GREAT IDEA!!

When doing your Christmas cards this year, take one card and send it to this address. If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these wonderful special people who have sacrificed so much would get.

When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please include the following:

A Recovering American Soldier

c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center

6900 Georgia Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20307-5001

MOPS TUESDAY!

December 2nd is our next MOPS meeting! Childcare Dropoff begins at 8:45am!

Ketura Veal will be speaking on chaos and clutter!

Custer Campers will be providing brunch!

I hope to see you there!

MOPS TUESDAY!

Greetings Ladies!

Tuesday, November 18th is MOPS! We will be having food prepared and cooked by Lannette Schmitz! Childcare Drop off begins at 8:45am!

Please remember to turn your cell phone off or to silent during the meeting!

We also have many upcoming events to let you know about, so make sure to check your bulletin to see all the events planned!

Are you planning on participating in Operation Christmas Child? This week is the last week to get the Shoeboxes turned in! See Mary for more information!

We also have a new revenue builder in the works to help our MOPS group with expenses! When you come, you will get more information!

See you there!

Museum of Geology

The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has a free Geology Museum!

During the winter, they are open Monday through Friday 9am to 4 pm, and Saturday from 10am to 4pm. They are closed Sundays and Holidays.

For more information, please visit their website at: http://sdmines.sdsmt.edu/museum

MOPS TUESDAY!

MOPS IS TOMORROW!

Robert Aberle will be speaking about Love and Logic, and we will have small group discussion!

Roughlock Renegades will be bringing brunch and will help clean up!

Also, remember your magazines for the swap!

See you tomorrow!

Grape Salad

This delicious salad is from Nicole S. She made it for our October 21st meeting. Her friends and family put down her name and this dish when there is a pot luck. Thank you for sharing it!

Grape Salad-Nicole S.

4 cups (2 1/2 to 3 lbs.) of whole seedless grapes (any color)
1 8oz. pkg of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar

Remove grapes from stems and wash. Let dry.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Fold in sour cream.

Add grapes to the mixture and stir until all grapes are covered. Spoon into a 9x13 baking dish.

Mix the brown sugar and nuts together with a fork and spread over grape mixture.

Refrigerate for a few hours(or overnight)beforeserving. Do not freeze.

Enjoy!

Cookie Decorating and Lunch!

Just a reminder for those of you who RSVP'd for the Cookie Decorating and Lunch!

Come to the church from 10am to Noon. If you and your children do not like Chicken Noodle Soup or Taco Soup, please bring your own lunch!

BRING YOUR CAMERAS!

Family Fun Festival

Rainbow of Hope

Free Family Fun Festival
AT STAGESTOP RECEPTIONS
I-90 EXIT 48 BLACKHAWK
Behind Black Hawk Ramada
Benefiting Reece's Rainbow
November 14, 2008

Fun starts at 5:00 p.m. and goes till 10:00 p.m.

You don't want to miss this wonderful holiday event!

Come listen to live music by The Fiddler's Three and Chenoa Harshman. Be entertained by Magician Rocke Rapp and his live assistant, Pierre the bunny.

Enjoy catered food from Catered Two Productions of Rapid City and Rent-A-Chef of Spearfish and cupcakes from Patty Cakes Bakery.

Kids will be able to hang with their parents or they can have their own fun at the Kiddies Korner, mingling with Shorty the Clown while he makes them a balloon animal.

ALL THIS FOR FREE!!!

There will be a room set up for Kiddie Christmas Quest. Volunteers will assist at the kids shop for inexpensive item, wrap them up and make a card for family members. You can relax at table or check out our booths filled with holiday crafts and goodies.

We will be announcing winners to our raffles. Though, you don't have to be present to win. There are over a hundred prizes!

We have a raffle for men with audio stuff, window tint, gift cards to men's clothing stores, gift cards to hardware stores, $275 cap stapler, hats, ice house and auger, tools, gym passes, massages and much more.

For the ladies raffle there are a ton of spa treatments, haircuts, manicures, tanning, massages, salon hair products, gym passes, gift cards to clothing stores.

