Highland MOPS

You Say, God Says

2012-01-25T18:04:00.000-06:00

Often your toughest critic is yourself. If you need a reminder of your grace, beauty and purpose check out the chart below. It's great to print, clip and keep in your wallet.

Spirit Night Flyer

2012-01-23T14:09:00.002-06:00

If you need more flyers to hand out to your friends, family, mailman, real estate agent, pastor, etc., etc., etc. there is a link on top right. There are four flyers per page (8.5" x 11") and you can print as many as you need. The file is a .pdf file and you will need Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer to view and print the flyer. Click here to get the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Chik-fil-A Spirit Night

2012-01-11T14:20:00.000-06:00

Chick-fil-A Spirit Night Fundraiser

Monday, February 6

6 pm - 8 pm

Chick-fil-A , 3130 S Clack St, Abilene

Through the graciousness and courtesy of Chick-fil-A, Highland MOPS will hold a Spirit Night Fundraiser at the free-standing Chick-fil-A on S. Clack and Southwest Dr. (This is not the Mall Chik-fill-A.) From 6 pm to 8 pm we will get a percentage of all proceeds both in the store and in the drive-through. In addition, we will have balloon animals, face painting, other fun activities and the Cow will stop by to pose for pictures. Call your friends and family to come on out for a great dinner and help out a great group, Highland MOPS.

Coupon Class

2012-01-11T14:05:00.000-06:00

Coupon Class
Thursday, January 12
7 PM-9pm
Elmwood West United Methodist

Moms please join us for our Coupon Class. This class, which is divided into two sections, will teach you how to be coupon savvy and to save money. The first hour will be instruction on where to get coupons, how to organize them, and when and how to use them to get maximum savings. The second hour will be hands-on and question/answer about looking at store circulars, making a menu plan, etc. Please note that childcare will not be provided.

Enfamil Recall

2011-12-28T15:59:00.001-06:00

The article below is from www.huffingtonpost.com

Enfamil Recall: Third Infant Infected As U.S. Probes Baby Formula

By Alina Selyukh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A third infant in the United States has tested positive for the infection that led to the death of one infant, sickened another and spurred a probe of baby formula, including Enfamil by Mead Johnson Nutrition Co.

A baby in Oklahoma tested positive for Cronobacter, a bacteria that has sometimes been linked to rare illnesses in newborns and has been found in milk-based powdered baby formula, Barbara Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday.

The baby had not consumed Enfamil formula, according to Leslea Bennett-Webb of the Oklahoma Department of Health. The baby, less than a month old, has been treated and discharged from the hospital, she said.

This is a third Cronobacter case in recent weeks, after a baby in Missouri died and another child is now recovering in Illinois, both confirmed to have been infected with Cronobacter.

The Missouri 10-day-old newborn consumed Enfamil Premium formula, while the Illinois infant was exposed to a variety of formula brands apart from Enfamil, as well as many other over-the-counter products, according to the FDA.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc and scores of other U.S. retailers pulled cans of Enfamil, but the ongoing federal investigation has so far found no link between the illnesses and the formula.

Health authorities are testing opened containers with formula, both liquid and powdered, and bottled distilled water used to feed the baby in Missouri. They are also testing closed bottles and cans from the lot collected from the family, the hospital and Wal-Mart, where the family bought its formula.

No other formula brands in the probe have been disclosed.

Mead Johnson has said it had re-tested samples from the Enfamil Premium powdered formula and found the product to be safe, recouping some of the losses they suffered initially at the news.

(Editing by Tim Dobbyn and Bob Burgdorfer)

DIY Crafts: Candy Cane Reindeer & Popsicle Reindeer

2011-11-30T15:07:00.001-06:00

Craft: Candy Cane Reindeer

Supplies:

Candy cane

Colored pipe cleaner (brown, green, red, or black)

Wiggle eyes

Glue

Optional: small, colored pom pom

Instructions:

-Twist pipe cleaner onto top of candy cane to make antlers.

-Twist small piece of pipe cleaner to each side of the previously made antlers.

-Glue wiggle eyes onto candy cane.

-Optional: glue pom pom at tip of candy cane for nose. (brown or red)

*Decorate your Christmas tree with these handmade ornaments!

Craft: Popsicle Stick Reindeer

Supplies:

3 Popsicle Sticks

2 Wiggle Eyes

1 Pom Pom

Glue

Optional:berries, ribbon, markers for extra decoration

Instructions:

-Glue tip of 2 Popsicle sticks together to form "V" shape

-Glue last Popsicle stick across other end of sticks to form a triangle shape

-Glue on wiggle eyes

-Glue on pom pom for nose

-Optional: color sticks, glue on berries or bow next to antlers for extra decor

*These sit nicely on the Christmas tree or can add magnet to back and put on fridge!

DIY Crafts: Magnetic Picture Frames

2011-11-30T15:04:00.002-06:00

Magnetic Picture Frames

A very easy craft you can do with your kids!

Supplies: (from Hobby Lobby, Micheal's, Wal-Mart, or Dollar Tree)

- Foam rectangles (can buy already shaped as frames or buy foam sheet and cut your own) in color desired

- Magnets to apply on back

- Decorations for frame (stickers, buttons, colored cotton balls, beads, etc.). Be creative!

- Picture

Instructions:

- Decorate your frame with your kids (help with glue as needed)

- Tape a picture to back of frame

- Attach magnets to back of frame

Ready to put on fridge or give as a gift!

DIY Crafts: T-Shirt Scarves

2011-11-30T15:00:00.002-06:00

Begin by digging through your closets or thrift shop racks in search of the graphics you want.

Choose either all light-weight Ts, which usually can be found in the Juniors and Ladies sections or all heavyweight Ts in the Boys or Men $B!G (Bs section. Do a quick-cycle launder on the shirts before cutting.

Create a patchwork template from a standard No. 10 business envelope. Making a window template helps isolate the section of graphics that works best. Some T-shirts yield two to three sections of graphics, while others only one good envelope sized section. Using a white colored pencil on dark shirts and brown pencil on light, trace out the rectangles and cut out the pieces. Use 20-21 sections for the fronts of the scarves.

After each section is cut, lay them out in the best visual order then simply sew one to another, 1/4 $B!m (B seam allowances to the back. Once all are sewn together, press the seams flat.

Then create the back side of the scarves by cutting solid sections of the remaining T-shirt fabric. For lightweight scarf, again use the envelope for a template and make one more section than the front. Sew the horizontal seams askew from one side to the other, not intending for the seams to line up. For heavyweight scarf, use longer blocks of fabric.

Seam back sections together, then stitched front scarf sections to back sections, leaving an opening for turning right side out. Trim away excess selvage and cut angles along each corner. Turn the scarf and stitch the opening closed. Press the finished pieces, using parchment paper when ironing over silk-screened sections.

Complete instructions with pictures can be found at
http://justsomethingimade.com/2011/02/t-shirt-scarves-the-art-of-repurposing/

Support Highland MOPS at Mr. Gatti's Pizza

2011-11-16T12:12:00.000-06:00

Mr. Gatti's Pizza

Thursday, Nov. 17

5:00 pm -- 8:00pm

Bring the whole family for pizza and fun at Mr. Gatti's and support our MOPS group at the same time! When you order, be sure to tell them you are supporting Highland MOPS so we can get a percentage of the proceeds. Come and go, eat and play, between 5:00pm and 8:00pm and be sure to tell all your friends. The more the merrier!

CHANGE: MOPPETS Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-07T20:15:00.000-06:00

The MOPPETS will have their Thanksgiving Feast on November 28, not the 14th as is noted on the calendar in your folder.

Reminder: May Farm Play Date Wednesday

2011-11-07T20:11:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, November 9

10 am - 12 pm

$3 per child over 1 year old

See you there and don't forget to bring your lunch. For directions read this post.

My Sister's House Semi-Annual Sale

2011-11-01T23:34:00.001-05:00

My Sister's House Sale is a semi-annual consignment sale that takes place at 181 Pine Street in downtown Abilene . Items for sale are women's clothing and accessories, jewelry and furniture. Below is the schedule for the nine day sale. At the Discount Day Sale, November 13, many items will be 75% off and all proceeds will go to benefit the women of Eternal Threads.

Please note that they do have a dressing room to try on clothing; however, it is an open dressing room which means everyone shares one room. You might want to wear bike shorts and a tank top if you are uncomfortable undressing in front of female strangers.

For more information please visit their website at http://mysistershousesale.com

May Farm Play Date

2011-11-01T23:19:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, November 9

10 am - 12 pm

$3 per child over 1 year old

It's time for our autumn visit to May Farm. If you are unfamiliar with May Farm, please join us on Wednesday. Your children will love it. May Farm is primarily a petting farm and you will be able to feed Miss May's numerous goats; hold baby bunnies and baby chicks; go on a crazy hayride on Miss May's trailer and eat lunch outdoors. Your child will also have a chance to ride a horse that Miss May leads, which always tickles the kids. You are welcome to bring a lunch for yourself and your child (children). There are a few picnic tables for or you can bring a blanket and picnic on the ground.

Please Note~

~The bathroom at May Farm is an outhouse.
~There is an outdoor sink for washing up before lunch.
~The fee is $3 per child that is over the age of 1. Children 1 year old and
younger are free. Adults are also free.

Directions:
May Farm is approximately 14 miles north of where I-20 crosses 83/84 (Winters Freeway).

Take Winters Freeway (83/84) north (You'll pass DRI, KTXS, (the old) Pride Refinery, sanitary landfill) and cross into Jones County. Please note that Winters Freeway changes to US83/US277 once you leave Abilene.

FM 1082 is the Hawley exit. There is a Shell station at the exit. Do not get off on this exit but use it as a reference point because you are approximately 4 miles south of the May Farm turn-off.

The highway will change into a short overpass shortly after the Hawley exit. Immediately after the overpass begin counting left-turn lanes.
The first left-turn lane (there is no green crossover sign) is to the Hawley cemetery.
The 2nd left -turn lane (there is no green crossover sign) is to County Road 460 (CO Rd. 460).
The 3rd left-turn lane (there is no green crossover sign) is to County Road 470 (Co Rd. 470).
The fourth left-turn lane has a green crossover sign and no other road name designation.
At the fifth left-turn lane, which has a green crossover sign and no other road designation, turn left crossing US83/US 277 to the access road.
Almost directly in front of you will be a WHITE sign with RED lettering that says MAY FARM. You want to go down that dirt road. Please note that the road forks off before the farm, keep to the right.

We hope to see you there!

"How To Be A Better Parent in 4 Seconds" byJon Acuff

2011-10-31T00:09:00.000-05:00

The following post was written by Jon Acuff for his blog www.jonacuff.com

How To Be A Better Parent in 4 Seconds

A few years ago, I learned a parenting trick that changed my life. It wasn’t complicated. I didn’t find it buried in one of those 400-page-long, zero-pictures parenting books that you often assume everyone has read but you. It’s not even that long. You can master this trick in 4 seconds. What is it?

Simple:

Hang up and arrive.

Or, in longer form, when you walk through the door after work or a trip or an errand, don’t be on the phone.

One of the greatest ways to destroy a little kid who is waiting for you is to come home and still be on your cell phone.

Nothing deflates a daughter who runs toward you for a hug like a hand that says, “Wait a second, I need to finish this call.”

