Fun Things to do near Santa Clarita

Blueberry Picking - Underwood Family Farms - Somis, CA - May 23-mid July - 9am-2pm

Cherry Picking - Leona Valley, CA June 6,7,13,14 - call 661-266-7116

Griffith Observatory - Free Star Parties - 5/2, 5/30, 6/27, 8/29, 9/26, 10/24, 11/21, and 12/19

Hollywood Bowl - Summer Sounds For Kids - $7 for adults/kids for show - $5 kids only art before or after performance - fills up FAST! 3 programs

Ford Theatre - July 4-Aug 29 - free kids concerts and workshops - $5 adults and $1 parking - have to order tix.

Ventura County Fair - August 5-16 - Dollar Days Aug 5/12 ($1 admission) - Fri, Aug 7, all kids under 12 are free

Disney Concert Hall - four-concert Saturday series with workshops - 10-11am workshop - 11am-12 concert - $80 for series of four per person/child. Oct 17- April 17

Peach Picking - Tyler Family Farmers - Lancaster, CA - Sept/Oct

Free Movies - Every Tues and Wed during summer at 10am - regmovies.com

Avocado Festival -Carpenteria, CA - Oct 2-4

Gilroy Garlic Festival - Gilroy, CA - July 24-26

Always Free Things to Do

California African American Museum - Exposition Park, Downtown Los Angeles - California Science Center, Exposition Park, Downtown Los Angeles - $6 parking

UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History - Los Angeles

The Getty Center - Brentwood, Los Angeles

The Getty Villa - Pacific Palisades

Hollywood Bowl Museum

The Los Angeles Fire Department Museum - Hollywood - only open Saturdays 10-4

MOCA Pacific Design Center - West Hollywood

Museum of Television and Radio - Beverly Hills

Muckenthaler Cultural Center - Fullerton

The Nethercutt Collection and Nethercutt Museum - Sylmar

Santa Monica Museum of Art - suggested $5 donation - Santa Monica

STARS Center Sheriff's Museum - 11515 Colima Rd. at Telegraph Rd., Whittier

Weekly Free Museum Days



Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology - Claremont - free Wednesdays

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) - downtown Los Angeles - free every Thursday from 5 to 8 pm

MOCA Geffen Contemporary - downtown Los Angeles - free every Thursday from 5 to 8 pm

Skirball Cultural Center - free Thursdays noon - 9 pm

UCLA Hammer Museum - every Thursday

Japanese American National Museum - Little Tokyo - Los Angeles - every Thursday 5 to 8 pm, and 3rd Thursday all day

Free Every Friday

Long Beach Museum of Art - free Friday

Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach - Free on Fridays, check website for Free Family Sundays

Bowers Museum, Santa Ana - Free for the first 100 visitors per hour on Fridays from 4 to 8 pm

Monthly Free Museum Days

George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits - Los Angeles - free the first Tuesday of the month

Natural History Museum, Exposition Park - downtown Los Angeles - free the first Tuesday of the month

Craft and Folk Art Museum - Mid Wilshire - Museum Row - Los Angeles - first Wednesday

Huntington Library - Collections and Botanical Gardens - Pasadena - free first Thursday of the month - free advance tickets required - available beginning the 1st of the preceding month (i.e. August 1 for September 6)

Norton Simon Museum - Pasadena - 1st Fridays from 6 to 9 pm

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) - Mid-Wilshire, Museum Row, Los Angeles - 2nd Tuesday - check for other sponsored free days - NEXGEN program is membership for kids under 18 for free - the adult who brings them gets in free, too - www.lacma.org/programs/NexGenKids.aspx

Autry National Center: Museum of the American West in Griffith Park - Los Angeles - the 2nd Tuesday of the month

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden - free every 3rd Tuesday of the month

Japanese American National Museum - Little Tokyo - Los Angeles - 3rd Thursday all day

Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena - 4th Friday

One more summer activity to add to your calendar...

Cherry picking next Friday June 19th at 10 a.m. If you want to go let Heather Ippolito know. It is located at 9300 Leona Avenue Leona Valley, CA 93551. Cash only-- $3.25 per pound of cherries you pick. Ron, Libi and I hope to see lots of you there!

June newsletter

Hello MOPS Mommies!! We hope your summer thus far has been fun and relaxing! Here are a few notes from the new leadership team and the calendar of June events. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the leadership team member directly!

Thanks!

