OK. We all crave it – some sense of ORDER. To you, maybe order looks like…

A spotless kitchen sink and made beds and the smell of dinner (homemade from scratch, of course) oozing from the oven at 5p sharp.

When everyone has their teeth brushed and only 5 min late getting to the car as opposed to the usual 10.

Color-coded, categorized lists posted around the house on dry-erase boards…ready to be conquered.

Your stacks of junk are simply where they are supposed to be.

I don’t know how order looks in your casa, but we all have a vision of it. And, when we feel like we have achieved it, all seems RIGHT in the world…or at least our lil corner of it.

As we ramp back up into the schedules of fall, what better way to say farewell to summer than to try to figure out how to achieve that shining beacon of light we call “order”.

Come to MIC on Thursday 9/2 and join some other loyal soldiers in the war against chaos…other mommies! Get to know some moms in the trenches with you and hopefully you’ll leave encouraged and ready for the next day’s battle.

Grab some friends and bring them with you – strength in numbers, girls. We love you and missed you…and cant wait to see your faces and hug your necks.

WHEN and WHERE, PRAYTELL?
Thursday, September 2nd from 7-9p at WestPointe@RockPointe Church

WHAT DO I BRING?
Yourself and other mommies – ready to chill. Oh, and come ready for snacks because we’ll have munchies, too

At MIC, we want to know what mommies really think—-we mean REALLY THINK. Take a minute and tell us (anonymously – to ensure that “REALLY THINK” part) about what its like for you to be a mommy. And, share this survey with as many moms as you can. We’ll share some of the fun findings at MICs this fall.

As always…remember, you are NOT alone. Moms need moms.

See you Sept 2nd at WestPointe for the FIRST MIC of the school year!

Yep. I said it. There’s a time/place for (almost) everything…even Hawaiian shirts.

Seriously, is it summertime? Is there is a beach within a 5 mile radius? Then OK, we’ll allow Hawaiian shirts. The LOUDER the better! But – girls – I think we can all agree that the time for the Hawaiian shirt is limited…and must end when the beach is out of reach. Can I get an ‘amen’?

And so, the time does come for all loud Hawaiian shirts – the time to PUT THEM AWAY.

Well, summer is our crazy Hawaiian shirt of sorts. Ya see, the time is approaching for summer to conclude and go back in the closet until next June. Don’t panic…we still have about a month left of the summer fun, but if you are a mommy odds are good you already have your fall calendar out and are thinking about backpacks, potty-training before preschool starts, and/or juggling sports practices. (Sigh.)

So, we at MIC want to encourage you to gently wash/fold the Hawaiian shirt of summer and get ready to put it on the top shelf of the closet. But we have GOOD NEWS – along with fall comes the return of MOMMIES IN CONNECTION! Your custom-made one-night KIDFREE escape to help you connect and re-charge w/some other mommies.

We meet from 7-9p on the 1st Thursday of every month September thru May. We meet @WestPointe at RockPointe Church in Flower Mound. So…start spreading the word to all your mommy-friends (no, not just RPC mommies, silly – ALL MOMMIES WELCOME) and put MIC on your calendar…in pen…in red pen.

You need this. Moms need moms. We’ll see you September 2nd, girls.

OK…so I know this is a little discriminatory if you don’t have GIRLS, but truly, I read this and felt like we all needed to hear it. So, if you have girls – great. If you don’t – read it anyway. Pass it on if you’d like.

Taken from Bringing Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson:

“These selected short proverbs were compiled or written by Harry Harrison and published in a delightful little book entitled Father to Daughter: Life Lessons on Raising a Girl. I’m passing these along to father, and also to mothers.

• Accept the fact that your little girl will melt your heart anytime she chooses.
• Remember, if you yell at a boy not to play with a wall socket, he’ll either stomp off or do it anyway. A girl will cry.
• Never, ever, make fun of her.
• Bear in mind that from the very beginning your personality will shape her.
• Don’t tolerate her temper tantrums. Not now. Not when she’s 15. Your home will be more peaceful for this.
• Keep her secrets.
• Remember that society is teacher her its values 24/7. you need to be more determined to teach her yours.
• Never laugh at her dreams.
• Accept the fact that the loving, tender angel you’ve spent the last decade with may disappear sometimes. She will return.
• If you don’t approve of the way she looks before she goes out, send her back to her room to start over. Be gentle but firm.
• Teach her how to be moral in an age that bombards her with sexual imagery and innuendo.
• Teach her that God sometimes has other plans.
• Teach her how to look a boy in the eye and say “No”.
• Do not tease her about boyfriends. She may not have one, and you might make her feel like she’s supposed to.
• If a boy pulls up and honks for her, go out and have words with him. Explain that your daughter answers to a doorbell.
• Don’t let her moods or anger push you away. She needs you now more than ever.
• Remember, if her home life is crazy, the rest of her life will be too.
• Tell her the three keys to wisdom: not believing all you hear, not spending all you have, and not sleeping all you want. This will be difficult until she graduates from college.
• Tell her she is the daughter you always dreamed about.
• In the end, let her go.”

