Take a Trip to Tanzania With momstown Milton's Trip Around the World Program!

Jambo Rafiki!

We recently took a fun and exciting journey to Tanzania at our momstown Milton Trip Around the World program! 

We started the program by learning a Swahili phrase "Jambo Rafiki", which means "Hello Friends".  We listened to a song called "Jambo Bwana" so that we could hear what the Swahili language sounds like.  This is a very catchy tune, and a fun song to get kids dancing!  We also looked at a World map, and found Tanzania on the east coast of Africa.

Next we learned about the beautiful pieces of fabric called "kangas" that are worn by women in Tanzania.  Kangas have special meaning, and every single one has a Swahili Phrase written on it.  "Furaha ya maisha ni upendo"  means "love is the joy of life".  Kangas are given as gifts, new born babies are wrapped in a kanga, and newly married couples are wrapped in a kanga.  They are made of very colourful cotton, and sold with two identical pieces that can be cut down the centre - a skirt and a top, or maybe to be used to tie a baby on to mamas back for carrying.  I brought home several kangas from a trip to Tanzania.  The kids and mamas had fun trying them on!

We moved on to creating the flag of Tanzania, a very colourful and beautiful flag that is blue, black, yellow and green.

No Trip Around the World is complete without a sampling of food!  The "official" food of Tanzania is ugali and rice.  Ugali is very similar to polenta, but made with white cornmeal instead of yellow.  I decided to make a simple dish called "chips mayai".  This is a very popular dish that is eaten frequently in Tanzania, sold in restaurants as well as road side stalls.  Chips mayi is translated as "chips and eggs", and it is basically reheated fries that are cooked with eggs, similar to a fritatta.  Our little travelers enjoyed this snack, many asking for seconds!

 

 

Lastly, I showed the kids a picture of the school that I worked in while volunteering in Moshi, Tanzania.  The school is called Kilemehewa and it is a volunteer run school for kids who are not able to afford to attend public school (eg. cost of uniforms, books etc.).  It is run by the community with local teacher volunteers as well as international volunteers.  It is a wonderful place, and holds a special place in my heart!

 

 

Trip Around the World is a fun program that the kids always enjoy.  It is great to learn about other places, and this group always sparks fun conversations among the moms.  Everyone enjoyed their trip to Tanzania! Asante sana (thank you very much), little travelers for coming and bravely trying new tastes and experiences!

Kwaheri! (Goodbye!)

 

 

To learn more about what momstown Milton is all about - Click Here

 

To register for a 6 week FREE trial membership - Click Here 

 

If you are a business that would like to sponsor our events or advertise with us please contact info.milton@momstown.ca

 

Submitted by Paula Porter, a momstown Milton member and

 mother of two amazing girls.

 

Top 6 Gifts Teachers DON'T Want to Receive As Year-End Gift

Here at momstown Milton we believe in a little good old fashioned banter! After all, what's life without a few hearty belly laughs?

Recently, we started chatting on our message board about gifts that teachers really want, and soon, it evolved into a hilarious thread reminiscent of the "Land of Misfit Toys."

Drum roll please as we enthusiastically reveal the Top 6 Gifts Teachers DON'T Want to Receive...

6. Coming in strong at number 6 is none other than Mug Mountain! Yes, those mugs that teachers receive year after year. Imagine how lonely those poor mugs, piled mountainously one on top of the other, sitting in a corner of a dusty cupboard somewhere. They have been long forgotten and woefully abandoned. They cry out at night for just a touch of hot coffee or tea to grace their porcelain bits, but alas, nobody hears their plea.

cafepress.ca

5. Homemade baked goodies! Yes, those germ-ridden little hands that get into everything, the little avid scavengers of "floor food" have decided to bake their favourite teacher some cookies. Envisioning where those little hands have explored makes your appetite diminish by just a little.

Oh, little chefs, are you really going to make those cookies? 

Yum! Handmade cookie goodness.

4. We've talked about homemade baking wonders, how about previously sampled baking goodness? Oh yes, sometimes those eager little mouths can't resist taking a bite out of your gift? Imagine your surprise when you see teeth marks in that cookie with a sheepish: "Please don't tell my mom! I just really wanted to taste it." Memorable for sure! 

3. Coming in at number 3. The eternal flame. Those pillars of wax. C-c-c-candles! All of those candles, row by row, surely to light them all would light up the world! Alas, they too, like their comrades the mugs, are often cast aside. Instead of lighting up life, they wallow in darkness. 

Wax wonders

2. Standing tall at number 2 are statutes. Yes, those porcelain figurines or more truthfully, unwanted tchotchkes. Surely there's an exotic land far far away where the pretty ballerina; farmer; and fiddler player all are frolicking together.  

