Trip to the Fire Station

Clarksburg MOPS summer fun has continued, leading our group of mommies and babies to an exciting trip to the Germantown-Milestone Fire Station - Station 34.

As soon as our tour began, the alarms went off and we were quickly ushered into a side room so we could see the fire engine take off to help with the emergency call they had just received. A regular day for the brave firefighters, but certainly a bit scary and exciting for the group.

We then got to meet Fireman Lieutenant Gary who took us on our tour of the fire station, answering many of our questions and teaching us about what they do there.

We headed straight to the garage where a bright red fire engine awaited us!

Some of us could barely contain the excitement of being so up-close to the truck! 

Photo Credit: Heather Abbott

Fireman Gary showed us a lot of the important tools and components of the truck that they use during their emergencies.

Photo Credit: Heather Abbott

Ladder on the truck
Photo Credit: Heather Abbott

Fun Fact: After the realization that cat skeletons were never really found in trees, they decided  to stop using their ladders to rescue cats that were "stuck" in trees because too many fire fighters were falling and getting hurt.

Fireman Gary even let the kids hold one of their hook tools.

Sharp tools in the hands of little ones somehow feels perfectly legit when a firefighter is around!

And then the kids got to check out the one firefighter tool that we all know and love...the fire hose!

Photo Credit - Heather Abbott

Firefighter Gary even showed us how they lay out their clothes and boots so that they can get dressed super quickly when they are called for emergencies.

We learned about how some firetrucks are for pumping water and some firetrucks are "Ladder Trucks". 

The water trucks carry about 750 gallons of water...a LOT of water.

The ladder trucks, require two drivers; one driver for the front and one driver at the tail end of the truck to control the back wheels, since the truck is so long.

Front View of a Fire Engine that pumps water.

 After learning some great things about the fire engine, we also were able to check out an ambulance!

And after heading back inside the station, we took a peek at the firefighters' sleeping quarters, dining area and gym.

Firefighter Gary showed us how all of the stations have their own unique patch. They keep the patches for the different fire stations on display. Station 34's patch is a flaming skull, pictured below to the right.

Fire Stations have unique patches. Station 34's Patch is a Flaming Firefighter Skull.

This station also has a beautiful wall mural dedicated to the tragedy of 9-11

9-11 Wall Mural
Photo Credit - Heather Abbott

At the end of our visit, we were sent with little firefighter hats, coloring booklets and stickers for the kids. 

Saving lives and inspiring future firefighters seems to be all in a day's work for these guys at Station 34! 

Photo Credit: Heather Abbott

It was a great visit to the fire station for our MOPS group!

Summer Play Date Kick-off: Wheaton Regional Park

The Cedarbrook MOPS 2013 Summer Play Dates have finally begun and we had a great time reconnecting with each other and playing with the little ones at Wheaton Regional Park.

The morning started with this fun carousel ride, complete with jumping horses, zebras and chariots. The ride may have been TOO fun seeing as the kids weren't too keen on leaving it!

Carousel Ride
If you squint hard enough, you can spot Lisa and Jackson Young on the Zebra to the right  with Vicki and Daniel Canales next to them. Mollie and Vivia are on the yellow horse closer to the left with Nathan Miller just beyond them.)

Moving on to the rest of the park, the kids got a chance to climb a rubbery "mountain", play on swings, zoom down slides, ride dinosaurs and even get messy with a gigantic sand pit. Although mommy-chat time wasn't easy with all the chasing and running around, we all had a wonderful time! Here are some of the photos from the day's adventures-

Sliding back down the mountain after conquering the climb to the top (Daniel Canales, Left and Jackson Young, Right)
Photographs - Courtesy of Lisa Young

Dinosaur Rider with his Mama (Nathan and Jocelyn Miller)
Photograph - Courtesy of Lisa Young

Left Side: Naomi and Ezra Skye/Right Side: Mollie and Vivia Randall
Photographs - Courtesy of Lisa Young

Jainy and Jayden Stewart
Photograph - Courtesy of Lisa Young

Who can resist the messy fun of sand AND water???

The boys really loved playing in the sandpit.
Jackson (Left) and Daniel (Right) 

(From left to right) Nicole, Elliott & Wyatt Ostrander and Vicki Canales
Photograph - Courtesy of Lisa Young

As a sweet and relaxing end to the play date, we took a ride aboard the park's miniature train-replica.

The train ride carried us through the park's lush forest where we enjoyed the cool breeze and shade from the trees.
Chelsea Geary (with the baseball cap)

Getting ready to return to the boarding platform

This was a great kick-off to what is sure to be a wonderful summer of MOPS fun! Looking forward to seeing everyone who can make it, at our next play date!

Apples to Apples

Since I've joined the blogging world, I guess it fits for me to start a blog with, "I am so sorry for falling behind on my entries.".  Then, I think I'm supposed to give a really grand reason for why I've been such a slacker.  Well, guess what?  I DO have a really grand reason!  I have been crazy busy having fun with friends!  Thank you for not letting me "mother alone".  Spending time with other moms is so refreshing and rewarding!

