MOPPETS Teachers

Our next meeting is the last meeting before Christmas, so if you would like to give a thank-you card or a small thank-you gift to your children's teachers, here is a list of all the MOPPETS teachers by each room.


Bunnies (6 weeks to walking)
Lead: Dorianne D.
Sarah M.
Anna M.
DeAnna D.
Holly P.

Turtles (Walking to 18 months)
Lead: Vykky M.
Sami W.
Hope C.

Caterpillars (19 months to 2 years)
Lead: Irene M.
Cami L.
Heidi C.

Ladybugs (2 years - born between 10/2/09-10/1/10)
Lead: Amy C.
Dana B.
Elly M.

Kangaroos (3 years AND potty trained - born between 10/2/08-10/1/09)
Lead: Rebecca M.
Charlie W.
Zach M.

Dolphins / Eagles (Born on or before 10/1/08)
Lead: Tammi B.
Dolly W.

Bringing Thanksgiving into our Homes

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 (NIV):

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit.



Tips to savor the season of gratitude:

• Read the Psalms
• Memorize scripture
• Write down a daily list of your thanks
• Give words of encouragement
• Pray continuously 

Online Resources:

• Ten Activities to Cultivate Gratitude in Children   
• 5 Simple Ways to Foster Gratitude in Kids  
• Cultivating Thankfulness in Preschoolers  
• 5 Kernels of Corn Activity 
• Ann Voskamp’s Thanksgiving Tree Activity & Free Printables  

Children Books: 

• Mary's First Thanksgiving: An Inspirational Story of Gratefulness by Kathy-Jo Wargin
• Give Thanks to the Lord: Celebrating Psalm 92 by Karma Wilson
• The Pumpkin Patch Parable: Special Edition by Liz Curtis Higgs 
• My Thanksgiving Prayer by Crystal Bowman

Resources Compiled by Allison Boatman.

CANCELED: Amazing Race Date Night!

This weekend's MOPS & POPS Amazing Race Event is being rescheduled for the Spring.  We are looking for some excited ladies to help Kendra & the Leadership team make this event FANTASTIC & MEMORABLE. If you are interested in serving on a committee to assist with this, or other special events, please let Kendra know or email us at mopsatfoothills@gmail.com.

Thanks to you all, and we will see you at our regularly scheduled meeting next week - Tuesday, November 13th.

Amazing Race - Date Night event

Plans are WELL underway for our Amazing Race date night event! Saturday November 10th from 3-7pm.

Bring your hubby or a friend and race around Arvada, completing tasks and solving puzzles!

Afterwards, we will set up for dinner and prizes! Hope to see LOTS of you there!

Meet at the church at 3pm for your first clue!

How to Make Sense of Suffering

In light of the recent news regarding local girl Jessica Ridgeway's disappearance and death, our community is hurting. As moms of young children, I know we all feel this grief keenly.

As stated by David Platt, "Suffering is a sobering reality in a fallen world. Followers of Christ are not immune to adversity and affliction."

How can we make sense of suffering?

A Holy Experience has recently posted a video on this very subject (embedded below).

Here are a couple more resources that may be helpful as we process our grief and also teach and reassure our children.

• How to Help Children Cope with Trauma
• Helping Children Regain Their Emotional Safety After a Tragedy (This entire website is a huge resource for teaching kids safety without making them feel scared.)

Trunk-or-Treat and Bake Sale

The Foothills Community Church "Trunk-or-Treat" is a safe and fun family Halloween event. Hosted by FCC on Friday, October 26th, come trick-or-treat in the FCC parking lot transformed by dozens of decorated car trunks and vehicles. Costumes are encouraged (no scary costumes please).

Baked goods are for sale by donation by our very own FCC MOPS group. All proceeds from the bake sale benefit our MOPS group directly. Think about fun bake sale goodies to make and package individually for sale. This is a great opportunity for your table to have "bake date" and bake and/or package your treats together. Your contributions to our bake "sale" must be individually wrapped and delivered to the kitchen at FCC by 5pm Friday on October 26.