Nothing says “you’re second place in my life,” like walking through the door while still on the phone.

Nothing says, “my world is more important than yours,” like refusing to end a call when your kids come sprinting down the stairs to see you.

But fortunately, nothing is easier to fix than this issue.

If you’re on a call that you can’t get off, then don’t pull into the driveway until you’re done. I used to park in our neighborhood pool for five minutes to finish calls instead of getting home and talking in my kitchen.

It’s a silly thing maybe. It’s a small thing I guess, but it makes a difference, and I learned this lesson by getting it wrong about a thousand times. And, the scary thing is, you’ve got a limited amount of time to do it.

My daughter L.E. used to knock me down onto my back with a running hug in the front yard when I got home from work. She’s still glad to see me these days, but sometimes I have to find her in the house, and she’s quietly reading a book, not standing at the window awaiting my arrival.

Want to be a better parent in about 4 seconds?

Hang up and arrive.

Two Week Break

2011-10-30T23:54:00.000-05:00

Don't forget that we have a two week break from our regular Monday meeting. Our next meeting is November 14.

Thank You Outback Steakhouse!

2011-10-30T23:50:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday, we had 49 moms enjoy a free lunch at the Outback Steakhouse in Abilene. The food was incredibly good and included salad, steak, mashed potatoes, a drink and cheesecake. Despite being a private party (the restaurant was only open to MOPS moms) the conversation and laughter filled the dining area. Moms from Beltway Baptist's MOPS group were also in attendance and we got to know our sister group a little bit better.

We owe a a giant THANK YOU to Dayne Jones, the proprietor, and the wait staff. When you visit the Outback again, don't forget to tell them that you belong to MOPS and thank them for their generosity and support.

REMINDER: Outback Steakhouse

2011-10-24T17:51:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to RSVP via evite or on Facebook for the FREE lunch at Outback Steakhouse.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

11:30 am to 1:00 pm

We will meet at Highland Church of Christ at 11:00 am and then head over to the Outback at 11:30 am.

TOMORROW! Activity Day at ACU

2011-10-24T17:42:00.000-05:00

Activity Day
October 25
ACU
Mackenzie Hall
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
For infants to 12 year olds.

As part of their class, ACU students will interact with the children.

Mackenzie Hall is right next to the Education building. Walk between those two buildings and there will be a door in the middle of Mackenzie. There will be a sign pointing the way as well.

Meeting Recap: Oct 24, 2011

2011-10-24T17:24:00.000-05:00

Lana inspiring us to organize

At today's meeting Mentor Lana was our guest speaker. She shared with us tips of what to organize, how to organize it and how to keep it organized. Number one on Lana's list of tips, was that everything needs a home and you need to label the object and its home. Other than the obvious benefits of doing that, Lana stated that then the whole family knows where items go and they can put stuff away.

Lana also recommended keeping a calendar/appointment book with you at all times. You can then write down each event, appointment or function when you first hear about it and not have to trust the date and time to memory. Also, this prevents you from double booking yourself.

Creating an inventory list of ALL of your household items is extremely important especially if you are robbed, as Lana and her husband were, or if your home burns down. It is time consuming to first set up the inventory document and you will have to update the list every time you bring a new item into your house, but it can result in the stolen items being returned to you or a faster insurance claim.

Lana created a binder for herself that contains her medical information. Not only does she list all of her doctors, but she also lists her medication, lab results and a description of procedures. The book is especially helpful when seeing a new doctor for the first time or if someone else has to make medical decisions for you.

The last tip that Lana shared was creating a packing list for when they travel. She lists everything that she wants to take on the trip. Doing so prevents her from forgetting an item, speeds up packing and can also help if your luggage is lost by an airline.

Gayla giving the Mentor Moment

We had two new moms at the meeting, one who is expecting. Another mom announced her pregnancy. Tighe attended the meeting with the newest MOPPET, her 10 day old son Elijah and as custom received her Highland MOPS baby gift.

We had a great spread of food including a breakfast casserole that was absolutely delicious. Our next meeting is November 14. That is three weeks from today, not the usual two. See you then.

MOPPETS: Crazy Hat & Sock Day

2011-10-21T22:49:00.000-05:00

I have absolutely no idea what
this hat is supposed to be.
Picture courtesy of
http://christianparentsforum.com

Don't forget that this Monday, October 24, is Crazy Hat & Sock Day for MOPPETS. All you have to do is have your child wear the silliest hat and the goofiest socks imaginable. The kids will enjoy laughing at each other's gaudy get up and it is a good source of entertainment for the moms too!

Per the description on http://pinterest.com/source/shop.ashidashi.com
the socks are supposed to be pencils. I thought they were bananas.

Fall/Halloween Community Events

2011-10-19T10:05:00.001-05:00

An email went out earlier this week with all of the Halloween/Fall activities available around town. In case you did not get that email, here is the list again.

October 18: Abilene Community Band Fall Concert at Historic Paramount theater, 352 Cypress St. 7:30 pm FREE, donations accepted.

October 21-22: Haunted Abilene Learn about Abilene's ghostly past! Enjoy a guided trolley tour, haunted mansion, food booths, and campfire ghost stories. The Swenson House, 1726 Swenson Ave. Trolley Tour, Haunted Carriage House and Mansion: $25/person. Trolley Tour only: $15/person; Haunted Mansion $15/person. Trolley Tours require reservations. 7 pm -10 pm

October 22: Family Fun Saturday Create a "work of art" using the stule and medium of the featured artist in the gallery. Emphasis is on having fun while picking up valuable knowledge. National Center fr Children's Illustrated Literature, 102 Cedar St. 1 pm - 4 pm FREE

October 22: Boo at the Zoo: Come in costumes to "trick or treat" at the treat stop spots inside the zoo! Collect candy, particpate in costume contests, enjoy our wonderful animals and enjoy Halloween fun with the whole family! Abilene Zoo, 2070 Zoo Lane, 1 pm - 7 pm $2.50 advance, $3 at the gate

October 23: Buffalo Gap Historic Village Fall Festival This is a family friendly event. Wear your costume and play old-fashioned fames. 133 N. William - Buffalo Gap, TX Noon - 3 pm FREE

October 24: Family Fun @ your Library: Monster Mash Mockingbird Branch Library, 6:30 pm. Like the song says, you'll catch on in a flash during our evening of stories, puppets, crafts, and dancing the MONSTER MASH. Wear your costumes and remember, "When you get to our door tell them Boris sent you!" FREE

October 27: Mall of Abilene - Fall Festival Featuring games, candy, prizes and costume contest offered in a safe, family-friendly environment for the whole family. Enjoy trick-or-treating at participating retailers. Mall of Abilene, Women's Dillard's Courtyard, 4310 Buffalo Gap Rd. 6 pm - 8 pm FREE

October 29: Community Trunk or Treat Safe, family-friendly way to celebrate Halloween. Activities for the kids include: Trunk or Treating, Candy Apple Decorating, Face Painting, Black Cat Bowling, Halloween Photo Booth! A sew and cornbread dinner will be provided for adults and kids in the building. Oakridge Church of Christ. 5:30 pm - 8 pm FREE!

October 29: Toadally Not Frightening Halloween Hike: Take your child on a flashlight-lit hike through the forest to meet woodland creatures and hear about their lives. Each group of 15 people will have a guide lead them safely on a lighted trail. Meat woodland creatures along the way including a Toad, a Spider "Charlotte", and maybe get to touch a Snake during your 25 minute hike, and more. Abilene State Park, 150 Park Road 32, Tuscola. Park entry and event are FREE. Snacks for sale, cash only. 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

October 29-31: Halloween Film - Carrie. Brian DePalma's horror film about a teenage girl who wreaks vengeance on her high school tormentors. Staring Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie and Amy Irving. Historic Paramount Theatre, 35 Cypress St. 7:30 pm $6 all seats.

October 29 and 31: Fright at the Museum Scenes based on the horrors of frontier life and death, with some scary surprises along the way! Rated PG 13+ due to mature content. Frontier Texas! 625 N. 1st. $10/person 8 pm - 11:30 pm

October 30: Trunk or Treat at Highland Church of Christ in the north parking lot from 4 pm - 6pm. There will be hot dogs and more. FREE

October 31: Fall Festival 6 pm - 8 pm Elmwood West United Methodist Church. Free

October 31: Trunk or Treat, South Pointe Church on Buffalo Gap Rd. from 6:30 pm until its gone! Free.

October 31: Fall Fest New Hope Church 6 pm - 8:30 pm Free

Outback Steakhouse Lunch

2011-10-19T09:48:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

11:30 am to 1:00 pm

Outback Steakhouse

4142 Ridgemont Dr. Abilene, TX 79605

Please join us for a free steak! Outback steakhouse has offered to give MOPs an awesome steak luncheon for all of our members and we could not be more excited. Please drop your kids off at Highland Church of Christ at 11:00 am and meet us over at Outback at 11:30 and we will pick the kiddos up at 1:30. Please pack your kids a lunch so they're nice and happy! Please RSVP to the evite that was sent earlier this week.

Red Bud Park Play Date

2011-10-12T12:08:00.000-05:00

If you are available, come on over to Red Bud Park this Friday, October 14 at 9 am. A couple of our moms will be meeting there for a play date. Red Bud Park is in Abilene and covers an area from Curry Lane to S. 32nd St. The Park is also where the YMCA is located. We hope to see you Friday.

Dittos for Kiddos

2011-10-12T11:58:00.000-05:00

Dittos for Kiddos, Inc. is a children’s consignment event held twice a year in Abilene, Texas. The event gives you the opportunity to buy gently used clothing, toys, and equipment at greatly reduced prices. The sale is held at the Taylor County Fairground in the Round Building. The dates for this Fall's sale are October 10--15. See calendar below for more information.

Oct. 10, Mon. Worker Pre-Sale 5:40 pm--9:00 pm
Oct. 11, Tue. Consignor Shop - 5pm / Guest Shop - 8pm / Public Shop 9 pm - midnight
Oct. 12, Wed. Public Shop 10 am - 6pm
Oct. 13, Thu. Public Shop 9 am - 9 pm
Oct. 14, Fri. Worker Shop 1/2 Price - 6:30 pm - 9 pm / Consignor Shop 1/2 Price 7 pm - 9 pm
Oct. 15, Sat. Public Shop 1/2 Price 8 am - 6 pm

Activity Day--ACU Psychology

2011-10-12T11:37:00.002-05:00

The announcement below is from Jennifer Shewmaker.

I teach Child Psychology for Juniors and Seniors at ACU. Every year I host an Activity Day for kids to give my students a chance to interact with kids of different ages. I'm looking for children from infants to age 12, so any preschool kids or home schooled kids who might be able to fit it into their schedule would be great. Here are the details:

October 25
1:30 pm--2:30 pm

If you're interested, please email Jennifer .

ACU Homecoming Carnival

2011-10-12T11:21:00.000-05:00

As part of their homecoming celebration, ACU holds a carnival for students, alumni and the community. The date is Friday, October 14 from 5--8pm on the northeast lawn of the Williams Performing Arts Center. The carnival will include inflatable attractions, children's games, food, face painting, clowns, balloons, music and more. Cost is $3 per wristband. Wristbands can be pre-purchased this week through Thursday, October 13 at 5 pm in the Alumni Relations Office, Suite 280 of the Hunter Welcome Center.

