One BIG struggle that I’ve been dealing with during this pandemic is coming up with new and exciting activities to do with my toddler, Addy. When I say “new and exciting”, I’m talking about for both of us. Sure, she could sit and paint, stamp, chalk all day… but is it wrong for me to want a change of pace?

THANKFULLY,  an email from Sticky Fingers Cooking come across my inbox offering to host a program for PMC members - a cooking class for kiddos and their parents. Sign me up! 

I registered for the class, picked up my ingredients (pre-purchased and pre-portioned), then logged into the Zoom meeting where we saw some familiar faces! Already we were off to a good start. 

Chef Dylan, the class host, read us a book, had the kiddos check their ingredients, and then we got to cooking! Addy and all of the other kids were so excited to measure, pour, stir, and cook! I had so much fun watching her be independent, answering questions the chef had, and following instructions. It felt so good to be a part of something new and exciting with my daughter. 

Did I mention the class was less than an hour and my kid was engaged the entire time?! 

Sticky Fingers has reached out saying they’d love to partner with us for another program, and I know Addy and I can’t wait to cook together again! It was a fun bonding experience, PLUS she’s learning a life skill. Win-win! 

There is another program coming up soon - check your emails for more information. Plus, Sticky Fingers has offered a 15% promo code for PMC members. That will be sent to your email, so be on the lookout.

If you, too, have been struggling to find something different to do with your child, I highly recommend this course! 

Jessica Marcy

PMC President

P.S: Here's what we made if you want to give it a shot on your own! 

Jack's Favorite Snickerdoodle Pancakes + Warm Vanilla Sauce + Snickerdoodle Smoothies

Welcome to the year 2021 everyone! If you are like me you have a lot of hopes and aspirations for this year and are feeling a happy anticipation for change!

Our big change will be the beginning of kindergarten for my youngest son, who turns 5 in March. Are you thinking about Kindergarten or T-K? My main focus for the blog today will be information to get you started in the search for school for your little one.

I am also going to start talking about books. I am a huge book lover and have a book club with some mommas that started about 4 years ago and since we can't meet right now and book club over zoom leaves much to be desired I thought I would branch out and give some thoughts about the books I am reading and recommendations about what to read. I'll declare a book of the month and post it to the Facebook play group pages and if you read it and subsequently want to chat about it you can start a thread on the play group page, I hope it ends up being a fun way to relate and make connections during a time when we are physically separate.

T-K and Kindergarten SCHOOL REGISTRATION INFORMATION

The very first thing to do is figure out your home or neighborhood school!

There are several districts in Petaluma and figuring out your home school and which district your family is in is the first step in making your school choice.

Here is the link to the school finder in the Petaluma City Schools (PCS) district. This link will tell you which school is in your neighborhood but also which school district your home is in if it is not Petaluma City School district.

https://petalumacityschools.schoolmint.net/school-finder/home

For example if my address is across from Wiseman park my district is the Old Adobe Union School District not the Petaluma City School District, and although the link will give you PCS options, right underneath the address bar it will say which district your home is in. If this sounds confusing that's because it is! If you get to this point and you are still confused about what school you are technically assigned based on your address please don't hesitate to reach out to me at blogger@petalumamothersclub.org

Petaluma School Districts: here is another link where you can find what your district is based on your address...just click on the link below and then find the words "look up district by street address" and click on them to follow them to the district look up engine. I don't think this link is as straightforward but it gets you the information.

https://www.scoe.org/pub/htdocs/finddistrict.html

Each District has different registration deadlines and paperwork. For example, If my home is in the Petaluma City School District registration has been open since December but if my home is in the Old Adobe Union School district registration hasn't started yet. Once you establish your district the coinciding websites will direct you to the school associated with your address.

There are caveats to the address assignments. Some addresses fall under "Open" enrollment, especially in the Old Adobe School district which I think means you can apply to any of the Old Adobe Schools (ie Sonoma Mountain, Old Adobe etc.) but I am not 100% on that. Petaluma also has at least two semi-charter schools which do not technically associate with any particular address, ie Mary Collins at Cherry Valley and Penngrove Elementary.

Registering your child for school can be a huge decision. There are options for inter (between district) and intra (within district) transfers if you find you have your heart set on a school outside your address zone. Not to mention all of the private school options our town and surrounding county has.

I am sure I have given you plenty to think about and hopefully not too much to worry about because ultimately any school in our wonderful town and surrounding areas is going to be a rich experience. We are lucky to live where we do!