So...........HERE WE GO!  Let's blog it up.

I have to be totally honest with y'all.  I grew up with a twisted view on homeschooling.  When we lived in the south, it was NEVER something I would have considered to be an option for my family.  I would say this is a pretty good portrayal of my past opinions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU2jdDGStsg
I'm happy to report that my opinion has changed.  I attribute a few things to my 'transformation'.  It was in part due to my observations.  I've noticed that homeschool families seem to be very connected.  The kids are not socially awkward.  In fact, their social skills are quite impressive, and they present themselves extremely well.  Acquiring the facts and being open-minded have also helped.  This is where our "Apples to Apples" panel came in handy.    

In case you missed it, I'll explain.  Two meetings ago at MOPS, we had a day set aside to focus on school.  We brought in a panel of school professionals and experienced parents from each method of schooling.  One was one of the founders for Cedarbrook Acadamy (which walks alongside parents that choose to homeschool) and the Administrator.  We had a parent that chose homeschooling for her 5 children and one that currently has her 4 in public school  We also had a representative from a private christian school that works on the administrative side.  It was such a blessing that they were able to give up their time and share their experiences and knowledge with us!

They each admitted that there are pros and cons to each.  I love spending time with my kids.  So, the idea of them going off to school for 40 hours a week is a sad thought.  They grow up so fast!  Homeschooling and christian schooling give you the opportunity to fill your child's mind and soul with Godly experiences, while public schooling opens up a whole new sinful world for them to see and experience.  (One day, your child could be peering out the pack window waving his middle finger to passersby because he saw that it got a strange reaction when his classmate did it at school!  ha) Raising your kids to be the light in a dark, sinful world can be scary, but it's exciting at the same time.  Public school can be just the place for our children to show God's love to people that won't see it at home.  Another great point made was that you can and should reevaluate your child's needs annually.  If you feel they would strive better in a different setting, you can change your schooling strategy.

These examples just scratch the surface on their thoughts and advice.  I walked away feeling so enlightened.  The overall consensus from the panel was that each family and each child is different.  When considering your child's schooling, decide what best fits their needs at that time, and trust your motherly instincts.  (The one man in the room liked our MOMSENSE term!)

Meet and Greet the Steering Team!

Our first MOPS meeting was, in my opinion, a great success!  

We learned the meaning behind Valentine's Day.  I mean, who knew it all started with a rebellious bishop who secretly wedded couples after they were forbidden to marry?!  Several woman discovered their hidden talent of scooping conversation hearts out of a cup using only chopsticks.  We shared many delicious breakfast and dessert foods.  I'm not talking about a handful of Cheerios and a banana on the run either!  There was everything from egg casserole to Pots de Creme a l'Orange!  I don't even know how to pronounce that long fancy title, but I know that it was so good!  ...so good that I had 2   ...so good that I couldn't concentrate on conversation for 10 minutes because I was busy thinking about how I could get another without looking like a rude pig.  I drew a blank, decided 2 was enough, and re-engaged myself.  (in case you were wondering how that played out)  ...so good that I looked it up and posted the recipe link from The Pioneer Woman here .  Thank you for bringing it Mary Lee!  We made super cute name tags for our little "moppetts"!  I think our kids are going to love seeing them at our next meeting!   

We also learned about our theme for this semester!  It is "MomSense:  Bold - Loving - Sensible".  Developing a mothering strategy is somewhat like playing a game.  Playing games involves being bold and taking risks, loving those in the game with us, and being sensible while figuring out what works and what doesn't.  Each discussion group table came up with a "team name" that related to this theme.  I can only remember the name of our table.  We are the "Mocha Mommies" because we have our minds on chocolate and chocolate on our minds.  I'll find out what the other team names are and post them soon.

My favorite aspect of the theme is the scriptural foundation.  "God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold, and loving and sensible." 2 Timothy 1:7 As women, I think we tend to be less prideful with our gifts and more reserved.  I know that is a generalization, but it seems to be true with with most of the women I've been close to in my life.  Maybe we shy away from pride so much that we are hiding our God-given gifts.  My prayer is that God  will teach us how to use our gifts boldly, lovingly, and sensibly...the way he intended when he created us.  

All in all, I think we all share the same excitement.  Together, we can figure out this whole "mothering" job and help each other along the way.  I'm praying for you ladies, and I'm proud to call you my friends.

...AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO... (drum roll please!)...YOUR STEERING TEAM!  (and the crowd goes wild!)  Sorry, I had a dork moment...I am having those closer and closer together these days.

Haley Hatley

Coordinator & Hospitality

Lisa Young

Finance & Assistant Coordinator

Jami Trumbower

Discussion Group Leader & Publicity

Kim Kelley

Discussion Group Leader

Laura Johnson

Discussion Group Leader

Vicki Canales

Creative Activities

 Sherra Gist

Special Events