MOPS Intl. Convention 2012

2011-10-11T10:45:00.000-05:00

Gaylord Texan, Dallas TX

The MOPS International Convention is a great place to be encouraged, equipped and developed as a woman, mom and leader. And it's fun! (From the MOPS website)

The dates and place for next year's convention have been set. It will be from August 9--11, 2012 and it will be held at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas!

The yearly MOPS' convention is a huge event and draws MOPS groups from around the world. You will have a chance to meet other MOPS, attend uplifting programs, learn in relevant seminars and shop at the vendor shops. The convention is not just for Steering Team. Everyone is invited to attend. We guarantee that you will come away with valuable information that will help you be the best mom that you can be.

If you are interested in attending the convention, contact Kristi or Page. They can give you an idea of the cost per person and fundraising.

October 2011 Activity Calendar

2011-10-11T10:24:00.001-05:00

(Click to enlarge)

Pumpkin Pickin' Reminder

2011-09-30T11:06:00.000-05:00

Don't forget about our Pumpkin Pickin' Play Date tomorrow at Disability Resources.

Pumpkin Pickin'

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Disability Resources

Disability Resources, Inc. is in the very north portion of Abilene. It is located at 3602 North Clack Street in Abilene, slightly south of KTES TV station.

Directions:

Head north on US-83 N/US277
Take the exit toward Farm to Market Rd 2404/Old Anson Rd/Impact
Merge onto N Danville Dr/Winters Freeway Srv Rd
Turn left onto Farm to Market Rd 2404/Old Anson Rd
Take the 1st left onto N Clack St/Winters Frwy Srv Rd
(Skinny's Convenience Stores is on the corner)
Turn right onto Our Folks Way
Pumpkin Patch will be on the right

Pumpkin Pickin'

2011-09-27T10:11:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Pickin'

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Disability Resources

10 am--1 pm

Our annual pumpkin patch play date is this Saturday. Join us at Disability Resources' Pumpkin Patch to pick out your Halloween pumpkin or perhaps two or three.

For those unfamiliar with Disability Resources Inc. Pumpkin Patch, it is an annual fundraiser for DRI. Their lawn is decorated with props, swings, hay bales and thousands of pumpkins. The pumpkins come in all sizes…from small pie pumpkins to huge 80 pound pumpkins. Free hayrides around the campus, story time and photo opportunities abound.

We hope to see you there.

Meeting Recap: Sept. 26, 2011

2011-09-26T22:30:00.000-05:00

Waiting for the meeting to start.

What a great meeting! Today our guest speaker was Sherry Ferguson who is a certified parent educator, preschool minister and a walking textbook on human growth and development. Her topic today was discipline strategies. Below are a few of the nuggets of wisdom that Sherry shared with us.

Children do things for two reasons: It gives them pleasure or it gets them attention.
The number one problem between parent and child is the level of communication. An important aspect to consider is that up to the age of 5 children are still learning the nuances of language. A lot of what we say can be baffling to a child and it is hard to comply when you don't fully understand the words.
Children need limits. This comment is quite familiar; however, some moms aspire to be "nice" so they don't have clear limits for the child to understand. It is natural for a child to push and push and push until they hit the limit. Children find security with set limits.
If your child does something naughty you need to respond by what you want them to do and not what they did wrong. For example, "You didn't finish your lunch." vs "You can go outside when you finish your lunch."
Discipline and punishment are not interchangeable words. Punish humiliates and discipline educates. Humiliation will not change behavior because the child does not learn what and why their action is wrong.
Avoid second chances. This goes with setting limits. As long as there is flexibility you child will continue to test the boundaries.
The number one way people build self-esteem is by helping others.

Sherry also shared with us about the naughty mat and the black hole. The naughty mat is a blanket or towel that you carry with you so that when the child acts out, they sit in a time out on the mat. Always having the naughty mat handy will result in consistent discipline and consistent limits. The black hole is a way to enforce picking up after themselves. After the child is gone to sleep, you go around with a big black bag and put everything of the child's that is not in their correct place into the garbage bag. You then hold the items for two weeks before giving them back to the child.

Below are Sherry's Six Guidelines For Giving Commands.

Get your child's attention before giving a command by calling the child by name before telling him the task.
Keep commands simple. Give only one command at a time.
Keep commands clear. Make sure your child knows what you want him to do.
Separate commands from any conversation which may be in progress.
Keep commands reasonable. Be sure your child knows how to do the task that you are requesting of him.
Keep commands direct. Don't ask your child, tell them.

General Rules For Assigning Tasks

Do not do things that he can do for himself.
Do not set expectations beyond his years.
Make it fun. Orders become power struggles.
Give real but limited choices.
Give specific praise.
Use reason. "Let's pick up the Lego's so they do not get broken."
Focus the child's attention on the job. Use a timer to warn your child.
Make tasks into a game, such as Beat The Clock, etc.

As noted, those a just a few thoughts that Sherry shared with us, but there were so many more.

Tonya, our Creative Activities person gave a quick presentation of how to make Halloween Scary Rice Krispy Treats. The best part is you don't have to make the Rice Krispy part, you can use the store bought ones. You dip the treats in chocolate and decorate. You can use other colored chocolate. The sticks, chocolate and edible eyes can all be found at Hobby Lobby. Tonya also spoke a little bit about Pregnancy Resources and the gifts we will be making at the next meeting for their clients. You will receive an email with a supply list so you know what to bring to the next meeting which is October 10.

Diaper Cupcakes for Pregnancy Resources

We have our annual Pumpkin Patch Play Date scheduled for Saturday, October 1. We will meet at Disability Resources at 10 am. Look for the evite.

Balloon Fest 2011

2011-09-22T13:45:00.000-05:00

17th Annual Big Country Balloon Fest

Red Bud Park

3125 S. 32nd St., Abilene

09/23/2011 - 09/25/2011

Friday: Noon - 10 p.m

Sat: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Sun: 7 a.m. - Noon

Sponsored by Optimist Unlimited Club of Abilene. Weekend of family fun including hot air balloons, children's games and inflatable rides, silent auction, food and craft vendors, Hot Air Balloon Glow at 8:30pm on both Friday and Saturday, and so much more!

Baby Items For Sale

2011-09-19T15:41:00.000-05:00

Heather R., our Finance person on Steering Team, has two baby items for sale. If you are interested in either or both items, speak with Heather or email her at finance@abilenemops.com

NEW IN BOX: Westwood Design Stratton Collection Virginia Cherry
Convertible crib (unassembled)
Changing table w/ hutch (assembled)
**Chest of drawers shown in picture is NOT included***
Retail value $1700
Asking $1200 (or better offer)

NEW IN BOX: Safety 1st Complete Air 65 convertible car seat
$100 or better offer. For detailed information on car seat click here.

Four Seconds

2011-09-15T08:56:00.000-05:00

Amy V. shared a link to Jon Acuff's blog post on Facebook. The entire post is below. If you are unfamiliar with Jon Acuff, he is the author of Stuff Christians Like and a member of the Dave Ramsey team.

How to be a better parent in 4 seconds.

September 14, 2011

A few years ago, I learned a parenting trick that changed my life. It wasn’t complicated. I didn’t find it buried in one of those 400-page-long, zero-pictures parenting books that you often assume everyone has read but you. It’s not even that long. You can master this trick in 4 seconds. What is it?

Simple:

Hang up and arrive.

Or, in longer form, when you walk through the door after work or a trip or an errand, don’t be on the phone.

One of the greatest ways to destroy a little kid who is waiting for you is to come home and still be on your cell phone.

Nothing deflates a daughter who runs toward you for a hug like a hand that says, “Wait a second, I need to finish this call.”

Nothing says “you’re second place in my life,” like walking through the door while still on the phone.

Nothing says, “my world is more important than yours,” like refusing to end a call when your kids come sprinting down the stairs to see you.

But fortunately, nothing is easier to fix than this issue.

If you’re on a call that you can’t get off, then don’t pull into the driveway until you’re done. I used to park in our neighborhood pool for five minutes to finish calls instead of getting home and talking in my kitchen.

It’s a silly thing maybe. It’s a small thing I guess, but it makes a difference, and I learned this lesson by getting it wrong about a thousand times. And, the scary thing is, you’ve got a limited amount of time to do it.

My daughter L.E. used to knock me down onto my back with a running hug in the front yard when I got home from work. She’s still glad to see me these days, but sometimes I have to find her in the house, and she’s quietly reading a book, not standing at the window awaiting my arrival.

Want to be a better parent in about 4 seconds?

Hang up and arrive.

Winner of the Super Doorprize

2011-09-13T14:03:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Tali Barbaric. She was the winner of the 1-night hotel stay at the Hilton Garden Inn in Abilene. Tali is a new to Highland MOPS and we wish her relaxation and fun on her 1-night getaway.

September 12, 2011 Meeting Recap

2011-09-12T23:33:00.000-05:00

If the first meeting is any indication, we are going to have an outstanding year at Highland MOPS. Several new moms were at the meeting and there were quite a few young babies in attendance.

It is interesting to see new moms walk into the room. Often one can see a little trepidation; however, by the time the meeting is over those moms realize that they have found a group of women that get it; that know the challenges of being a mom of a pre-schooler. So for the new moms, we are so very happy that you joined us this morning. We also are excited for you. We have all had a first meeting and you will soon realize that walking through the door for the first time was the start of something great, something that will help you be the best mom that you can be. For our returning members, the familiar faces were a joyous sight. Thank you for joining us once again. We strive to exceed your expectations. A group from Sweetwater attended the meeting. Their MOPS group no longer exists, so they drove the 50 miles to Highland MOPS. Those are some dedicated MOPS moms. We welcome you and we are glad to help you get your MOPS fix.

Three important announcements were made at the meeting. Kristi B. , our coordinator, Allison L., a long time member and Erin S., a table leader, announced that they were all expecting. Yeah!! The joy radiated from their faces. Another wonderful sight to see. We'll let you in on a little secret: If you are trying to become pregnant just step into the role of Highland MOPS Coordinator. Kristi is now our third, consecutive Coordinator who became pregnant after taking the helm of Highland MOPS.

The meeting flowed nicely. It was not jam packed with activities so it was a relaxed atmosphere. A large portion of the time was dedicated to Table Time, which is what most moms prefer for a first meeting. We played a great ice breaker game, Two Truths and a Lie and another game, Pass It On.

If you were not able to attend the meeting today and you plan on coming to the September 26 meeting, you can print out the registration forms from the website and bring the completed forms with you to the meeting. It will cut down on the time you will have to spend at the Welcome Table. You will need to fill out a MOPPETS Form for each child that will attend MOPPETS. Don't forget about the two incentives that we have this year. Details below.

If you pay for each meeting as it occurs, the cost is $5 per meeting. The total you will pay throughout the year is $75. However, . . .

2. If you pay for one semester at a time you will receive a Sonic Coupon Card. The cost for the Fall semester is $35 and the Spring semester $40.

3. If you pay for both semesters at once you will receive a Sonic Coupon Card and a $5 discount on the meeting fees. The total is $70.

Now, here are the pictures from the successful meeting.The first six are of the nicely decorated tables.

