April 2010 Baystate Parent Magazine

FREE

Voted Best Parenting Publication

in North America 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008

APR

IL 2

010

baystateparentbaystateparentWIMPY GOESWIDESCREEN!

FENWAYON A BUDGET

SYNCHRONIZEDSWIMMINGPRETTY, INTENSE

Massachusetts’ Premier Magazine For Families

CHOOSE A CAMP: A CAMP: THE MYTHS THE MYTHS & FACTS& FACTS

TIPSTIPS FOR THE FOR THE SPORTY CHILDSPORTY CHILD

WOW! WOW! OVER 50 OVER 50 CAMPS INSIDECAMPS INSIDE

CAMPCAMP

COUNTDOWNCOUNTDOWN

THE POWER OF THE POWER OF PARENT VOLUNTEERSPARENT VOLUNTEERS

NATICK MONTESSORI SCHOOLS UNITENATICK MONTESSORI SCHOOLS UNITE AND OTHER GREAT THINGS AND OTHER GREAT THINGS

PARENTS DO...PARENTS DO...

2 APRIL2010

BAYSTATEPARENT 3

Visit us atwww.cornerstoneacademy.org

CORNERSTONE ACADEMY

Providing a Colossal education for over 14 years.

5 Oak Avenue • Northboro, MA 01532 508 351-9976

August 9th - 20th

10:00 - 12:002-Week Programs

• Writing is Exciting Grades 2-5

• Fast Track to Phonics K-Grade 1

• Math Enrichment Grades 3-6

• Yoga for Kids Ages 2-4

All programs - $300.00

Who says learning ends with the school year?

Also extended day til 4 available for an additional fee.

Summer Programs

• Small classes, individual attention. Dedicated and enthusiastic teachers.Strong academic foundation complemented by art, music and physical fitness.

Cornerstone Academy knows it doesn’t!

Educating students in grades K-6

4 APRIL2010

Season Opens April 15th.

OPEN SCHOOL

Vacation Week!

1/2 Price Admission

April Weekdays after 2pm

It’s hands-on, family farm FUN!

Endangered Livestock, Discovery Play,

Water Sprayground, Hay Rides,

Pony Rides, Apple Picking and more.

April Events

17&18 .... Welcome Back Events

24&25 ... Animal MakeoverWeekend

Sign-up now for:

Birthday Parties Groups Sleepovers and Private Outings.

DavisFarmland.com978-422-MOOO (6666)

Adults must be accompanied by a child

12 years or younger at Davis Farmland.

© 2010 DFL/DMM

S T E R L I N G M A S S A C H U S E T T SFREE! $2 Souvenir Cup of Animal Feed. Expires 5/28/10.

Not Valid with offer Discounts or Packages. BSP4

DavisMegaMaze.com 978-422-8888

BAYSTATEPARENT 5

110 SHORE DRIVE , WORCESTER , MASSACHUSETTS 01605

508 .853.2640 | W W W.BANCROFTSCHOOL .ORG

Summer Programs

Lower School Middle School Upper School

An exciting summer awaits your child. Our Lower School Day Camp, for grades kindergarten through 5, offers a balance of activities, including

arts and crafts, science and nature, cooking, music, and sports. Children in grades three to five can learn to sail and hit the links for golfing lessons.

www.banscroftschool.org/summerwww.bancroftschool.org/summer

Warmth and Goodness Delivered

Choose Panera Catering for your Business Meetings, Social

Gatherings or Special Events! We offer a variety of breakfast

assortments, sandwiches, salads and soups prepared using the

same high-quality, fresh ingredients enjoyed in our bakery-cafes.

Call your neighborhood bakery-café today and ask

for a Catering Coordinator who will be happy to

make your next event successful and hassle-free.

Delivery is available for your convenience.

panerabread.com

6 APRIL2010

Drury Square Medical Center • 48 Auburn St.• Auburn • 508-832-6278

Our warm and kid-friendly office and reception rooms are designed to be welcoming, fun and special for the whole family.

Bruce Stuart Fieldman, D.M.D., P.C.Caroline Pronesti Young, D.M.D.