Tips for packaging your items for sale

Source: tasteofhome.com via Amber on Pinterest

If you're not a baker, consider helping us (wo)man the table...we still need helpers from 5-6, 6-7, and 7-8pm. We'll have another reminder and chance to sign up at the Oct 23 meeting. Then bring your kiddos and hubbies for the trunk-or-treat - we'll see you there!

If you need some baking or recipe ideas, we've linked up a few from Pinterest. (All images are linked to the website where you can find additional information.)

Source: allrecipes.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: kraftrecipes.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: charmedlifediva.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: graciousrain.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: pillsbury.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: sweettreatsbyjesseca.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: craft-o-maniac.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: tasteofhome.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: tasteofhome.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: tasteofhome.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: tasteofhome.com via Amber on Pinterest

October 23rd Meeting

The speaker at our next meeting will be Ray Lincoln, who will be speaking on "Parenting with Love and Understanding."

On his website, Ray states, "Parenting is the most complex task we humans engage in. It can challenge, thrill, encourage, frustrate, and confuse you — all in less than a day! However, it can be made enjoyable and much simpler if only we will learn how our children feel on the inside when they act, or choose not to act. Understanding the different temperaments will help you meet your child’s urgent and deep emotional needs."

Ray has provided an Adult Temperament Key and a Child Temperament Key (for each of your children) in advance of his presentation. (Right-click to download or save to your computer.)

If you didn't receive a copy of these documents at today's meeting (or if you need an additional copy), we were advised that we should each print and fill these out prior to the meeting and then bring them to the October 23rd meeting with you. This way, you can already know what your child(ren)'s temperaments are and have a head start during his presentation.

Ray also has some additional FREE Downloadable Resources on his site that you may be interested in.

How to Observe Your Child and Prepare Yourself for the Child Temperament Key - This handy guide will help you to observe the actions of your child that will reveal his/her preferences. Our four areas of preferences are the indicators of our personal urges created by our temperaments. Because our young children cannot answer the questions themselves and lack sufficient life experience, we rely on the parents' observations of the child's actions.

Our temperament's urges produce preferences that result in consistent and identifiable actions. We can then identify the child's temperament through observation of these actions which indicate their preferences and from which we can detect the urges of temperament.

How to Identify the Temperaments of Others - This handy, quick reference will give you a very general and preliminary guide to understanding people you come in contact with. It is not intended to "assess" a person's temperament, only to give you the clues for a cursory estimate that further interaction will confirm or refute. However, it can be helpful in fostering more congenial and productive relationships in almost any setting.

Upcoming Local Events

Now that fall is here, I find myself wanting to go visit a local pumpkin patch. Good thing we have a MOPS play date to Rock Creek Farm's Pumpkin Patch on October 16th!

Here is a list of a few family events coming up in our area as well.

Event: Four Mile Park’s Pumpkin Harvest Festival

Dates: Saturday, October 6 - Sunday, October 7
Place: 715 S. Forest Street, Denver
Times: 10am -  4pm
Cost: No admission fee. (Charge for pumpkins and some activities.)
General Info: There will be a very exciting county fair area where you can rummage through our costume bank and take an ‘old-timey’ photo in front of the Four Mile House, enter a pie eating contest or win something yummy in an old-fashioned cake walk. Of course, all the favorites are back too! Find the perfect pumpkin in the patch, create your very own scarecrow, listen and dance to old time music, play historic games or make a historic craft. There will be plenty of food available including homemade caramel apples and other goodies. Be sure to visit the mountain men and Native American encampment, take a horse-drawn ride and tour Four Mile House, Denver’s oldest standing structure, as the Booth family prepares for the harvest.

