The Advent Season

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, a season of waiting in anticipation!

In our newly expanded 2-3 classroom, we will be learning the story of the birth of Christ, with books, songs, finger plays, and a special present opening activity.

Each week, the kids will be making an ornament to take home, that illustrates part of the Christmas story.  If you miss a week, please let me know, and I will give you a kit to assemble at home!

And as one of my favorite Christmas carols says:

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
Our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
Our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

 

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14
 

Donations needed for MOPS/Mary's Place

Hello Moms,

Our NCPC MOPS groups is having a  fundraiser with the Just Between Friends Consignment Sale happening in Mill Creek Friday December 7th, and Saturday December 8th. The sale will be held at the Gold Creek Community Church in Mill Creek at 4326 148th street Southeast (just off Seattle Hill road). The website for the sale is http://www.lynnwood.jbfsale.com/.

For those of you not familiar with Just Between Friends (JBF) they are a national organization who host large scale consignment sales across the country multiple times a year. At these events, consignors bring their new and gently-used children's and maternity merchandise to sell. Shoppers can then browse and purchase these items at great savings, usually far below retail prices. Consignors set their price for the items they are selling and then make 60-70% of what they sell. Consignors can choose to get items back that don't sell, or the organization donates the items to local charities. You can look up their national site at www.jbfsales.com .

The upcoming Mill Creek Sale is a bit unique in that it is a Toy and Baby Equipment Sale only. Just in time for the holidays. I have been in contact with the organizer and as we are a non profit organization, she will compensate us 80% of what we sell. We in exchange have to provide 2-4 volunteers to work a combined total of 8 hours at the sale.

What we need from our families are a good supply of gently used (and working) toys and baby equipment that your kids (and more likely you moms) are open to parting with. This is just in time for clearing out space in preparation for the influx of items that may be coming at Christmas. You can bring your donations to Brooke Yule's house any time, just call Brooke at  206-795-1504 or email her at beyule@earthlink.net
We can store the items in my garage and my husband and I will drop off the items at the Sale Set up between December 2nd and December 5th. Any items not sold, we will pick up and donate to Mary's Place, our MOPS outreach organization.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your families. We all have much to be thankful for.
Blessings!

JBF Consignment Ideas (just ideas to get you brainstorming)

 

Equipment:

 

Baby Carriers

Baby Swings

Bassinets

Booster Seat/High Chair Seat

Bouncy Seat

Bumbos

Co-Sleeper

Exersaucer

Gyms/Playmats

Infant Car Seat w/Base

Strollers

Jogging Strollers

Jumparoo

Port-a-Crib/Playpen

 

Furniture

Crib

Changing Table

Toddler Bed

Dresser

Gliders

Book Shelve

Hamper

 

Books

Board Book(s)

Cloth Book(s)

Hardcover Book(s)

Soft Cover Book(s)

Chapter Book(s)

Set of Book(s) - Series

Parenting/Maternity Book(s)

Home Schooling Curriculum/Educational

Books with Sound

Book/CD Sets

 

Movies/Music (G-PG13 ONLY!!!!)

DVD's

CD's

VHS's

Computer Games

 

 

 

Puzzles

Wooden Puzzle

Floor Puzzle

Jigsaw Puzzles

Foam Puzzle

 

Toys

Dolls

Doll Accessories

Stuffed Animals

Kitchen Dishes/Food

Barbie

Doll Clothes

Barbie Clothes

Barbie House

Doll House Sets

Cash Register

Cars

Trucks

Action Figures

Legos

Lincoln Logs

Play Mobiles

Blocks

 

Toddler Toys

Piano

Shape Sorter

Little People Set

Play Phone

Pull Toys

 

Games (**Please make sure all pieces are with games & are working!!!!)

Memory Games

Youth Games

Motorized Games

Adult Games

Card Games

 

Large Toys

Tricycle

Bicycle

Basket Ball/T-Ball Sets

Activity Table (ie Thomas the Train)

Electronic Robot

Electronic Ride on Toys (Batteries must be with toy & working)

Cozy Coupe

Toy Box

Play Kitchen

Desk

Wagon

Picnic Table

Slide

Playhouse

Swing Set

Sandbox

Furniture (table/Chairs, etc - plastic or wood)

Anyway Chair/Soft Furniture

Bike Carrier

Bike Trailer

 

Sporting Goods

Skate Board/Roller Skates

Helmet/Padding

Balls

Sporting Equipment

 

Electronics - MUST BE IN WORKING ORDER & WITH BATTERIES!

Toddler/Child TV Systems

Toddler/Child Readers

Wii

X-Box

Play Station

PSP

Individual Games

Karaoke System

A word about LICE

A Note from your classroom about ……. LICE!

