clean up, set a timer and make it a game.

Humility:

After a friend or sibling does something big, transfer jealousy to praise by encouraging them to make a congratulations card.

Patience:

Provide them with a choice between a small treat now and a larger treat for later that is hidden in a bag.

Love:

Remind children that they are uniquely made and loved by writing a specific post it love note for their lunch bag or bathroom mirror.

Joy:

Make dance parties a regular part of your routine.

Generosity:

Teach them to distribute gift cards anonymously to a friend or neighbor who needs help or encouragement.

In addition to the book, Courtney also has a blog at: http://courtneydefeo.com/blog

Operation Christmas Child 2014

What ended up like this.....

Started out like this.....

We were able to pack over 50 boxes of toys, art supplies, toiletries, and treats with the help of the Moms pictured and several more. 

A big thank you to those of you who donated to the gifts, helped to pack them, or will pray for the children who are to receive them. 

Also, plan to join us next year if you can, it was a lot of fun!

Meeting the Moms: Kate Poles

1. How long have you been attending MOPS?

I joined MOPS in September 2013.

2.If you had a 25th hour in your day without your children present, what would you do (aside from napping)?

I would finally start making photo albums with all of our family pictures. I keep saying I will start a book soon, but still haven't gotten around to it.

3.What you have found to be the best "product" (toy, food, etc) for kids?

Although it is not a kids product, my cordless hand vacuum is great for cleaning up messes without having to pull out the big vacuum. In terms of kids products, my favorites are the second-hand clothes, toys, and gear that I have found at yard sales and consignments sales and shops! I love a good deal!

4.What is the best parenting advice you ever received?

Everyone always says to enjoy the time right now when John is little because it goes by so quickly. I definitely agree...I can't believe how fast 1.5 years have gone already! During the past few months, I feel like I have learned to enjoy even the smallest things every day that John is learning to do because I realize how quickly he is growing up.

5. What has been the hardest thing about parenting for you? What have you enjoyed the most?

The hardest thing for me has been learning to accept that not every day and not every aspect of parenting will go exactly the way I plan it. I get frustrated at times when I plan the day around a nap that doesn't happen or when I read about and try out ways to help your child with ____ and they don't work for John right away. The best part about parenting is watching John explore the world around him and get so excited about learning new things.

6. Favorite fill in the blank (food, place, song, book, movie, etc).

Favorite foods: whole wheat bread, homemade ice cream from a farm stand or ice cream shop, and homemade desserts, especially ones with chocolate!

7. Any recommendations on Boston area kid-friendly places?

There are so many places I enjoy going with John in the Boston area. I love walking on a nice day at Wollaston Beach, Pope John Paul II Park or Castle Island. We also frequently reserve museum passes at the library for discounted or free admission to local attractions like the Franklin Park Zoo, New England Aquarium, Museum of Science and the Children's Museum. John enjoys seeing the animals at local farms like Hornstra in Norwell. Storytimes and music programs at local libraries are also great, even when we are out of town. This summer my husband and I also spent many weekend days biking with John. Some of our favorite family-friendly trails include the Minuteman Bikeway (Arlington to Bedford), the Cape Cod Rail Trail (starting in Dennis), and the East Bay Bike Path (starting in Bristol, RI).

8. Anything else you might like us to know?

Before John was born I taught fourth grade for nine years. Although I miss teaching some days, I love teaching John new things now that I am at home. My husband and I spent a lot of our free time traveling in Europe before John was born. Right now we are enjoying local trips in New England and exploring the cities and parks in our own country. Someday we hope to visit all 50 states! We also hope to return to some of our favorite places here and abroad with John.