The family raffle will have gift cards and certificates to many restaurants such as; Guadalahara, Hardee's, Fireside, Minerva's, Panchero's, Outback, Red Lobster, Applebee's, Burger King, Hooky Jacks, Jimmy Johns, Arby's, Golden Phoenix, Asian Garden, Papa Murphy's, Subway, Bostons, movie tickets, bowling passes, movie rentals, car washes, bed and breakfast get-aways, Honacker's awesome mustard's, oil changes, Runners Shop gift card, Body Builders gift cards, duct cleaning, carpet cleaning for the whole house, Dunn Bros gift cards.

We will also have a kids raffle with tons of Dairy Queen treats, Watiki water passes, Gigglebees, toys, bowling passes, movie tickets, basketballs and games.

CALL Tamara at 605-718-3846 or 605-390-0133 FOR RAFFLE TICKETS, MORE INFORMATION, OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER AT THIS EVENT!

HALLOWEEN NIGHT HIKE!

Halloween Night Hike

October 24 and 25, 2008

Enjoy an autumn evening during the 11th Annual Halloween Night Hike on October 24 and 25. Following a one-mile paved hiking trail, participants take a guided night hike through a festive educational event.

Five costumed characters will depict scenes along the path about various nature stories. This year's event focuses on the following theme, Fairy Tales of Nature Gone Bad. Hikers will hear a habitat argument between Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. Another skit will highlight how a princess can be attracted to an amphibian, by kissing a frog. Each character station will provide an entertaining way to view the outdoors and perhaps offer a "different" interpretation of past fairy tales.

The paved path is lit only by carved jack-o-lanterns, and at times, spooks in the woods will visit the groups to share some holiday spirit. However, the hike is suitable for families with young children. The event is geared toward exposing participants to the interesting and humorous sights, sounds, and night life of Custer State Park.

Hikes depart every 15 minutes between 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. from the Peter Norbeck Visitor Center.

Reservations are required and can be made beginning September 27 by calling the visitor center at (605) 255-4464. Participants are encouraged to dress according to the weather.

Come explore Custer State Park after dark and learn about its natural history through "humanly" shared stories.

MOPS TUESDAY!

MOPS is Tomorrow!

Tuesday, October 21st! MOPPETS drop off begins at 8:45am!

Dr. Mueller will be our speaker, and we will be creating our own first aid kits!

Hope to see you there!

Fundraiser/MOPPETS/Conference Information

Greetings Ladies!

I hope you all are having a great week! I hear I missed a great speaker! I hope you all had fun! My family and I were in Montana for a couple weeks, and we are now home and getting back into the swing of things!

I wanted to remind/inform you all of some things!

1. Our PIZZA HUT FUNDRAISER is THIS THURSDAY from 4pm to 8pm at the Pizza Hut on West Main. Why not make it a family night, or grab some friends and make it a girl's night out!?! Be sure to let them know you are from MOPS, if you order delivery. A percentage from EVERY order made between those hours will be donated to MOPS!

2. We are in need of more MOPPETS workers. Please take a moment and think of one or two reliable people that love kids and wouldn't mind helping out in the rooms from 8:30 to 11:30 during our meetings. Then, let us know!

3. There is a free conference (about marriage and more) coming up THIS weekend- Fri, Sat, and Sun. It is called "Love for a Lifetime". It's focus will be on the imagery of Christ and the Church, what He did and does for us and how this applies to our marriages.

Childcare will be provided for kids 4th grade and under.

Guest Speaker, Pastor Curt Crist

Friday 6:30pm: "Matrimonial Malfunction"
***Refreshments and Q&A time to follow.

Saturday 4:30pm: "Cornerstones of Devotion"
Saturday 5:30pm: Homemade Soup and Pie Supper
Saturday 6:30pm: "Marriage Miracle Grow"
***Refreshments and Q&A time to follow

Sunday 9:30am: "Liberation through Leadership"
Sunday 10:30am: "From Two to One"
***Potluck and a time for Q&A to follow.

If you would like to come, or want more information please email me directly at cjwsbg@gmail.com (we also want a good head count for food/childcare, etc.)

