Mom Moments

Such nice cool weather!  Perfect for a corn maze!  Most are already open.

Crots Corn Maze
4800 W. Temperance Rd.
Ottawa Lake, MI 49267
http://cornmaze.itgo.com
(734) 856-7183

Farmer Charley’s -
6421 N. Stony Creek Rd.
Monroe, MI
http://farmercharleys.com/
(734) 240-0825

Farmer J’s Corn Maze
Dundee, Michigan
http://www.cornmazefun.net/dundeemaze.htm
(734) 216-6230

Fun Acres Corn Maze and Family Fun Farm
11665 Haggerman
South Rockwood, Michigan 48179
http://funacrescornmaze.com
(734) 771-2081

Talladay Farms
6270 Judd Rd
Milan, Michigan 48160
www.talladayfarms.com
(734) 483-6502

BJ Farm
Pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, prepicked produce, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, school tours
9777 Secor Road
Temperance, MI 48182.
Phone: 734-856-6740.
Email: bjfarm85@buckeye-express.com.
Directions: From US23 - East on Summerfield Road to 4 way stop (about 4.5 miles) Continue on through stop to Erie Road (about 1/2 mile), turn Left onto Erie and BJ Farm is down 1 mile on your right side. From Toledo - Follow directions above or go straight up Secor Road, 5 miles north of Alexis. Feel free to call from any location for directions. And for a map to our farm, click here. Crops are usually available in September, October. Open: 7 days 10am to 8pm We are open mid-September to October 31st Payment: Cash, Check. Please don’t forget your camera. Ages 3-4—$2.00, Ages 5-12—$3.00, Ages 13 and over—$4.00

J. Webb Farm Corn Maze
Pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, tractor-pulled hay rides, petting zoo
4262 Post Rd
Newport , MI 48166
Phone: (734) 586-7605.
Email us at: perfectpiggy@aol.com.
Directions: Exit 21 off of I75. Turn east onto Swan Creek. Drive to N. Dixie Hwy, St. Charles church is on the corner, turn right. Drive south to Post Rd, turn right. The Farm is 1/2 mile down the road on the left. Use second driveway please. And for a map to our farm, click here. Open: Fridays 5pm to 10pm, Saturdays 2pm to 10pm, Sundays 1pm to 7pm. Open special hours for schools! Schools and groups such as scouts, churches and 4-H clubs get a picnic area and special discounts on corn maze and hayrides when booked in advance. Corn maze is open from September 1st through November 5th. There are two new mazes each year (8 & 7 acres) and games to play along your adventure, with prize drawings each weekend. We offer group discounts along with hayrides when booked ahead and schools are more than welcome too. We also have flashlight nites—bring your own or rent one for $1.00. Our goal is to educate about our farm lifestyle as well as create a fun filled family time! Prices are as follows: Adults 13 years and older $5.00, Children 4-12 years $4.00 and children 3 years and younger are free!

info from: http://monroe.lib.mi.us/community_info/corn_mazes.htm

Listing from the Detroit Free Press.

Follow this link to see a better picture of that map and this link for specifics on each orchard.

Happy Fall.

Sometimes its so hard for a group of moms (or dads) to schedule a meeting time, chat time, or teleconference when everyone can attend.

Check out this site: http://www.meetingwizard.com

“Put an end to email and telephone tag.  Schedule your meetings with ease.”

The basic service is free.  Its marketed towards businesses and such, but there is no reason why the rest of us can’t use it.

Basically, the coordinator/originator of the email chooses some dates and times, and an email is sent to a list of addresses that you enter.  As everyone responds “available/unavailable” for specific dates and times, you can see which works best and make sure you choose a date that essential members can attend.  There is a comment section too, where if you see everyone has chosen that the 12th works for them, but you can’t do it at the original time suggested, you can leave that remark.

: )

I am selling tickets, and they are available through the Community Foundation as well.

The Community Foundation of Monroe County is hosting a Steak Roast & silent auction to benefit the Monroe County Access to Recreation initiative. This initiative is working toward making recreational opportunities more accessible for everyone.

Monroe Boat Club – 7932 Bolles Harbor Dr.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
5:00 – 9:00 pm
Ticket donations are $25 and include a steak or chicken dinner, prizes, fun & music.