Event: Festival of Scarecrows

Dates: Saturday, October 13
Place: Olde Town Square - 57th Street - Grant Street and all of Olde Town Arvada
Times: 10:30am - 2:30pm
Cost: No admission fee.
General Info: Whimsical and cleverly designed scarecrows will be positioned throughout Arvada’s Olde Town for the family-friendly Festival of Scarecrows, where you can cast your vote for the best of the fest. Youngsters can join the Costumed Kids Parade led by Brewster the Giant Green Dinosaur. Each tiny ghost and goblin gets a goodie bag. Definitely check out the website for a full schedule of events!

Event: Veggie Tales Movie Premier

Dates: Saturday, October 13
Place: Foothills Community Church. 8270 W 80th Ave Unit 2, Arvada
Times: 1pm
Cost: Tickets are free, but do need to be reserved at the church. 303.420.2777
General Info:

Source: homedesignpins.com via Alonzo on Pinterest

Pumpkin Patches & Corn Mazes

Event: BooTown Halloween Fun

Dates: Weekends in October from 11am to 7pm
Place: 18301 W Colfax Ave, Golden
Times: 11am - 7pm
Cost: Bootown 3D Maze Craze is $8 per person (includes a pair of 3D glasses), ScareCrow Express is only $5 (children 3 and under free with purchase of a general admission). OR $12 for both. Call (303) 727-8437 for more details.
General Info: With Colorado’s first and largest bi-level 3-D Maze full of colorful enchantment and spooky fun– but NOT scary – your Halloween experience will be like none ever before. Take your adventure to the next level and come Pick-N-Paint your very own pumpkin from our giant pumpkin patch or take a ride on the NEW Scarecrow Express (haunted train ride). Bootown is the perfect place for children of all ages and BOOOOOming family fun! Enjoy all of the Spooktacular excitement this Halloween at Heritage Square.

Event: Crazed Corn Field Maze and Pumpkin Patch

Dates: Month of October (Tuesday-Sunday). Weather Permitting.
Place: 104th Ave and Riverdale Road, Thornton
Times: 10am - 6pm
Cost: See website for pricing for the maze. Admission is FREE to the pumpkin field, play ground and corn kernel play box. Pumpkins are priced by size. They range from $1 up to $20, or more.
General Info: A 20 acre corn field maze in tall corn. Great outdoor event for all ages. There are also pick-your-own pumpkins, corn kernel play box and playground, Indian corn, pie pumpkins, mini pumpkins, and gourds.

Event: Hill's Harvest

Dates: Month of October. Weather Permitting.
Place: 3225 E 124th Ave, Thornton
Times: 9am - 6pm
Cost: No admission fee. Free hay rides on weekends.
General Info: U-Pick Pumpkin Patch or area where pumpkins have been brought in for those that do not want to go out in the patch. Fall decorations, gourds, straw bales, corn stalks, Indian corn, pie pumpkins, roasted green chili, fresh vegetables and fruit, preserves and more.

Event: Cottonwood Farm

Dates: Month of October
Place: 75th Street and Arapahoe Road, Boulder
Times: 10am - 6pm
Cost: No admission fee. Hay rides on weekends ($3 for ages 4+, 3 and under are free)
General Info: Pumpkin Patch, cornfield maze, straw bale maze for kids, corn stalks, straw bales

Event: Rock Creek Farm

Dates: Month of October. Weather Permitting.
Place: 2005 South 112th Street (US Hwy 287). 1 mile north of Broomfield.
Times: 9am - 6pm
Cost: No admission fee.
General Info: Three large corn mazes and 130 acres of U-Pick pumpkins, gourds, straw bales, cornstalk bundles and Indian corn. Kinds play area including hay bale maze, giant inflatables, hay rides, Birds of Prey exhibit, farm animals and other fun things.

Fall Photo Fundraiser

Signups for our MOPS Fall Photo Fundraiser (October 19-21) will be available starting at our next meeting, September 25th. Our photographer this year is Elisa Kennedy.

If you'd like a preview of her work, Elisa has provided a slideshow for us: Elisa Kennedy Slideshow for MOPS.