Due to COVID most schools are doing virtual tours and meetings which can be found on individual school websites or district websites, I highly recommend attending one if you can. Lastly it's never a bad idea to just pick up the phone and call the administrators of a school you are interested in, I am sure they will more than willing to help with the transition and any questions you may have.

BOOKS

One of the first books I read this month and one that I recommend:

The Wonder Boy of Whistlestop by Fannie Flagg

I really enjoyed this book. It is a character driven story that spans generations and although has a lighthearted tone and pace it deals with challenges in life that we are all faced with. Fannie Flagg wrote the screenplay (and coinciding novel) "Fried Green Tomatoes", which I loved as a kid, so it was fun to revisit her storytelling. I found it to be a quick fun read and I'd love to hear what you think of it!

Looking for fun and safe ways to keep this years Halloween sort of normal?

Check out the HALLOW-LUMA drive through parade at the fairgrounds (pre-register through parks and rec required!!). https://cityofpetaluma.org/event/hallowluma/

personal side note: I found the sign-up process frustrating and not-intuitive but I took a deep breath and it wasn't so bad once I figured it out. Feel free to reach out to me if you need help! I think this is going to be a lot of fun and I even volunteered to staff the booth for a couple hours, so come see my awesome costume!!

There is a Trick or Treat map out there where people can put down that they are participating in a distanced trick or treating situation.

Just go to Halloween-map.com. This is a national map but many Petalumans are participating! Each participate lists there address and can assign themselves as "allergy free" or not and include a short description of the precautions they are taking. Very cool!!

Happy Halloween!!!

Hello!

I don't know about you but I am in the throes of Covid burnout. I have accepted and one hundred percent understand the importance of the new norm but I am frustrated and frankly, bored! I am sure that speaks to my privilege, but that is another conversation for another day.

Thankfully we live in an amazing little town that has somehow maintained a semblance of normalcy this fall, as we prepare for the encroaching holiday season. Petaluma has pulled together and managed to offer some really fun and safe events for parents and also for families.

I am going to try to post some upcoming events every couple weeks that sound like I would enjoy them and hey, you might too. Hopefully we can find some joy during this holiday season and put the stress of our daily lives aside for a few hours at some of these events.

Much love,

Camille

PMC director of Communications (aka blogger extraordinaire)

EVENTS that sound fun to me

SATURDAY OCTOBER 10 - Brewsters Beer Garden OKTOBERFEST 2020

I think this event is more for the adults but hey, call up that in-law or friend who you are quarantining with (if that exists) and let loose (as safely as possible)!     You deserve it!

RESERVATIONS highly recommended, use the link below for more info.

https://www.visitpetaluma.com/event/brewsters-beer-garden-oktoberfest-2/2020-10-10/

SATURDAY OCTOBER 16 - HOCUS POCUS! Drive in Movie at the Petaluma Fairgrounds

This will be tons of fun for the whole family! Follow the link to get tickets and learn more information.

cityofpetaluma.org/hocus-pocus-drive-in-movie 

All of my information comes from the Visit Petaluma website, which I highly recommend!

Hello PMC Mamas -

Happy Fall!

My name is Jessica Marcy.  I served as PMC President last year, and I am honored to return as President for the remainder of the 2020-21 term.  Our last President, Allison, had to step down as she and her family had an exciting opportunity to relocate.  Allison did an amazing job during her time on the board, not just as President but in the many positions she served before that.  She will be very missed.

I wanted to reach out today to introduce myself and assure you that although things will and have been different this year I am committed to leading this club and maintaining it's goals of providing a supportive and engaged community of moms and their families. Together, the board and I want to normalize things as much as possible.  We are working diligently to provide you with as many resources as possible, as well as finding fun and unique ways to engage with one another - virtually, distanced, safe.

If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas regarding the PMC, please don't hesitate to reach out.  You can email me at president@petalumamothersclub.org, or reach out to me on Facebook.

I'm looking forward to a wonderful year with all of you!

Best,

Jessica Marcy

President, Petaluma Mothers' Club

PMC mama and board member, Melissa Harryman is a first grade teacher at Austin Creek Elementary in Santa Rosa. She loves to do fun read-alouds and a related directed draw with her students . She also loves reading to her amazing, book-loving 3 1/2 year old Audrey! 

