2008 End of Year picture

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REMINDER!

May 19-23 The Factory Outlet paper sale will be May 19-23 from 10-4 each day. If you have questions, you can call them at 547-3736. Basically, you pay $10 (last year's price) for a paper sack (the size from Marsh, etc.). You walk away with whatever you can put into the sack. It's an incredible deal!!!! I buy all my paper products this way for the entire year. We celebrate each holiday longer since we're using the paper stuff and my kids think it's great to have fun plates, cups, and napkins.

Have a Sane Summer, Emma Kalinowski

Do you remember the excitement you felt as a kid when school got out and the summer stretched ahead of you full of promise, fun, and relaxation? Well, it is possible to resurrect that feeling. It is not easy, but it is possible.


To make your summer relaxing fun and memorable, we have put together some tips to help you out.


Carmel has a great Farmer’s Market: http://www.carmelfarmersmarket.com/ . It is open 8-11:30 from 5/31 to 9/27. If the fresh fruits and veggies aren’t enough to entice you –here are some of our favorites: fruit slushes for $1, breakfast brats for the hubbies, kettle corn, fresh cut flowers, and tasty baked goods.


I celebrate summer by going swimming nearly every day!


We paint with water on the driveway and sidewalks. Your paint supply is abundant and the kids have a blast. The only additional tip, dress them in clothes you don't mind getting soaked.


Conner Prairie has classes for kids ages 2 and up with a parent, and the Children's Museum also does classes for kids (I think) 18-36 months with a parent and ages 3-5 without a parent in the class.


There's a farmer's market near my house every Thursday in the summer. I take my kids and we pick out produce for that night's dinner (and the week). I don't cook anything for dinner, except the produce, we bought that day which makes for an easy dinner prep and a healthy meal. Sometimes, dinner is simply corn on the cob, peaches, and sliced tomatoes! YUM!


We eat dinner outside until it gets too cold.


CATC has a camp this summer. I am sending my kids!


Make your own snack bags to keep in the car so they are easy to get when you are on the run. Put some combination of your kids’ favorite in small Ziploc snack bags.


When my kid is cranky I take him for a bike ride. I can’t hear him complaining way back there.


Freeze yogurt tubes so that when you are out, they are cool.


Two words: Free movies. Lots of Indy theatres have free movies in the summer in the mornings. These are G or PG rated.


Get a bunch of canvas bags of different designs/colors. Designate one for the library, one for the pool, one for school/camp, one for church, etc. Color code the bags and have everything you need in them. Tie membership cards/library cards to the handles.


Invite a MOPS friend over. Your kids might already be friends!


Going to park dates with my MOPS friends helps me keep sane!

Money Matters, Natalie

Money really does matter to the health and survival of our MOPS group and to our programming and missions.


2008 was a great year for the Kids’ Stuff Sale! We sold more than $19,000 in merchandise. We made more than $5,000 for our MOPS ministry. The money we made will help to offset our childcare costs.


God is good and blessed our hard work with a great outcome!


Thanks to all the MOPS moms who helped to make this happen by serving on the committee, volunteering during the sale weekend, being a seller, or shopping the sale!


We couldn’t do it without all of you.

FREE DINNER (there is such a thing)

Indianapolis:
Chick-fil-A on 82nd
Wednesdays 4- 8pm

Noblesville:
Skyline Chili
Fridays 5- 9pm


Greenwood:
Sunshine Cafe
All day Tuesdays

Oriental Buffet & Grill
Monday Nights

Lonestar Steakhouse
Tuesday all day. Saturday 11-4
Nationwide(participat-ing locations):

Denny’s:
Tuesday and Saturday 4- 10pm

Fazolis:
Tuesdays 5- 8pm

Front Porch Play

After a week of playing outside virtually all day every day, I once again have a tremendous appreciation for the way in which the simplest things in God’s creation can entertain our kids. With this in mind, I have some suggestions for outdoor play during the summer months. I am the queen of “free” or “almost free.” You can combine fun with lots of ‘teachable moments’, even if, like me, you aren’t a teacher. If you don’t know an answer, use it as a chance to research at the library, online, etc. after you play.