Next Meeting - September 25th

Our next MOPS meeting is tomorrow, September 25th! This meeting will follow a more typical agenda. Our speaker, Julie Thomas, will be speaking on "Motherhood: The Captivating and the Crazy. Ideas on how to keep it all together and moving forward."

Announcements (these will be shared by Megan and Allison at the meeting as well)

1. Table assignments are subject to change. Thank you for your flexibility!
2. Please pay your dues and/or registration to Jenn P. TODAY (if you haven't paid already).
3. Our raffle tomorrow is for four tickets to the Rapids game and a team autographed jersey. Tickets are $1 for 1 or $5 for 6. Buy your raffle tickets from Jennifer L. 
4. Dee Dee Woodman Body Image Conference in Estes Park October 26-28: LIMITED AVAILABILITY 
5. Women's FCC Retreat sign ups will be available. 
6. Fall Photo Fundraiser sign ups will be available; photographer slideshow will be played near the end of our meeting to catch a glimpse of Elisa's work. If you would like to view the slideshow now, it can be found here.
7. Photos for directory will be taken by Amber R. at beginning and end of meeting.
8. 50% off second hand store near FCC after the MOPS meeting.
9. Service Announcement from Brittany (OCC & Habitat)
10. Kendra will announce upcoming playdates as well as any other creative activity/special events items.
11. Stephanie will address check in & check out procedures @ MOPPETS.

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!

Stranger Safety

The Arvada Police are currently investigating two reports of children being approached by a stranger who offered them candy and tried to get them into his car. Thankfully, in both cases, the kids knew enough to run away and tell an adult. Here is a letter sent out by the Jefferson County School District: 

September 14, 2012
This letter is to make you aware of recent incidents involving “stranger danger” in the Arvada area. 

Arvada Police received a report that a child was approached by a stranger offering candy, asking them to get into the stranger’s car in the Quaker Acres Park area.  A police report has been filed and they are investigating. There is an additional report of a child being approached by a stranger at Fitzmorris Elementary in Arvada after school.  Once again, police are investigating that incident. 

According to police, the suspect in both incidents is described as a white male, 20-40 years of age, brown hair, with no facial hair or glasses.  The vehicle used in the incidents is a royal blue four-door sedan. We want you to know that student safety is always our top priority and this event reminds us of the importance of talking with your student about stranger danger. 

Reinforce safe behaviors with your student and tell them to always be aware of their surroundings. If a stranger approaches your student, whether it is at school or outside of school, be sure that your student knows what to do: yell or shout, run away and immediately tell an adult.  Stress to your student the importance of going straight to school and coming home immediately after dismissal, or leaving the bus stop. 

Remind your student that if he/she sees anything suspicious around the neighborhood or school, they need to immediately contact the police department and notify the school. 

Together, we can help protect the safety of our children.

I think this is a fear that all parents have: how can we protect the safety of our children, even when we aren't with them? I know that headlines about missing children always strike fear and sadness in my heart.

A resource I have used with my oldest daughter is a video called "The Safe Side". It gives kids serious safety messages regarding strangers and "kinda-know" adults in a silly and not-scary way.  I appreciate that it does include the "kinda- know" adults since statistically, danger to children is greater from someone they or their family know than from a complete stranger.

This video can often be found at (or requested from) your local library. If you do check it out, watch it with your kids and pause it after each section - it is a great time to initiate the conversation in an easy way.

Another resource for us as parents is the article "What to Teach Kids About Strangers" by the National Crime Prevention Council. It includes topics such as "Who is a Stranger?", "Who are Safe Strangers?", Recognizing and Handling Dangerous Situations", and "What Else Parents Can Do".

Fall Session begins September 11

Foothills MOPS in Arvada, Colorado, will begin its Fall session on Tuesday, September 11th. Our group meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month in the Foothills Community Church Red Theatre from 9:30-11:30 a.m.  Enjoy a hot breakfast and meet other moms. Childcare is provided.

This year, our theme is Plunge: Love as if your life depended on it. 

The theme is taken from 1 Peter 4:8-11 (from The Message version):

Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. 

Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. 

Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!

Our goal is to emphasize relationships through the theme of going deep in all relationships & building community.

MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers, a program designed to nurture mothers with children from infancy through kindergarten. The women are of many ages and backgrounds, but share the same desire—to be the best mothers they can be. We hope you will join us!

MOPPETS Volunteers Needed

The Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) program at FCC will begin its Fall session on September 11th. 


MOPS gives young moms a chance to recharge and get connected to each other and to Jesus. One of the ways these moms recharge is to have some time to connect with other moms…without their kids. 


We’re looking for 7-10 people to serve with the MOPPETS program for the children of MOPS moms. There are several paid positions. We also appreciate volunteers!  


MOPS meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month from 9:00-11:30AM, on the church campus. Interested? Contact Stephanie Helmer at mopsatfoothills@gmail.com.

Summer Play Dates

We have a lot of fun play dates planned for this summer. This information is posted on our "Upcoming Events" page. It includes a trip to the Zoo, Tiny Town, Belleview Park and more!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

MOPPETS Workers

Here is the list of our MOPPETS workers. Please take a moment to write them a small thank you note and bring it to our last meeting on May 8th. We couldn't do MOPS without the faithful help from our MOPPETS workers who look after and teach our kids each month. 

Bunnies (infant to 1 year old or walking)

Sarah M.

Dolly W.

Holly P.

Marge F.

Turtles (walking to 18 mo)

Rebecca M.

Michaela H.

Caterpillars (18mo- 2 yo)

Dorianne D.

Sami W.

Ladybugs (2 yo)

Amy C.

Rebekah L.

Dana B.

Kangaroos (3 yo)

Robbyn S.

Zach M.

Dolphins/Eagles (4 yo and up)

Tammi B.

Cami L.

Looking forward to seeing you all on the 8th. We have a fun themed meeting planned. Your steering team will be providing breakfast.

Haute Tots Spring Kids Consignment Sale

Friday, April 20th, 9am-8pm
Saturday, April 21st, 8am-noon (full price), 1pm-5pm (1/2 price)

New Location: 
Arvada United Methodist
6750 Carr Street
Arvada, CO 80004
(2 blocks west of the Arvada Center)

Brand name upscale children’s clothing, shoes and accessories newborn through junior size 16. Upscale brand maternity clothing, toys, games, DVDs, CDs, books, riding toys, exersaucers, baby equipment, furniture and MORE!

Cash Only Please.

$1 Admission paid at checkout if you make a purchase- come back on Saturday for free with a paid Friday admission.

Everything you need for your kids, gently loved and at great prices.

For more information, please visit their website at hautetotssale.com or look for signs in the area directing you to the sale.

HAPPY SHOPPING!!

Make it Yours Events

Once again, we are so thankful for those businesses out there who believe in MOPS and the ministry it provides. One of our new sponsors is Make it Yours Events.

Make it Yours Events is a mother/daughter team that specializes in event planning and custom stationery. From their website:

Your event is special to you and to us! Whether you are having a small, intimate gathering of close friends or a lavish affair with lots of guests, we are here to eliminate your stress by providing a full range of event planning services. Make It Yours will custom design and execute your event just the way you want it. Let us work with you to create your dream event. We will coordinate the entire event or handle just a few things to make your life easier.

In addition, Make It Yours customizes all your stationery needs by coordinating the design and color to complement your event. We provide a variety of custom stationery, such as wedding invitations, escort cards, table numbers, birth announcements, party invitations, etc.

LOCATION:
17036 West 67th Lane
Arvada, Colorado 80007


HOURS By appointment ONLY
Please call 303-249-5411 or 720-891-8963

Teenie Greenies

Teenie Greenies is a new Foothills MOPS sponsor that I'd like to bring to your attention.

From their website:

Teenie Greenies is a children’s boutique and resale store offering gently used kid’s items and providing a comfortable, fun atmosphere for parents and kids alike. We offer kids clothing size newborn to size 10, books, DVDs and toys. In addition to these kid’s items, our products include accessory items for moms and new eco-friendly options for both kids and moms. We provide a safe, stimulating play area for children so that their parents can shop leisurely.