The Conference will be at:
Grace Bible Church (the log church by Rockerville)
23769 Pine Haven Drive.
12 miles south of Rapid City on the right hand side (if heading toward Mt. Rushmore)

Our October 4th Meeting

Well, I hear it was a great one!

Joan Uhre spoke about how 3 main points in her speech: How important a strong foundation is for your family, setting goals and having a mission statement for your family, and how your family can impact others around you! We then had small groups!

I hope you all have a great time until we meet again!

Pumpkin Patch

Knock Knock Pumpkin Patch

If you are interested in some reasonably priced pumpkins for fall decor & a fun outing, call a friend & head a to a local 'pick your own' pumpkin patch. To get there drive north on Deadwood Ave from the Windmill, following the Pumpkin Patch signs. Jeans, closed toed shoes & a camera are recommended. You may also want to take gloves for carrying pumpkins. Some people there had their wagons along, as well. Cutters are available. They have cute spot with a scarecrow & BIG pumpkins available for photos. The patch is on the honors system so you leave your money in a bucket. The gal said they hope to have all the pumpkins gone before the first freeze.

MOPS is Tuesday!

This Tuesday, October 7th, is our next MOPS meeting! Joan Uhre will be speaking!

MOPPETS drop off starts at 8:45am. Please remember to bring a snack for them. If you have any questions regarding approved snacks, please contact your Small Group Leader.

Also, we have our magazine swap table available! Bring in any magazines you would like to share! You don't need to bring one to take one though!

Our September 23rd Meeting

Tuesday was our second meeting, and it was awesome!

For those of you who couldn't make it, I want to fill you in on all the details!

We had a great morning. Along with New News and door prizes, we got to know a little more about what happens to the things we consume!

We had a great brunch, provided by the CUSTER CAMPERS.

Nancy M. shared with us how she grew up in a home that reduced/reused/recycled, not because it was "in", but because it made sense. She also shared with us how save money by making our own cleaners and other ideas on how to save money by R/R/R.

After Nancy spoke, we got to decorate our reusable MOPS MUGS so we can start reducing our paper waste. (If you missed the meeting, Mindy R. will be setting up a time for those who would like to decorate them. Email westminstermops@rushmore.com if you would like to decorate your MUG.)

Keep your eye out here...Recycling information as well as other information from the meeting will be posted.

Thank you to Karen for her Watkins donations. Thank you to Breadroot Co-op for the coupons. Thank you to Safeway, Lowes, and Walmart for the re-usable bag donations! Thank you to the hospitality ladies who greeted us at the doors!

Thank you each mom who was patient with our MOPPETS rooms. We understand that it was a bit hectic, but please understand that this week was not normal. We want to re-assure you that we work hard to get teachers and/or substitutes here every meeting, however, special circumstances may require us to combine classes.

All teachers who work with the children have background checks done on them, including substitutes, and they all go through an application process. They must all have a love for Children, God, and Ministry. If you know of anyone with these attributes, please let us know their name and number! As we found out this week, there can never be enough people willing to share in this ministry!

Our next meeting will be on October 7th!

If you have any questions/comments/suggestions, please either email us at westminstermops@rushmore.com, or leave a note in the mailbox during the meeting!

I hope you all enjoy the lovely fall weather!

MOPS is TUESDAY!

Greetings Ladies!

I hope you all have been enjoying the beautiful weather!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS if you haven't already! This TUESDAY, September 23rd, is our next MOPS meeting! Childcare Drop-off begins at 8:45!

Please bring in any magazines that you have read and wouldn't mind sharing with the other ladies of the group.

Our theme for the day will be "The Green Adventure" and we will be personalizing our own reusable MOPS mugs! We will also be hearing from Nancy M. who will be talking about "Saving Green, while Going Green!"

I can't wait to see you all on TUESDAY!

Mothers

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little voice says, 'Because I love you best.'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade...It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

The Images of Mother

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.

14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.

16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it.

35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom' s opinion.