Page talking about how she lost her youngest daughter's 6-month picture by putting it in a safe place. It is still M.I.A.

Jane, Lana and Gayla. Three of our five Mentors.

The Candy Land Cake courtesy of Hospitality. It was gooooooood.

Brunch table. Yes, we ate it all.

Gift bags for the moms with new babies. Inside are fleece blanket toys that were made by members of the Steering Team and a Table Leaders.

Our next meeting is September 26 and we have Sherry Ferguson as the guest speaker. Her topic is discipline. She spoke to our group last year and she was truly amazing. You do not want to miss this meeting.

Reminder: First Meeting of the New Year

2011-09-11T20:45:00.000-05:00

Don't forget that tomorrow is the first meeting of the 2011-2012 session of Highland MOPS. There will be a super door prize, 1-night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn in Abilene, for one lucky mom. The meeting starts at 9:30 am, but you will want to arrive a little earlier so that you can drop your child off at MOPS. See you in the morning!

MOPS Meeting Coming Up!

2011-09-06T22:34:00.002-05:00

(Graphic courtesy of www.picturesflowers.net)

Don't forget that the first Highland MOPS meeting for the 2011-2012 year is Monday, September 12. As always, we will meet upstairs at Highland Church of Christ. The meeting will begin at 9:30 am. However, you will want to arrive 10-15 minutes earlier so that you can fill out registration forms for yourself and children if you have not already done so. Also you need to drop your kids off at MOPPETS. We will have moms available to assist you in finding your child's MOPPET classroom. Make sure you get a door prize ticket at the Welcome Table. We are giving away a few neat items and a super-duper door prize, 1-night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn in Abilene! There will be Highland MOPS t-shirts for sale at the Welcome Table. The cost is $5 per shirt.We will also have glass marble kits ($3) and Sonic coupon cards for ($5).

This year we have incentives for pre-paying all of the meeting fees for the year. There is also an incentive if you pay all of the Fall meeting fees. The per meeting fee is $5. See below.

If you pay for each meeting as it occurs, the cost is $5 per meeting. The total you will pay throughout the year is $75.
If you pay for one semester at a time you will receive a Sonic Coupon Card. The cost for the Fall semester is $35 and the Spring semester $40.
If you pay for both semesters at once you will receive a Sonic Coupon Card and a $5 discount on the meeting fees. The total is $70.

We offer scholarships for moms that want to join Highland MOPS but do not have the budget to do so. Please talk with Heather about this option.

The title of Monday's meeting is All Markers on START. We will explore this year's theme, Momsense and announcements will be made for birthdays, new pregnancies and new babies. This year's Mentors, Steering Team and Table Leaders will be introduced and you will get a chance to talk with your fellow table mates via the ice breaker game, Two Truths & A Lie. A new meeting item is Marriage Tip. Amy will share a quick tip to help strengthen your relationship with your co-pilot.

Highland Church of Christ is a very large church and we don't want anyone getting lost. The Church is off of Sayles Blvd. between S. 3rd and S. 5th Streets. (There is no S. 4th Street.) If you are coming from S.1st Street, turn south onto Sayles Blvd. Then turn west on S. 5th Street and go 1 block to arrive at the parking lots. If you are heading north on Sayles Blvd. turn left/east on S. 5th St and go 1block to arrive at the parking lots. While in the parking lot there will be a wall of doors facing you. You want to enter via those doors, not through doors that have drop-off/pick up area under a portico. Our doors are the the right of the portico. Inside the doors, you will be in the central foyer and right in front of you will be our Welcome Table with Melissa and Heather and their cheery smiles. We will have moms available to assist you in finding your child's MOPPET class and showing you the way to the upstairs meeting room. An elevator is available in the foyer if needed.

(Graphic courtesy of Highland Church of Christ)

We are anxious for the first meeting and we can't wait to meet new moms and reconnect with friends from last year. As always there will be a brunch table sagging from the weight of the food. See you there!

Pre-Registration Recap

2011-08-30T14:42:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful MOPS Pre-Registration morning at the Abilene Zoo and because of the cloud cover, it wasn't stinking hot! We'd like to give a hardy "Welcome" to the new moms who registered. Thank you for stopping by and we will see you September 12. For those moms that could not make it, you can print off the registration forms from our website so that you have them ready to hand. It will cut down on your time at the Welcome Table. Here is the direct link to the registration forms, which are in a .pdf format. Don't forget you need a MOPPETS form for each child that will be attending MOPPETS.

"Yes we see the giraffe, but these flowers are fascinating."

Thanks to Clay, the children got to ride the Safari Express.

Reminder: Tomorrow pre-registration at the zoo

2011-08-28T12:10:00.000-05:00

Monday, August 29, 2011

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Abilene Zoo

2070 Zoo Lane

Abilene TX 79602

ROAR!! Don't forget to meet up with us at the Abilene Zoo tomorrow where you can register to be part of Highland MOPS for the 2011-2012 season.

Meetings' Fees' Incentive: Pay the meeting fees for the entire year or for one semester tomorrow and you will avoid the line at the welcome table before the meetings. Just drop your child at MOPPETS, pick up a ticket for the giveaways and lickety-split you are in the meeting room with all of the delicious brunch food. Details below.

1. If you pay for each meeting as it occurs, the cost is $5 per meeting. The total you will pay throughout the year is $75.

2. If you pay for one semester at a time you will receive a Sonic Coupon Card. The cost for the Fall semester is $35 and the Spring semester $40.

3. If you pay for both semesters at once you will receive a Sonic Coupon Card and a $5 discount on the meeting fees. The total is $70.

We will see you tomorrow at the zoo! Rain or shine or maybe it should be shine or shine.

Pre-Registration Part II

2011-08-24T10:40:00.001-05:00

Now wouldn't it be helpful to know the date and time for our Pre-Registration Event at the Abilene Zoo? I thought so too, so here it is.

Monday, August 29, 2011

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Abilene Zoo

2070 Zoo Lane

Abilene TX 79602

One thing the previous blog post did mention was the discounted admission of which we will be able to take advantage.

$3 for adults (ages 13-59)
$2.50 for seniors (60+)
$1.50 for children (ages 3-12)
Children under 3 are free!

Tell your friends and neighbors about our kick-off event. We always welcome new moms to Highland MOPS. We will have fun door prizes, cookies and cold, bottled water. Don't forget about the incentives this year for paying your meeting fees up front.

Here are a few more bits of information that you want to keep in mind.

MOPS International has teamed up with Compassion International to help provide prenatal and early infant care to moms in developing countries through the Child Survival Program. You can help too! By rounding your Mom to Mom fee up to $25, you can donate to Compassion International.

If you don't feel like hauling your stroller or wagon to the Zoo, strollers and wagons are available for rent.
Stroller rental……$1.50
Wagon rental……$3.50

The Zoo has a new service called Safari Express which tours the Zoo. Cost per tour is $2.00 per person, children 2 years of age and under ride free! The Safari Express runs daily from 10:00am – 3:30pm. Please note that the Safari Express takes Zoo Coins as the form of payment. The coins can be purchased in the gift shop

Pre-Registration Play Date

2011-08-23T17:19:00.000-05:00

It's Going To Be Wild!

Please join us for the Highland MOPS Pre-Registration Play Date at Abilene Zoo. This event marks the start of the MOPS "season". You will have a chance to reconnect with your Highland MOPS friends or make new friends; tour the zoo; and become a member of Highland MOPS for the 2011-2012 year.

We will have a table set up at the entrance to the zoo where you can pick up your enrollment forms and pay the MOPS International's Mom-To-Mom fee of $24. MOPS International has teamed up with Compassion International to help provide prenatal and early infant care to moms in developing countries through the Child Survival Program. You can help too! By rounding your Mom-to-Mom fee up to $25, you can donate to Compassion International.

This year Highland MOPS is offering three payment plans for the per meeting fee of $5. The plans are below.

1. If you pay for each meeting as it occurs, the cost is $5 per meeting. The total you will pay throughout the year is $75.

2. If you pay for one semester at a time you will receive:

A Sonic Coupon Card
The cost for the Fall Semester is $35 and the Spring Semester, $40

3. If you pay for both semesters at once you will receive:

A Sonic Coupon Card and a $5 discount

Another advantage of paying for a semester or the whole year up front is no more standing in line at the Meeting Check-In table. You will just pick up a raffle ticket and then zip upstairs to the brunch table!

Don't forget that moms who need financial assistance for the Mom-to-Mom fee and meeting fees scholarships are available upon request.

Artifical Ingredients and Child Behavior

2011-08-06T23:06:00.000-05:00

The articles below are from the website www.circleofmoms.com. In the first article Susan, the author, shares with the reader how eliminating certain chemicals from her child's diet improved her child's behavior. The second article covers how to spot synthetic chemicals in food. Both articles are definitely worth the few minutes it takes to read them.

How Artificial Ingredients Can Lead to Artificial Kids

"My daughter Sophie is a beautiful and brilliant five year old, with a wildly creative personality and witty sense of humor. She’s the light of my life. And until six months ago I could barely stand to live in the same house with her.

My husband and I have always struggled with getting a handle on Sophie’s behavior. It seemed that no matter what parenting style we used, no matter what consequences we imposed, nothing made a difference. Even when she was very young she couldn’t sit still. Her hands or feet were in constant motion. Later we noticed she had trouble following simple instructions. Her mind just bounced to the next thing before we could even finish a sentence. She never stopped talking - from sun up to sun down there was constant chatter.

I write a food blog, I live for food. I spend a lot of time researching and reading about food. Over the last year I’ve made some pretty unsettling discoveries about the food I’ve been buying. I learned what those weird words in the list of ingredients really mean, and most of them mean the same thing – petroleum. One morning I woke up and decided to clear my kitchen of anything that had petroleum as an ingredient – especially artificial colors or flavors - and focus on more natural foods with real ingredients, not ingredients created in a lab. Because of that decision I cook a lot more often, rather than buying those pre-packaged foods we used to depend on. Quite a commitment for a Mom who works full time to undertake, but I was determined to put our health above convenience.

And now I can say without question that it was the best decision I have ever made. Within 36 hours of getting rid of all those chemicals my daughter sat at the table and ate her dinner. She didn't stand on her chair, she didn't crawl under her chair, and she didn't run circles around the table or wander into the living room because something caught her attention. She sat there, ate her food, and talked to me about her day, for the first time EVER. Amazed doesn't even begin to describe the way I felt. I eventually discovered that Sophie wasn’t dealing with ADHD; she was reacting to the chemicals in the food she was eating! And it’s a common condition. I would have never in a million years predicted how drastic the before and after picture of our family would be. Even Sophie herself says that she feels better and can think better than she ever could before we cut out the chemicals. We finally know the real Sophie, not the artificially flavored one.

You may be thinking that eliminating chemicals from your family’s food is a pretty drastic change to undertake, but that leap of faith can make an incredibly important difference for your family. It’s not my intention to imply that the need for medical help isn’t real in true cases of ADHD. I’m simply sharing our experience in the hope of helping others. If you suspect your child has behavioral issues, take a look at what they’re eating every day. It may be the chemicals that are the problem, not the child.

What do you think? Have you had a similar experience?"

How to Avoid Foods With Chemicals That Worsen Kids' Behavior

"Spotting Chemicals in the food you buy – it’s all about what you don’t want.

