MOPS and Wonder

I believe in communities.  There is joy to be found when you find a group of people who are facing the same challenges as you.  I am a joiner, if you can't tell already. 

When Leo was a baby, I started going to a new mom group put on through the local hospital.  All new moms with young babies, we'd lay out blankets on the floor and sit together and talk about what it's like to be a new mom and all the concerns and joys that go with that first year.  Because of that group, I felt like an empowered mom and met so many wonderful people.

When we moved to our new area a couple of years ago, I was looking for a new group to join.  I tried some out and I just never really fit in.  We faithfully tried but it just never worked.  Last November I joined a MOPS group, Mothers of Preschoolers.  It's an international group but the local chapter is hosted at a Baptist church. 

I remember the first meeting I walked into.  There were 35 people and I was nervous (and not just because Amy was so sad to be dropped off at her class) to walk into a place where I knew no one.  I sat down at my new table and felt immediately welcomed.  Everyone was so kind and immediately accepting.  I can honestly say that it has changed my whole world here.  As a mom, I feel like I give so much but there aren't always things that fill me up.  From my very first meeting, I felt supported, encouraged and uplifted.  It's been an incredible community to be involved with. 

MOPS table from last year

Today was our first official meeting of the new session.  I didn't walk into a room full of strangers and I wasn't nervous.  I did meet some new people, but I looked around and saw many friends.  Amy said in the car ride over, "I get to go with mama."  She went right into her class happy, which is a huge deal and I even won the raffle prize.  It was such a great day.  I can't wait to see what the new year will bring.

A couple weeks ago I got the packet in the mail from MOPS International about our new theme this year.  It's "We are starry eyed."  I read the packet and was really touched by the message.  Here's a link to more about the theme http://www.mops.org/theme/.  Scroll to the bottom and watch the video.  It's so neat. 


I loved this line: "Sometimes we think we have to pick one, when in reality it is always both. Light and dark, hope and fear, kindness and risk, wonder and mundane."  I often get to the end of a day and focus on the things that went wrong.  I hosted a camp recently for girls in our ward and did so much work, the girls had a great time but the t-shirts I ordered were too big.  I couldn't relish in accomplishing so much because all I could think was that the shirts were too big.  Life is filled with good and bad all the time.  If I dwell on the things that went wrong, I can't find joy in what went right.  I want to embrace the dark and the light together and find the wonder in it all. 

Preschool

I am almost embarrassed to admit how much time I've thought about preschool in the last year and a half.  First it was trying to pick a place that would work for Leo then hoping that I made the right choice because you have to register a full eight months in advance.  And then it was sending off my nearly four year old two days a week (which most parents here send them at nearly three, a year younger than Leo) and hoping it was the right place.  Being a first time parent is stressful. 


Our life experience out here is so different than the way that I grew up.  Back home, we all went to Karma's Kiddie Korner.  The teacher taught a sweet little class out of her basement, just a few doors down from my own.  I have good memories being in the class.  That is not how things are done here.  Preschools are large, formal affairs with curriculums and parent teacher conferences. 

I've seen preschools that immerse your child in another language, that promise to have them reading at 3 or other crazy things.  It's not really the experience I wanted for Leo.  Really, I wanted him to have a place to go and play and to explore the world.  

I remember walking into the preschool and thinking "where is all the art work?"  Because, that is what I thought a preschool was, kids doing the same art project and then hanging them on the wall.  Thinking back on that, I have to laugh at myself.  This is one of the things I like best about his school, they leave their projects open ended and letting the children have more control over what they create.

The highlight has been his teachers.  Mrs. Lundgren has taught there for 30 years and made the transition easier for this nervous first year parent.

Leo's was the only one with color.

 

 Last week we went to his class' open house.  He got to show us all of the zones in the room and to show all of his favorite things.  All around the room, his artwork was on the wall.  It just made my heart burst to see his line drawings.  Thinking back on how far we've come is astounding.  Leo has grown up this year and we're so proud of him.
 

This and That

 Fall has finally come and after the summer that we had, I'm happy to see fall come.  As I was writing the monthly blog about Amy (on our other blog), I was reading through my journal and it was filled with frustration and exhaustion.  It's been a long month but I pulled out all the fall decorations and have decided that I'm going to embrace the new season.

Leo started preschool at a traditional program.  I've been nervous about whether or not we picked the right class but he has been so happy there.  We have a new confident, independent guy.

I've been working on the torch a bit lately.  There have been some big breakthroughs this summer in my work and I am finally beginning to see my voice come out in glass.  I've made some of my finest work this summer and feel like I have really progressed.  I feel like I'm finally ready to open up an Etsy shop and have been taking the steps to get it together.  It will probably be a few months to get things ready but I'm excited. 

 

 

Last Saturday, I spent the morning at the Workhouse participating in an event for Beads of Courage, a program that helps children with serious illnesses to cope.  I felt a comradery with my fellow artists as we created kid friendly beads.  I made sheep.   

Heber finally finished up his big project at work that had him working all the evenings and weekends.  It's been nice to have him home earlier.  Like I said, it's been a long month. 

I listened to a great talk this week about living intentionally.  You can find it here.  Here is one quote that I thought was exceptionally good.  I want to know the why and to become who I want to be. 

"Living with real intent means understanding the “why” and being aware of the motives behind your actions. Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” Ponder how you spend your time, and ask yourself regularly, “Why?” This will help you develop the ability to see beyond the moment. It’s far better to look ahead and ask yourself, “Why would I do that?” than to look back and say, “Why, oh, why did I do that?”"

 The whole last week I have been sick.  I thought that the sick season wasn't supposed to start for a few more weeks but I caught a bad cold.  I just hate being sick, I like having plans and getting out and doing things but I had to hold back and rest all week.  To celebrate me finally getting better, we went out to the Colonial Market at Mount Vernon.  It was fun to see the period costumes and wares.  I enjoyed chatting with the people who were selling at the market.  I wonder what life would be like to travel all over and set up shop for a day or two.  My favorite part was the live music.  There were several wandering musicians.  I even heard a tune from my Irish dancing days that made me want to break out leaping, but I held back. 

We passed a booth that was cutting silhouettes.  I've always wanted to get one done and had Amy sit right up and have her profile cut.  It was a neat little memory that I will hang up in her room.  It reminded me of when my family and I sat for one in Disney World. 

In the silhouette booth

Amy and Leo liked wandering around.  I swear that Amy would be content with a pile of rocks.  She collects them in her hands and pockets everywhere we go.  Leo talked Heber into buying two wood pistols and has been "pteew, ptewing" all day.

What life really looks like, Leo not wanting to have a picture taken.

Leo took this one. 

So, that's some of the latest around here.  I hope there's still some readers out there.  I've been few and far between in posts.  The thing about it though, I like to blog, it helps me think and to remember our life.