45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair ... The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul ... It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

Expectant Mother Events of Interest

For those of you who may be interested:


I have been in contact with a lady who has been helping coordinate a couple events for the Rapid City area regarding childbirth. Both events are sponsored by the South Dakota Safe Childbirth Options, a Christian non-profit group.

One event, scheduled for Monday, September 22nd, is a screening of a documentary called, The Business of Being Born. It is at the Elks Theater.

For more information on this event, please visit http://www.sdsafebirth.org/node/250.

Another event is the Healthy Birth + Healthy Family Conference. It is a two day event being held at Crazy Horse.

For more information on this event, please visit http://www.sdsafebirth.org/BirthConference
If you click on the "Birth Conference Poster" link, it will give you more details.

Are you Breast Feeding?

This might be short notice, but if you are a nursing mom, or if you are pregnant and are considering nursing, there is a support group in our area.

Please visit http://www.blackhillsnursingmoms.com/ if you want more information. Their next meeting is Thursday, September 18th.

Harvest Hayride!

*Pictures to be posted soon!

The hayride at the Herrington Ranch was a truly magical experience. First of all, there couldn't have been a more calm, clear night for our adventure. There were 10 beautiful moms in attendance. We packed up with our blankets, coats, and hot cider for the hour-long ride.

On one side of the sky, the full moon. We were awestruck. The other side held an incredible view of the sunset lowering behind the Black Hills. And the ride itself was bumpy, prickly and most enjoyable.

During the ride we laughed, sang a few songs and prayed with each other. When Karen's husband, Gary, stopped the truck to let us gaze for awhile he gave us one of his own parables.

We are truly blessed to have them as spiritual supporters. We traveled back to their home and sat around the campfire, bonded with each other some more, and ate smores. It was an experience to remember.

-Renae

Fun event tomorrow?

I ran across this, and thought I would share:

Thomas and Friends Play Date

SATURDAY September 13th, from 11am-1pm.

Toys R Us.

Story time every half hour.

Train Table Play Time.

Coloring Fun.

Thomas Trading Cards.

*fine print...You have to supervise the kids, and they might run out of stuff to give you.

Baked French Toast

This delicious dish was made by Mary J. for the September 9th, 2008 meeting:

1 French Bread Loaf
½ Cup Flour
3 Eggs
6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Sugar
½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 ¼ Cup Milk
1 Cup Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
¼ Cup Margarine

Cut bread into 1-inch thick slices and place in greased 9 x 13 baking dish; set aside.

In medium bowl, lightly beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in milk until well blended. Pour mixture over bread, turning slices to coat well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, turn bread slices over and scatter blueberries over bread. Combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in small bowl. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over bread and blueberries.

Bake at 375 uncovered for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Top with strawberries.

Serves 8 adults.

Our First Meeting & Mom's Night Out Information

Hello ladies!

Today was our first meeting, and it was awesome! For those of you who couldn't make it, I want to fill you in on all the details!

We had a great morning. Along with introductions and door prizes, we had a great brunch! I have had several requests for the recipes, so when I get them, I will post them!

We had 2 speakers today. Pastor Bob welcomed us to the church, and he, along with the rest of the church family are happy to have us and are excited about MOPS.

Karen Herrington also spoke about motherhood and the journey it will take us on, and how to prepare for it.

We also got information regarding our upcoming Mom's Night Out.

Karen and her Husband will be having a HARVEST HAYRIDE on Monday, September 15th! We will be carpooling/caravaning from Rapid City. If you want to join us, please RSVP by calling Renae (341-6243), or email (westminstermops@rushmore.com) and we can get ahold of you regarding meeting places (there will be 2, one on the west side, and one on the south side). We will MEET at 5:45pm and LEAVE for Karen's at 6pm. It will be a fun night with hot cocoa, apple cider, s'mores and more! MOM'S ONLY!

If you plan on joining us, please bring a coat, hat, and mittens/gloves, along with a "non-stick" blanket (fleece will NOT work!). The best way to tell if it is a "non-stick" blanket is to take it outside and lay it on half dead grass. When you pick it up, it should be relatively easy to brush the grass off. If it isn't easy, don't take it...it will be even harder to get the hay off!