Drilless DentistryWe also provide Hospital Dentistry for the

fearful & special needs child

Orthodontics forchildren and adults

(Moms and Dads wear braces too)

Orthodontics

Reema Dhingra, D.M.D. Pediatric Dentistry

WELCOME

GUESTBOOK

ON MY PLATE: A Scary Cry For Help

JUNKDRAWERS

UNDER MY ROOF: Baseball

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO: Calendar Of Events

FAMILY MUSIC & THEATRE PERFORMANCES

LET’S ROLL: BASEBALL on a BudgetFINALLY, FOREVER: The Missing Piece Of the Puzzle

APRIL’S CHILD

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS: Adoption Calendar

TAKE GOOD CARE: Raising Caring Kids: 5 Tips From A Town In Trauma

MOMS ROCK: Shannon Tracy of Millbury

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58

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in every issue

MayJuneJULY

MOTHERS AND CELEBRATIONS

FATHERS AND SPORTS

SUMMER OUTINGS!

sneak peek

28 LET’S ROLL: BASEBALL ON A BUDGET

WIMPY GOES WIDESCREEN

SUMMER CAMP FOR THE ATHLETIC CHILD

our special guest

table the of the homeA P R I L 2 0 1 0 • V O L U M E 1 4 • N U M B E R 1 2

12 42

235561646670

advertising directoriesMONTESSORI SCHOOLS

CAMPGROUNDS

MOMS’ OASIS

PARTY PLANNER

BULLETIN BOARD

ADVERTISING INDEX

something specialJEFF KINNEY: Wimpy Goes Wide ScreenBUILDING A LEARNING LEGACY: New Montessori School Planned For Natick

THE POWER OF PARENT VOLUNTEERS

AUTISM: Every Child NEADS A Best Friend

KIDDIE CAMPING

SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING: Pretty, Intense

Voted Best Parenting Publication in North America 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008

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camp countdown3536

4248

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CAMP COUNTDOWN

SUMMER CAMP: What Kids Think

SUMMER CAMP: For The Athletic ChildCHOOSING A CAMP: Myths And Facts

A HUG FROM HOME

Freelance writer, Trish Reske, caught up with Jeff Kinney, a MA dad and busy author of the New York Times bestselling Wimpy Kid series, just before his new movie hit the big screen.

Yes, there is such thing as an affordable day at Fenway plus other ways to enjoy a good ‘ole game of ball in the Bay State and beyond.

Children who demonstrate talents in particular sports at a young age put their parents in diffi cult positions when it comes to picking a summer camp.

Lily,8 years old,of Needham

captured bySteven King

Lily’s clothing provided by The Children’s Place.

BAYSTATEPARENT 7

Welcome

Welcome

baystateparentpublisherGARETH CHARTER508-749-3166 [email protected]

creative directorPAULA MONETTE [email protected]

graphic designerSTEPHANIE [email protected]

editorCARRIE [email protected]

calendar editorLESLIE [email protected]

promotionsJENNIFER [email protected]

presidents KIRK and LAURIE DAVIS

baystateparent Inc. is published monthly with a main office at 117 Elm Street, Millbury, 01527

508-865-7070 Fax 508-865-7979It is distributed free of charge throughout Massachusetts.

www.baystateparent.com • [email protected]

Distribution Agency: Insight Distribution Management508-331-7118/603-661-8370 • [email protected]

14 Parenting Publications of America Awards, 2009

4 New England Press Association Awards, 2009

6 Suburban Newspapers of America Awards, 2009

Including 1st Place in Community Service

Massachusetts’Premier Magazine For Families

photograthersSTEVEN KINGBRITTANY DURGIN

IllustratorsHANNAH GREGUSPAUL AMARTA

Who is the fi rst person you are going to show your April baystateparent cover to? my best friend, Eve

What do you think that person will say? That’s so amazing, Lily!

What would you like to do over April school vacation? go to NYC again with my family

Earth Day is Thursday, April 22. What are some of the things that you and your family do to help the earth? We recycle a lot, and my sister and I bring Tupperware to school instead of plastic bags.

Have you ever been to summer camp? If so, what did you do there?

Natick Organic Farm. I love to take care of the animals, weed the gardens, compost, and pick vegetables for the farm stand. I also get to make herb salt rub to sell.

If you could invent your own summer camp, what would it be like? I would bring my dog with me and play basketball.

Who is your favorite Red Sox player? Why? Dustin Pedroia - I like him because he is not that tall and still really good.

What is your favorite part about spring? my birthday in May

MEET OUR COVER MODEL Lily,Lily, AGE 8, OF NEEDHAM

GUESTBOOKDear bsp:I saw the baby picture on the cover [March 2010 Paula Swift Photography]. Where can I get the pattern for the hat? Too Cute!

