Keizer Iris Festival Parade

KEIZER IRIS FESTIVAL PARADE

May 16, 2009

My second parade was the Iris Festival Parade. We ended up being near the end of this large parade and it was a very warm day! Daughters Alisha and Nola and son-in-law Michael were a great support! Two sweet grandsons also joined in.

I rented a convertible and we decked it out with flags and my magnetic sign. We placed a flower arrangement on the back of the car and I held a bouquet of flowers. We all dressed in red, white and blue to complement the "American" theme of American Mothers, Inc.

The parade route was long and partly uphill and the day was HOT! It was hard on the walkers but I sure appreciated their support! The crowd was very friendly and cheered for American Mothers as we went by.

Note to self: Always wave and show enthusiasm when viewing a parade. Those in the parade apprecite it!

Teddy Bear Parade

Oregon City Teddy Bear Parade

May 9, 2009

Handcarts are us . . .since the theme of the Oregon City Parade was Pioneers in honor of Oregon's 150th Anniversary, my husband Steven borrowed a handcart made by a friend. We all - Melanie Hentrom, Young Mother of the Year, and family, our daughters Alisha and Nola and their kids, and Alisha's husband - donned pioneer attire and we were set!

Melanie's husband Will and my son-in-law Steven were great sports about pulling us in the handcart. This was our first parade and we had a lot of fun!

We even won the theme award for the parade - that was a big surprise, but I think the handcart was the secret to our success!

Kids and grandkids, grown and young were wonderful support, carrying banners and handing out candy. The weather was beautiful for most of the parade.

Melanie and I plan to be in more parades during the year!

Quilting Bee

QUILTING FEST AND BOARD MEETING

June 26, 2009

On June 26 several members of the Oregon Association of American Mothers gathered at the Oregon City home of Helen Bean to make baby quilts, have a board meeting and share a pot luck lunch. The quilts will be donated to infants in need.

American Mothers Inc. National Convention

A MOTHER'S GARDEN

American Mothers Inc. 74th National Convention

April 22-25, 2009

Portland, Oregon
I had the privilege to attend the national convention, representing Oregon as the 2009 Mother of the Year. It was an inspiring and fun filled three days.

One of the most challenging days for me personally was Friday. That was the day the each state mother gave her three minute speech on the topic: The Home is a Garden: How I Have Reaped What I Have Sown. It was so nice to have the support of family members in the audience! (See a copy of my speech on another area of this blog.)

The convention - Organized and hosted by our own Oregon Chapter was outstanding. The attention to detail and quality events provided all participants with worthwhile experiencs, important new knowledge and many happy memories. Each meal was beautifully presented and delicious.

The table setting were stunning and included lovely centerpieces that supported the themes, handouts for participants, printed menus, and attention to every detail.

Saturday evening, the Gala Dinner was especially grand, with a color theme of black and red, beautiful red roses at each table and black table linens. Each participant receive a candy rose made from chocolate kisses and a cut glass heart.

For me, the highlight of the convention was the wonderful women I met and the new friends I made. Karen Schiessl (right) and I even squeezed in a trip to Powell's Books and Deseret Book. Mary Beth Scow (below) is from my home state of Nevada.

We often sat alphabetically, so I got to know Iren Cosilow from Oklahoma (standing below) and Virgen Camacho (left below) from Puerto Rico. Virgen had limited Enlish, but we enjoyed trying to communicate.

Myrna Condie ( below center) and I shared lunch one day when the hotel ran out of food. We became fast friends. She shared flowers with me at the end of the convention that she couldn't take home with her on the airplane.

The Gala Dinner was full of formality and wonderful entertainment. Each mother of the year was escorted into the Colenel Lindburg Room by a member of the United States Marine Corps.

My heartfelf thanks go out to each member of our state organization that worked on the convention. This was a wonderful introduction to American Mothers, Inc. for me!

Mother's Day at the Grotto

MOTHERS DAY AT THE GROTTO

Every year the Oregon Mother of the Year is invited to speak on Mother's Day Mass at the Grotto, The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother in Portland, Oregon

This beautiful 62 acre Catholic Shrine and botanical garden is located in Portland, Oregon. The Grotto (as it is commonly called) is a non-profit Oregon corporation, supported solely by the proceeds of its gift shop and by donations. It is administered by the Order of Friar Servants of Mary.

It is wonderful that mothers are recognized this way each year. Members of the Oregon Chapter of American Mother, Inc. were also invited to attend as were past Mother of the Year and Young Mothers of the Year. I was given the opportunity to speak (see my speech in another section of this blog) on Motherhood, which was quite an honor.

I appreciated the support of my husband, Steven and our son Slade, his wife, Heidi, and their three children, Sawyer, Kennah, and Avy who were all in attendance.

A Visit to the State Capital

It is always exciting to visit historic sites and the Oregon State Capital is very impressive. I rarely have time to visit our capital city, Salem, and to enjoy the history, but on March 20, 2009, I was thankful to have a "trade" day from my job as a first grade teacher and visit the capital with other members of the Oregon Chapter of American Mother's Inc.

We were disappointed that the govenor, Govenor Kulongoski, refused to meet with us. Until he came to office, every govenor of Oregon has met with the current Mother of the Year. However, we did enjoy a nice visit with Elizabeth A. Kiren, lizkiren@state.or.us Citizen's Represetative, working in the Office of the Govenor. She was very gracious and listened to our presentations.

Goldie Burton did introductions andMarilyn Dougall gave an overview of American Mothers and spoke of the National Convention being held in Oregon this year. Jacki Hunlow spoke of the Legacy Project and park at Portland State University. Then Melanie Henstrom spoke as Young Mother and I spoke as Mother of the Year.

Elizabeth was presented with a beautiful plaque with the names of all of the Mothers of the Year for Oregon, mine being the last name on the plaque. Later we all went to lunch and had a board meeting.

Literacy Night in Estacada

PRESENTATIONS
As the 2009 Oregon Mother of the Year I am offering free presentations on the following topics:

Early Childhood Brain Development

How to Choose Quality Children's Books

Preparing Children for School

Helping Early Beginning Readers

To schedule a presetation call me at 503-504-9870

LITERACY NIGHT IN ESTACADA

On Thursday, March 19 I gave a presentation in Estacada at Clackamas River Elementary School at their LIteracy Night, 2009. I spoke on How to Choose Quality Books for Primary Students. I love children's literature and am always excited to share some of my favorite books and discuss this topic.

Some quotes to reflect upon:

You may have tangible wealth untold

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be--

I had a Mother who read to me.

The Reading Mother By Stickland Gililan

* * *

WHY READ ALOUD TO YOUR CHILD

". . .early experiences help to determine brain structure, thus shaping the way people learn, think, and behave for the rest of theri lives. It may seem that very young children can't take in what you're saying, but in important ways they do. Infants don't yet grasp the meaning of words, but it is through these early "conversations" that language capacity grows. When babies hear you say words over and over, the parts of the brain that handle speech and language develop. the more language they hear in these conversations, the more those parts of the brain will grow and develop. Talking, singing, and reading to your child is not only important for brain development, but a wonderful opportunity for closeness with your child."

The First Years Last Forever 1998