The first question people ask when they find out that our family has a chemical free diet is of course “Why?” That part is easy to explain. We initially went chemical free for the well being of my daughter Sophie. Her reactions to artificial ingredients are so severe that we were facing the possibility of an ADHD diagnosis. But once I removed the chemicals from our diet her symptoms vanished, almost overnight.

The second question, which is usually asked with more enthusiasm, is invariably “So what do you eat?” That one isn’t as easy to answer. When I went through this exercise for the first time I didn’t think I’d be making nearly as many changes as I did. I thought I was pretty careful about the choices I made. I was dumbfounded to learn that nearly everything my daughter was eating, drinking, or touching had some form of synthetic chemical added to it. Since the I’ve learned that the most common chemicals used by the food industry are easy to spot if you know what to look for.

Here are three easy rules to follow for beginning a chemical free diet.The first rule: ban artificial colors and artificial flavors. I saw the greatest improvement after imposing this single rule. Removing artificial colors and flavors is easy to achieve - you can easily recognize it on the labels. Artificial colors are listed as “food coloring”, “added color”, or listed by its number, as in Red #40. Artificial flavoring is generally listed as simply “artificial flavoring”. Chances are if you suspect it has artificial colors or flavors it probably does. That rainbow colored strawberry yogurt in your fridge? It’s definitely got to go.

The second rule: no preservatives. There are several names for preservatives but their reason for being there is the same – to extend the shelf life of a product. The most common preservatives are labeled BHT, BHA, or TBHQ. Toss those out and look for a substitution that has a reasonable expiration date, not a 25-year shelf life.

The third and final rule: remove the artificial sweeteners. You’ll find these under several generic names as well as brand names. They’re commonly in diet sodas, but you’ll also find them in juices, cake mixes, ice cream, yogurt, cookies, and other unexpected places.
Remember that just because a product claims in big letters that it’s “All Natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe for your child. Always read every label and if you don’t recognize an ingredient listed then play it safe and put it back on the shelf.
So back to the question, “What do you eat?” The options for chemical free food are enormous, and are as simple to prepare and as delicious as the food your family has always eaten. I stock our pantry with raisins and other dried fruit, nuts and seeds, organic tortilla chips, pretzels, organic applesauce, fruit leathers, and old fashioned pop corn that we cook on the stove (how novel!). There’s also pasta, rice, beans, oatmeal, Lara bars, and organic cereal. In the fridge there are cheeses of practically every variety, plain yogurt that we sweeten with honey, all natural lemonade, flour tortillas, hormone free meat, and drawers full of fruits and vegetables. But don’t think that adopting a chemical free diet doesn’t mean you have to eliminate every convenience food from your life. In my kitchen there are also boxes of organic crackers, cookies, frozen waffles - even boxed macaroni & cheese and toaster pastries that are completely chemical free. The only things your family will be missing by cutting out the synthetic food are the additives.

Overwhelmed? You’re not alone. My first trip back to the grocery store was an adventure I’ll never forget. But don’t let that discourage you. You decided to ban chemicals from your food for a reason – the health and well-being of your family. Every minute of effort I’ve put into it has been incredibly worth it. My daughter is calmer, more focused, and just more fun to be around without all those chemicals in her system. After a few weeks this will all be second nature to you too, and you’ll feel a sense of pride in yourself for taking this leap.

So what do you say – are you ready to do start making changes?"

Susan is a mom to two young children, with a full time job and a hungry husband. She loves old school cameras, documentaries about useless information, and Bundt cakes, but she won’t tolerate chaos.

Free Movies on the Hill

2011-07-25T16:40:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, July 26 · 8:30pm - 10:00pm

On the lawn of the Hunter Welcome Center

Abilene Christian University

Come and enjoy the family movie, UP. Bring a blanket, snacks and sit down and relax at this FREE community event!

*****FREE Little Jimmy's Italian Ice to the first 300 people*****

Rummage Sale

2011-07-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

Kristi and Page, our Coordinator and Co-Coordinator, are having a rummage sale tomorrow to raise funds to attend the MOPS Convention in Nashville. If you would like to find a bargain on lots of baby, kid items and a lot of etcetera, swing by 897 Ross this Saturday, July 23 at 7am. Help support these amazing women who continually demostrate that moms make all the difference in the world.

Is Obesity In Children Child Neglect?

2011-07-14T13:31:00.000-05:00

Childhood obesity has been in the news lately due to an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The editorial opened the discussion on whether States should and can remove obese children from their homes under the guise of medical mistreatment. However, the interesting part is that in Texas the Child Protective Services can already do that. The following article/report is from Fox 26 in Houston.

Extreme Obesity Treated As Child Neglect

Published : Wednesday, 13 Jul 2011, 5:47 PM CDT

Reporter: Damali Keith

HOUSTON - If a child is dangerously overweight, should the parents be forced to give up custody? An editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association argues in favor of removing kids if their obesity is out of control.

You Can Lose Your Kids

It might sound radical but a few states already allow it. Texas is one of them.

You may be surprised to know Child Protective Services can already take custody of your child if he or she is extremely obese. The law allows the state of Texas to remove that child under the category of abuse or medical neglect.

Most parents believe it's their constitutional right to raise their kid how they want, which is correct to a certain degree.

It's also on the books the state can take custody of a kid who is severely obese in certain instances.

Some Parents Cry Foul

"That's crazy. It's not fair. It's not right. I don't think parents should be separated from their kids," says mother Tiffany Curette.

"Losing custody of an obese child? I think that's bordering on some sort of violation. I think it's getting a little unconstitutional," says father Conrad Rivera.

The state could only step in if a doctor says the obese child's life is in danger, according to CPS.

"If it's really affecting their health, then yes, they should lose their (child)," says mother of 2 Jessica Chavez.

"I think there should be some kind of probationary thing, but in terms of taking full custody or taking a child away from a parent, I think that's wrong," adds Conrad.

Distrust for the System

"Do we really believe a child in foster care is going to get better treatment than being with their parents? I think most often when we look at that issue we think there's no way the state or someone else can raise our children in a better way," says Dr. Bob Sanborn, President of Houston's Children At Risk.

Sanborn says it's good we're now talking about childhood obesity. Now, he says we just need to do something about it.

"Probably the best solution, rather than taking the kids away, is to say ok we're going to have parental training on what's nutritious and tell what the kids should be doing as far as exercise," says Sanborn.

A Rare Situation

So many people are responding. Some are even left horrified by this debate over if parents should lose custody of obese kids.

Our local CPS officials wanted to talk and break it down for us to explain just how rare it is for an obese child to be removed from their home. However, the state agency decided against allowing them to take part in this controversial custody discussion.

American Girl Doll Owners

2011-07-14T13:03:00.000-05:00

The below request is from Abilene Moms' Facebook page.

Attention local readers- The Abilene Reporter-News is doing a story on the 25th anniversary of the American Girl dolls and looking for local girls of all ages who have had and loved the dolls over the years. Please contact Hannah Boen as soon as possible if you have an interest in sharing your story. Call 325-676-6769 or email boenh@reporternews.com

Movies On The Hill

2011-07-11T23:22:00.000-05:00

Movies On The Hill

Tuesdays, July 12 and July 26 · 8:30pm - 10:00pm

Hunter Welcome Center (ACU)

What better way to enjoy a family movie than watching it outdoors on the lawn of the Hunter Welcome Center. And even better, it is FREE!

July 12 - The Incredibles *FREE Cajun Cones for the first 100 visitors*
July 26 - Up

All showings will begin at 8:30 p.m. Bring a blanket and snacks, and come enjoy the show!

Gearing Up

2011-07-09T16:38:00.000-05:00

It is summer vacation and it has been roughly two months since our last meeting. However, we assure you that our Steering Team has been doing anything but vacationing and resting on their laurels. (Okay, maybe the Publicity person (me! me! me!) has and that explains the lack of uplifting, informative posts. . . or actually ANY posts.) Anyway, this weekend the Steering Team had their annual retreat which is when the upcoming MOPS' year is planned.

Tonya, our Prayer and Care Coordinator, graciously hosted the retreat and the Steering Team and Table Leaders made good use of her hot tub and pool. A strong benefit of the retreat is that the Steering Team and Table Leaders to get to know each other better and to bond as a group. We have a whole new group of table leaders this year and their fresh input was invaluable. The Mentors stopped by Saturday morning with a delicious, homemade breakfast. What would we do without their unending support?!

Planning, planning and more planning.

Steering Team playing "What If. . .".

Despite the 2:00 am bedtime Friday night, the Steering Team was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 8 am Saturday morning.

Based on the ideas and topics discussed at the retreat, we have an exciting and inviting MOPS' year to which to look forward. A few aspects of the meetings were changed to enhance and improve our moms' experience as a member of Highland MOPS.

Don't forget that the Pre-Registration Play Date is held in August so watch your email for the e-vite and the confirmed date.

Half-Way Mark

2011-07-02T17:17:00.001-05:00

Growing up, my mother always commented that the 4th of July was the half-way mark of summer, meaning that our endless and carefree summer days were numbered. In retail stores, Christmas items start arriving at and some stories even have the audacity to put them on the floor! But we all know why the 4th of July is a federal holiday. Or do we? The information below was taken from Wikipedia.

"During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

Adams's prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.

Historians have long disputed whether Congress actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on that day. Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as is commonly believed.

In a remarkable coincidence, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, James Monroe, the Fifth President of the United States, died on July 4, 1831. Calvin Coolidge, the Thirtieth President, was born on July 4, 1872, and thus was the only President to be born on Independence Day."

Happy 4th of July! We'll see you soon. . . because it's the half-way mark!

Book Sale at the Civic Center

2011-06-10T10:01:00.002-05:00

BOOK SALE

JUNE 10-12

The Friends of the Abilene Public Library host a gigantic annual book sale. The sale includes books, DVDs, video and cassette tapes, CDs, records and other items. The sale is held at the Abilene Civic Center with proceeds benefiting the Abilene Public Library. Admission is free.

Friday, June 10 - 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Open to public

Saturday, June 11 - 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Open to public

Sunday, June 12 - 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

"Bag-o-Books" sale $6.00 will get you an entire bag of great books (Bags furnished at the sale.)

Prices on most general sale items, including hardbound books and trade paperbacks, will be $1.75, while mass-market paperbacks will be 75¢ each. Two featured areas of the sale are the Corner Store and the "Antiques & Uniques" area. The Corner Store features new or almost new books at a fraction of their original price. The "Antiques & Uniques" area contains rare, hard-to-find and collectible books and other items at below market prices. Both of these areas will include special interest fiction and non-fiction titles. For more information, please contact the library at 325-676-6025.

Enfamil LIPIL Settlement

2011-05-27T00:33:00.000-05:00

If you purchased Enfamil LIPIL between the dates of Oct 13, 2005 to March 31, 2010 you are eligible to receive a payment or two free cans of formula. The details are below.

A Settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit about whether Mead Johnson & Company, LLC ("Mead Johnson") falsely represented that Enfamil LIPIL® is the only infant formula that contains DHA and ARA. DHA and ARA are healthy fatty acids. Mead Johnson will pay between $8 million and $12 million in infant formula and cash. No one is claiming that Enfamil LIPIL® is unsafe or challenging the nutrition it provides. Go to www.FormulaSettlement.com for more information and to file a claim online.