You will also want to bring your camera, as the full moon will be out that night and I hear the view is AMAZING!

Our next meeting will be September 23rd. The "Green" Adventure is the theme, and Nancy M. will be speaking on ways to Save Green while Being Green. We will be decorating reusable MOPS mugs. Childcare drop off starts at 8:45. The Custer Campers will be providing Brunch and Clean up.

I hope you all have a great rest of the week!

MOPS TUESDAY!

Ladies!
I am so thankful that we have small group leaders that have made phone calls! I apologize for not getting this out to you all sooner! Please forgive me!

TUESDAY (Tomorrow!)is our First MOPS Meeting of the Year! We will have a load of fun, and I hope to see you all there! Child watch drop off starts at 8:45!

Not only do we have a couple of great speakers, we will have information on upcoming meetings and our first Mom's night out! Here is a hint about the Mom's night out...Its next Monday night (September 15th!), and it will be a blast! MOMS only!

Have a great night!

Fine Forgiveness Week at the Rapid City Library, September 8th-14th

Do you have fines at the library? Did you forget to bring your books back while you were camping one weekend????

(Or, do you need to declutter your pantry?!?!)

Well, if so, the library is having a Fine Forgiveness Week, from September 8th-11th. Each pound of non-perishable food will reduce your fine by $5.00!

All the food will be donated to the Black Hills Food Bank.

There are many great things happening at the Library this month. Please visit

http://www.rapidcitylibrary.org/ to find out what other fun things are happening!

ADVENTURES IN READING-Book Review!

Date Night in a Minivan
Revving up your Marriage after Kids Arrive
by Lorilee Cracker

Review written by: Nancy M.

I got this GREAT book from the MOPShop and wanted to share it with all of you fellow mommies... I have to say honestly, I have taken the time to read a lot of books lately, even really good ones. Keeping busy with the older kids and a toddler, plus trying to keep up with family adventures, camping, cooking and cleaning the house (What? Did I clean this summer, not sure you can tell??) ... I didn't have a lot of time for reading. Then this book came in the mail. The cover makes it look like it would be a book I could relate too... I peeked inside at a couple of pages... hmmm... in less than 1 minute I was LOL (laughing out loud)...

Here is part of the reason I kept reading...

"Me and my man just haven't been getting along like we were before we added our darling third child into the Cracker clan... one issue had cropped up since Baby 3... an exacerbated case of the ol' Time-Off Tug-O-War. With new and intense demands on our time, both of us were pulling our ends of the rope for a pocket of freedom. Don't get me wrong: were were gaga over our baby girl, and pretty crazy about her big brothers too. But with her arrival came new challenges to our relationship."

"I read once that with each child added to a family there's that much more stress between the parents, and that much more distance to cross to being close again. I believe it." (me too!) "What's stressful about raising those darling little cherubs we love and adore? Well, for starters, how about the never-ending labor it takes just to keep an active, just walking turbo tot unscathed and germ free?" (Does she know LIV too??!!) "Often at the end of a day filled with basic child preservation, like most moms I need a break in the worst way. Unfortunately, on such days my husband will end up having an equally harried day at work, and he needs a break too. Harassed, strung out, and stick-a-fork-in-me-I'm-done DONE, we are not our best selves when we greet each other at 5:30 p.m. On such a crazy day we can be worn out, unhinged and just trying to keep all the important balls in the air, at least until bedtime. Yet the kids still need to be fed, bathed and generally nurtured, so guess where our marriage relationship ranks on the totem pole of life? Low people.... LOW."

"We need to figure out ways to rise above the mayhem that comes with family life and still care for each other, and cultivate stronger ties to get us through the crazy times. Don't even get me started about romance! Though our baby is adopted (ie: no physical recovery) we still are surprisingly tired, irritated and disconnected, not exactly the poster couple for parenthood and passion that we had hoped... Clearly we need to get it goin' again. Do other couples with little ones face the same sticky wickets? I talked to my MOPS friends... everyone chimed in, kvetching about the difficulty in maintaining warm friendships with one's man..."