Suzanne LeedsSouthborough

Editor’s Note: Our readers loved Baby Barrett on our March cover...and his hat! While we don’t have specifi cs about the adorable hat, photographer Paula Swift did tell us that she purchases a lot of her hats from etsy.com.

Dear bsp: I was struck by the difference between the two “Under My Roof” articles [March 2010, “Advice for New Parents”] The advice to new dads was straightforward, honest, and helpful--not only did the experienced dad give practical advice (change diapers, make time, etc.) but also warned new dads not to feel badly in circumstances when mom is number one. As the mom of an almost 3-year-

old, I could see that these nuggets would be really useful. The advice to new moms, on the other hand, was shocking. Ignore all advice? I have no clue how I’d have gotten through the fi rst several months without my mom, my neighbor, various friends, and yes, total strangers helping me along. I was so grateful when someone gave me advice--and why wouldn’t I be? I was not out to reinvent the wheel. So this is how you hold the bottle? Thanks! That’s too much on his plate? Oops! Scrape, scrape. He’s overdressed? Wow, thanks, I had no clue I was boiling my kid alive! Yes, there were times when the advice was

Voted Best Parenting Publication in North America2004, 2006, 2007 & 2008

Suburban Newspapers of America

sales & business development managerSTEPHANIE [email protected]

account executiveSTACI [email protected]

account executiveANNE [email protected]

contributing writersANDREA BUGBEEBETTE BUSSELLOIS DECKELBAUMSTEPHANIE DETHLEFSGAYLE GALLETTAJIM KEOGHMARY JO KURTZ

contributing writers BARB LEVISONCHRISTINE QUIRKTRISH RESKEAMANDA ROBERGEMARY ROBBINSeditorial internLAUREN PASSARETTI

When did you pick up your fi rst copy of baystateparent? What struck you as you looked through the magazine? I picked up my fi rst copy of baystateparent at the grocery store ten

years ago. I was a newlywed, new to Central Mass, and eager to get the party started...parenthood and family life. I was kind of like the girl who dreams of her wedding day but instead of sighing over fl owers and lyrics of wedding songs, I was all about baby blankets and lullabies. As some of you may remember, the magazine was called Today’s Parentat the time, and what impressed me most about the publication was that there was a community of parents that I couldn’t wait to join. The other biggie for me was the ads. There were so many family-focused businesses and fun places to go with children in Massachusetts! It inspired and educated the aspiring mom in me. When I became pregnant with my fi rst, I truly couldn’t believe my good fortune to be expecting a baby. At the same time, I also was hired as Editor of Today’s Parent. It might not sound like good timing, but it was actually the best thing that could have happened. I began to trust and rely on baystateparent’s ads to fi nd places to furnish our nursery and to buy a stroller. As my daughter’s fi rst birthday approached, I bought her outfi t from a children’s boutique I saw

in the magazine and planned the fi rst of many parties using bsp as a resource to hire a singing princess and another year, to plan a dance party. As my daughter and our family grew, so did the publication, a really neat parallel that I feel privileged to experience. While the bsp calendar of events was my work, it was also part of my family life as I planned several outings a week to libraries, zoos, storytimes, and more. Throughout the last decade, the ads have continued to educate me about what lies ahead for my three girls: preschool, dance lessons, soccer, gymnastics, family vacations, and now... SUMMER CAMP! This month especially, I will be scouting out each ad with laptop, phone, and my “advisors” (my three girls) at hand. We can’t wait to plan our summer, which includes two weeks at day camp. I don’t know what we will choose...sports, animals, nature, or arts...but I do know that we can’t wait to get started. Have fun scouting it out!

Carrie Carrie Wattu, editor

COMING SOON

• Celebrations

• Sports

• Daytrips

Call 508.865.7070

For Advertising Rates

baystatestateparent117 Elm St., Millbury, MA 01527

508-865-7070www.baystateparent.com

campguide.baystateparent.comwww.massfieldtrips.com

8 APRIL2010

coming from a critical place, or when it was pretty much useless, but so what? I paid that price willingly, because the rest of the advice I got was an immense help. I fi nished that advice column feeling bad for any new mother who reads it, because she’s basically being told that not only will she face criticism, potential diminishment of her birth experience, and a loss of who she used to be, but that on all fronts she must reach into her bewildered and exhausted self and fi nd her own solution. I think the author’s intentions here are well-meant--she is combating a culture of guilt and pressure that defi nes motherhood in this country (versus the totally guilt-free advice in the male column, by the way), and ultimately trying to say “You can do it, you yourself, don’t worry.” Unfortunately, I think her advice actually ends up feeding that pressure by suggesting that the new mom has a super-know-it-in-my-bones-mom inside her that she just has to fi nd, on her own, while taking the de-fog walk, perhaps. Not so. The knowledge is there for the taking, whether from a relative or a stranger. Take it! Use it! You’ll learn soon enough how to separate the wheat from the chaff!

