Pumpkin Patch 10/16/2012

Alliance Church Pumpkin Patch & Puppet Show 2012

The PLAY Network got to tour the pumpkin patch at the Alliance Church.  We also had a book reading, a fun pumpkin seed craft, and puppet show!  Both the children and parents thoroughly enjoyed themselves.  Maybe we'll go back next year!

 

 

Open House 9/19/2012

Annual Open House 2012

 

We hosted our Annual Open House this year at Howard's Pizza.  We had a lucrative turn-out and had a great count of new members! 

 

Our Open House is aimed as a great event for old members to come have fun, and for non-members to see what the PLAY Network is all about.  We have door prizes that we draw for every 15minutes, food, and an activity.  This year we did face painting and had members bring a yummy dessert.

 

Hope to see you there next year!

 

A big thank you and shout-out to all who donated their time:  Alana Schaefer, Abby Morris, Coryll Rupert, Sara McNellis, Lindsay Guttermuth, and Jennifer Meyer-Vaughan.

 

A big thank you and shout out to everyone who donated prizes: A Carousel for Missoula, Abby Morris, Bitterroot Gymnastics, Golf Headquarters, Howard's Pizza, Jennifer Fink, Laura-Dawn Moog, LifeStyle Fitness, Lil Griz Cub House, Nicole Day, Missoula Pediatric Dentistry, Randy Rupert, Rebecca Smith, The Book Exchange, The Learning Tree, and The Winngate Inn.

 

Yay new member!!!

Yummy cupcakes!

Face painting!

Tracy and company :)

Happy baby Pheonix.

 

 

 

Garden City Harvest 10/3/2012

Garden City Harvest 2012

 

We had the opportunity to visit the public gardens of Garden City Harvest.  This was a wonderful informational tour.  I learned a lot of things, for example the majority of their crops go to the local Poverello Center.  You can also rent out your own space for the season for yourself or volunteer in exchange for vegetables. 

 

They had a few chickens and one rooster.  The kids learned that the chickens usually dig for bugs for food and enjoyed watching them strut around.  They also got to "pick" fresh red potatoes and bring them home.  What a treat!

Visit them online at www.gardencityharvest.org.

 

Their small onion forest :)

Squash and pumpkins went to CSA shares

Digging up red potatoes

By the end the kids had filled the bucket nearly full!

 

Fire Station 9/13/2012

Fire Station #2 Tour 2012

 

We visited Station 2 of the Missoula Fire Department.  The kids got to see a fire fighter with his full gear on which was both neat and a little scary for some.  They got to go into a fire truck and actually see one go out for a fire call!

 

 

Emu Ranch 8/27/2012

Wild Rose Emu Ranch August 2012

Despite the dreary smokey weather, we drove out to Hamilton, MT to have a look at the Wild Rose Emu Ranch.  Clover Quinn gave us a splendid tour of the grounds and emus they breed there.  We learned about the different uses of emu oil, including topical healing for burns, eczema and psoriasis, arthritis, massage oil, and anti-aging. The children got to view painted emu eggs as well as touch and hold a live egg.  Every parent got a sample of emu oil as well as an informative packet and stickers for the kids!

You can visit them online at www.wildroseemu.com.

Cora with actual emu egg.

Painted emu eggs vs. chicken egg.

Looks clearer than it actually was. Clover said that in dismal fire/smokey conditions their emus have died from stress and lack of oxygen in the air.

Santi and Andrew

Babies!!!

Annual Ice Cream Social 2012

Ice Cream Social 2012

Every year we have an ice cream social, a fun event where kids can play, parents can interact, and everyone can eat delicious ice cream! 

This event got rained out the first time, but was successfully rescheduled for early September of 2012.

Re-Group

As the new year of the PLAY Network turned over and the position of PLAY Network President was handed over to me, I knew I wanted to make this year exciting and as fun as possible! I was sure that I could make this organization so much better if only I could be in charge. Unfortunately, many everyday things get in the way of hopeful accomplishments... as the months have gone by there are still many items on my PLAY Network to-do list.
One of the objectives on this list is re-starting up our blog. I have heard many parents regard how old the last posting on our blog is and yet I have not found the time or energy to do it myself, let alone find another parent to volunteer precious time to updating our piece of electronic history. Today I aim to make a dent in capturing what we do and how much fun we have in our community of local parents and children. I might add a disclaimer that some of the future updates may not be in chronological order... but, hey, it's a try!
Enjoy! :)