Info about January meeting

Our next meeting with be on Thursday January 7th at FBCO. We will be hosting our annual Clothing Swap. Get organized and bring gently used clothing, shoes, purses and womens accesories to be exchanged with other moms. We will have a clothing "store" set up in the commons where you can select items of all colors and sizes to rejuvinate your wardrobe. Anything that does not get selected will go to The Least of These.


Also for the first time we are doing a TOY swap. Please bring ONE gently used, clean toddler/childrens toy. You will then chose ONE toy to take home. Its a great way to recycle your used toy and bring a new one home. Any extra toys will be donated as well.

Lastly, please RSVP to your group leader, Facebook, or Hilary to let us know if you are or are not coming to the meeting. THANKS!

*Please only bring one trashbag or laundry basket of WOMEN's CLOTHING and only ONE toy. THANKS!

December's Gift to the MOMS

Today at MOPS our steering team gave a surprise gift to our MOPS moms. Last month, Jason Spencer, came to video tape the kiddos. Today we shared this video. It brought laughter and tears. Thank you Jason and Chrissy for making this video happen. If you want to view the video you can click here.

Our Next meeting is December 3rd

Our December MOPS meeting is titled "A Star is Born". You are NOT going to want to miss this MOPS! There are going to be several surprises at the meeting. This meeting we will celebrate the JOYS of Jesus' birth. We will also have our "annual" cookie/candy exchange. This is a great way to get a lot of samples of Christmas type cookies and candies. ***If you want to participate please bring 4 dozen homemade cookies or candies to exchange. WARNING: if you use peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oil, or any other type of nut product PLEASE label your tray/lid so that we can keep these cookies away from the other items. There are some moms whose children have a severe allergy. We will separate these at the meeting to prevent any emergencies!

PLEASE come to the meeting even if you do not want to participate in the cookie/candy exchange. We do not want to stress any mother out by the task of 4 dozen cookies. So if the thought of that causes ANY stress please do not participate in the exchange. Just come to the meeting and enjoy the surprises.

Also remember to RSVP and let us know if you are or are not going to be able to attend. Make sure you either facebook, e-mail hilaryaustinrdh@yahoo.com, or call your discussion group leader to tell her yes or no and how many children you are bringing. This helps us out SO much!

FYI: there will not be a December Play date this month due to the wonderful Christmas season.

Lastly, this would be a great month to bring your child(rens) volunteer childcare worker a card or note to thank them for taking good care of your child(ren). Thanks!

November Play Date: RSVP is needed

We will be having our NOVEMBER Play Date at First Baptist Church of Ozark on Thursday November 19th at 10 AM. Invite your friends, family, and neighbors. This play date is a little different than the ones we have had in the past because we NEED an RSVP. Paint, Pottery, and More from Ozark, MO will be bringing all the supplies needed (pottery pieces, paint, paintbrushes, paint smocks, etc) for us to paint Christmas Ornaments, Plates, Mugs, etc with our preschooler. This is a great time to make a creative gift for the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and yourself.

The reason we need a headcount is so that Paint, Pottery, and MORE knows how many pieces to bring. So if you are coming with 3 children but you want to make 6 ornaments for Christmas presents we need to know that.


The Price is $3 per person plus the price of the pottery piece. They will be bringing pottery pieces that range from $3-20. FYI: At the playdate they will collect your money for the total product. If you want to stop in their store to see what they have to give you an idea of what you want feel free to do that. They are located on the square in Ozark.

Paint, Pottery, and MORE are doing us a great service because we do not have to take our preschoolers and strollers in their store with so many breakables. They are also going to take the finished pieces back to their studio to be fired. When they are ready they will bring them back to the church (usually a week later) individually wrapped with your name on them. EASY!

Again please let your discussion group leader, e-mail me at hilaryaustinrdh@yahoo.com OR Facebook our group to let us know if you are planning on attending and an estimate of how many pieces you are going to make. They more the merrier!

Pictures from the Oct Playdate

Our MOPS October Play Date was A LOT of fun! The children painted a masterpiece on their pumpkins. While the moms supervised and shared converstaion with other moms. There was a wide variety of yummy snacks and a coffee bar. After all of the pumpkins were painted the children enjoyed some free play in the church gym. What a fun day!