The fiddler

1. Let's let out some hooting and hollering for our number 1. A coconut. Yes. It has happened. The legend goes something like this: One mother, steadfast in her devotion that her daughter must bring a gift to school gave her child a coconut to present to her teacher. Given we live in Canada, this is quite a unique feat! 

We hope you've enjoyed our tongue-in-cheek little countdown. 

In all seriousness, we know and understand that the greatest gifts are those that come from the heart. Handmade cards with thoughtfully written messages are absolutely wonderful. 

If you know the charitable cause that your child's teacher supports, consider making a donation in his/her name on your child's behalf.

School supplies (note pads; sticky pads; markers) and craft supplies are especially useful for teachers! 

Gift cards to Indigo, LCBO, Tim Horton's, Starbucks, are always great gift ideas as well. 

We would love to have you join our supportive community (our chat board is available 24/7) and come out to 
our momstown Milton events and see what the fun's all about!

Register here for your 6 week FREE trial. 

 

   

Written by Liz Marques Kogan, a momstown Milton member and mother of two children. 

You can check out her site at: OrchidaWords 

Our momstown Milton Little Scientists Explore What Dissolves When Wet, Wet, Wet!

Our momstown Milton Little Scientists had fun experimenting in the kitchen, trying to determine what will dissolve when it gets wet, wet, wet! 

We started off with talking about what it means to "dissolve": when you add water to something and the little particles become so tiny that you can't see them anymore - they become part of the water; you may not see them but they are still there.

The kids were excited to be conducting experiments with common things that they see in their kitchens:  salt; instant coffee; pasta; quinoa; jello powder; and sprinkles.  We made a hypothesis for each item - would it dissolve in water, or would it stay the same?

Each Little Scientist chose a cup.  We then took turns putting a scoop of the food into a clear glass, then pouring warm water into the glass and stirring.

  
Kids love scooping and love pouring water, so this in itself was pretty entertaining for everyone!  It was fun for them to guess what would dissolve and what wouldn't.  

Seeing the coffee dissolve, the kids could see that something that dissolves is still a part of the solution.  We then moved on to the salt.  It dissolved into the water and the water is clear.  Everyone got to taste the water with a spoon to show that the salt didn't disappear, it changed form and became a part of the water.

 

The jello powder and the sprinkles were fun for the kids.  The water turned bright blue with the jello powder and our Halloween sprinkles turned the water black, though they didn't quite dissolve completely.  Not surprisingly, the sprinkles didn't dissolve completely off of little Sky's face after she sneaked a handful.

 

This is a fun and easy experiment to do with preschoolers.  They are able to participate by scooping, pouring and stirring, and they have fun guessing at the outcome (forming a hypothesis).  My daughter spent part of the afternoon walking around the house putting things like magnets, pens, a spoon of sugar, etc into a cup of water to see if they would "disappear".  It is nice to know that they think about these learning experiences once you have cleaned up the mess and moved on!

Thanks to everyone who came today for some basic science fun! Join us next month at our Little Scientists program  when we explore how to make music with bottles and water! !

To learn more about what momstown Milton is all about - Click Here

To register for a 6 week FREE trial membership - Click Here

If you are a business that would like to sponsor our events or advertise with us please contact info.milton@momstown.ca

Submitted by Paula Porter, a momstown Milton member and

 mother of two children.

momstown.ca conference was not at all what I expected

Last week I attended our momstown.ca conference at the lovely Fern Resort in Orillia. Being in my third year as owner of the momstown Milton chapter these conferences were not new to me and I was well prepared to discuss numbers, targets, bottom lines, etc.. with my fellow teammates to strategize and grow our business. Let me tell you that this was NOT in the agenda at all.

This time around we were going to spend most of the conference getting in touch with our feelings. Really! I had booked off 4 days to dedicate to my business and we were going to be touchy feely all weekend long? I am by nature NOT a "let's talk about our feelings" type of girl and therefore I was in total disbelief  as the highlights of the conference were revealed. I kept waiting for Ann-Marie the founder of momstown to shout out "Got Ya" but it didn't happen. In fact our fearless leader stood before us and opened up the conference airing out ALL of her well kept secrets from beginning to end of how momstown evolved from conception to present day.She really laid it all out on the line and disclosed all of the challenges, heartbreaks, blood, sweat and tears she had shed to get this company to where it is now. I was shocked at her honesty and openness and most of all at her courage and perseverance to  push forward through the darkest days.

