Moms Morning Out!

Excitement was in the air this morning as I headed to church for our inaugural MOPS meeting. No, it's not a motivational cleaning seminar for housewives (although I could certainly use some motivation in the mopping department.) MOPS is an international organization that welcomes, supports and encourages all Mothers of Preschoolers!

All summer a few women at our church have been busily preparing for this eagerly anticipated day.  Hours of planning, praying, meeting, talking, e-mailing, texting, calling, typing, editing, cutting, pasting, gluing, cleaning, organizing, shopping and baking finally culminated in a wonderful gathering of women!

Our fearless crew embarked on this journey together with only two of us having previously been a part of a MOPS group. Still, they jumped on board eagerly and enthusiastically helping one another to maneuver through uncharted territory. Today their spirit of adventure was rewarded with smiles from moms and squeals of delight from the little ones!

Ladies were welcomed to MOPS with goody bags of treats (just for them), a delectable brunch feast, wonderful workers to watch the kiddos and beautifully decorated tables to sit at while enjoying some time chatting with other mothers. The children were entertained and educated in age-appropriate rooms so the MOPS Moms could have a refreshing morning together.

Beautiful flower pin!

Each Steering Team Member did an amazing job! Our Hospitality Mom organized quite a spread worthy of a banquet hall, that was savored by all. The Craft Mom led us in making beautiful flower pins for our name tags (beats sticky, hanging half-off, tags from the office supply store any day!) Plenty of workers helped with the little ones (MOPPETS in MOPS lingo), thanks to the wonderful organization skills of our MOPPETS Mom. Registration ran smoothly with my Right Hand Mom (otherwise known as the Finance Mom, but I'd prefer to refer to her as my Personal MOPS Assistant!) Our Mentor Mom welcomed the ladies and shared a little bit about herself and her desire to support and encourage the younger mothers.

 All in all, many details, even beyond my comprehension, were done due to the coordinated efforts of each of these ladies.  With such remarkable and faithful women, we were able to bring this MOPS group from conception in May to reality today! Wow! Now if I could just bring them all home with me, my floors might get mopped, but I digress....

As Coordinator, I introduced myself with a MOPSified (just created that word!) version of My Life In A Diaper Box  and explained a little bit about MOPS in general and my personal MOPS experience. MOPS has been an important part of my life with each of my three children. I first attended MOPS with a friend after we moved here nearly 16 years ago. Being new to the area, it was the perfect place to meet other moms and make some friends for myself and Darlin'. It provided an opportunity to learn from others, become familiar with the local area, practice a favorite hobby of mine (crafts) and develop leadership skills, (I soon found myself in charge of crafts!) As my family grew with the addition of our son, we continued to attend the same MOPS group for several more years.

Naturally, when Cupcake was born, more than a decade later, I immediately sought to get involved with MOPS once again! She and I have enjoyed attending MOPS during the past two years. We both made friends, looked forward to each MOPS meeting or event and I became involved with the craft team and Bible study. Sadly, they had to close their program this year, which enabled us to begin this vital ministry over at our church. It was truly amazing to see how God opened up doors, one after another, as He provided the way for us!

My hope is that our MOPS group would provide a sense of community and friendship that so many of us moms could use in our lives. In a culture where we chat with our neighbors over the internet instead of the picket fence, MOPS can give us the opportunity to take some time to develop relationships face to face.

I am looking forward to seeing how God will provide the ladies in our MOPS group with special moments, friendships and insights as we embark together as Mothers of Preschoolers! Of course, there are many MOPS groups available throughout the world, so check out www.MOPS.org to find one nearby!