Leadership Team for 2009-2010

Co-Chairs: Corrie Nibarger 253-1121

Joie Fried 775-0699

Membership: Amy Young 775-1413

Group Leader: Laura Young 309-6532

Finance Leader: Wendy Pohl 251-8226

Hospitality Leader: Lucy Beasley 255-0713

Communication Leader: Heather Ippolito 252-1425

Prayer and Care Leader: Michelle Jones 284-2564

Service Leader: Myra Gibson 222-7405

Craft Queen: Sabina Kosek 513-0599

Mentor Mom Leader: Kari Dahlquist 263-0973

Moppet Coordinator: THIS POSITION IS STILL OPEN

A Message from Prayer and Care Chair, Michelle Jones:

If anyone has prayer needs over the summer, feel free to email Michelle at mjonesharp@earthlink.net. We are happy to support you in prayer during our summer break.

A note from Amy Young—Membership Chair:

Join us in the fall for another amazing year of sisterhood. Registration information will be mailed out on July 25, 2009. Please make sure it is returned by August 8, 2009.

If you have a friend that would like to be added to the mailing list for fall registration please contact Amy Young at 775-1413 or a77young@ca.rr.com

A message from Heather Ippolito and the Communications Team:

In an effort to try to improve our communication we have a few newer things we would like to share with you.

First of all, for those of you on Facebook we have a MOPS of VUMC group. On the group there are discussion questions, a marketplace, and soon there will be a calendar of events. The marketplace is the perfect area to advertise your business or to sell or trade those items that the kids have outgrown. To access the group, just search for MOPS of VUMC and it should pop up—if not, please contact either Heather Ippolito or Suzanne Collins!

Secondly, our blog at http://vumcmops.blogspot.com/ is full of summer-time information. The entire summer calendar is posted as well as vacation Bible school information and all of the summer newsletters will be there.

If you are away for the summer, but want to feel connected, we hope

these two communication tools will help! If you have any questions or suggestions for us, please let Heather know!

June Events:

June 1—10 a.m. Los Angeles Zoo Trip. Meet in front of the zoo at 10 a.m. We will spend the morning visiting our animal friends. Heather Ippolito is coordinating this event—please RSVP so she knows to look for you.

June 2—9 a.m. Oaklane Townhomes Pool hosted by Nicola Foley. Please bring towels, sunscreen, favorite pool toys etc. There is a bathroom/shower and plenty of tables and chairs on site. Nicola will supply refreshments and snack—please RSVP to njfoley@sbcglobal.net so Nicola knows how much to bring.

Directions from VUMC:

Left of McBeanLeft on Orchard Village. Left on Wiley (Or it might be called Via Princessa). Left on Oakridge. Left on Oaklane (1st left and only left you can make). Gate code is 4008.Parking is marked visitor and is in green, however all parking is a free for all during the day (you can park in any spot).

June 9—9:30 a.m. Snow Cone Sippers Reunion at Valencia Glen Park. All former Moppets (especially those from room 6) are invited to a park day! Bring your hats, sunscreen, drinks and snacks and we’ll see you at Valencia Glen Park. Let Heather Ippolito know if you’re coming!

Directions from VUMC:

Go South on McBean Parkway until you read Orchard Village Road. Go left on Orchard Village. Make the first left turn you can onto Via Gavola. Follow the street until it ends in a cul-de-sac and you will see the park on the right. The address is 23750 Via Gavola.

June 11—10 a.m. Carpenteria Beach Trip hosted by Sabina Kosek. For more information and details about where to meet for this trip, please call Sabina directly at 661-309-3349.

June 15—10 a.m. Disneyland Trip. Meet in front of the castle at 10 a.m. We have to visit the Magic Kingdom at least once this summer, don’t we?? This is an open day for every type of passport, so we hope to see lots of folks there! Heather Ippolito it organizing the trip, so be sure to call her when you get into the park (661) 755-7585!

June 23—9:30 a.m. Bumper Car Buddies Reunion at Valencia Heritage Park. It’s time for another Moppet reunion! This is primarily for kids from room 4, but all are welcome!! Bring your hats, sunscreen, drinks and snacks and join in the fun! Give Heather Ippolito a jingle if you can come!

Directions from VUMC:

Go North on McBean Parkway. Turn left at Newhall Ranch Road. You will see a driveway very soon on your right, turn in here and park. The address is: 24155 Newhall Ranch Road.

June 30—10:30 a.m. Northbridge Pool hosted by Laura Young. Bring your own food and drinks. No floaties are allowed in the big pool but there is a nice size baby pool. plenty of shade and picnic tables. No RSVP necessary
Directions from VUMC:
Take McBean to Fairview - turn right onto Fairview. Follow to Grandview. Pool located at the corner of Grandview and Fairview. Park in the parking lot.
Laura will let you in with a key, her cell is 661 755 3892

Vacation Bible School...