Water Play: Who doesn’t enjoy water on a hot day?
Younger child
* Take a shallow plastic container and a wood or plastic table out in the shade. Fill it with water and add many kitchen gadgets. Let your child explore what happens to the water with each. If she puts dirt or plants in, that’s part of the fun—and learning. Try making a simple boat from an egg carton or other container—perhaps adding sails made out of sticks and paper.
* Water the grass and entertain your child simultaneously
* Get out a bucket and an old, paintbrush. Let your child paint with water on the driveway or sidewalk.
Older child
* Build more elaborate boats for your water table and see what floats and what doesn’t and then come inside to research why one material or shape works better than another.
* Take an old shower curtain, drop cloth, or long plastic sheeting material and put it on a sloped part of the yard. Put the hose at the top and anchor the top of the sheeting—and turn the hose on a gentle stream.
* Buy an inexpensive wading pool. Let them play with everything from sand toys, kitchen gadgets, soft balls, Duplos, Fisher Price, or Playmobile toys (and let them make up water adventures—from cooking gourmet meals to deep-sea diving/treasure hunts
* Find a shallow stream or creek, put on your grubbies and your rain boots, and go wading. Take some disinfectant, some gardening or work gloves and a plastic bag in your pocket or in a fanny pack. See if you can find any interesting rocks, fossils, fish, etc. and let your child pick out a favorite item (not a fish!) to take home. If you see trash along the way, pick it up with your gloves and use it as a chance to talk about the importance of caring for the environment.
Chalk anyone?
Younger child
* Get some chubby chalk and let your little artist go to town. Let her watch what happens to the colors on the cement when they get wet.
Older child
* Have your child help you to build a city or countryside with chalk—including buildings, street signs/traffic lights, speed markers, railroad crossings, bridges and so on. Let your child walk or ride through the town—being sure to follow the signals. Assign someone to be the police officer. Too many tickets and you land in jail! This is a good way to teach traffic safety, too: bicycle hand signals, which side of the street you should walk/ride on, how to cross the street and so on. A good rain or hosing off will wash it all away so you can start fresh another day.
Nature explorer
Younger child
* Point out different things you see in the sky or in your yard: clouds, the sun, trees, grass, plants, flowers, birds, bugs, etc. Ask your child questions about what he sees (color, shape, size) and what he likes or doesn’t like about each thing. This is also a good chance to talk about how God made each of these things and how it shows us His love.
Older child
* Get some basic books on trees, birds, bugs, flowers, etc.—whatever is of interest to your child. Build a simple birdhouse (you can buy kits inexpensively at craft stores) and let your child decorate it or put out a birdfeeder. Watch the creatures that come into your yard and teach your child (and perhaps yourself too) to recognize different varieties of wildlife.
* Buy a bug vacuum, butterfly net, or use a jar with holes in the lid to capture some little critters to observe, then let them go. Or, just enjoy some time watching the ants or other ‘creepy crawlies’ on your sidewalk and see what they do when you place obstacles or food in front of them. You’d be amazed at how interesting this is for your 4- or 5-year-old—and you might be surprised that you, too, are interested!
* Get out your paper, glue, scissors, crayons, markers, etc. and let your child pick up sticks, leaves, and so on from the yard and make nature collages. If you can, make them outside on a patio, picnic table, etc. to reduce mess and help your child to enjoy the ‘natural’ part of the experience. If you like, talk to your child about what the items are and anything you know about the item (such as nuts being the ‘seed’ that makes new trees and how that happens) as your child makes his artful creation.
* Buy a kite from Dollar Tree and go to a park. This is a definitely a joint activity (they’ll need help) and you can use it as an opportunity to talk about wind, air currents, and so on.

Most importantly, have fun with your child!