Next on the agenda was FOCUS and CONCENTRATION. This was my favourite part of the conference because of the hands on approach. We were taken to a field and taught to take aim and fire at the target. We had to listen to the instructor for a very brief lesson and then put into action what we learned with all of the distractions of everyone giggling, chatting and asking questions. We also had to learn to adjust our stance , our aim or our draw in order to make the shot. If you think about it, this is what all entrepreneurs have to do - deal with distractions, learn through trial and error and seek guidance / expertise wherever they can get it. It was a great, fun,learning experience.

As the conference progressed we were joined by Jennifer Bodenham from Gleaming & Dreaming Inc. She took us through a number of exercises that had us dig deep into our selves to recognize both our gremlins and our core desired feelings. This is the only way that you can truly begin to progress in your journey in both life and business. We also learned about perspective and how to turn a negative thought cycle into a positive one with a few simple mind set changes. This was easy to relate to since it goes with my personal mantra PMA - positive mental attitude!

 

 After a hard day of learning, we were able to kick back and enjoy each night with our fellow teammates. This was a great time to get to know each other better on a personal level. Dancing, drinks and a competitive Mattlel Games Night helped to bring out even the shyest of the bunch. What happens at Fern Resort stays at Fern Resort : )

 I do have to note that the thing that I am going to miss the most is being SPOILED by the attentive staff. It was so great having a bed all to myself and waking up to such a spectacular view. I also enjoyed having a hot uninterrupted meal each day and finally getting to try the ever famous Peanut Butter Pie! I'm counting the days until my return with my family in July!

 Speaking of getting spoiled, we were lucky enough to get a swag bag  that was full of some AWESOME items that we were able to enjoy throughout the conference and take home from our friends at: Quaker Canada, Twistos, Goody Canada, Mabels Labels, Barilla Pasta, Post Cereal, Walmart Canada, and Adult Essentials and a special shout out to Baker's Ma'am for the creative cake!

As the conference came to an end and I had a little bit more time to absorb all that we had learned, I could see the positive affects that it had on our entire group. We were always a strong bunch but the confidence, determination and  direction seemed to shine through even more as we packed up and got ready to depart back to our individual momstown communities. Can't wait to see the FANTASTIC results that will come of this session.

What Makes My Husband a Great Dad

Writing about "what makes my husband a great dad" seemed like a simple enough assignment.  While there are moments some days where he annoys me for whatever trivial reason, a day does not pass without me thanking my lucky stars that he is ours for life. I hope this doesn't come across as bragging.  I am not comparing him to any other dad or husband, just celebrating how awesome mine is in honour of Father's Day.

My husband Chris grew up in a family of strong women.  A mom who raised him and his younger sister for the most part single handedly, and a grandmother, the matriarch of the family who always had a soft spot for him.  The man he became can be attributed to this group of women, and the father he is becoming must also get some credit from the other women who have entered his life - our two amazing girls (3.5y and 22 months) and I guess, me. 

Before we had kids, we met, fell in love, traveled the world together, then relocated ourselves from Vancouver to Toronto.  We got married, and about a year later our first daughter was born. Twenty months after her arrival, we welcomed our second daughter into the world.

The memory of Chris holding our first baby girl in those early hours of her life always brings a tear to my eye.  Our lives were changed forever, just as every new parents' lives change with that tiny little person entering the world.  If I knew during my pregnant months that I had a great partner, I was reassured a hundred fold once Zoe was here, then another hundred fold after our second daughter was born.  I have never once felt that he doesn't equally share the parenting load with me, and often feel that he carries more.

In the months before Zoe was born, Chris was asked to be a volunteer in a program for women and kids who have fled abuse.  A friend of ours runs the program, and when the group was in need of positive male role models to work with the kids, she thought of Chris.  Having the experience of connecting with these women and children took on extra meaning after our daughter was here.  He continued to volunteer for two more years.  

Chris has a kind and gentle spirit.  I have seen him rattled once or twice in our eight years together.  He has seen me rattled several times a day throughout our eight years together.  He is not flowery or overly emotional, but he is  positive.  He doesn't speak in anger about anyone or anything.  He sees the good in every person and it is a quality that I hope our girls will also share. It is wonderful to have a calm, level headed and happy person in the house when you have kids.  His love for his daughters and his love for me is what keeps us all going.  His heart is the heart of our little family.

On a Saturday it is not rare for Chris to get the girls up, dressed and out the door quickly so I can get some extra sleep.  He enjoys the time he has with the girls.  When it is time to wash the car, the three of them are in the driveway - Chris cleaning the car, and the girls cleaning the driveway, house, whatever.  While I relish a grocery trip without the kids (as most moms do!), Chris is fearless in taking them both with him on errands and usually comes home saying how much fun they had together. His time with them is always quality time, and I love him for that. 