Teenie Greenies has a special offer for our MOPS moms. (Click on the image to open it in a new window if you'd like to print the ad to save on your next purchase.)


Location: 9960 N Wadsworth Pkwy, Westminster, CO 80021


Contact:
Phone: 303-469-4189
Website: http://theteeniegreenieshop.com/
Email: teeniegreenies@theteeniegreenieshop.com

Store Hours:
M-F 9 am – 6 pm
Sat 10 am – 5 pm
Sun closed

Fun Events:
Cookies and Crafts - Every Wednesday bring your preschooler (siblings welcome) anytime from 10:30-11:30. We provide the cookies, the crafts and a little bit of quiet time for you to browse our products or just chill out on the couch!

Story Time - Join us every Tuesday at 11:15 for story time! Miss Anna and other instructors from The Little Gym will be reading stories and singing songs with the kids.

March 27th Playdate

As announced at our last meeting, we will not be having a regular MOPS meeting on March 27th (Spring Break). Instead, our tables will be gathering for playdates.

Here are the options for Tuesday, March 27th play dates.

• Jumpin Jordy's (Arvada)  $6 per kid, adults free. 10 am - 11:30 a.m. 
• WOW Museum (Lafayette)  $8 per kid, adults free 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
• Denver Zoo (Denver) $8.75 per kid (3 and older), adults $13. 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. (Some moms may have memberships and may also be able to get an additional person in free.) 

Your table can choose which one you'd prefer to do. Look for more information from your DGL. 

Scrumptious Ice Cream & Candy Shop

Our MOPS group is so thankful for the sponsors that have so graciously supported us this year. One of those sponsors is the Scrumptious Ice Cream & Candy Shop in Olde Town Arvada.



Scrumptious has delicious "all good" ice cream. They strive to use as many all-natural ingredients as possible and all of their ice cream is made in the store. They also have lots of candy in bulk or wrapped - both old, nostalgic candy as well as new, cutting-edge candy.

Not only does Scrumptious sponsor our MOPS group, they are also allowing us to take our Spring Kids Candy Shop pictures there for the 2nd year in a row. If you haven't been there yet, it is a great location for photos. Exposed brick walls, wood floors and candy! My girls got their pictures there last year and they turned out AMAZING.

Next time you are in Olde Town Arvada, make sure you pop in and get some ice cream. I am sure the kids won't mind. :)

Meal Ministry - Tips for Planning and Dropping off Meals

Does the idea of bringing a meal to another mom make you nervous? Don't worry - we will be bringing you tips and ideas to make the whole process easier.

Please remember that bringing a meal is an expression of your love and support of another mom, not a competition for best kitchen skills. :)

 

 

Tips for Planning the Meal

1. Double the meal you are already making for your family 
• Do this on a regular basis and freeze the second portion. You will have a freezer full of meals for your family and to give to others. This eliminates the rush when a meal needs to be brought during a busy week.
2. Have easy sides on hand:
   • Frozen garlic bread or rolls
   • Canned vegetables
   • Frozen cookies or cookie dough
   • Frozen sides (e.g. green beans w/ soy sauce, sesame seeds, garlic -- just add water and heat)
3. DGL’s are the first contact for a mom in need. DGL’s should keep track of the following:
   • Dates meals are needed
   • Meal schedule (can set up according to your preference - email, takethemameal.com, etc.) Please copy Megan on all schedules so she can fill in any gaps with other moms as necessary
   • Food allergies
   • Size of family
   • Any additional needs