Who's Included? You are included if you bought Enfamil LIPIL® infant formula in the United States between October 13, 2005 and March 31, 2010. You are not included if you received Enfamil LIPIL® infant formula through the U.S.D.A.'s Women, Infants and Children program ("WIC") or purchased it for resale.

What Can You Get? Those included in the Settlement will be eligible to receive a payment up to $12 or two free cans of formula. The amount of benefits you may receive will be based on the length of time you bought the formula.

How to Get Benefits? You must submit a Claim Form to get benefits. The Claim Form is available at www.FormulaSettlement.com or by calling 1-866-254-8048. You can submit a Claim Form online or by mail. The deadline to submit a Claim Form is November 25, 2011. Only one claim per household.

May Farm Pictures in May 2011

2011-05-26T00:09:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful turn out for our play date at May Farm. The weather cooperated (yeah!), but the flies were out in full force (boo!). Regardless, we did enjoy the morning by feeding the animals, going on a crazy hay ride, riding a horse, petting baby bunnies and chicks and eating lunch outside underneath a large shade tree. Below are a few pictures of the play date.

A goat in dire need of braces.

Here's Mr. Photogenic. In the last four years of May Farm play dates this guy always poses for a picture for our blog.

Llama Llama Misses Mama

The animal feeding area. Miss May, the owner of May Farm, is the lady with the striped shirt at the red table.

The hay ride

Bunnies to hold and pet . . .or maybe not

Waiting to ride the horse

As the morning progressed, some children got hungry while some got tired.

Miss May has a lot of fowl at her farm. This guy's feathers were rich with color.

Nicole and Page

Maddie found a friend.

And last but not least, the Happy Trails Gang

May 23 Meeting Recap

2011-05-24T09:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's meeting was the last meeting before the summer break and because of that the majority of the meeting was dedicated to fellowship, table time and consuming the tasty food that weighed down the buffet tables. Also, the new Steering Team and table leaders were introduced and we said good-bye to moms who are graduating out of Highland MOPS or will not be attending next year due to moves or jobs. The picture below is of our Mentors with those moms. We will definitely miss them.

Don't they all look incredibly sad?!

(L to R Mentor Gayla, Mentor Karen, MOP Nicole, MOP Eleasha, Mentor Jane at the microphone, Mentor Anne hidden behind Jane, MOP Christina, MOP Kelly, Mentor Pat and Mentor Lana)

Don't forget about the May Farm Play Date on Wednesday, May 25 at 10am. For more information read the previous post on this blog.

Throughout the summer we will have arranged play dates, so don't forget to check this blog, your email and our Facebook group page on a regular basis.

Enjoy the summer break and we hope to see you tomorrow at the Farm.

May Farm Play Date

2011-05-23T22:21:00.001-05:00

Wed., May 25, 2011

10 am

Each year we visit May Farm at least once. If you have not been please join us on Wednesday. Your children will love it. May Farm is primarily a petting farm and you will be able to feed Miss May's numerous goats, hold baby bunnies and baby chicks, go on a crazy hayride on Miss May's trailer and eat lunch outdoors. Your child will also have a chance to ride a horse that Miss May leads around in a circle, which always tickles the kids. You are welcome to bring a lunch for yourself and your child (children). There are a few picnic tables for or you can bring a blanket and picnic on the ground.

Please note:

The bathroom at May Farm is an outhouse.
There is an outdoor sink for washing up before lunch.
The fee is $3 per child that is over the age of 1. Children 1 year old and younger are free as are adults.
The weather forecast for Wednesday is sunny with a high of 91 degrees. Don't forget sunscreen and a hot for your child and yourself.

Directions:
We recommend printing out a map and reading the directions closely. If you get lost, please call us!! 608- May Farm is approximately 14 miles north of where I-20 crosses 83/84 (aka Winters Freeway).

Take Winters Freeway (83/84) north (You'll pass DRI, KTXS, (the old) Pride Refinery, sanitary landfill) and cross into Jones County. Please note that Winters Freeway changes to US83/US277 once you leave Abilene.
FM 1082 is the Hawley exit. There is a Shell station at the exit. Do not get off on this exit but use it as a reference point because you are approximately 4 miles south of the May Farm turn-off.
The highway will change into a short overpass shortly after the Hawley exit. Immediately after the overpass begin counting left-turn lanes.
The first left-turn lane (there is no green crossover sign) is to the Hawley cemetery.
The 2nd left -turn lane (there is no green crossover sign) is to County Road 460 (CO Rd. 460).
The 3rd left-turn lane (there is no green crossover sign) is to County Road 470 (Co Rd. 470).
The fourth left-turn lane has a green crossover sign and no other road name designation.
At the fifth left-turn lane, which has a green crossover sign and no other road designation, turn left crossing US83/US 277 to the access road.
Almost directly in front of you will be a WHITE sign with RED lettering that says MAY FARM. You want to go down that dirt road. Please note that the road forks off before the farm, keep to the right.

We hope to see you there!

Reminder: Last MOPS Meeting

2011-05-22T15:39:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow which is Monday, May 23 is our last MOPS meeting of the school year. We ask that everyone bring a little something for the buffet table. We will also recognize the moms that are graduating from MOPS, as well as those moms who are leaving the area. See you tomorrow!

Great Moms Walk and Carnival Incentive & Drawing Winners

2011-05-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

We raised a grand total of $2452 with our Great Moms Walk and Carnival. We thank and deeply appreciate all those that supported us so that moms can continue to have a place to gather, be supported and learn to be the best moms that they can be.

The mom who raised the most money and won the iPod Touch is Page B. Her grand total was $680. The winners of the drawings for moms that raised money are as follows:

Lindsay Cotton Professional Photography $150 Gift Certificate (1) Page B.

Free Meal at Bogie's (2) Kelly B. and Page B.

Free Dinner & A Movie (1): Lauren B.

Free Dinner (1): Nicole

Free Item at Sonic (2): Barbara C. and LaShae G.

Free Kid's Meal Jason's Deli (7) Tawnya M., Sarah M., Misty B., Allison L., Lacy W., Kristi B. and Heather R.

The Pink Table won the Free Lunch because they were the table that raised most of the money. (Can you tell where Page sits?!)

Congratulations to all of our lucky moms.

UPDATED: May 2011 Events Calendar

2011-05-10T09:36:00.001-05:00

Please note that the May 2011 calendar previously posted on this blog had an error on it. We DO NOT have a play date at the Grace on Thursday, May 12. The play date is on Friday, May 13. The corrected calendar is below and on the right rail.

The Years Are Short Movie

2011-05-07T08:40:00.000-05:00

May 2011 Calendar of Events

2011-05-05T01:40:00.001-05:00

Click to enlarge

Newsletter Correction

2011-05-02T20:56:00.000-05:00

In the newsletter for Monday, April 25, there was a mistake in the information regarding the drawings and incentives for the Great Moms Walk and Carnival. The gift certificate for a session with Lindsey Cotton Photography is NOT a incentive prize. It will be the prize for the drawing for those that raised $300 or more. The drawing and incentive prize information at the bottom of your pledge sheet contains the correct information. We apologize if this caused any confusion.

Great Moms Walk and Carnival Pictures

2011-05-01T16:10:00.001-05:00

We had another successful Great Moms Walk and Carnival. Here are a few pictures from Saturday morning.

"Welcome to Highland MOPS Great Moms Walk and Carnival!"

(The registration/welcome table.)

It's off we go. Walking for Highland MOPS.

MOPPETS decorating treat bags for all of the prizes they will win at the carnival.

We were pretty flexible on how far back the child had to stand for the bean bag toss.

Face painting and bounce houses.

Nothing like a game of Duck, Duck, Goose to round out the morning.

Thank you to all of the moms and ACU volunteers for creating an active and entertaining morning for our MOPPETS.

Great Moms Walk and Carnival

2011-04-30T01:40:00.001-05:00

Don't forget Highland MOPS Great Moms Walk and Carnival is today, Saturday, April 30. The fun begins at 10 am and will continue
until 12 pm.

Summer Movie Clubhouse

2011-04-27T23:06:00.000-05:00

Unused Baby Items for Sale

2011-04-19T15:48:00.000-05:00

Heather our Finance person has a few items for sale. If you are interested or have questions contact Heather at finance (at) abilenemops (dot) com.

Changing Table and Convertible Crib

Westwood Design
Stratton Collection
Virginia Cherry

New in box

Convertible crib (unassembled)
Changing table w/ hutch (assembled)
**Chest of drawers shown in picture is NOT included***

Retail value: $1700
Asking: $1500 (or better offer)

Safety 1st Complete Air 65 Convertible Car Seat

NEW in box (box opened only to check for damage...no damage found)
Asking: $150
For a complete description of the car seat and its features click here to go to Safety 1st's website.

Parenting Conference

2011-04-14T11:42:00.001-05:00

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Grace Academy Summer Camps

2011-04-11T21:50:00.000-05:00

The Grace Museum offers summer programs via The Grace Academy. Classes are available for those entering kindergarten up to those entering the 9th grade. A few of the programs are Kaleidoscope Camp, Kindercamp and Girls Night At The Museum where your daughter (4th-6th graders) get to spend a night at the museum. How fun would that be?! For a complete list and description of each class, please click here. There is a cost for each class and the classes do fill up fast, so register early.

April Calendar of Events

2011-04-11T21:16:00.000-05:00

(Click on calendar to enlarge)

Items For Sale

2011-04-11T20:27:00.000-05:00

Heather our Finance person has a few items for sale. If you are interested or have questions contact Heather at finance (at) abilenemops (dot) com.

Changing Table and Convertible Crib

Safety 1st Complete Air 65 Convertible Car Seat

NEW in box (box opened only to check for damage...no damage found)
Asking: $150
For a complete description of the car seat and its features click here to go to Safety 1st's website.

Newsletter Link

2011-03-22T13:15:00.000-05:00

This blog has been updated to include a new gadget on the right rail that contains a link to our newsletter. If you have problems accessing the newsletter, please email publicity@abilenemops.com Enjoy reading!

Attention Bloggers

2011-03-22T11:18:00.000-05:00

If you are a blogging mom, we would be happy to include a link to your blog from ours. Just email the URL to publicity@abilenemops.com

Coloring Contest

2011-03-21T14:33:00.001-05:00

MOPS and Inspired Media are holding the first Annual MOPS & Friends Easter Coloring Contest. There are three age categories and the grand prize for each category is a $1000 US Savings bond. You first must register your child. Click on the banner above to do so. You will receive an email that contains the coloring pages and the mailing instructions. But there's more, every child that is registered wins a 30 day exclusive access to Charlie Church Mouse Bible Adventures Online! The contest ends on April 30, 2011, so register today.

Meeting Reminder

2011-03-19T11:23:00.000-05:00

Don't forget that we meet this Monday, March 21. We will have a guest speaker Denise Waldrop from the Coffee Group. After our three week break, it will be good to see you all again.