Patricia Ward, Maynard

Dear bsp: I have been a fan of baystateparent for many years. I look forward to getting the monthly issue and will go out of my way to fi nd it. I have driven up to the Millbury Mall just to go to iParty because I know they carry it. Now that two of my boys are teenagers, I still look forward to your magazine for my younger son and for myself. I really enjoy reading the articles and seeing what fun things are around so I can inform my parents at the Westborough JCC, where I teach. Thank you for putting out such a great magazine full of neat articles, places to go, and ideas, just an all-around great idea magazine.

Nancy Rotatori, North Grafton

Dear bsp:The article on misshapened heads [March 2010, Dr. Timothy Gibson] failed to mention another cause of plagioencephaly, the travel system. Babies are strapped into car seats for hours when in fact they should only be in a car seat in the car and on short errands. Every where I go, I see travel systems. A baby can have breathing trouble if the straps are loosened and its position slips down. The best practice is to be lying fl at or slightly reclined. Most strollers recline fully making a nice comfy resting place. Some moms believe the baby must be in the car seat in the beginning but that is not true. I am a carseat tech., nanny, and stroller nut....

Louanne Greene, Westborough

Dear bsp:Rebecca Ashmore, our daughter who is a fi rst grader at North Grafton Elementary School, asked why a girl on TV had no hair. After mommy explained that some people lose their hair when they get really sick and have to wear wigs sometimes, she wanted to give some of her hair. Once it grew long enough, she had it cut and donated to Locks of Love. She is now looking forward to growing her hair again, then sending more when it is long enough. We're very proud of her.

Nicky and Allan Ashmore, North Grafton

Correction: The full name of our adorable 2 ½ week-old March cover model is Barrett Parker Brody. Apologies to his parents, Lauren and Craig Brody of

Medway for our error!

WINNERS! Meet some of bsp’s recent winners, and check out our frequent giveaways at baystateparent.com as well as updates on Facebook.

• Christine Sweeney of Marlborough and Kim Sheey of Andover each won family four-packs to see “The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Favorites” at the Colonial Theatre in Boston.

• Barb Weston of Framingham and Tiffany Call of Ashby each won a family four-pack to the March 14th Worcester Sharks hockey game.

• Tracy Catarius of Shrewsbury won two tickets to see Tchaicovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty” performed by The Moscow Festival Ballet at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester this month.

Thoughts on our April issue? Email your comments and suggestions to [email protected]. All letters

will be edited for clarity and length. Please include your full name and town for publication.

GUESTBOOK

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Last A LIFETIME!Making

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and Mad Science programs on site

Visit www.claytimestudio.com for programs and monthly calendar of events

Route 9, Shrewsbury (Next to White City East) • (508)798-9950paint your own pottery & bead studio

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BAYSTATEPARENT 9

PlateONMY

A Scary Cry for HELP SAVED My SonFrom OCD and ADDmary robbinsBY

I was 29 when our son, now age 15, was born. Like many fi rst-time mothers I was overly doting, convinced that neither my mother nor my mother-in-law could have

ever loved their babies as much, or took care of them as well as I could. I was the mom who believed she could do it all – heavy duty professional by day/ supermom and homemaker on nights and weekends. And really, this worked for a while. And might have continued to work, if our son had been a different person, and I had been a better one. Ultimately, it didn’t work. Our son did not do well with daycare, and I started trying to do my job in fewer and fewer hours. I began to feel disconnected from my peers at work, but didn’t spend