The beautiful pumpkin masterpieces!

Breakfast/Snack Table with Coffee Bar

Our next MOPS meeting will be Thurdsay November 5th! Don't forget PLEASE let your discussion group leader or our Coordinator, Hilary know if you ARE or ARE NOT coming to the meeting! We need to ensure that we have enough volunteer childcare workers. Also because of the recent outbreak of the flu PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not bring you child if they have or have had flu-like symptoms for 7 days. This includes, fever, cough, aches, runny nose, vomiting, diaherrea, etc. Please respect all of the mommies and the healthy children by staying at home if you are not feeling well. THANK YOU! See the previous posts about Novembers meeting information.

November MOPS Meeting: Welcome Home

Please join us on November 6th at 9 am at First Baptist Church of Ozark for our November MOPS meeting. Of course you must let us know if you are or are not coming so that we have plenty of volunteer childcare workers.

We will have breakfast, prizes, a wonderful guest speaker Stephanie Robertson who is going to share her story of Adoption, discussion group time, and we will be making personalized pocket planners and floral pens.

There is a $5 fee for each mom. Also make sure you have already paid your MOPS International Registration fee of $30.

October Play Date: Pumpkin Painting

Please join us on Thursday October 15th at 10 am to paint pumkins with your preschoolers!

We will meet at First Baptist Church of Ozark in the South Fellowship Hall.



All you need to bring is a pumpkin for your child(ren) to paint and a snack-type item.



We will provide paint, paintbrushes, paint smocks, and coffee.



If you want to bring your own paint smock that is okay too.



Lastly, please bring your child in old clothes just in case the smock does not cover all their clothing. We would hate for a childs outfit to get ruined.



After the pumpkin painting the gym will be open for free play.

October Meeting RSVP ASAP

Hello MOPS mommies!

Just wanted to invite each of you to the October MOPS meeting that will be NEXT Thursday October 1st at 9am. Remember to have your children to the childcare area before 9 am to get your name into the Early Bird Prize raffle. This months meeting will include a breakfast buffet hosted by Amy Watson's group, prizes, announcements, guest speaker Deborah Calhoun a licensed counselor who is speaking on Depression, discussion groups and our monthly craft/activity. Remember to bring your $5 to cover the cost of your child(rens) snack, activity, your craft, etc. Also if you have not registered for MOPS please bring your $30 annual registration fee.

Lastly, we need to know if you ARE or ARE NOT coming to this meeting and how many children you will be bringing with you. We start arranging childcare NOW so PLEASE, I BEG YOU, PLEASE let us know ASAP either way. You can RSVP by e-mailing me,
hilaryaustinrdh@yahoo.com, calling or e-mailing your discussion group leader, calling the church, or finding our group on FACEBOOK. If you are planning on bringing a friend we need to know this information as well so that we can assign children to classrooms and have enough volunteer workers.

This months theme: Houston, We Have a Problem
Speaker: Deborah Calhoun:
Postpartum Depression/Depression
"The joy of the LORD is your strength and
stronghold." Nehemiah 8:10
CRAFT: Kid Concoction and Boo Bags

Can't wait to see you in a week. Again PLEASE let us know if you are or are not coming!

Playdate Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, Sept. 17th at 10am will be our first playdate of the season. Please join us at Amy's backyard. If you need directions please e-mail me hilaryaustinrdh@yahoo.com. Bring your MOPPETS and a lawn chair. See you there!

FYI: If it rains we will meet at the FBCO church gymnasium for free play and snacks. See you there!

Photos from the First Meeting

Well, this morning we had our first fall meeting of 2009. It was a HUGE success. We had over 50 moms and over 60 MOPPETs present...not including our 20 MOPPET childcare volunteer workers. It was very busy throughout the halls of First Baptist of Ozark. Here are some photos of todays meeting.

Breakfast Buffet = Yumminess!

The Mom's are starting to walk in

It's time for breakfast!

Craft time with the Cricut....Custom backpack/diaper bag tags for each child. EXCELLENT and SUPER cute craft!

The MOPS moms busy at work decorating their diaper bag/backpack tags.