Correction

2011-03-03T20:21:00.000-06:00

Please note that Highland's food pantry is Christian Ministries of Abilene and not Abilene Christian Ministries as written in the post about Monday's meeting. The post has been corrected. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

March Calendar

2011-03-01T21:03:00.002-06:00

Click to enlarge

MOPS Meeting Feb. 28, 2011

2011-03-01T20:57:00.001-06:00


Pat's SUV packed full of our donations for Christian Ministries of Abilene

The focus of this past Monday's meeting was our annual community service project. This year the charity that was chosen was Christian Ministries of Abilene, which is Highland Church of Christ's food pantry. The project involved us bringing in nonperishable food, unopened formula and diapers to the meeting as donations. To make it more interesting Sarah suggested that we make a game of our project. An independent party (thanks Chris!) assigned random points to food items and toiletries. However, we were not given the point value of the items until we arrived at Monday's meeting. The person with the most points won a hoodie and the table with the most points won a candy bar for each table member. The Orange Table was the winner and the individual winner was also at that table.

The Mentor Moment was given by Lana and she commented on the fact that children learn by witnessing what we do-the good, the bad and the ugly. It is those silent lessons that often have the most profound effect on the little people who run around our homes. For that reason, if your child sees you giving or volunteering at a charity, that child is more apt to give, volunteer and be a blessing in the community.

Lana's Mentor's Moment provided a good introduction and segue to our guest speaker Barbara Tucker who volunteers at Christian Ministries of Abilene. The food pantry is a blessing for the Abilene community and sadly one that is desperately needed. It tugged on our moms' heart strings to hear about other moms in our community who need the food pantry to keep their children's tummies full. Last year Christian Ministries of Abilene helped feed 2595 families which was 6131 individuals. The food pantry is always in need of volunteers and as Barbara said you don't sweat or get dirty! For more information on Christian Ministries of Abilene, you can visit their website by clicking here. The food pantry is located at 701 Walnut in Abilene and they always welcome donations of food, toiletries or your time.

During announcements the date of our Great Moms Walk was announced. It will be held April 16 at Highland Church of Christ. An information sheet about First Giving, which is the online fund raising site that many of our moms use for collecting donations, was handed out. If you have any questions about First Giving or setting up your web page for donations, you can contact Heather at finance@abilenemops.com. In the coming weeks more information will be shared regarding our major fundraiser.

Once again we had a successful meeting and if you were unable to attend, we hope to see you at the next meeting which is not until March 21 due to spring break. We will look for you then.

Community Outreach Project: Food Pantry

2011-02-22T13:50:00.000-06:00

Each year Highland MOPS selects a local, non-profit association to which we donate. This year our Community Outreach Project is donating nonperishable food to Highland Church of Christ's food pantry. To shake things up a bit, we will have a contest in conjunction with the donations.

Sarah, our Prayer and Care person, has created a list of foods and the points assigned to them. On Monday the point values will be revealed and the table with the highest points will get a small prize. The person with the most points will get something neat too. So don't forget your food donations for Monday's, February 28th's, meeting.

February 14th Meeting Recap

2011-02-15T22:14:00.000-06:00

What a special Monday February 14 was. Not only was it Valentine's Day, our meeting was the annual Spa Day! To make it more pampering, the moms and their kids could wear pajamas.

The spa stations that were set up around the room included jewelry cleaning; paraffin hand dip; toenail artistry; chair massage; supplies to make lavender sachets; supplies to make a jar of sugar scrub and a real, live masseuse, Charlene, owner of Charlene's Country Comfort. Erin brought a line of facial products for the moms to test out and Page brought her box of terror. Actually it is a device with special lighting that shows all of the sun damage, including hidden sun damage, on your face. It was like a looking into the future 30 years. Yes, terrifying.

Another real live person that was a guest speaker was Nancy Robinson-Masters. Nancy is a published author and she shared her knowledge and experience in regard to writing. She also had copies of her books for sale and our moms snapped those up. To learn more about Nancy, visit her website.

Here are some pictures from the morning of comfort.

Getting the show on the road

Page describing the box of horrors, which is on the table behind her.

Hanging on Page's every word

Charlene busy relieving tension

Moms moisturizing their faces after a peek in the box of terror.

Moms picking out fabric for their lavender sachets

Making sugar scrubs

Thank you to all of those who manned spa stations, donated products and for the great start to Valentine's Day.

Meeting Reminder for Feb. 14

2011-02-11T16:38:00.000-06:00

Don't forget to not change out of your jammies for Monday's meeting, February 14, which is our Annual Spa Day. Keep the kiddos in their footies too. It promises to be a relaxing Highland MOPS morning.

Around Town This Weekend

2011-02-07T22:55:00.000-06:00

February 11-Friday, 10 am

The Grace Museum Play Date
On the second Friday of the month Highland MOPS has a standing play date at the Grace Museum. You will need to have a Highland MOPS business card to enter for free.

Feburary 11-Friday, 7:30 pm

February 12-Saturday, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm

Paramount Film Series: “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”

One of the most popular movie musicals of all time returns to the Paramount screen. Howard Keel, Jane Powell, and Julie Newmar star in this technicolor classic about a man and his six unruly brothers. When the eldest marries, the new bride is appalled by the motly crew and takes it upon herself to tame them. 1954, color, 102 minutes, not rated. Paramount Film Series tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for students, seniors, military, and children

MOPS and Pops

2011-02-03T21:35:00.000-06:00

Just a gentle reminder to get your childcare lined up for MOPS & Pops.

MOPS & Pops is a chance for you and your husband or partner to enjoy a wonderful meal, have your picture taken by a professional photographer and to be enriched by the guest speakers. If your husband or partner is not able to attend, please don't let that keep you away. There will be other moms going solo.

The scheduled date is Monday, February 21 at Anne Grigg's house. Please arrive by 5:45 pm so the photographer can get all of our pictures done. Stay tuned for more details and directions to the location.

Inclement Weather Policy

2011-01-09T12:42:00.000-06:00

As we approach the cold days of winter and possibly a snow flurry or two, it is a good time for a reminder about our Inclement Weather Policy. We follow the determinations of AISD (Abilene Independent School District). In a nutshell, if they close schools then we close or do not meet.

NCCIL Art Adventure Reminder

2011-01-03T14:09:00.001-06:00

Don't forget that the NCCIL (National Center for Children Illustrated Literature) at 102 Cedar Street in downtown Abilene will have an Art Adventure this Friday, January 7 at 10 am. A book will be read to the children and afterward they will do an art project. The planned book for this Friday's Art Adventure is The Doll People illustrated by Brian Selznick

Hands

2010-12-23T19:10:00.001-06:00

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.
A baseball in Roger Clemens' hands is worth $475 million.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands.
A tennis racket in Andre Agassi's hands is worth millions.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A rod in my hands will keep away an angry dog.
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A slingshot in my hands is a kid's toy.
A slingshot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it's in.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in Jesus' hands will feed thousands.
It depends whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will
Produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it's in.

As you see now, it depends whose hands it's in.
So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams,
your families and your relationships in God's hands because
It depends whose hands it's in.

Liam

2010-12-14T15:11:00.000-06:00

Liam, who was diagnosed with leukemia, will not be returning to Abilene this week as hoped. For the updated information click here to read his mom and dad's journal. Prayers are needed.

FREE Class: Baby Music of Abilene

2010-12-08T20:38:00.000-06:00

Click the picture to enlarge and to learn more about this free class.

For more information visit their blog at http://suzukibabymusic.blogspot.com

It's A Wonderful Life and Fundraising Babysitting

2010-12-07T20:09:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week we sent an email about one of Highland's mission teams offering babysitting for donations this Friday night. If y'all want to get together while your kiddos are at Highland, several moms are planning to go to the Paramount to see It's A Wonderful Life at 7:30pm.

Here are the details:
Babysitting at Highland- 6:30-9:30, name your own price (Check the previous post for more RSVP details.

It's A Wonderful Life at the Paramount Theatre on Cypress. 7:30pm
Tickets- $6 for adults, $5 for students and military
I have two buy-one-get-one free tickets for whichever four ladies request them first ;)

You can pay for parking ($2, I think) across the street from the Paramount, find a place to park and walk, or meet at Kristi's house before the show and hitch a ride with someone. Just be sure to let Kristi know if you're planning to meet at her house.

This is not an official Highland MOPS Moms Night Out Event, we just want to take advantage of the mission group's fundraiser and see a classic movie.

Babysitting For Donations

2010-12-03T08:21:00.000-06:00

A mission group from our sponsoring church, Highland Church of Christ, is offering babysitting services as a way to raise money for their next summer's mission trip. This would be a great opportunity to get some Christmas shopping done or to have a date night with your spouse. You can click on the picture to enlarge.

Liam's Address

2010-12-03T08:15:00.000-06:00

If you would like to send a card of encouragement to the Liam's family, the address is posted below. As we learned during our meeting, Liam is beginning to read and enjoys the early reader books. If you would like to send a book it would be appreciated. At this point the Lowe's will be in Fort Worth until at least December 14.

Lowe Family
c/o Ronald McDonald House
1004 7th Ave. Rm 212
Ft. Worth, TX 76104

For more information on Liam's progress, you can read about it on his Caring Bridge site. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/liamlowe

Liam

2010-11-24T16:59:00.000-06:00

For those that were at Monday's meeting, here is the link to Liam's Caring Bridge website. Liam is Amy's son (she was a MOP last year) and he has been diagnosed with leukemia.

Liam has been discharged from the hospital, but we are unsure if the family and Liam will be staying at Ronald McDonald House for a bit longer. We will let you know for sure.

December 2010 Calendar

2010-11-22T21:10:00.002-06:00

Below is December's activity calendar. Please note that the calendar in Newsletter 11-22-2010, the NCCIL Play Date was erroneously noted as occurring on Saturday, December 4. The correct day is Friday, December 3.

(Click to enlarge)

Downtown Abilene: City Sidewalks and Christmas Tree Lighting

2010-11-22T20:56:00.000-06:00

Downtown Abilene

Tuesday, November 30

Activities begin 5:00 p.m.

City Sidewalks, which signals the start of the holiday season in Abilene, is being held Tuesday, November 30. Entertainment starts the celebration with AISD students from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. KTXS_TV's Christmas Lights Parade starts at 6:30 pm and the Reindeer Game runs from 5:00 pm -- 8:00 pm. The annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting will take place at 7:30 pm at the Abilene Civic Center, 1100 North 6th Street. Along with the tree lighting, Cooper High School’s Red Rhythm & Blues will perform as well as the Abilene High School and Cooper High School combined orchestras. Afterwards, refreshments will be served and Beamer’s Gymnastics Group will put on a demonstration in the Exhibit Hall.

Merchants, museums and galleries open their doors for an evening of holiday cheer during this Abilene Downtown Association-sponsored event. Don't forget to stop in at Bogie's (241 Cypress Street), which is the speciality deli that our very own Heather Ratliff (Steering Team Finance) and her husband own.

The evening promises to be loaded with family fun. We hope to see you there!

Safe Babywearing Information from the CPSC

2010-11-19T20:46:00.000-06:00

Today the following article was released by the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission).

CPSC Educates New Parents on Safe Babywearing
Infant suffocation deaths in slings prompt renewed effort to warn moms and dads

WASHINGTON, D. C. - Infant slings and wraps have been used for thousands of years in many different cultures. For many parents across the United States, “babywearing” promotes a positive bond between child and parent. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants to make sure that parents and caregivers are aware of important safety information related to the proper use of slings.