enough time trying to feel connected with other mothers and children I could have met at home. Things really began to spiral downward when our daughter, now age 12, was born. I think people understand enough these days about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention Defi cit Disorder (ADD) to suffi ce it to say that these are the conditions that our son exhibited from birth – the reasons he just didn’t do well with daycare, etc. Despite being the sweetest, most loving child, he couldn’t sit still, or sleep during naptime. He couldn’t take so many transitions throughout the day without feeling terrifi ed, and in his own way, he showed it. I know these things now. Thankfully, I’ve known them for a long time. But I didn’t know them then. And not knowing, not understanding, I took my beautiful 3-year-old boy, and I yelled at him, I hit him, and I shook him. I did these terrible things. Over and over. There can be no

forgiveness for that, and yet every day, my son looks into my eyes and tells me he loves me. Because he knows. He knows that I have been to the depths of my soul and back for him, and with him. When he was 4, I made that scary cry for help to Jewish Family and Children’s Service, a non-profi t group I had read about in baystateparent. The Jewish Family Service was an incredible gift to us. And later, another scary call, to my college roommate who at the time was beginning her psychology practice, asking her to recommend a therapist. Because however diffi cult our son might be, it was obvious that I needed help, and he deserved help. At the time, I had no idea what lay ahead of us: great days, when the therapies we

worked so hard at (brain gym therapy, brushing therapy, biofeedback therapy, vision therapy, gymnastics, dance, music; you name it, we’ve done it) actually seemed to be helping. Not so great days, when as much as I loved my son, I just couldn’t stand to be in the same room with him. Meeting after meeting with teachers (some wonderful, some not), psychologists, psychiatrists, and tutors. A journey beginning out of fear, anger, frustration, and shame, slowly giving way to one amazingly fi lled with hope, happiness, courage, and forgiveness. I call this journey my miracle, because it so easily could have gone another way. Sadly, for many, it does go another way. How many frustrated kids have I seen, struggling to understand their parents’ anger? Kids who don’t even know how or why their “misbehavior” started, only how long they’ve been punished for it. My miracle, because by some incredible act of grace, we ended up with a boy

who is loving, smart, compassionate, annoying, exasperating, and persistent. In short, everything a happy, healthy 15-year-old boy should be. A boy who deep down is not much different than the one he was when we started – but a boy who embraces and celebrates who he is, and knows that we do too. We all know the famous line, “it takes a village….” I have sure needed mine -- My husband, who has paid for and supported everything this journey required, no questions asked, and who loves our children with all his being, just as I do. Our two other children, who understand and appreciate everything we do to keep our family whole, including our choice this year, to enroll our son in a small private high school that not only requires signifi cant fi nancial sacrifi ce, but also adds more than an hour each way to my husband’s daily commute. Our family and friends, who may not have always understood, but have always supported us. Lastly, there is our son, whose capacity for love and forgiveness has made me a better person, a better mom, a better wife; a happier person, a happier mom, a happier wife. As for him, he likes to laugh and tell people that he’s going to write a book someday called “My Mother’s Answer to Everything is Therapy.” I hope he does it. In the meantime, he’s begun to create

his own journey, the one in which he leads, and I am just a part of his village, in the background, giving support when he needs it. An incredible moment, many times I never thought would come.

Mary Robbins (44) is the mother of Colby (15), Megan (12), and Johnny (10). She and her husband

John moved with their children to Northboro ten years ago. They spend as much time as possible

skiing, sailing, and supporting all three kids’ passion for theater, music, and dance. Mary serves on the Board of the Assabet Valley Pastoral Counseling

Center, working to provide fi nancial relief for clients of the center who either have no insurance, or for

whom benefi ts have been exhausted, and is an active volunteer in her children’s schools.

WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE,

MOMS AND DADS? baystateparent is accepting essays on family life (your family life), and you don’t have to be a published writer. We’re looking for parents who want to share an experience, story, thought, or viewpoint...funny, serious, happy, sad. To be considered, email your writing to [email protected], and it could appear in a future issue of baystateparent. All essays will be edited for clarity and length.

“I don’t want to judge people or compare their situation to our experiences and choices -- but I am also so aware of the number of kids whose parents just don’t want to see it.... And maybe, if they see just how unashamed we are to tell our story -- it will make a difference.”

Colby Robbins (pictured on the left of these photos) enjoying life with his family.

10 APRIL2010

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JUNKD R AW E R SA LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT

Sunglasses: A NECESSITY for CHILDREN?Did you think sunglasses were just a cute accessory for kids?

