Reminders:
Next Play Date - Nov 5th at church
Turn in MOPS registration form and $23.95 membership fee as well as MOPPETS registration form
Nov 19th meeting topic: Avoiding Mothering Comparisons
Next Mom's Day Out - Dec 14th Christmas Shopping Trip


My introduction to MOPS was really an intersection of events. I hastily resigned from my teaching position when my son was five months old. I quickly came to the conclusion that it would be very important for me to make new friends outside of my coworker circle. Being a teacher automatically puts a person in an atmosphere of like minds and values. Where and how could I meet new friends outside of a career with people of like minds and values.  At this time I’m still contemplating all the personal changes my husband and I will be going through as new parents.

As time goes by and the summer comes to an end my son and I were enjoying one of our daily walks. As I was hiking up an incline by the city park a black mini van stops by my stroller and the passenger window rolls down. I recognize the face of the driver as a mom of one of the students I had taught. She was smiling really big as was I due to the situation of our meeting. She asks me if I had heard of MOPS and I told her I had from some family members. She handed me a business card and explained that the MOPS group in our county was going to have its first meeting soon and that I should come. She explained that it would be a lot of fun, there would be other new and experienced moms there and the meetings provided free daycare. I told her I would plan on attending.

Since then I have attended as many meetings, play dates and mom nights out that I could. I knew some faces and met some new moms as well. These friendships have helped me transition from a working mom to a stay at home mom. My MOPS experience has also challenged me to envision the future for my family through speakers, videos and group discussions that usually involve some belly laughs as well. I would encourage other moms to attend our MOPS meetings and see how it will positively affect your family.

Please feel free to share your MOPS story, how you found the group, how the group has helped your family or a favorite memory from the meetings.

Our October meeting will be here before we know it. Please mark your calendars and join us again or for the first time. Below is a brief preview of what will be covered at the next meeting.

Atchison County MOPS is meeting on October, 15 from 8:30-10:30 at First Baptist Church, HWY 59 S, Tarkio, MO 64491. The discussion topic will be Embrace Your Story: Identity, What Defines You?  There will be a video segment with author Alexandra Kuykendall.
MOPS theme book author, Alexandra Kuykendall, shares how the methods she used for measuring her worth before becoming a mom no longer worked when kids arrived. A reexamination of what, and ultimately who, defines her pointed her to the gift of grace. If you are an expecting mother or a mother of preschool age children please join us for our October meeting.