OK gang…we’ve got some exciting news!

MIC is MOVING!

That’s right. We have a new home-sweet-home: WestPointe @RockPointe Church! You’ll LOVE our new digs – we promise. So, let’s fill it up this month. Grab all the mommies you know and bring them to a night away from kids where they can hang out with some other cool mamas.

Thursday 3.4.10 – 7-9p
WestPointe building @ RockPointe Church
(see the address/map to the right)

C’mon mommies – let’s break in our new MIC-home w/style!

OK, so if you were there – then you KNOW how much crazy fun we had; if you weren’t…well…you’ve GOT to join us in March. Thanks to everyone for making our first ever “Easy Eats” night a great time for all. We all learned some good stuff…and hopefully took home some good stuff, too.

Stay tuned for March details coming soon…

Here are a few shots of the fun…

MIC girlies and Ms. Ruth

Dawn makes the rulz sound all British-y

ahhh...they're so cute

fun mamas

mmmm...I smell granola

MIC mommies

don't make me ring the bell...AGAIN

More to come soon – including recipes for the hot chocolate and marshmallows (mmmm) and tips-a-plenty; but for now, enjoy a pic or 2 of the fun. Thanks to everyone for playing along…still reeling for the GENIUS (shout out Melissa) COMMENTARY and the fabulous granola-makin’-madness.

Mad skillz, you mommies have…we loved every minute. Mark your calendar NOW for March 4th.

Yes, I said EASY.

If you had to chose ONE word to describe meal time at your house, what would you choose? Let’s try a few…

Chaotic
Loud
Messy
Out-of-control (that can be one word)
Anger-inducing
Frustrating
Cranky
HARD

I hear an “amen” from mommies everywhere. You know, we always hear that word “homemaker” and it sounds so old fashioned. But truly, if you are a mommy, you are a maker-of-the-home…you are responsible for setting the tone of your home and taking care of a hungry crew, too. It’s not easy stuff, but it is stuff that we all deal with daily. So this month at MIC our goal is simple: to make your life a little easier and help you feel encouraged as you face your mommy-tasks of meal time.

It’s not a cooking class; it’s not a “you’re-doing-it-all-wrong” lecture. It’s a time for us to share some things that work and things that DON’T…and our opportunity to send you home with some freebies that will help you out, too.

Come to MIC in February and let’s enjoy some time together talking about feeding the savages in our homes and how we can do that even better.

MIC’s EASY EATS
Thursday, February 4th – 7 to 9p

At the fabulous home of Ruth Brock
6921 Hawk Lane – Flower Mound

Please RSVP to mic@rockpointechurch.org
(swag to be had, so we need head count)

Alright ladies…here’s a riddle:

What’s got a sassy English accent reading the “don’t go there” board, yummy snacks for exhausted mommies, good ideas and lots of laughs, and GOBS OF FREE STUFF that will make your life easier?

That’s right…its MIC in February!

Details to come...

If  you are slightly overwhelmed and more than slightly underwhelmed at the idea of figuring out how to feed your fam AND maintain some sort of peace in your home, then you MUST come to MIC’s EASY EATS. You’ll go home w/some stuff that will change your “Feed the Crew” time of day. We promise.

~~

MIC’s EASY EATS
Thursday, February 4th – 7 to 9p

At the fabulous home of Ruth Brock
6921 Hawk Lane – Flower Mound

Please RSVP to mic@rockpointechurch.org
(swag to be had, so we need head count)

How badly do we (ALREADY) need a night to ourselves? (can I hear an “amen”?) Well, good news…just when you need it most, we’re getting together to CHILL. No deep topics…no challenging ice-breaker games…no homework or Bible quizzes…just relax.

Oh…and a chocolate fountain.

Yep. I said it. The famous chocolate fountain will be in the house for our January MIC. Come in the comfy-est gear you have (pjs are definitely appropriate for this MIC) and ready to recharge after the holiday crazies.

So – to recap:

Chocolate fountain.

PJs or other comfy-clothes.

A bunch of kidless mommies chillin’ together.

Get your sitter NOW. And, we’ll see you in 2010!!

Thanks to all the MIC ladies who came out to the RPC Women’s Ministry dinner 12/4…and for shifting our usual MIC night to the church to decorate and devour pizza the night before! We had lots of smiling MIC mommy faces in attendance and even a few MIC tables, as well.

We need to hear from you. Were you there? Send your pictures to mic@rockpointechurch.org AND add your comments about the night.

We were so blessed to have Deanna Campbell come and share some of her wonderful insight into God’s plan for us as parents at the November MIC meeting!

I know you might have your own notes (or if you weren’t able to attend, you don’t have any at all!). But I thought I would share mine because I have been looking at them everyday trying to grab just a little bit more knowledge and inspiration for parenting my sweet (or not-so-much some days) kiddos.

So here goes!

• FIND JOY IN YOUR CHILDREN!
• Maximize Conversation – Minimize Correction – Kids will talk openly as long as someone is listening & they aren’t being criticized.
• When the heart hears criticism – its loses its will to try
• AFFIRM THE DESIRED BEHAVIOR!  Use the word obedient a lot. Try to eliminate the words “don’t” and “no”.  Tell the child what you want him to do  – not what you don’t want him to do.
• Say YES when you can!  I love this one. I mostly love how it throws my kids for a loop!
• Use the word BECAUSE in place of the word IF - No bribing. This kind of messed with my #1 parenting skill. But I am working through it and trying really hard to put this practice in place.
• Positive guidance is more effective than negative response
• CHOICES:  Offer choices when there is a power struggle with your children. Give a directive then 2-3 choices. The choices need to be positive and all OK with you.
• PUNISHMENT is for an act of disobedience…Discipline is teaching and training your kids.  * Spanking is an easy out  *Use natural consequences that fit the crime * Get creative!
• Don’t ask questions that teach your children to LIE. If we know what they have done – don’t ask them about it – tell them what you know and move forward to consequences.
• We create whiners. This hit home because I have one. And I realize that I made him what he is.

I would love to hear any other notes that you have or tidbits of information that I might have missed! Thanks again to Deanna Campbell for your time and God-given insight!

Some of us (er, uh, ME) couldn’t be at the November MIC and there has been some great BUZZ about what our guest speaker, Deanna Campbell, had to share. Take a second and tell us what YOU gained from that discussion.

~~~

What is working for you?

What have you realized you NEED to work on?

Have you changed how you approach your regular day-to-day kid-situations?

Did ONE thing that she said really “stick”?

~~~

Anxiously awaiting your wisdom,

Well, if there ever was a time that we are TESTED as mommies, its pig-flu season sprinkled with weird, wet, will-we-ever-play-outside-again weather. And so, there is NO BETTER TIME than now to get a babysitter (and some antibacterial hand gel) for MIC in November. We’ll have a special guest – Deanna Campbell – who will walk us through some amazing truths that we need to absorb as mommies. And, she’ll answer every parenting Q you can throw at her.

So, start thinking about your parenting Qs (and leave them as a comment on this blog) and make plans to be at MIC in November…bring a friend or two. You will NOT be disappointed…unless you already have all this mommy stuff 100% figured out.

Thursday, November 5th, 7-9PM

Dawn Leath’s home
4400 Canter Way
Flower Mound – 75028