Click here to view the flier:  steak-roast-9-17

This isn’t a political blog, not even close!  I’m not even a Detroiter, so some might say I have no place even saying this. 

But Kwame Kilpatrick, you should have quietly exited stage left months ago.

What sort of example is this for his children? For the children of “his” city?  For the children outside of “his” city in the suburbs?

Last night when the news was breaking that he is expected to take a plea deal this morning, the Freep’s Rochelle Riley said it so clearly.  So let me paraphrase… (sorry, I was doing dishes and did not write it down)

As Detroiters, we’re all guilty… guilty of expecting so little and accepting so much for so long.

You don’t have to be a Detroiter for that to ring true in your life.  Maybe with your children, family members, friends, spouse?

And that brings me to one of my favorite quotes by Paula Kluth.

A lack of optimism general translates into a lack of expectation and opportunity that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So let Kwame’s exit be swift and as un-dramatic as possible.  Finish with the City Council’s other scandals and move forward with hope and high expectations. 

Let’s all do that. 

I will. 

Move forward with hope and high expectations.

Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten.

They all survived and, more importantly, are willing to go back tomorrow.

Now I know the secret!

I’m sure me climbing up there would go TOTALLY unnoticed.

I think I’m the only sad one around here!  My littlest goes to daycare for the first time tomorrow so I can go to my classes.  My girls will be in 4th and 5th grade.  And chances are I’ll still cry when they leave.  We’ve had some really awful first days of school, so part of the tears will be because they are growing up and part will be in anticipation of “what will it be today.”  I’ll save my tears for Andrew when his preschool starts in 3 weeks (he will be riding a bus this year).

We did a “practice run” today to see how feasible this timeline is, and when nobody got out of the car at their school, there was some wimpering.  And that their lunch boxes were empty today: “Mom won’t give me any food!”

But the only thing we still “need” are large pencil pouches that we use as snack bags (ok the snack goes in a plastic bag, then the baggie into the pencil pouch so its easier to locate in the backpack). 

Between getting those pencil pouches, cleaning up our closets, picking up the sandbox and cleaning out the barn today, I hope we can sneak in a little bit of fun and another dip in the pool  (and my last chance to get a tan).

Its almost here! 

The park behind the Monroe Township Hall on Dunbar Road is almost ready for the new playscape.  All it needs it volunteers, like you, to put the playground together!

The build dates are:

• Thursday September 11 from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm
• Friday September 12 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
• Saturday September 13 from 10:00 am until about noon

Lunch and drinks will be provided on Thursday and Friday. Saturday will primarily be a finish/clean up day.

If you can help, please let Township Supervisor Al Barron know at (734) 241-5501, or by emailing him at abarron@monroechartertownship.org .

And this isn’t just any old playground.  This playground was designed to be accessible to children and families of all abilities.  This playground is part of a grant from the Kellogg Foundation secured by the Community Foundation of Monroe. 

It has been my pleasure to serve on the Foundation’s Access to Recreation Advisory Committee  for the past two years.  One of the final charges to the advisory committee is to meet the fundraising goal for the permanent Access to Recreation Endowment Fund. For further information on the grant or to donate to the endowment fund, please contact the Community Foundation of Monroe County at (734) 242-1976 or Doug at dredding@cfmonroe.org .

Top ten signs that you are, in fact, pregnant (un-scientifically speaking)…

1. You can’t button your jeans. You can’t button your fat jeans.
2. Your favorite shop at the Outlet Mall is The Pickle Factory.
3. You’ve eaten so many mints and red hots to settle your stomach that your tongue feels like you’ve been eating razor blade flavored suckers.
4. You carry a barf bag in your purse for that any-time-of-day morning sickness.
5. Your children point out that lately you’ve lost your figure (“Mom, can’t you suck that in?).
6. You’ve decided there aren’t enough hours in the day to satisfy your need for sleep (zzzzzzzzz).
7. You cry about almost anything (your son’s shoes not fitting, not having yeast to make cinnamon rolls, the disorganized state of your day planner).
8. You pee on a stick from the drug store and two lines show up.
9. You pee on a second and on a third testing stick that also end up with two little lines.
10. Your gynecologist gives you a due date and lets you listen to the cutest little heartbeat.