Easter Egg Hunt & MORE!

A few announcements of upcoming events to mark on your calendars:

1) Easter Egg Hunt - Friday, April 10th (Good Friday) at 10AM. Lorraine Reich has offered to host an Easter egg hunt at her house and the morning will consist of Lorraine reading an Easter story, the egg hunt, and snacks. Bathrooms will be available but the morning will be spent outdoors, so please dress accordingly. Also please bring your own baskets for your kids to stash their eggs. Lorraine's address is:

937 Masters Way

Harleysville, PA 19438

215-256-0475

*For those of you who may not know Lorraine, she and her family are members of Covenant and although she has not be able to make it to MOPS this year, she has been a regular member in previous years.

2) Crafting with Company - The next craft night will be held on Friday, April 17th from 8-11pm at Covenant. Debbie B will be hosting and Julia will be doing some jewelry demonstrations for anyone interested. BYOB - Bring your own beads - choose colors, sizes, textures you like and Julia has the rest to come up with bracelets, necklaces, etc. She will show us how to use different tools and provide tips in making your own jewelry. If you have no interest in jewelry making - come anyway and have a girls night out!!! Light refreshments and coffee provided but no babysitting so leave the kids at home!

3) Playdate at Allison's - Thursday, April 23rd from 9:30 - 11:30. Snacks for both moms and kids provided, just come and have a morning out with other moms. No need to RSVP, just come! Allison's address is:

415 Shipwrighter Way

Lansdale, PA 19446

215-412-2774

4) MOPS and POPS - $10 Dinner and movie date night with babysitting 6-9pm on Friday, May 1st at Covenant. This is open to our MOPS group as well as our church (invite friends!) and all the money will be donated to the youth group, who will be providing the childcare during the evening. Appetizers, salad, pizza and popcorn provided and we will be watching the movie 'Fireproof'. No good excuses not to come!! If you are interested, please RSVP by Friday, April 25th to one of the steering members or contact Laura B at lbarbadoro@yahoo.com.

5) Clothing Exchange - May 8-16 at Covenant. Save up unused clothing to donate and make sure to come check for anything you may be able to use!

Mishmosh

This morning's MOPS meeting was a combination of two totally different topics since we were playing catch up from 2 snow days this past winter. The first on the agenda was our "Love Tunnel" theme with Peg and Poke sharing a wonderful testimony of their marriage throughout all of their years together. Peg and Poke first met when they were both part of a youth project (from different churches) to help paint a church in western PA. Poke is convinced she was drawn to his 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hardtop Coupe (who wouldn't be right?!) but Peg insists there was more than that;)

Some of their words of wisdom included...
~"You are not alone - couples today face the same problems that have always plagued marriages (i.e. financial difficulties, concern for you children, etc.)"
~"Don't be afraid to seek professional help from a counselor, pastor or hospital if needed"
~"God provides for exactly what we need when we need it"
~"Face problems together with God at the center and your marriage will grow by leaps and bounds"
~"Show your children unconditional love and make sure they know they can ALWAYS come home"

Thank you so much Peg and Poke for your willingess to share your lives with us- we were all very encouraged and inspired by your excellent example of a Godly marriage!

But that was not all, oh no that was not all (anyone else have Cat in the Hat memorized?), we then continued with our "Fun Foods" craft and made sandwich and fruit kebabs to take home for our little MOPPETS to have for lunch! They were very cute and it was great to have something ready for the kids when we got home. Here are a few pictures:

Everyone working hard on their projects!

The finished product...some people also used cookie cutters for the cheese and cucumbers which made theirs even cuter!

Recommended Books for Your Children...

Following is the children's book review that Lisa L. wrote for our March newsletter:

In my second year of college, I had to take a Children’s Literature class. I can remember going to the college book store feeling slightly silly picking up my course materials that included James and The Giant Peach, Make Way for Ducklings, and Charlotte’s Web. It turned out that that class was one of the most influential, and probably one of my favorite classes that I took. It’s was during that class that I realized the importance of reading aloud to your children, and my love for children’s literature grew.

The “text” book that we used for that class was Jim Trelease’s, The Read Aloud Handbook. This book isn’t just beneficial to teachers, but to parents as well. It’s full of do’s and don’ts of reading aloud, and has compelling information on the importance of reading to your children. Also, Jim Trelease has a wonderful web-site that includes a “Treasury of Read Alouds”.

So all this to say that reading has become one of my favorite things to do with my children. Reading to them, reading along side of them, and having them “read” to me. Here are some of our favorite and most loved books:

As mentioned above, Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey is one of our favorites. In the book, you follow Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, as they search for the perfect place to raise their ducklings. Through beautiful art work, rich text, and a charming story, children are drawn into the book and will be asking you to read it again and again.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Joffe Numeroff is another one of our favorites. This is a light and silly book that teaches children about cause and effect. Because if you do give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to need a glass of milk, and that’s just the beginning of a long line of needs for this little mouse.

Another oldie, but a goodie is Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham. Join Mr. Gumpy as he welcomes many animals aboard his little boat, as long as they follow his instructions. Before long, the animals do what they are not suppose to, causing a great mishap! Your children will quickly learn the lines to this book, and will easily be able to “read” along.




We also love the Jesus Storybook Bible, Every Story Whispers His Name, by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Through bright and colorful language and artwork, Bible stories are presented in a way that puts Jesus at the center of it all. Redemption and God’s endless love are seen through every story, making this one of our favorite night-time reads. How sweet it is to spend the end of our day teaching our children the Greatest Story of all.

We also love following the characters/authors in the following series/sets, Hermie and Friends, by Max Lucado; Curious George by H. A. Rey; ,Dr. Seuss Books , and Sandra Boynton books.