If anyone has any recipes to share from the breakfast feel free to e-mail me and I will post them. Also if anyone has any thoughts, comments, or questions feel free to leave them on this site.


PLAYDATE INFORMATION: Septemeber 17th at 10 am. Backyard Fun at Amy's House. If you need directions please e-mail me. I do not feel comfortable placing the address on the world wide web. We would love to see all of you there. Bring your kiddos and a chair.

First MOPS Meeting: SEPTEMBER 3rd

Just wanted to remind everyone that our first fall meeting of 2009 is this Thursday September 3rd. Please plan on arriving early...like 8:45 am to get your child(ren) settled in their classrooms. It might be a little hectic this first meeting because of new registrations and all so please be patient. Also PLEASE have all your child(rens) belongings LABELLED. If in doubt whether or not to label it....Label it.

Also plan on a yummy breakfast provided by our Steering Team. We will also have door prizes, a game, discussion groups, and a craft activity.


My ONLY request is that you RSVP. Childcare is full however if we know you are coming we can arrange more childcare. We just need to know. So please e-mail me at hilaryaustinrdh@yahoo.com if you are planning on coming and bringing your preschool age children (birth-kindergarten). THANK YOU.

I am praying that God blesses our time together this year. See you at MOPS!

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some Freqently Asked Questions that we get from our MOPS....

FAQ's

What is MOPS? MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers

Who is MOPS for? MOPS is for all mother of Preschoolers who have children age 0-6.

When does MOPS meet? We meet on the first and third Thursday of each month starting Sept. 3rd, 2009 until May 6th, 2010. We start at 9 am sharp and end at 11:15 a.m. We meet at First Baptist Church of Ozark at 1400 W. Jackson. The third Thursday of the month we have a "playdate"...see the playdate question below.

What do I do with my children? Upon registering for MOPS, your preschooler will attend MOPPETS.

What happens at the meetings? The format is something like this...Welcome, Breakfast brunch, guest speaker, discussion groups, and a craft or activity.

How much does it cost? International MOPS registration is $30. There is an additional month cost of $5 which covers the cost of mailings, food for your child(ren), activities for your child(ren), and the cost of your monthly craft. SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE..please see Hilary or Jennifer if you need a scholarship application.

How long do I have to sign up? We are currently taking applications NOW. There is not a deadline however the sooner the better so that we can make childcare arrangements for your child(ren) and prepare for the monthly craft activity.

Do I have to go to First Baptist of Ozark to attend? Absolutely not. This is an open invitation to any one who wants to attend. All are welcome!

If I attend another MOPS can I join this one too? Yes! As long as you and your children are registered you are welcome. The $30 International MOPS fee is only due one time per year so you will not have to pay double. However you will be responsible for the $5 monthly.

How do I learn more about FBCO MOPS? If you still have questions you may call the FBCO church office at 417-581-2484 for more information or e-mail hilaryaustinrdh@yahoo.com

Who watches the children? Our children are cared for by a wonderful group of volunteers that have been pre-screened to watch children. These MOPPET voluneteers will love and care for your child during our monthly meeting. We do have pagers that the moms may wear during the meeting in case the MOPPET workers or your child needs you.

Do you have playdates? On the third Thursday of the month we host a playdate. The play date is for the moms and their child(ren). Each month is different. Sometimes we will meet at the church for a project or to play in the gym. Other months we will meet at local businesses such as Wacky World, the park, etc. A schedule will be given at the first meeting. We will do our best to get a group rate on activities and inform you of these cost at least a month in advance. We will also try to keep these activities close to the area (Ozark/Nixa) however due to some of the locations of venues you might have to travel to Springfield, if you want to participate.

Who can come to the playdates? Playdates are a wonderful way to invite your friends and neighbors. Dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles are all welcome too. You do not have to be a registered member of MOPS to participate in the playdates. This is a great time to invite someone to see what MOPS is like.

What do I wear to the meeting? Whatever you feel comfortable in. Moms come very casual. Anything from jeans, shorts, capris, work-out pants. You'll see a lot of moms in their MOPS t-shirts or anything comfortable. Everyone is super laid back. So there is no pressure...just wear what you want.

