Sherwood Forest

My favorite (mini-) stretch of Kennesaw Mountain

Walking Kennesaw Mountain on a daily basis, I'm slowly getting to know the community of people who regularly hike there, too. Today I had the vague sensation that, one-by-one, the residents of Sherwood Forest were making themselves known to me.

"Love Reminders" community outreach project

Last Sunday I had the great privilege of assisting with the StoneBridge Children's Ministry's Community Outreach project for February. Called "Love Reminders," the craft was designed by Michelle Chestnutt (one of my favorite people, y'all!). 

Take some basic office supplies, add some carefully chosen uplifting text (bible passages or favorite quotes), then give children free rein to decorate as their heart desires and you end up with day-brightening packets to distribute amongst friends and acquaintances.

"Love Reminders" community outreach project

Michelle and Jennifer Dew have been volunteering as the StoneBridge Church Children's Ministry's Community Outreach project coordinators for the past two years. They lead outreach projects 3 times a year for various groups---retirement home residents, StoneBridge missionaries, the U.S. troops abroad, and local emergency personnel. Together they come up with a project's focus, the accompanying lesson and a craft; Penny Harrison (StoneBridge's AWESOME and dedicated Children's Pastor) gives them her blessing and guidance, and lovingly allows them "free reign" to teach the lovely young hearts who visit the StoneBridge Children's Ministry.

For this particular project (centered around Valentine’s Day), Michelle and Jennifer wanted to remind retirement home/assisted living residents that they are loved and are not alone. They chose the verse 1 John 4:11 to teach the children "we are to love God and love others." And that when we help others, we not only show God’s love, we serve God. They  wanted to do a daily devotional of sorts, and chose verses and sayings to serve as the daily “love reminders.”   

When designing projects for the StoneBridge Children's Ministry, a challenge is not only the time limit, but the age difference and sheer quantity of children. So they generally choose small scale projects, but with the hope that the impact on both the recipients AND the children is big. This project definitely more than lived up to those objectives! (Honestly, I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this project!)

PROJECT NOTES and HOW-TOs

In preparation for the craft, we created stacks of the following supplies: 

• Blank book marks
• Open ended envelopes (Michelle found these and the book marks at a SchoolBox store; I couldn't find them online)
• Ribbon cut into 9" lengths
• Index cards (stacks of 10)
• Uplifting text (stacks of 10 different passages)
• Glue sticks

At craft time, the kids lined up and two parent volunteers handed out the required supplies to each child. Then stickers and buckets of markers were distributed amongst the children and everyone set to work. In an hour and a half, the StoneBridge team was able to welcome the children, explain how to create the project, teach a lesson, make the project, clean up, present a followup to reinforce the lesson, and still had some playtime at the end! It was a truly admirable and effective effort!

My heartfelt thanks to Michelle Chestnutt for supplying content for this write-up! Here is the lovely lady herself giving direction to the kids as they work on their Love Reminders project.

Sunday Funday at East Cobb Park

What could possibly improve upon a sunshiny day at the park, complete with (free!) live music? Why, hula hoops, of course! Last Sunday, Alphabet Hoops brought a stack of hoops and joined the fun at "Sunday Funday presented by Wellstar." With such a family friendly atmosphere, there were already a lot of smiling faces, but the hula hoops prompted some happy laughter as well.

Musician, Jay Memory

Lorene Shaw of Alphabet Hoops

 I really had a wonderful time introducing hula hooping to kids and adults. And I really appreciated the  occasional references to hula hooping that musician Jay Memory inserted into his songs. He made me smile every time he did that! Remember, Sunday Funday is free. And there's plenty of room for hula hoops. So bring yours, grab the family, and join in the fun!

About Sunday Funday by Wellstar: Located at East Cobb Park, Sunday Funday is held weekly on Sundays from 4-7 p.m., April 15 through May 27 (weather permitting). The weekly event features live musical entertainment performed by Jay Memory. Huge thanks to the the various sponsors who make this family-friendly activity possible for our community---Wellstar, Zaxby's, Willy's Mexican Grill, and Rohan Law PC.

My heart stopped just a little

My heart stopped just a little as I pulled into Laurel Park behind a TOUR BUS yesterday!!!! I had a lot of hoops but not *that* many! I was so relieved to find that the bus was for another event. Many, many thanks to the much smaller group of guys and gals who hooped with me! I loved seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones. I look forward to our next get-together!

Free hoop jams at Laurel Park in Marietta, Georgia!

Do you live near Marietta, Georgia? Then please join us at a free hoop jam twice a month Sundays, 4 - 5:30 p.m. at Laurel Park! Check here or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AlphabetHoops) for date announcements.

Our very first hoop jam is Sunday, July 10th at 4 p.m.!!!

We'll set up near the three large trees in the center of the huge field opposite the tennis center. Bring your own hoop or use one of mine. I'll also have a limited number available for sale (adult sized are $30 each; kid sized are $15 each).

UPDATE July 9, 2011: Laura Roinestad, Baila Hoops Hoopnotica-certified instructor, will be at the hoop jam! (Visit her Facebook page for information on her adult hoop dance classes! https://www.facebook.com/BailaHoops)

All-weather exercise

My oldest has developed an interest in a hobby that is almost ideal, at least for this mom. I can sit in air-conditioned (and later this year, heated) bliss, while Mason gets 2+ hours of non-stop fun and exercise. Oh! And there's free wi-fi, too! Where, you may ask, is this haven of parental joy? It's Progressive Skatepark in Canton, Georgia, less than a half hour from my home.

Depending on what day of the week and time of day you go, the fee ranges from $5.00 - $15.00 to use the indoor/outdoor facility for a specific time range or all day. Yes, it's not free, but it is still relatively inexpensive compared to other options available to kids. In the owner Mike DeLuca's words:

"I thought it was so unfair that these corporate skateparks were charging the fees they were. As a skater dad with three kids that skated, it really ticked me off that it would cost me sixty bucks to skate for two hours. I thought why not build a skatepark, charge a small fee to cover the overhead (utilities, insurance, labor and day to day expenses) and give a skater the chance to skate in a clean, well lit and safe environment. While I was at it, give mom and dad a great place to watch there kids excel at what they wanted to do. Today our session prices are still the lowest of any major skatepark in Georgia."

In the raise-responsible-children-area, Mason is so motivated by skateboarding that Progressive is an incentive on which I can base his taking responsibility for his weekly guitar and keyboard practice. No more nagging from this mom! (Well, less nagging, anyway.) If he practices a specific amount of time each week without being reminded, I take him skateboarding. If I have to remind him, then he has to practice anyway and there's no skateboarding that week. (Which is kind of a bummer for me, too, as I actually enjoy hanging out there. Ah, the sacrifices a parent must make!)