Every minute counts, mommies. Engage and love your sweeties (even when they aren’t so SWEET, right?). Happy summer…see you Thursday 7/8!

Crazy girls...

Alright girls…enough is enough! We need some MIC-bonding time right?

HERE’S THE SCOOP, Y’ALL:

WHEN? Thursday, July 8th at 12:30ish
(please feed your animals before you come)

WHERE? Casa de Leath – 4400 Canter Way – FloMo – 75028

WHAT THE HEY HEY? Swimorama – bring kids and their supplies
(sunscreen, goggles, beach towels, etc) and enjoy some swimmin’
and hangin’ with some other MIC mommies. NO FLOATS OR RINGS
please. Dawn has lots of noodles and life jackets if needed.

ANYTHING ELSE? Grab a few mommies and bring them along
to meet/hang w/some MIC friends. We WILL supply the Popsicles!
We WILL NOT BE LIFEGUARDING your precious rugrats -
PLEASE MAKE SURE TO WATCH YOUR KIDDOS CAREFULLY.

RSVP? If at all possible, let us know how many to expect – mic@rpcstaff.org

As we dive into summer w/our lil people, I’m struck by the frustration of how seldomly I feel like I’m TEACHING and GUIDING right now. Patience can run thin as we re-learn how to have our precious lil rugrats w/us 24/7. SO, when I came across this, I thought of all my fellow mommies trekking the same path as I am and thought I’d share.

We as mommies can feel ill-equipped at times to teach our kids about God’s Word and His desires for how we live. We feel silly bc we dont have the VBS curriculum or may not know our Bible as well as some others we know. Its important to remember ONE thing when those thoughts crowd your mind: its NO MISTAKE that you are the mommy of those kids He gave you. He knows your weaknesses and He knows what you are capable of. They are yours for a reason.

This week I heard an interesting thought on “life”. It was this: “We need to recognize as we guide/teach our kids that life is a loaded weapon aimed at them. The question is, will you help them grow and learn truths that can help them keep the weapon from going off in their faces?” That job starts now, sistas.

Read thru this and make special note of the words “teach” and “keep”. And remember this – you are always teaching with your life by: your words, your demeanor, your love, your faith, and your integrity. Let’s teach our lil people something amazing this summer.

This is why we’ve thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We’re banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers.

Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.

Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation. 1st Timothy 4:10-16 MSG

Take a sec and let this sink in a bit…now go play in the sprinklers. Luv u girls.

I’m sweating as I type this…in the A/C. Crazy hot out there, girls. And when I think of that I-need-more-time-in-the-A/C feeling, I’m reminded immediately of another of the GREAT ideas Kym Carter gave us in May – read a book with your family.

Sounds simple, right? And for some of you who have super-readers, it may be that simple. But have you ever stopped to really gauge the amount of time spent in your house reading a REAL BOOK vs. watching/playing some sort of SCREEN?

Have you considered getting a book to read as a family this summer?

There are so many options…if your sweeties are little and have that precious 5 minute attention span, then keep it short w/lots of pictures. If they are bigger like mine, how about something that actually engages their imagination and forces them to be still and think for themselves? We asked on our FB page for some good book ideas…here’s what a few mommies shared:

Picture books (for ANY age):
The Adventures of Taxi Dog
Ish
The Promise
Duck/Rabbit
The Dot
Skippy John Jones book series
Hooway for Wodney Wat
Hank the Cowdog book series

Chapter books:
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Blue Dolphin
Shiloh
Robinson Crusoe
Little House book series
Anne of Green Gables

What are your favs? Add to the list…leave a comment for other mommies to enjoy your favs, too.

I gotta say, my kids are 11 and 8 and when I mentioned that we are reading a book this summer as a family I got some eye rolls and some goofy faces. Sometimes the best things aren’t gonna get BUY-IN, but they’ll be worth it. I just know it. We started our book today – and whether they admit it or not, they were pretty interested and even giggled a few times.

What about you? Are you game…er, I mean BOOK? C’mon…let’s read this summer.

Our summertime read...

It’s creepin’ up, girls – summertime! Yay/uh oh – right?

Well, if you made it to our MIC in May w/Kym Carter, you might remember one of the best tips she gave: “Ask your kids to list 3 or 4 things that THEY want to do this summer.”

Odds are good their lists won’t include “attend all VBS programs in a 10 mile radius” or “over commit and overstress” or how about “attend 20 skills camps so I can become an elite athlete and receive a college scholarship…even though I’m only 8″. Mamas…we all do it. We panic…we want to fill up the summer so they’ll HAVE FUN and NOT MISS OUT. Well, how often do we stop and ask them what they want to do?

Hmmmm. Interesting idea.

A few of us have already done it and been surprised by the answers…what do  you think YOURS will say if you ask? Give it a try. And then, make it happen (w/in reason of course – you can’t always fulfill every dream, but you can fulfill more than you think, I betcha). Kym suggested not just SAYING it will happen, but actually getting a calendar and letting the kiddos SEE their special request “scheduled in” on the family calendar. Give them something to look forward to. Take this opportunity to let them know that they matter.