 

A child in our Nursery has been exposed to lice.  The classroom has been cleaned and disinfected, but you should check your child for lice, in case there was any direct head to head contact.

 

Itchy, scratchy, creepy, crawly. It’s unsettling to have these creatures take up residence in your

family, but it’s important to remember a few facts about lice: Lice can’t jump or fly from head to

head; You can’t catch lice from your pet; Lice don’t spread disease; Lice like clean hair just as

much as dirty hair; 6 – 12 million people get head lice every year.

Lice are tiny insects that live in human hair. They are about the size of a sesame seed and have

light and dark areas on their bodies that help them blend into hair. Their eggs, called nits, are even

smaller and attach themselves to hair strands with very strong glue. About 12 days after the nits

hatch, they can lay up to 10 eggs a day till they die at about 28 days.

 

Lice are most frequently spread from direct head to head contact and sometimes through shared combs or hats. Most often, “outbreaks” of lice occur after close head to head contact such as during sleepovers. Lice generally won’t live more than 24 hours off a human head and usually

cannot lay eggs if they are off the head.

 

INSPECT FOR LICE: To check for lice, use a magnifying glass in bright light or sunlight. Inspect

the hair in layers especially above the ears and the back of the neck where lice like to live. Look for

lice on the scalp and the “sesame seed” nits attached to hair. Sometimes hairspray, dandruff or dirt

look like lice or nits, but they can be flicked out of the hair easily. Nits are firmly attached and feel

like tiny grains of sand stuck to the hair. Nits that are more than ¼ inch from the scalp are generally

empty eggs or dead.

 

TREATING LICE: Pesticides to get rid of lice have serious side effects. Some have not been tested

for safety on children. People with cuts or sores on their scalp should not use pesticides. Pregnant

or nursing mothers, children under two and people with chronic health conditions should NOT use

pesticides to remove lice. Sometimes pesticides don’t work as lice are immune to them.

An immobilizing gel or inexpensive hair conditioner which keeps the lice from moving about on the

head combined with daily combing using a metal, fine toothed comb is the safest and most

effective way to remove lice. Combing and nitpicking daily for three weeks will prevent nits from

hatching and re-infesting the head with lice. Good effects have been shown from drying the hair

with a hair dryer at a comfortable temperature for 30 minutes which kills up to 88% of lice and nits.

Researchers feel the dry air is what kills the lice more than the heat. DO NOT use hairdryers with

head lice shampoos as the shampoos are flammable.

 

LICE PREVENTION: To prevent lice infestations, Avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact. Do not

share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, or barrettes. Girls may

want to put their hair back in ponytails or braids. Using pesticides cannot prevent future lice

outbreaks. Parents should periodically check their children’s scalp for lice and nits and especially

with excessive head scratching.

 

For more information:

http://www.cdc.gov/lice/head/schools.html http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/headlice/flow.html

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;110/3/638#SEC9

http://www.snohd.org/snoLiceArentNice/index.htm#

Autumn Leaves

Welcome to Autumn!  The wind is getting blustery, and the leaves are falling...mostly all over my car.  It's a wonderful, and colorful time of year.

My five year old has started a "leaf collection"  which she adds to every day.  Yesterday she was sad when she opened the box to find that some of her favorite leaves had lost their bright colors and turned brown.  How fast the glowing colors of autumn seem to fade!  Enjoy them while they last!

October, too, seems to have sparkled brightly and briefly.

In our 2's class, we learned the story of Noah.  The first week, our kids "built" their own ark on paper, the next week they added animals, then they decorated a picture of a dove, and this last Sunday of October they put together a picture of a rainbow:  God's promise to never flood the earth again.

November is all about giving thanks to the Lord!  Thanks for our families, friends, the food we eat, the homes we live in, and most of all for the gift of God's son, Jesus.

Our two's class will do fun crafts with leaves and turkeys, while learning some simple prayers to say, "Thanks!"

May God's blessings be with you and your family during this beautiful season!

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17

Upcoming Events!

If you follow our Facebook page, you may have noticed a slew of upcoming events! So, here they all are in one place. If you have any questions, email me at molly@northcreekpres.org, or check out the links to the websites.

 

Open Play Group

Fall is upon us and with it the change in weather. If you are looking for a cozy, friendly and free indoor space, join us in the Fellowship Hall at North Creek Presbyterian Church on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month from 10:00-11:30am for a drop in play group for kids 6 years and under and their parents or caregivers. We will have different play stations, a craft area, snacks, coffee, and a...

short group time at the end. The adults can chat while the children play. It is free and open to anyone so pass on the information to your friends!