Not so, says the American Academy of Pediatrics, who recommend that children and infants wear sunglasses whenever they are in the sun long enough to get a tan or sunburn. For maximum protection, they advise parents to pick a pair that fi ts the child well, has large lenses, and has been labeled to block UV rays. Local dad, David Scheinberg, the CEO of Real Kids Shades of Concord, MA, couldn’t fi nd protective, stylish sunglasses

for his children, so he decided to develop his own. Scheinberg’s sunglasses are available for children 12 and under in a wide assortment of styles in many Massachusetts stores. The shades offer 100% UV protection and are Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) compliant and FDA Approved. For more information regarding the shades and store locations in Massachusetts, visit realkidshades.com.

FREE CampFor children with cancer and their siblings

The American Cancer Society’s Camp Hope is a weeklong overnight residential camp in Rhode Island for children who have or had cancer, who are between the ages of 7 and 17, and their siblings. Camp is offered one week a year (August 22- 27, 2010) and a weekend in the winter. Best of all, there is no fee for the camper or siblings to attend. “Camp Hope makes a tremendous difference in the lives of the children who attend. They are given a fun-fi lled respite from hospital trips and treatment,”

says Theresa Masnik, Camp Coordinator. Campers are supervised by volunteer counselors and nurses trained to understand their illness and the effect it has on their activities. Theresa says the staff also strives “to increase campers’ physical resilience and self-esteem, and foster positive peer interactions among other children with the same life-threatening illness.” To learn more about this special camp, and others like it in CT and ME, call 800-ACS-2345.

A “KEY” for Peace of Mind We know you need a safe place to keep your spare house key so that teens and tweens can safely let themselves in after school or camp. And if you’re away at work, or hopefully, a vacation... how can you let in caregivers, handymen, housekeepers, neighbors, friends, or family when there’s work to be done, or pets to be fed? baystateparent likes GE’s new AccessPoint™ KeySafe™ lockbox, a new safe-like device that you can

mount by the door or to a doornob. To access the key, you just punch in the parent-assigned code (it looks very much like a key pad to an automatic garage door or the devices realtors use). Look for these boxes at your local hardware store where they retail for under $40. For more info, call 800-225-2974 or visit ge-accesspoint.com. If you’d like to receive a KeySafe™ lockbox, fi ll out baystateparent’s giveaway form at baystateparent.com.

When Tufts University graduate and author of “Hooking Up: A Girl’s All-Out Guide to Sex and Sexuality,” Amber Madison, toured the country as a sex educator, visiting colleges and talking to students and parents about safer sex and relationship, she found that, “Across the board, people came up to me saying, ‘my parents never talked to me about this stuff.’” And most students, Amber says, wish their parents had. Amber’s latest book, “Talking Sex with your Kids,“ (Adams Media, March 2010) is a response to what students shared with her. Her book is fi lled with real-life examples and straight talk for how parents can talk with their kids without giving TMI (too much information).

One of the most important tips in the book is to start talking to your children about sex early so it does not build up and become overwhelming. While you may be hesitant to introduce the topic, “Every experts says this is the way to do it,” says Amber. Local OB/GYN, Katharine O’Connell White, MD, MPH of Baystate Medical Center in Springfi eld, is the medical advisor for Amber’s book, recommending it to parents as“comprehensive and accurate without being overwhelming,”noting that the guide is “about the heart as well as the body.” Well-done Amber! Amber Madison will be visiting the Wellesley Booksmith on April 7th and the Harvard Coop on April 9th. For more information, visit AmberMadisonOnline.com

the Birds and the BeesStart talking to your kids NOW

Junkdrawers strives to highlight the products, people and places of Massachusetts. Have an idea? E-mail [email protected].

BAYSTATEPARENT 11

The Boston Red Sox won the 2004 World Series on October 27 shortly after midnight when relief pitcher Keith Foulke fl ipped the fi nal out to fi rst baseman Doug Mientkiewicz. My phone rang seconds later. I picked it up. “Hi Dad.” I knew he’d call. The Sox hadn’t won the World Series in 86 years, and this was an event that my father, like millions of other Sox fans through time, had waited his entire life to witness. Traditionally, Dad and I had always waited until the next day to console each other after a devastating Red Sox loss — we needed the time to channel our outrage into some form of verbal coherence. (True story: After the Sox loss to the Mets in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, I insisted to my wife that I would be haunted by the tragedy every day for the rest of my life. Then, I had to get up and go to work the next Monday, pay my bills, drive my car without hitting anyone, stay hydrated — you know, do stuff. I got over it just fi ne.)October 27 was different. That night we