"Mom and Dad CAN get it goin' again. You and your main man can rev up your marriage, along with that beautiful minivan, and recapture some of that pre-kid dating buzz. Put your key in the ignition, my friend, and together we'll figure out how."

REGISTRATION DAY RESULTS

Registration day was a success! We had many moms show up with their little ones! There were Tours, Food, and things for the kids to do!

We hope all of you that showed up had a blast!

Pictures will follow soon!

***A special thank you to Dr.s Tucker, Kudrna, Holec and Young for thier donation of balloons and a pump! If you need eye care, contact them at 810 Mt. View Road, 342-0777.

All of us on steering team are looking forward to getting to know all of you better this year, and we are all excited for this upcoming year!

Stay tuned for information on the first meeting! It will be TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9th! MOPPETS drop off starts at 8:45!!!

REGISTRATION/OPEN HOUSE!

Ladies,

Fall is almost here, and so is a new year of MOPS! I hope everyone is having a great summer!

We have a new theme this year-"Adventures in Mothering", as well as a new Charter Church Home and some new faces on Steering Team!

Everyone on Steering Team is excited for this new year and we have been planning 18 great meetings, including awesome speakers and great creative activities! Don't forget the ever-popular spa day! We are also planning extra activities outside of our normal dates for other chances to get together, with and without the kids!!

Our REGISTRATION DAY and OPEN HOUSE is coming up FAST! August 26th will be here before we know it! Please plan on showing up between 9am and 11am! There will be something for everyone! A little birdie told me that not only will there be Yums for the Moms, but balloon animals and tattoos for the kiddos!

Plan on touring our new charter church, meeting new moms, catching up with moms from last year, and getting a glimpse into this NEW upcoming year of MOPS, including a new MOPPETS homeschooling room for mothers who still have preschoolers who are also homeschooling!

PLEASE plan on attending, and bring a friend!

Keep an eye on your email or our new website for more information!

http://westminstermops.blogspot.com/

PLEASE NOTE...Our new email address is westminstermops@rushmore.com

-Coya, Publicity
Westminster MOPS

FALL REGISTRATION DAY!

Our fall registration day will be on AUGUST 26th, at our NEW CHURCH HOME!

There will be something for everyone, so please come and join us!

MORE INFORMATION REGARDING TIME TO FOLLOW!

Welcome to Our New Home!

Here it is!

Look around!

Since we moved to our new church home, we have changed blog addresses, as well as email addresses!

We will eventually be putting in most of the archives from our old blog as well, but for now, we will be linking back to our old blog!

Please enjoy your visit!

Adventures around Town

The Dahl - The calendar has all events including family Sundays.

Black Hills Community TheaterThe Journey MuseumMuseum of GeologySpearfish Fish Hatchery / Park / Canyon

Pretend you are a tourist in Rapid City and check out the options!

Piney's Black Hills Adventure Game

Ideas for turning off the tv:http://fileblogs.com/20-Fun-Ideas-for-National-Turn-Off-TV-Week&article_7392http://elem-teachers.asfm.edu.mx/~library/webpage/programs/Programs&Activities/PULL-THE-PLUG/101screenfree.htmhttp://www.mediafamily.org/earlychild/toddler_fine_motor_development.pdf

Webpages with more ideas for families: http://familyfun.go.com/

Quickies

Quickies-No Baking Required, Husband Approved!

Combine in a sauce pan:
2 Cups of Sugar
1/2 Cup of Butter
1/2 Cup Baking Cocoa
1/2 Cup Milk

Boil on MEDIUM heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring continually.

Remove from heat. Add:

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Oatmeal (I use regular, but you can use quick)

Add it slowly, until it becomes slighty thick.

If you so desire, add 1/2 Cup of Chopped Nuts or 1/4 Cup ground Flax Seed.

Stir together 'till its thick and gooey. Drop into cookies on a tray to cool. They don't look the best, but they sure taste great with a glass of milk!

Any mixture that doesn't fit on the tray should be eaten immediately.

Yummy! You can use waxed paper, but it may stick once it cools!

This is also GLUTEN FREE, if you use Gluten Free Oatmeal.