Last meet-up was so much fun for me. My older children would never let me sing and passed on that aversion to my youngest, Ethan. I planned on doing fewer songs but imagine my surprise when the little ones wanted more! We started with Itsy Bitsy spider and sang several times, the kids were having so much fun. I found my Itsy Bitsy spider book that contains a few more verses for the kids to try out. I'm looking forward to seeing any who can make it and meeting new moms in the area.



PS Nicki Solie will be making Peanut Butter and Jelly bars and pumpkin bread for treats tomorrow.

Next playgroup Thursday, Nov 1st.

Christmas Boutique

You are cordially invited to the 24th annual Christmas at North Creek holiday boutique featuring fine handcrafted items for Christmas and other special occasions. Gift items from more than forty outstanding northwest Washington artisans will be displayed to satisfy your seasonal and special occasion giving needs. This fun and festive event is held Oct 25th, 26th, & 27th (Thurs & Fri 10-6; Sat 10-4...

).

Christmas at North Creek is hosted by North Creek Presbyterian Church. All proceeds generated benefit the St. Petersburg Children's Hospice in Russia which provides palliative care to terminally ill children whose families cannot afford clinical treatment.

Childcare available: Thurs & Fri: 10 am - 12 pm
Sat: 10 am - 4 pm
(Suggested donation of $2 per hour per child)

 

 

Family Seminary

Sunday, November 4th 5:15 pm to 7:30 pm

Family Seminary

Join us for our first Family Seminary seminar: Spiritual Parenting in a Digital Media Age.
5:15 - 6:00pm Family dinner
6:00 - 7:30pm - Adult Seminar & Children/Youth programming

Well known author, speaker, and founder of the Parenting Coach Institute, Gloria DeGaentano will guide participants to think about how to parent well in a digital media age by looking at brain development, ages & stages, and the role digital devices play in developing an interior life ripe for spiritual development.

http://www.northcreekpres.org/698191.ihtml

Alpha Parenting Course

One more! It's not too late to sign up for the Alpha Parenting course: October 19 - November 16 at 7pm
Hosts: Craig and Lori Puljan
Free childcare. Cost for Course: $50 for each couple or $25 per person.

http://www.northcreekpres.org/409668.ihtml

 

Hope to see you there!

In the Beginning

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

Welcome to a new school year!  Fall is a wonderful time of beginnings.
Big kids beginning school in a new classroom, beginning new friendships...and at North Creek Presbyterian Church, beginning Sunday School in new classrooms too!

Our first official Sunday School of the fall is on September 9th.

In the 2's class, we will have a new bible lesson each month.  We begin in September with the story of creation.

Our emphasis will be on teaching our 2 year olds that God created the world and everything in it.

As parents, you can reinforce this lesson at home.  When you read a book or watch a TV show about animals, you can remind them that God made all living things.  Trips to the zoo or farm are a fun way to learn about God's creatures.  Flowers, plants, bugs, seeds, are all wonderful reminders of the breadth of God's creation.

"I am the Lord, sho has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, sho spread out the earth by myself."  Isaiah 44:24

If you have any questions about the lessons in the 2's class, please don't hesitate to contact me!

You can email me a: molly@northcreekpres.org, or just stop by on Sunday morning.

Upcoming Nursery events:

*PLAY DATE*

When: September 8th

between 10:00am and noon 

Where: The Village Bean in Country Village, Bothell

What: Coffee, conversation, and a chance to meet parents of kids the same ages, while the kids play! 

Mention this blog post at Second Saturday, and the Nursery will buy you a drink of your choice!  (My personal choice is a skinny caramel latte...mmmm, latte...)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fishers of Men

This month in the 2's class we learned about how Jesus called his disciples to be fisher's of men.

Here are the talking points we use when talking to two year olds about becoming disciples of Christ:

 
What does it mean to be a "fisher of men?" Instead of catching fish we catch men. We tell people about Jesus so that they too want to follow him too.

What do you need to catch fish? You need a net or a fishing pole. If you use a fishing pole, you have to have bait.

What kind of bait can you use to catch fish? night crawlers, lures, bugs, caterpillars, etc.

But what kind of bait do you use to catch men? God's words.

As a family, you can talk about the following ideas that we touched on in class:

Who can be “caught”: friends, family, neighbors, grown-ups or kids

How can you “fish”: sharing God’s word, talking about God’s love, praying for and with people

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:18-20

Calendar Note:

Make sure to come to class on Sunday, August 19th!  We will be having a graduation party for our two's class, with treats and diplomas for the kids.  Plus, Mom and Dad, this is a great time for any questions you may have about Sunday School and what you can expect in the new school year!