celebrated in the moment with an early-morning phone call — ghosts exorcised, champagne fi nally uncorked. When Dad died last year we made certain his obituary included a sentence about his devotion to the Sox. There was never any question my own kids would be Red Sox rooters. Not only was my father a Red Sox acolyte, so was his father. My great grandmother listened faithfully to Red Sox games into her late 90s. Only death could separate her from her beloved team. Here in New England, we infect our children with the sickness very early. As soon as my kids were old enough to have an awareness of baseball, I taught them that the Red Sox lost Game 6 not because the ball rolled through Bill Buckner’s legs, but because — Why, kids? — our pitchers couldn’t get it done! That I would steer my children into baseball was inevitable. My daughter played softball for years (same rules, bigger ball), and supplied us some thrills … and some laughs. Her fi rst coach, Frannie, was a gruff, old guy with a heart of gold. One

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day, Kelsey was playing center fi eld when Frannie motioned to her to move a few feet closer to the infi eld. Unfortunately, Kelsey, unschooled in the art of interpreting the coach’s signals, believed he was waving at her to return to the dugout. So while the game proceeded Kelsey trotted in from the fi eld, tapped Frannie on the shoulder and asked him what he wanted. Stunned, he told her in no uncertain terms that what he truly wanted was for Kelsey to get back to center fi eld. She shrugged, and as she jogged to her position, Frannie grinned, shook his head, and marveled aloud, “I’ve never seen that before.” Kelsey eventually became a pitcher, blessed with a strong arm and cursed by a lack of control so profound that the players in both dugouts had to be on their toes when she took the mound. When she reached high school and sprouted past six feet, she hung up the cleats and picked up a basketball. My son Jimmy played baseball, too. Did the t-ball thing, Minor League, Little League. It was good stuff, until one day he announced he didn’t want to play anymore. Baseball wasn’t fun. Not fun?! What’s not fun about standing around in a frigid April drizzle waiting for a ball to be hit at you? What’s not fun about taking a fastball between the shoulder blades from the monstrous pitcher on the mound? What’s not fun about season-long batting slumps? Oh. As with Game 6, I got over it. We still enjoy watching the Sox together. Last summer, we were at Fenway when David Ortiz hit a walk-off homerun, the highlight of his troubled season. As the ball disappeared into the right fi eld stands the crowd erupted; Jimmy and I yelled and traded high fi ves. Ortiz circled the bases with that distinctive wide grin plastered on his face, and when he jumped on home plate his teammates mobbed him. The whole thing felt like 2004 all over again. It would have been a perfect night to call my father.

Jim Keogh is an award-winning editor and freelance writer. He lives with his family in Worcester.

Baseball: Where the Boys Are

My 6-year-old announced to me this morning – as I offered up the enrollment form for spring little league – that “baseball is for boys.” No way sweetie! I cooed, getting down to eye level with her, doing my best to explain in my gooiest, new-age vernacular that girls can do everything boys can do. That boys can design dresses, bake wedding cakes, and take ballet. And for Pete’s sakes, girls can play baseball. And then I shriveled up inside myself with latent guilt because frankly, I have shared her sentiment for my entire life. Not only did I believe that baseball was for boys, I reveled in it. Boy-crazy me

wanted to be where the boys were, and the boys – inevitably – were at the fi eld.I always wanted to be the girl who loved sports. Those girls were the coolest, but I would soon learn that that kind of cool is not in my genetic code. My father bought mitts one Christmas for me and my two sisters, with big dreams of dispelling gender stereotypes. We thanked my dad and jumped up and down and promptly used the shiny leather gloves as bonnets for our new dolls. He would try to get us to play catch in the yard, but without fail one of us would start whining about some infraction of justice and my father had a little rule in all areas of play with his daughters: the game is over when the fi rst girl cries. You would think this would have made us tougher – instead, it made our games shorter. In elementary school, I tried to love baseball again, though I suspect my desire to do so had more to do with David Nuttall and his cute green and white uniform. But I’d feign tomboy-hood, tell my parents I was going to watch the baseball game at the school, and off I’d go on my BMX bike. And once at the fi eld, I would sit on the bleachers and imagine a long, beautiful life with David that had nothing at all to do with baseball. In high school, I made it a serious priority to watch the Sox games over at my friend Laurie’s house. But once again, my need to keep up with the season probably had more to do with the fact that Laurie had four very cute, very sporty, very teen-aged brothers. In the Boston area, loving baseball is like a mating call, and when I was young and single I wanted a piece of that action. But as boys grow into men, they can detect a phony fan from a million miles away and I cried uncle before I willingly subjected myself to such character scrutiny. I gave up. I don’t now – nor have I ever – enjoyed playing, watching, or talking about baseball. Is baseball really just for boys? No, I wasn’t lying to my kid. Girls can play baseball too. But some of us are happiest as spectators, no matter how unsportsmanlike our motives.