Playdate at Allison's!

Although this morning was rainy and cold, thanks to Allison and her wonderful hospitality, a bunch of us were able to enjoy catching up over a cup of coffee while letting our kids run around together! Great way to start the day in my opinion - thank you Allison! Here are a few pictures of the morning...

All the kids had a blast in the basement...

The older boys just hanging out...

..and the younger boys making an escape!

Luke wants in on whatever Jake and Caleb are doing!

"I'm still hungry mom!"

Jake was having a good time with this fish:)

David and Noah dueling it out.

Little Hannah...wouldn't this be the life?!

Books Kids Love!

Following are the book reviews from Diana M's kids that were in the February newsletter:

Our family loves to read and the best thing about it for me is rediscovering so many of the books that I loved when I was young. It is so great to see that my kids also love them. We also love books that are a series, Froggy, Berenstein Bears, Curious George. It is fun to try to read them all and the kids love the familiarity of the characters.

Aidan is five and loves to read. His perfect day would be picking every book at the library and spending the rest of the day reading.

His latest favorite is when Dinosaurs came with everything by Elise Broach. A little boy runs errands with his mom and discovers that instead of a lollipop at the barber, a sticker at the doctor, you get a DINOSAUR! Very silly fun for little kids who love dinosaurs. Aidan’s comments: This book is really funny and I like to read it over and over again. Lots of great pictures. My comments: I would recommend this book for ages four and up. I thought it was original and funny for adults too. I like the mom’s solution at the end! I could actually enjoy it after reading it four or five times, which is important in a children’s book.

Aidan also wanted to recommend The Berenstain Bears and the Golden Rule by Stan and Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain. This book is part of the Living Lights books and was just published in 2008. Other titles include Say Their Prayers, Go to Sunday School and God Loves You! Sister Bear learns an important lesson about being kind when a new girl arrives at school. Aidan’s comments: I love this book, but little kids might not like part with the name calling. I think Sister Bear makes a good choice. My comments: This book follows all other Berenstain Books in which there is a conflict with the cubs and Mama and Papa help to resolve it. I love these new books in that they incorporate a biblical theme within the story. They are easy for kids to understand, especially if they like the Berenstain Bears. It also includes some questions at the end. They are long books, so you may have to make sure your child has the attention span to enjoy it.

Lauren is three and a half. She also loves to read, but it took her longer to develop a love of reading. She wanted to eat books instead of read them as a baby. So, don’t give up on reading to your children if they don’t like it immediately!

Lauren recommends The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond. A cute Valentine’s Day book, it rains hearts and a little girl makes valentines for her friends. Lauren’s comments: I like the pictures in this book and think the little animals are cute. My comments: I like Felicia Bond’s books for their cute pictures and simple storylines. I think it is a good book for ages 2 to 4 and particularly girls.

Lauren also loves Tumble Bumble, which is also by Felicia Bond. A bunch of animals meet up on a walk. Lauren’s comments: My favorite part is when the animals all eat. It is a cute book that I like to read all the time. My comments: This book’s illustrations are also very cute and by the fifth time you read it, you will have it memorized. My kids enjoy the cute rhyming verse and it is a good bedtime book. I would recommend it for birth and up.

Eating Healthy!

This morning at our MOPS meeting, we had Phyllis Young from Grandview Hospital come talk to us about making healthy meals for our whole families. She also had some helpful tips for how to handle picky eaters and ways to sneak in extra nutrients to regular foods so kids can't even tell the difference! Here are a few reminders for those of you that heard the talk, and for those of you that didn't, here's a quick recap of what we learned today:

~think outside the box - kids may like "dinner" foods for breakfast or vice versa

~have lots of variety and let kids try things you may not think they will like because you may be surprised

~tofu is an excellent source of calcium and protein if you have a non-milk lover

~avocado, mango, and kiwis are great foods to have your children try

~flaxseed is a good source of omega-3's and you can grind it up and put it in almost anything

~pureed squash, pumpkin, cauliflower can be added to many foods without kids noticing (pancakes, meatballs, muffins)

~add powdered milk to add protein and calcium

~substitute some or all whole wheat flour to recipes for added nutritional value

~wheat germ is also great to add to most recipes

~good snacks for kids include trail mix with dried fruit & nuts or apples & peanut butter

~"healthy" desserts include dipping graham crackers or fruit in pudding

~sprinkle some colored sugar on bananas (or really anything!) and kids will eat it right up!

~make mealtimes a social event with the whole family as often as possible

~try not to beg, bribe or get into power struggles with your children over food

~remember that children are little and only need very small portions

Towards the end of the meeting, we all started sharing some healthy recipes and ways we have gotten our kids to eat things like veggies. Here are 2 simple, nutrious recipes that were mentioned today (that are also very easy to change amounts of ingredients to fit your family's needs):

Glazed Carrots

1 sm. bag carrots

2 Tbs. brown sugar

2 Tbs. butter

1 tsp. cinnamon or 1 Tbs. mustard

Boil carrots until tender; drain. Add sugar, butter and cinnamin OR mustard (or neither). Enjoy! You can also use orange juice instead of butter for an even healthier option! (Sarah K. & Lisa L.)

"Surprise" Mac & Cheese

1 box any kind of noodles

~2 Tbs. butter

~2 Tbs. flour

~8 oz. sharp cheese - cubed or grated

2 sm. yellow summer squash - sliced, boiled and pureed.

~1/2 c. milk

Boil noodles; drain. In seperate pan, melt butter and add flour to make a paste. Add pureed squash and cheese to flour paste and add enough milk to make a sauce. Add noodles and enjoy! (Deb Z.)