CPSC is taking this opportunity to urge everyone to use slings and wraps safely, as CPSC has identified 14 infant suffocation deaths with sling-style carriers over the past 20 years. After reviewing numerous cases, child safety experts at CPSC have determined that parents with infants younger than four months of age, premature, low-birthweight babies, and babies with colds and respiratory problems should take extra care in using a sling, including consulting their pediatrician.

Suffocation/asphyxiation can occur when babies are contained entirely within the pouch of a sling with their face, including nose and mouth, pressed against the adult’s body, blocking their breathing. Suffocation can occur within minutes.

Because of the nature of the product and its use, some slings tend to keep an infant in a curled, chin-to-chest position, which can interfere with breathing. When an infant is in the chin-to-chest position, suffocation can occur. Both scenarios are serious concerns to CPSC. Many of the babies who died in slings were twins in separate slings and infants with breathing issues.

CPSC recommends that parents and caregivers:

* Make sure you can see your baby’s face or eyes in the sling and that your baby can see you. Also, you should place the baby’s face at or above the rim of a sling or wrap so that their face is visible.

* After nursing your baby, change the baby’s position in the sling, so that the baby’s face is at or above the rim of a sling or wrap and that their face is visible and clear of fabric and the mother’s body. You should be vigilant about frequently checking the baby in a sling.

A new voluntary consensus standard for slings is being worked on by ASTM International. This is a positive step toward providing manufacturers with an effective safety standard.

This warning is not intended to characterize all slings as being dangerous to babies. CPSC has identified (1) specific situations that can pose a risk of serious harm to babies, and (2) simple safety tips that we hope the babywearing community can share with new parents.
Picture showing proper use of a sling. Baby’s face is at or above the rim of a sling or wrap and is clear of the fabric and obstructions.

Improper use of sling. Instead, keep the infant’s head above all fabric and away from the mother's body. Make sure the infant’s face is not covered by the sling.

Proper use of a sling. Baby’s face is at or above the rim of a sling or wrap and is clear

of the fabric and obstructions.

Great Deal For Military Personnel

2010-11-19T15:29:00.000-06:00

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010

$10 for Military Personnel

Attention military personnel! You can get the Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 for Windows for $9.95 when you use promotion code F08C39B7EA. You must have an email that ends with .mil to get the software for that price. Getting the Microsoft software for less than $10 is over $400 in savings. If you have a Mac you can have the opportunity to download Office 2008 for Mac after you get past the validation screen. Click here to get yours today! (Thank you Heather for sharing the link.)

Meeting Reminders

2010-11-18T16:34:00.000-06:00

Dear Highland MOPS Moms,

If you signed up to bring an item for the MOPPETS Thanksgiving dinner, please remember to bring that food item with you on Monday. Also, don't forget your items for the Operation Christmas Child boxes. We are still accepting loose change for the shipping. See you then!

FREE Nursing Cover

2010-11-10T14:56:00.000-06:00

Uddercovers is offering 100% off of one of their nursing covers. You will have to pay shipoing which is approximately $10. The retail price of the covers is $32. Please follow the directions below and make sure to do it a.s.a.p. as there is a limited number of covers that they allow 100% off.

Go to www.uddercovers.com , click on "Shop Now", select the nursing cover you would like and you will automatically be repositioned to the center of the page where you can enter in the promo code “Thanksgiving” which will bring your product total to $0! Due to available stock, we are not sure how long this promotion can last so act now while stock is available! Holiday shopping and preparations always dwindle selections quickly! You can use the code more than once - you just have to open a new browser/window to do so. This promotion code is valid once per transaction! Thanks again for your earlier purchase and have a great holiday!

Military Mom's Day Out

2010-11-09T23:05:00.000-06:00

To our Military MOPS,

We would like to let you know that we appreciate the sacrifices you and your family make for our freedom. We know that being a Military Mom has its challenges and can be very stressful at times. We want to provide you with the opportunity to spend some time shopping, eating, sleeping, or doing whatever you please, without your children around to help.

When: Monday, Nov. 15

Time: 10 am--2 pm

Where: Highland Church of Christ

Please bring your kiddos with a lunch and a drink. We will provide a snack.

RSVP to amypage@gmail.com by Friday, November 12th. Include how many children you will be bringing so we can provide adequate childcare.

We look forward to this opportunity to serve you!

Meeting Recap: Nov. 8, 2010

2010-11-08T22:46:00.000-06:00

Oh, what a wonderful, informative and encouraging meeting we had this morning! We began with the usual announcements.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Military MOPS Morning--Monday, November 15, we will be offering babysitting services to our members whose spouses are active military. You can drop your kiddos off at 10 am and you do not have to pick them up until 2 pm. You'll have time to run errands, grocery shop or Christmas shop without your usual tag-a-longs. We are doing this because military families sacrifice so much and it is our way of saying, "Thank you." Look for more details on the blog or in an email.
New Mom--We have one new mom, Lucy. She is new to the Abilene area as her husband is in the military and he just got moved to Dyess. Lucy is also pregnant, so she was a recipient of our Pickles and Ice Cream Congratulations gift.
Operation Christmas Child--Sarah presented a short clip about Operation Christmas Child and handed out sign up sheets for each table.

Operation Christmas Child Bear Bank.

Reminders For Our Next Meeting:

We will be presenting and creating different types of Advent calendars. If you are interested in creating small boxes from old Christmas cards, don't forget to bring those cards to that meeting.
MOPPETS will have their Thanksgiving meal, so please remember to bring the food item for which you signed up.
We will be packing our Operation Christmas Child boxes. Please remember to bring the items for which you signed up.
Each Christmas, we thank our dedicated and loving MOPPETS workers with small Christmas presents. Each table will get a few workers for whom they will be responsible for getting the small gifts. Last year gift cards were very popular.

Mentor Pat gave the Mentor Moment and her topic was Ways To Teach Children Gratitude. A few pointers were:

Help your child understand the power of the media and also the hype that advertisements show, but don't always deliver and discuss the real meaning of Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season
Seek out activities that build character, such as baking and taking cookies to neighbors, sweeping a neighbor's walk, donating groceries to the local food pantries that serve less fortunate families.
Make gifts instead of buying them. This way you are giving part of yourself and not only will the child have a great time making the gift, the recipient will consider it priceless
Remember to give thanks all year long. This can be different ways i.e. at meal time where each family member states for what they are thankful or you can create a gratitude basket or jar where you can deposit slips of paper that note for what you are thankful

We were then blessed with a engaging guest speaker, Sherry Ferguson. Sherry is a certified parent educator, which in simple terms means she is a "Super Nanny." In the past she has worked with CPS, New Horizons, to just name a few, as an independent contractor that was brought in to deal with child rearing issues. Unfortunately, Sherry has retired from contracting work; however, she did give us her phone number if we ever need to contact her.

Today's topic was Quantum Physics: Discipling Your Child and first, Sherry focused on how to raise your child to avoid creating destructive, negative, infuriating behaviors. She then spoke about how to change those behaviors if your child has them.

Per Sherry, the difference between discipline and punishment is that discipline educates and punishment humiliates. To be successful at parenting and to avoid reinforcing negative behaviors, she shared the following points with us.:

Set limits. Always have rules and consequences if the rules are not followed. The consequence for breaking a rule needs to be directly related to the rule. For example, let's say your teenager misses curfew and you ground them for a week. Grounding is not related to the rule broken. However, saying that for the next night or so, their curfew is 1 hour earlier, the consequence is directly related to the rule. In addition, Sherry encouraged us to use a positive mode when discipling, such as "only walking in the house" as opposed to "no running in the house."
Chores. Your child needs chores and should have one chore for each year of their age. This gives the child sense of accomplishment, but also helps them understand responsibilites and hard work.
Don't nag or lecture your child. Children are very good at tuning out nagging and lecturing.
Before going into a store, let your child know your expectations for him while you are in the store. If he does not adhere to those expectations, they you immediately leave the store even if that means leaving a shopping cart full of merchandise in the middle of the aisle.
Don't ever tell your child something you are not ready to do. For consequences to be effective you have to be consistent and always follow through and do as you say.
Children need choices because they desire to be somewhat in control of their world. This is not to say that you let them make all of their choices. Rather you let them choose from two or three options. They still get to choose and you still have control over the situation. For example, "You need to make your bed. Do you want to do it before or after you get dressed?"
Children need individualized attention. Cruising the web or "chatting" on Facebook while talking to your child is not individualized attention or being present for your child. If you have more than one child, make sure you carve out alone time with each child.
For each year that your child has had a bad behavior, it will take that many months of trying to correct that behavior before you see some improvement in your child.
Examples of actual consequences included, a naughty mat, coin system, ticket system and the black hole.How these systems work is explained in the hand-out she supplied.
Never, ever do the following: give a second chance when discipliing; argue with your child; be on a different page than your child's other parent; lecture or nag your child; get involved in your child's arguments with another child and be inconsistent.
Finally, give love, hugs and kisses. Humans need touch as much as they need food and water. A 1 to 2 year old child needs a hug every one to two hours, a 3 to 5 year old child needs a hug every three to four hours and a 6 to 100 year old person needs at least one hug a day.

If you were not able to attend this meeting, both Mentor Pat and Sherry Furgason distributed hand-outs regarding their topics. If you would like a copy of the hand outs, you can request them from a Steering Team member at the next meeting, November 22.

As you can see, it truly was a blessed meeting. More than a few moms commented that so far Sherry was their favorite Highland MOPS guest speaker. We hope to see you at the next meeting. Until then, check out the blog for the latest information and updates.

New Zoo Feeding Rules

2010-11-05T10:48:00.001-05:00

For those that are zoo denizens, Abilene Zoo has implemented new rules in regard to feeding the animals. The article below is from www.bigcountryhomepage.com

ABILENE, Texas – Due to the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) mandate requiring an employee monitor the public feeding of animals, the Abilene Zoo will have an attendant at the giraffe exhibit starting today, Nov. 5, 2010. Also effective today, the giraffes and the zoo ducks are the only animals that zoo guests may feed. The zoo’s new animal feeding policy is for the safety of both the animals and the public.

“We know it’s a big change. There’s been a long history of feeding crackers to the animals at the Abilene Zoo but we also know our guests care very much for the animals and want to see us provide quality care to the collection,” acknowledged Zoo Director Bill Gersonde. “Our animals are on special diets and it’s very difficult to keep them healthy when they’re fed so many crackers. At times you’ll see piles of crackers in front of the bears or crackers scattered throughout the bison or zebra exhibits. They get so full that they just leave them. We need to provide the best care possible to the animals and monitoring their diets is a very important part of that care.”

The giraffe attendant will help guests have a great experience feeding the giraffe while observing the interactions between the people and the giraffe. Now, zoo guests will purchase a token for $1.00 from the zoo admissions window, check in with the giraffe exhibit attendant to exchange the tokens for crackers and then feed the giraffes. Zoo staff will monitor the amount of crackers fed to the giraffe and adjust their diet accordingly.

Cracker tokens will be available for purchase on weekends, holidays and during school breaks from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The giraffe public feeding schedule will expand to daily in the spring.

November 2010 Calendar

2010-11-04T08:58:00.000-05:00

November 2010

Click to enlarge