So, whether its just while you are driving home from school OR if you want to make it a little more of an event, you can download the “Summer Wish List” from the downloads tab on this blog and print them out for your sweeties to fill out. (What a cool keepsake, too eh? And, it’d be supercool to post them on the fridge – mark them off as you complete them!).

Get excited about summer…and take some time to ASK THEM what they want to do. You’ll be surprised, I promise.

"I wanna go the pool w/my friend"

“One of mine came to the table with ‘build a hovercraft’. Not sure we will tackle exactly that, but I am looking into a model building kit that we can work on throughout the summer.” – Amy D

“Avery told me he wanted to go to the store and buy a Ferret…uhh – I don’t think so EVEN if you argue that that should be considered an activity.” – Denise J

“Sleep in and Disney World!” – Kellie S

“Fishing, ride on a train, camp out and go bowling – so far! All achievable so I guess I am lucky on that one ” – Dawn J

“Maya wants to go to a movie w/a friend and Braeden wants to rent the CAC gym for an hour and have a bball tourney. Oh my word…totally DOING both. Never would’ve known…” – Kris M

Well MIC mamas, we’re creeping up to the summertime! Yahoo! Right? Right? For those of you who came to our SUMMER KICKOFF w/Kym Carter – “Bravo!”. If you’re like me, then you feel encouraged and a little more readyish to make this the summer they always remember…and I always remember, too (for good reasons, that is).

Whether you made it that night or not, I’ve got good news for you! For the next few weeks we’re going to post lil tidbits from Kym’s talk. We’d LOVE to hear from YOU GIRLS, too. Leave us a comment here or on FB about how you’re implementing some of the ideas Kym gave us. Or, give us some new thoughts. Remember, your mother always taught you to share. Share w/us!

So, for me (Kris), here was one point I seeped in like crazy…let me know your thoughts.

LASTS.

Holy moly.

Kym brought up the fact that – as moms – we focus on so many “firsts”: first steps, first tooth, first day of school, first girlfriend (yikes). But how often do we stop and realize that there are just as many “lasts”. The last time you’ll feed him a bottle in the middle of the night. The last time she’ll ask to play Candyland with you. The last time they’ll play pretend games or watch Max n Ruby together. The last time he’ll hug you in front of his friends. The last time she’ll want you to come eat lunch at school with her.

Lasts.

I felt overwhelmed with a real sense that THIS is going to be the summer that I unplug more…skip out on camps more…ignore the pressures and just be with them. Be with them the way they want to be with me. In the sprinklers. Hiking the trail. Playing games. Teaching them the greatness of card games (yes…another lost art and a blog in itself). Swimming with them and not just watching. I want to be intentional with my crew. They are the most important blessings God has gifted me with…and where do I place the majority of my efforts? If I even have to THINK on that…then I’m not doing it right.

Girls – well, all parents, really – our #1 ministry (or if you like churchy words – “calling”) is in our homes. If we are short-changing them at home, then we are failing.

I don’t want to miss my chances to be the mom God intended for me to be bc I’m too busy…or bc I’m falling into the trap of suburbia-peer-pressure. I don’t want to miss the beauty of the lasts.

As I type this – with mounds of laundry waiting to be folded I’m listening to some great music/lyrics – and these just came on and blew my mind. Perfect stuff.

I Just Realized by Matt Wertz

Slippin out the window, lazy cotton breeze
Sittin on the front porch, you are next to me
Hear the leaves clappin, buzzin of a bee
Sun is summer glowin, its like a symphony

And I just realized what you mean to me
And I just realized what you mean to me

Dang…its time to focus on my lil people and not miss the good stuff. I hope you’ll do the same with me this summer. He gave me this gift – to be a mom to this crazy kids. I don’t want to miss it…

Girls…we MUST have a plan for what is COMING…it’s coming, you know.

S-U-M-M-E-R.

{And NO by “plan” I don’t mean finding every single available VBS program and enrolling your rugrats–er, sweet lil kiddos.}

If there ever was a time we needed to stick together, it’s NOW. So, get a sitter, order a pizza, and grab some mommies who are also awaiting the dawn of the S-word (summer) and come to our last official MIC get-together until the other S-word (September).

Thursday, May 6th, 7-9p @RockPointe Church
(in the big building this time)

Kym Carter is going to walk us through looking at the S-word in a different way…looking forward to the opportunities that we often miss — to impact and enjoy our sweet lil people during the time they have off in the summer. It’s not about over-scheduling and hyper-VBS-ing, mommies. (At least it’s not supposed to be, right?) May can be a hard month, but it’ll be worth the two hours you escape…I promise you that.

Lot’s of cool surprises and some fun announcements coming, too.

Oh, and please let us know you’re coming – mic@rpcstaff.org. We can’t wait to hug your neck…see you next Thursday!