Tips for Dropping Off the Meal

1. Take food in disposable containers
   • Examples: Ziplocs, foil pans or Gladware. They come in all shapes and sizes and are inexpensive enough that no one minds giving them away. Best of all, the recipient won’t have to worry about returning dishes.
2. Bring a complete meal - {& bring extra if you can}
   • Think about a meal you’d feed to your family...Entree, side and veggie. And no nursing mom I know (or their kids or husband for that matter) turns down dessert! :) Remember to include kids in your portions. I remember being so grateful that we had enough food not only for dinner, but for lunch the next day as well. It was one less thing to worry about, and as a nursing mom I was starving those first few weeks. Having extras was appreciated!
3. Arrive on time
   • As in, don’t bring dinner by at 8pm. I don’t know about you, but I like to eat a little earlier than that. If you find that your weeknights are just too busy to make an extra dinner, try taking a meal over on the weekend. Or, do your prep the night before and just assemble and deliver the next day. Sometimes it’s simplest to bring the meal by in the mornings before their kids (and yours!) hit the wall & nap-time. Just make sure to communicate with the mom for what works best for both of you.
4. Leave on time
   • There’s a lot to chat about, I know. After all, your friends just had a new baby, and you’re eager to hear all the details. But, keep in mind that they might be slightly exhausted (and hungry!). Now is not the time for a two hour visit. Ooh and aah over the baby, chat a little, and then politely excuse yourself and leave the family to enjoy the delicious meal you’ve just prepared! (If you have your kids with you, you may consider leaving them in the car and just running the meal in quickly.)

These tips were compiled by Megan K. Thanks, Megan! 

FREE Preschool Fair at APEX

Looking for a preschool for next year? The Apex Park and Recreation District is having a FREE Preschool fair on Wednesday, February 8th from 11am-2pm. At this fair will be a variety of preschools from Arvada and the surrounding area.

The fair is located at the Secrest Youth and Teen Center at 6820 W. 66th Ave.

Please call Laina at 303-403-2555 for more details.

FCC MOPS Meal Ministry

One thing (among many) that I love about MOPS is the commitment of our group to bring meals to moms who could use a meal due to a new baby, severe illness, surgery or other unforeseen circumstance.

I have been on the receiving end of this ministry twice now (once in 2009 when Bree was born and again last fall after undergoing surgery) and not only did it greatly bless me, it blessed my entire family. I strongly believe in this ministry and so I am excited to see our group have a formal coordinator for this ministry this year. Megan K. will be our coordinator and I know she is going to do a fabulous job!

The purpose of Foothills MOPS Meal Ministry is to show Christ’s love to our fellow moms in times of need through providing meals for them and their family.

As the Foothills MOPS Meal Ministry formally begins we will be sharing some insights and tips on meal planning, recipes and the ins and outs of bringing meals to fellow moms. Keep an eye on the blog for ideas and feel free to submit you own ideas to Megan using our Contact Form.

As I looked around the room at our meeting this morning and saw so many cute preggo bellies, I can see I'd better not delay in posting all the wonderful tips that Megan has put together so far. Stay tuned!

Love and Logic Course - Arvada Covenant Church

MOPS and Arvada Covenant Church are sponsoring a 6 week Love & Logic course starting this Thursday, January 19th, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.

The cost of the course is $30, plus $5 for childcare each week.

If you are interested in attending, please call Karen at 720-962-5472.

Arvada Covenant Church is located at 5555 Ward Road in Arvada.

Hope you are having a great week so far!

Next MOPS Meeting - January 10

Our first meeting of the 2012 year is coming right up! We will be meeting on Tuesday, January 10th.

We have a great speaker lined up. Lauren Runyon is a former MOPS mom and she will be speaking to us about being transparent.

We will be having a hot breakfast provided by the Parcheesi, Pictionary and Chutes & Ladders tables. Come hungry!

Our raffle will be for a CPR class and certification. If you have any questions, please email Brittany H.

Dues are due for our third quarter. Please bring your checkbook, cash or credit card to pay $28 dues and $5 hospitality fee (total $33).

IMPORTANT: If you have a Ladybug who is three, they will be graduating up to the Kangaroos class. All other children will be staying in their respective classes. Any questions, contact Michelle K or send us an email at mopsatfoothills@gmail.com.