How you used to spend Summer

I won't ask you to close your eyes (since you're reading) but try this with me....

Remember back to a summer before you had kids....

Now remember further back to a summer before it occurred to you that someday you would no longer be a kid.... 

What was the best thing about that summer? 

Is it something that you could recreate for your kids? 

I would guess that it was something pretty simple and inexpensive. 

My favorite thing about summer as a child was spending time in the woods that bordered my backyard. I spent many hours wading in the creeks that ran through them, and alternating between seeking shade from the tree branches and climbing up in them.

Many of us are raising our families in places where we need to do more to get to the woods than open the back door. In fact some of us usually get in a car before we play outside.

Our daughter is at the age where she still considers dirt and sand food groups, but we have done our best to spend lots of time outside this summer. 

When we do get outdoors, we try to physically take a few steps back, so that she can decide if the shovel is for digging this time or if instead it is a hat. We try to let her experience the texture of the sand squeezed between her fingers even if it means we sometimes wait too long and end up sweeping our fingers through a mouth filled with grit. 

Her summers will be different from how mine were in some ways, but I want to offer her the slowness and space necessary to create those imaginary worlds in which I spent my summers.

What might your children remember as the best thing about this summer?

What will have been the highlight for you? Is it similar to what it used to be?

Use the comments section to leave ideas for other moms to use for the remainder of the summer.

Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry

At our most recent meeting, we looked at the role that Hurry plays in our life. Our fast-paced lifestyle is doing more than just causing us stress; it is affecting our children in numerous ways!

We closed with a blog post and wanted to post it here for those who may have missed the meeting.

"The Day I Stopped Saying 'Hurry Up'"

Since then, I stumbled across a Christian Mom Blog who wrote about the same topic and wanted to share that link. It is amazing how many people are becoming aware of what we miss when we hurry about.

What Slowing Down Teaches You That Rushing Never Will

So as we get ready for the busy end of the school year, and a busy summer after that, remember to slow down. Even if it is just a little bit, let's make the time to notice our children, delight in their joy and even get a chance to experience some of our own joy!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Wow!  December already!  Time really does fly during the holiday season.  Even when we try to simplify there are still a million things to do.  Baking, shopping, wrapping and all of the seasonal activities are enough to suck the joy out of the holiday season for us busy moms.  Oh, and if you are having people over for the holidays, don't forget the cooking and the cleaning!

As we all attempt to keep in mind the true meaning of Christmas and open our homes and hearts to others , it is important to keep in mind the important distinction between entertaining and hospitality.

This article is a great reminder of why we should be practice hospitality and how it can be a blessing to us when we bless others in this sincere way!!

Choose Hospitality

(And it's short, because who has time to read more during this busy time???)

Merry Christmas, friends!!

Operation Christmas Child 2013

MOPS of Quincy will once again be participating in Operation Christmas Child and helping supply Christmas gifts to needy children around the world!

Each year, our MOPS aims to make 60 boxes to spread Christmas cheer to those less fortunate.

On Nov. 21, we will be packing these boxes.

Here's how you can help!
1. Empty and Donate your adult sized shoe boxes.  We will fill these with great gifts and will wrap them.

2. Write and Color a note and/or picture with your child for inclusion in the gift. You can track your gift to see where it was received!

3.  Shop and Drop off the following new items:

• Toys- Small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, Slinkys, etc. 
• School Supplies- pens, pencils and sharpeners, markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc. 
• Hygiene items- toothbrushes/paste, mild bar soap, comb, washcloth, etc. 
• Other- hard candy and lollipops, mints, gum, t-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, ziplock sandwich bags (for bagging candy, etc.)
• Please do not include: war related items, chocolate or food, out of date candy, vitamins, liquids or lotions, areosol cans, damaged items of breakables. 

4. Make a monetary donation. Write a check to Fort Square Presbyterian Church with "OCC" noted in the memo line and give it your Discussion Group Leader at MOPS.

Everything can be brought to the November 14 MOPS meeting.  Get the kids involved, too!! Perhaps a trip to the $1 bins at Target or the Dollar Store could be fun and meaningful for the whole family!

Visit Samaritan's Purse for more information about the program or feel free to contact us at mopsquincy@gmail.com.

A Little "Me" Time

The stress of back to school season is dying down and the hustle and bustle of the holidays is knocking on our doors.  During this momentary lull, perhaps it is time to think about taking a little "Me" time.

Sometimes we have to give ourselves permission to take time for ourselves.  Whether it be to read a book (have I mentioned that our MOPS group has a fabulous book club that meets the 3rd Thursday of each month?), to spend an extra few minutes laying in bed even though we hear the baby coo on the monitor, or to have a night out where we can recharge, enjoy food that we don't have to share with pint-sized beggars and have an uninterrupted conversation with a friend, moms can truly benefit from some down time.

Each month our MOPS group plans a Moms' Night Out to allow us moms to do just that!

Our next Mom's Night Out is coming up soon!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013
7:30-9:30 PM
Hosted by Kristen C. in Weymouth*
Bring a board game and your favorite Fall snack!

*(email mopsquincy@gmail.com for the specific address)

Keep it Simple, Silly.

Let's be honest. There are days we have the time, energy and motivation to do amazing, creative and inspired things with our kids.  Then there are days when keeping everyone clean, fed and unharmed seems like a monumental task.

This week's MOPS meeting will feature a panel of wonderful mothers sharing how they deal with those days when everything they do as a mom just seems to miss the mark.  We'll share a few tips on how to handle our own and others' expectations for our mothering and how to take stock of all of our mommy victories.

When things aren't going exactly as planned in our household, we just get right back to the basics. For our family, keeping it real means keeping it simple.  We stumbled upon this totally easy activity for our family to get out of the house, stop the bickering and (perhaps most importantly) kill some time before bedtime:  A Fall Scavenger Hunt.

No prep work, no fancy materials, no clean up.  Really, you could just make it up as you go along. This blog gives tons of suggestions on how to make it more complex and educational for kids of all ages, but sometimes we need to be reminded of the joy that lies in the simple things.  As a mom, it is perfectly fine to keep it simple, silly!

MOPS is back!!

On September 12, Quincy MOPS kicks off what is sure to be our best year yet!

Be sure to join us every 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month for some great programming, friendships, food and free childcare.  (Who can refuse that last one!? Really, the last two are more than enough to get most moms dressed and out of the house!)

The 2013-2014 MOPS theme is A Beautiful Mess, Embrace Your Story.  

So if that "getting dressed" part of the previous statement sounds like a little too much to handle, that's fine. We'll embrace your yoga pants and t-shirt. We've all been there!

2nd and 4th Thursdays, 9:30-11:30 am

Fort Square Presbyterian Church

16 Pleasant St. 

Quincy, MA

Attend 3 meetings for FREE!

Annual membership is $50 and includes all childcare costs.

Questions:  Email us at mopsquincy@gmail.com