We ended 2009 with 2 great events; our children’s Holiday party and the adult Holiday party at Lori Ortiz’s.  The children’s party was a great success thanks to Kim Hegedus.  She was the mastermind behind the games and helped in all aspects of the planning.  We had a nice turnout, the weather withheld (no rain, even though it had been raining for days prior), and the kids, and I think the parents enjoyed themselves.  What a great sight to see so many kids smiling and having a great time just being kids and being outdoors.  Lori Ortiz & family did an awesome job decorating and making their home very comfy and festive for the adult Holiday party.  We had a really nice turnout.  It was great to be with old & new friends.  It was a very special treat to partake in all the yummy creations people brought and the games Lori planned were a lot of fun.  I hope you all enjoyed yourself as much as I did.  Hope all those cookies went over well with your family and friends!

We began January with a fun and quaint night of learning more about each other and everyone’s current issues. The night concluded with a bit of dancing and lots of fun.  Thank you again Brenda for going out of your way to help us have a great night!   We ended January with a fabulous visit to fire station #74 in Hollywood.  12-15 families with  A LOT of kids came out for a fun and informative day.  We learned about various trucks, who drives them, and what qualifications are needed to be able to do so (there are a lot of them).  They had an antique fire truck, with many a story to tell, that the kids loved sitting in and pretending they were driving or rescuing people.  We learned a lot about the lives of fire fighters; where they sleep, what they eat, who cleans, who cooks, who answers the emergency calls, how & where they train, and most importantly how much they rely on each other.  Each job, whether big or small, is an important role in the success of their team.  That is what I walked away with.  Now my kids, on the other hand, can’t stop talking about the fire hose.  Then again they are only 3 & 4.  In the years to come they will remember a different story from this event.  I feel honored and privileged to have met these brave, strong, and committed men and women who are there to help us when we need them.  Thank you to AnnMarie Dion, for your interest in the fire station and getting this event going!  And of course to Geza & Kim Hegedus for making it happen.

On February 11^th we will have a very special guest speaker, Meredith Walt from Bag of Tricks Parenting.  What do you when you don’t know what else to do?  Perhaps you’ve  tried bribery, reasoning, time out and yelling, yet nothing seems to be working.  Meredith and her Bag of Tricks may just be your secret weapon!  She comes prepared to help us deal with common issues that arise with parenting, regardless of how many children, ages, sex, or personality types.  Meredith’s education (Master’s degree in education), experience ( years of  family therapy with a variety of family types),  and ability to relate to parents (personally a parent of 2) create the foundation for success.  Therefore, I believe this is a great opportunity for our club members.   Please do not miss this opportunity to take advantage of a discounted rate to hear her speak.  The cost for this event is $12 per person, she usually charges $25 per person.  Please RSVP to smrfyq@comcast.net or through our new facebook page.

We have great events planned for this month.  Look for them in the weekly digest and on our Parents of Multiples West Broward Club facebook page.  If you have not joined please do so.  I hope to see you all soon.   Suzi Figley