Do I have to buy anything from the speakers? No..in fact we do not allow soliciting of any businesses. If you want to share your business with the group you are more than welcome to provide a door prize. However we do not allow speakers or other moms to put you on mailings, invite you to home parties, or sell their company products.

What if I cannot afford a MOPS membership? We have scholarships available. Please contact the church office or e-mail Hilary at hilaryaustinrdh@yahoo.com if you need a scholarship application. The application is confidential and kept private. We do not want you to not come to MOPS for cost reasons so please let us know if you need assistance.

How do I RSVP my children for each meeting? Because we have to make plans for childcare, PLEASE RSVP to your discussion group leader to let us know if you are coming and how many children you are bringing. If you cannot come or if a child is sick please let us know so that we do not stress about childcare and if we have enough supplies. Feel free to RSVP to hilaryaustinrdh@yahoo.com if you need to.

What if I homeschool? Can my older school age children come to MOPS? Unfortunately, we only have childcare for children from birth to kindergarten. MOPS is geared towards mothers of preschool age children. So the topics dicussed, activities, and speakers are all for mothers of preschoolers. Because our childcare workers are volunteers we do not have enough workers to watch the older age children. It is hard enough to insure childcare for the preschool aged children. You are more than welcome to bring your school age children to the playdates on the third Thursday of the month however we do not have childcare for school age children at the meetings.

2009-2010 MOPS Theme T-shirts

Hello Ladies, 

I wanted to post this years t-shirt for you to view.  We have two colors...PINK or SAPPHIRE BLUE.  They come in sizes from Adult Small to XXXL.  The cost of the shirt is $7 each for size Small to XL. Please add $1 for each additional X. ***They are the same brand as last year. I think they have a tendency to shrink or get a little snug.

FRONT OF SHIRTS:

 BACK OF SHIRTS:

I need all t-shirt orders by Sunday August 9th.  You can pick up a t-shirt order envelope at First Baptist Church of Ozark at the Preschool Welcome Desk or in front of the church office. Make checks payable to First Baptist Church of Ozark.  If you know you want one or two of them PLEASE order ASAP.  My goal is to have them before the first meeting so we can wear them on Thursday September 3rd.  I am sure we will make another order after our first meeting but we are getting a summer promotional rate so the prize will go from $7 to $15 per shirt.  BUY THEM EARLY!!!!

Welcome to MOPS

This blog has been created for the Mothers of Preschoolers program at First Baptist of Ozark. This blog will be used to inform our moms and volunteers about upcoming events and programs with our MOPS. Please pass this blog website to all of your friends and neighbors.

Our MOPS meets the first Thursday of the month at First Baptist of Ozark at 9:00 am until 11:15 am. Our MOPS group also holds offsite play date activities on the third Thursday of the month (except in December). We will give a calendar of events at our first meeting in September.

If you are interested in joining our MOPS group you can either e-mail Hilary at hilaryaustinrdh@yahoo.com or call our church office at 417-581-2484

We are having open registration on Thursday August 6th at First Baptist of Ozark from 9:00 am until 11:15 am. Registration cost are $30. Memberships include a one-year subscription to MomSensemagazine, weekly Mom-E-Mail messages and other great benefits such as the 20009 Theme Book. There is also a monthly $5 fee that can be paid at the meeting that covers the cost of mailings, materials for the craft or activity, the decorations etc. If the fee is keeping you from joining our MOPS program please speak to our coordinator, Hilary Austin, for a scholarship application. Full and Half scholarships are available.

NEW! 2009 Theme Book

Life on Planet Mom: A Down-to-Earth Guide to Your Changing Relationships
Nothing changes a woman like motherhood. Becoming a mom affects your relationships with everyone – your spouse, your parents, your friends, and even God. During this time of life, you need to feel nurtured and loved by solid Connections you can trust. But in the chaos of raising children, cultivating relationships can take a backseat to just getting the kids fed and to school on time.

Author Lisa T. Bergren helps busy moms like you prioritize your relationships with others and offers practical ideas to enhance your six key relationships: with self, spouse, friends, family of origin, community and God. With in-depth research, heartfelt personal experience and expert advice, Bergren shows you how to keep vital relationships during the parenting years. Whether you have just brought home a new baby or you’re still trying to find your footing raising young children, you will benefit from the wisdom found in this book.