Life can be tough for a working dad when the kids are at home with mom.  He often gets the brush off or flat out refusal at story time. Each night our oldest daughter asks hopefully, "mom, are you with me tonight?".  Our youngest will refuse to let him take her plate off the table, insisting that mom take care of it. He takes this all in stride and sees the humour in it.  I have decided that I will enjoy it while it lasts, because I don't doubt that soon enough he will be the favorite... I am not sure I will be as gracious as he! 

Chris loves my family, and I am thankful for that.  My nieces think the world of him and he always looks forward to spending time with them.  They recently came over for a robot making sleepover, and Chris spent hours finding spare parts that would make the robots more authentic. He has also sat through many a tea party, often decked out in a boa, crown, or whatever else our 3.5 year old hands him to wear. He enjoys spending time with my parents and welcomes them when they visit from the East Coast.  He makes life easier and more full of love for all of us, and he does it effortlessly and genuinely.  

All in all, this Father's Day I will be thankful for two fathers. My own, the first amazing dad in my life, and Chris, the wonderful husband and father that makes our family better every day.  We count our lucky stars to have both of these Dads in our lives.

To learn more about what momstown Milton is all about - Click Here

To register for a 6 week FREE trial membership - Click Here

If you are a business that would like to sponsor our events or advertise with us please contact info.milton@momstown.ca

Submitted by Paula Porter, a momstown Milton member and

 mother of two children.

Rain Rain Go Away by Caroline Jayne Church made a splash at our Scholastic Baby Book Club

Some cultures do rain dances to bring on the rain.  Today at Sharkey’s Milton, we improvised and created our own rain scenario at our Baby Basics Books for Babes.  ScholasticCanada has been very generous providing us with a fantastic books each month for our little ones to explore. This month our giveaway book was Rain, Rain Go Away by Caroline Jayne Church and our little ones had a splish splashing good time.
 

The mom’s and babies alike, got into the singing spirit to belt out familiar “rain” tunes.  Once the first round of singing was complete, we did a reading of Rain, Rain, Go Away and watched as the babies took in the bright colors and faces in the book. The phrases are short and sweet and the board book makes it easy for little hands to grasp and turn the pages.

 

After one more round of singing, it was time for some sensory play.  In light of it being a “rain” theme, the babies had an opportunity to have water play!! 

Some of the younger ones just watched and took it in as the older babies were stripped down and got right into the spirit of splashing.  Although they enjoyed the singing, and reading the book too, their favorite part of this program was making a big “rainy” mess!! 

 
 

 

Congrats to our winner Jiya who was super excited to take home today's featured book!  As always, thank you Scholastic Canada for another lovely book and thank you to Sharkey’s for providing us the space for our mamas and babies to hang out!

Looking forward to seeing what adventure we will take next month at our Scholastic Books for Babes Program.  We hope you can join us!

A Blast with Bubbles at our momstown Milton Baby Sensory Group!

With the warmer weather finally here, our momstown Milton Baby Sensory Exploration group had some fun in the sun, playing with bubbles! 

It is no secret that kids of all ages LOVE bubbles.  Blowing bubbles is a happy and peaceful activity to engage a young baby.  We moms know that there is a short blissful window before "the bubble breaks" (pardon the pun!) and children start to seek out their independence in blowing bubbles, often resulting in tears, many a tipped bottle of suds, and frustration all around until they master the art of bubble blowing all on their own.  The babes in our Baby Sensory group are of that special age -- pre bubble blowing drama!  

 

All of the babies initially took a particular interest in eating/tasting the bubbles wands, but then noticed the bubbles floating around them.   

A few little ones tried to catch the blowing bubbles but they were moving too quickly in the wind, so the clever mommies blew the bubbles onto the grass where the babies could try to grab and pop the bubbles. It was a great time watching the expressions on their faces when the bubbles popped, and seeing them look around, wondering where the bubbles went!  
 

 

Our momstown Milton theme for the month of May has been "wet, wet, wet", and our little sensory explorers have had a blast splashing in a water table, popping sudsy bubbles, and will be exploring pudding paint!  Baby Sensory Exploration is a wonderful group where babies have a chance to use all of their senses while exploring the world around them.  If you not a momstown member, but are interested in checking out this great momstown program, click here to find out more!  

To learn more about what momstown Milton is all about - Click Here

To register for a 6 week FREE trial membership - Click Here

If you are a business that would like to sponsor our events or advertise with us please contact info.milton@momstown.ca

Submitted by Paula Porter, a momstown Milton member and

 mother of two children.