Friday, September 27, 2013

Meeting Recap - September 26, 2013

Today's meeting started off with a hilarious skit by our very own MOPS Players - Mere C., Bethanyanne B., Jenn C., and Trish K. We were introduced to "MOP Mere" and "Bethanyanne BonBon", two contestants on a Food Network-type show called "Mopped." The contestants had thirty seconds to come up with a dish incorporating the familiar ingredients of goldfish, bananas, no-stir almond butter, and Pedialyte! Cool and composed Bethanyanne completed the task early, with enough spare time to touch up her makeup, while MOP Mere had to deal with fussy kids, phone calls from a late-working husband, and spills galore. Although their final dishes were virtually identical, the judge declared MOP Mere the winner of the "most beautiful mess" since she was able to complete the contest amongst total chaos. Don't we mommies know how she feels!

Next Nancy Ryalls gave us information on FBC fire evacuations. The most important thing to remember is that your child(ren) are in good hands and will be taken to a designated spot. After everyone is safely out of the building, you will be able to go to that spot to pick up your child(ren).

Then for this meeting's Mentoring Mom Moment, Nancy shared with us one of her life lessons that came early in her marriage in the form of an old black rocking chair that belonged to her grandfather. Tasked with cleaning it up, her new husband took the chair completely apart piece by piece. It broke Nancy's heart to see it that way. Slowly he breathed new life into it with some TLC and transformed it into a beautiful new chair. That old chair has become a spiritual marker for Nancy, as she now sees what God has done in her life through her own trials and persecutions. She then shared some special verses that correlate to the story: Romans 5:3-8 and Isaiah 61.

Next up, our Table Leader Coordinator Megan S. shared some of her favorite things to give away as door prizes. Megan has a true love for all things Trader Joe's and gave away a Trader Joe's goody bag filled with pumpkin butter, snacks, a candle, tea and a cute mug. Lauren B. won the TJ's bounty, and Rachel F. and Alice T. each won one of Megan's favorite books. Congrats ladies!

Then it was time for announcements:

  • Craft Night is Friday, October 4 from 5-8pm at FBC. The evening will begin with a potluck dinner after which you can work on your own craft, or have a sewing lesson or wreath-making instructions from certified crafty ladies. Please contact Amber Y. at mrsamberyoung_at_gmail_dot_com for more information.

  • The first Moms Night Out of the year will be on October 5 from 5-7pm at the ACAC Downtown. This promises to be a fun event with delicious food, a sampler of classes and information on ACAC trial memberships. There will be free childcare & pizza in the KidZone. Contact connie_dot_horan_at_gmail_dot_com to sign up and for more information.

  • Make plans to attend the Fall Family Fun Day on October 26th from 3-6pm at Greenfield Farm in Ruckersville. Look for more information at the next meeting and in the October newsletter.

    • Finally, we were introduced to our guest speaker, Robyn Jackson, Director of The Civility School here in Charlottesville. Robyn, who is most certainly not Nanny McPhee, teaches modern manners and etiquette to kids and adults from preschool all the way to old school. Not only did we have a lot of fun with Robyn, we took home some great tips, too. We learned to give a "mediator" such as chewing gum or a koosh ball to younger kids to help them deal with impulse control problems. For modern table manners, we learned the appropriate way to signal that you are finished with your meal and where to set a napkin for a place setting (in the center of the plate - not underneath it). But perhaps the most favorite topic of discussion was how to eat peas and mashed potatoes the correct way. And no, it's not with a spoon. Don't spear your food! Robyn shared with us that although certain rules of etiquette have changed over the years, the ultimate goal of civility and etiquette remains the same - to make other people comfortable. As she stated, "It's better to be kind than right." Perhaps that's why the motto of The Civility School is "For the comfort and convenience of others."

    We had a fantastic second meeting of the year. Hope to see you on October 10th!
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    1 comment:

    1. ConnieSeptember 30, 2013 at 8:55 PM

      I am so sad I had to miss this meeting but loved reading the overview. Thank you!

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