Hello ladies,
Many of you were asking for VBS information so I've placed it on our Facebook page and here in the blog. Hope you find it helpful!

Family VBS is the week of June 15th, 6:30pm - 8:30pm. This one is for the whole family (Recommended for Pre-K and older, but all are welcome) and is a hands-on journey into the Bible. Registration is open through May 31st and cost is $50/family.

VBS is the week of July 20th, 9:00am - 12:15pm. This year's theme is: "Crocodile Rock: Where Fearless Kids Shine God's Light". Registration will be June 14th - July 12th. Cost is $40/1st child, $35/additional children from the same family. Adults who volunteer to help for the whole week get half off of the registration fee.

Summer Activities...

MOPS Summer Calendar

May 19—10 a.m. Santa Clarita Park Play date hosted by Joie Fried.

May 22—7:30 p.m. Robin Hood Movie Night at the Ippolito House 18502 More Court Canyon Country

May 26—9:30 a.m. Carousel Cutie and Tea Cup Tot Reunion at Fair Oaks Park

June 1—10 a.m. Los Angeles Zoo Trip. Meet in front of the zoo at 10 a.m.

June 2—9 a.m. Oaklane Townhomes Pool hosted by Nicola Foley.

June 9—9:30 a.m. Snow Cone Sippers Reunion at Valencia Glen Park

June 11—10 a.m. Carpenteria Beach Trip hosted by Sabine Kosek.

June 15—10 a.m. Disneyland Trip. Meet in front of the castle at 10 a.m.

June 23—9:30 a.m. Bumper Car Buddies Reunion at Valencia Heritage Park

June 30—10:30 a.m. Northbridge Pool hosted by Laura Young.

July 8—11 a.m.-2 p.m. Pool play date at Corrie Nibarger’s house 26066 Bates Place Stevenson Ranch.

July 14—9:30 a.m. Ferris Wheel Friends Reunion at Todd Longshore Park

July 16—10- a.m. Santa Barbara Zoo Trip. Meet in front of the zoo at 10 a.m.

July 21— 10 a.m. Village Homes North community pool date hosted by Genia Roberts and Lisa Howard

July 28—9:30 a.m. Roller Coaster Racers Reunion at Valencia Heritage Park

August 4—10 a.m. Fair Oaks Ranch Community Pool Day hosted by Wendy Phol

August 11—10 a.m. Creekside Community Pool hosted by Tara Johannsen

August 27—10 a.m. Beach Day at Marina Park in Ventura. This is a park as well as a beach so for those who may not like the sand, they can hang out on the grass and there is a nice kids play area too

Almost the end...

Hello MOPS families! We are nearing the end of our year together. Today the children will begin working on a super secret craft which they will unveil to you after our final meeting May 12. Please don't ask them about it and spoil the surprise!!!

Our book for today was Weird Parents by Audrey Wood.
As summer approaches we are sometimes overwhelmed by the thought of how to fill their summer days. Here are a few ideas of things to do with the kids to keep all of you smiling!!!

I have found a great group (thanks to former MOPS Mommy Andrea Pohlot!) It's called Mommy Adventure Club and it is run by an honest to goodness stay at home mom who wanted to do things in L.A. that were fun for her as well as her kids. She organizes trips all over-- some that cost while others are free, but the real treasure on her site is the list of 101 things to do in L.A. with kids. I have been amazed at some of the things on this list that I never knew existed-- I am hoping to get to all 101 myself!

People know that I love all things Disney and the Disney company has some amazing travel suggestions throughout California.

I believe I have mentioned this site before (this site even puts the calendar on the side of our blog) but I love Go City Kids! They have all sorts of resources for daily activities all around Southern California. From simple things like story times at libraries and free food nights to concerts and special museum or theme park exhibits-- this site has it all!

We will be having room reunions during the summer so that your child can reconnect with friends from their room. Please check the clipboards for the dates and locations of these reunions. I will try to send out reminder e-mails, but my Mommy brain kicks in during the heat of the summer :)

As this is our last blog entry for this year, I hope that you all have a wonderful summer! It has been my pleasure serving as the Moppet Coordinator and I look forward to seeing many of you next year!

Better late than never...

Sorry it took awhile to get this up, but finally I'm getting caught up.

The kids read the darling book A Frog ThingWe did a Spring Cleaning craft today-- we put out all of our bits and pieces from old crafts and let the kids imagination run wild. Some kids left with one completed craft while others left with many!!!

It is hard to imagine that we only have two more meetings left. In next weeks blog look for some summer ideas to do with your kids.

Happy Spring!