Melissa has put together two videos exclusively for PMC moms. The first video is a read aloud of a book from the wonderful book series called Bear and Friends, it is called Bear Can't Sleep. She will also share some fun bear facts for animal lovers. Afterward there is another link to a directed draw of a polar bear. In it she gives tips for young artists or ways to differentiate it for even younger kids. She shows several examples along the way. Both the read aloud and lesson are tried and approved by Audrey. 

Want to continue the bear theme? Other bear themed books families may want to read together are: I Want My Hat Back by John Klassen, There's a Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins, Brown bear Brown Bear, What do you See? By Eric Carle, Corduroy by John Freeman, JamBerry by Bruce Degen, Teddy Bear Picnic by Bruce Watley, We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, Paddington by Michael Bond, Big Bear Hug by Nicholas Oldland, any Berenstain Bears book by Stan and Jan Berenstain. The Very Brave Bear by Nick Bland, Mother Bruce by Ryan Higgins, and many more! 

You can also go on a bear hunt, have a teddy bear picnic, or watch a bear movie/tv show too (like Paddington, Winnie the Pooh, and so many more!)

Have Fun!!

Bear Can't Sleep Read Aloud with first grade teacher Melissa Harryman — Watch Video

Bear Directed draw with first Grade Teacher Mrs. Harryman — Watch Video

PMC is supporting the Petaluma People Services Center with a remote service project to help isolated seniors in our community. It is a fun and easy project for artists of all ages and skill levels All you have to do is draw a picture in black marker (not a lot of fine detail!) and email the picture to admin@petalumapeople.org, or drop it off M-F 9am-2pm at 1500 Petaluma Blvd South. PPSC will make copies of the drawings for the seniors to color. Questions? Email service@petalumamothersclub.org

Good Morning PMC Members, 

It is with sadness that I will be stepping down as your President. My family and I will be unexpectedly relocating outside of the area and as excited as I am for this new adventure, I am heartbroken to have to step away from you and this club that I feel so deeply about.

I have LOVED being your President. I have served on the board for 3 years prior to this post and have felt proud of the work our Club has done and the community that we have served. From assisting with coordinating events, to collaborating on content for the newsletter/blog, to our monthly meetings where I got to catch up with friends before we got down to business. It has all been a wonderful experience and I know the next President with cherish it as I have.

I know the new President has an amazing and seasoned board behind them and they are eager to be incredibly supportive not only during the transition but throughout the year. They are excited for the opportunity to give a member of our club the opportunity to step up and bring a new perspective and continued enthusiasm to the role.

Thank you all for keeping our community strong and in supporting one another during this time. 2020 has been a doozy, but folks, you aren’t alone. You have the full support of this club to get you through.

If you are interested in the position of President, please feel free to contact me at president@petalumamothersclub.org or Tracy De Bel at vp@petalumamothersclub.org. 

Thank you, it’s been an honor serving you.

Allison Moghaddasi

President, Petaluma Mothers' Club

Job Description: 

President
Approximate hours per month: 5-20 
Point of contact for Club members and community. Oversees Board members, events, and overall functionality of the Club. 

· Voting Board Member

· Set agenda with old business, new business, and time frame of board meetings

· Run monthly board meetings

· Send website content and/or updates to the Director of Communications and Director of Online Services monthly

· Mediate problems within the PMC and maintain confidentiality

· Follow up on Board performance and reassign tasks, delegate/select back ups as needed

· Act as secondary signatory for bank account

· Responsible for all aspects of annual ‘Magnolia Award’ and present at Spring Tea

· Coordinate annual board recruitment with Volunteer Coordinator

· Establish ad-hoc committees as needed

· At conclusion of term, oversea transition of Board and remain available as advisor to new Board, if so requested

· Lead contact for Legal

· Other duties may come up to help with essential functions of the club

PMC 2020 mom Evelyn wrote me with her favorite go-to recipe as a new mom during quarantine...she only wishes her bank account could support this recipe every day! Me too Evelyn, me too!

Time:

5 mins prep

30-40 mins wait

Ingredients:

1. Smart phone

Instructions:

1. Pull out your phone one-handed while bouncing baby and open GrubHub

2. Search your favorite food - top picks in my house are "Pizza," "Thai," or "Tacos"

3. Order everything you want plus one extra thing to eat secretly before husband gets home

4. Don't open the door when it's delivered because you are in a gross milk stained top and boxers. (Thank you COVID, 'contactless' means I don't have to see you)

5. Crack open the door and snake one hand out to grab the bag

6. Chow down on delicious food!

Thank you Evelyn for keeping it real and giving us some laughs!

Here is a pic of adorable Hailey, born 6/10/2020