Amanda Roberge is a freelance writer and the mother of three daughters, living in Leominster.

Baseball is the Right Calljim keogh

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12 APRIL2010

While famed Wimpy Kid character Greg Heffl ey is always scheming ways to notch up his popularity at middle school, his creator, Jeff Kinney of Plainville, MA, is having no trouble getting noticed these days. Jeff’s

wildly popular “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series has made the New York Times bestseller list for children’s books for 59 straight weeks as of March 5, 2010. In 2009, Kinney was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 “Most Infl uential People.” Now, with the newly released “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” movie,

Wimpy KidWimpy Kid GOES WIDESCREENAuthor and Massachusetts Dad, Jeff Kinney, Talks about Wimpy Kids & the Kinney Family

trish reskeBY

a companion book, “The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary,” and Book Five of the Diary series in the works, Jeff ’s popularity with young readers, pre-teens, and parents alike are set to keep soaring. Jeff ’s quirky, laugh-out-loud humor in his books and onscreen success is tempered by a concerted effort to be a down-to-earth, “regular” dad in real life. Amidst the string of successes with everything “wimp” Jeff has created, he still keeps his day job as a design director for the Family Education Network. And, when he’s not traveling, he’s a work-at-home dad, taking time out to play with his two young sons, Will (7) and Grant (4), or to spend time with his wife, Julie. baystateparent recently spoke with Jeff about “The Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series phenomenon, the smash hit movie, and how he balances storybook success at “Westmore Middle School” with his own family life in Plainville, MA.

BSP: Who qualifi es as a “wimpy kid”?

Jeff: Anybody who has felt small at some point in their lives would qualify as a wimpy kid. Anybody who has been in middle school, or at the bottom of the totem pole in any social setting, knows what it’s like to feel powerless. “Wimpy Kid” is less a physical designation, and more about a power designation.

BSP: Were you a middle child growing up?

Jeff: I was the third of four children. Like Greg, I had an older brother and a younger brother. I also had an older sister. I used to relish my fi ghts against all three of them at once.

BSP: How was “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” born?

Jeff: I had aspired to become a newspaper cartoonist. I couldn’t break into the business. I’m sure it was because my illustrations weren’t “professional grade.” So I decided to start cartooning as a 7th grade boy. That’s how I fi gured how I could get around the quality issue. I originally did not intend the book to be for kids. I was trying to write a nostalgia piece for adults, like the “Wonder Years” or “A Christmas Story.” So it was a great surprise to me when my publisher told me

that they wanted to make this into a children’s book series.

BSP: Where do you get your creative inspiration?

Jeff: I love real-life stories the most—ordinary humor and things that you just can’t make up. When I was a kid I used to like the Judy Bloom books because they were real and relatable stories. And they’ve certainly stood the test of time. So I try to tell that same kind of a story. Something that a kid might enjoy if they pick up my books 20 years from now.

BSP: What makes the Wimpy Kid series and movie unique?

Jeff: I think it’s the voice of the characters. And I hope it’s the humor. I work really hard at writing my humor. I take it very very seriously—oddly. There’s also something appealing and clean about the drawings of the characters. They’re not over-complicated, but they’re recognizable and expressive.

BSP: It’s not just middle-schoolers who love your books. There’s a universal appeal that you’ve tapped into? What is it?

Jeff: I think it’s telling stories that people can relate to.

BSP: Are you happy with the movie?

Jeff: I really am. I was heavily involved with the production of it. I’ve had about as complete an experience as any writer could hope for. I’m especially happy with the emotional through line of Greg and Rowley‘s relationship. I’ve seen the movie three times now, and I’ve been touched each time by the ending.

BSP: What’s your favorite part?

Jeff: My favorite moment is when Greg sings “Total Eclipse of the Heart” for the middle school play tryouts. I thought that was very funny.

BSP: What’s it been like for you to see your characters come to life in the movie?

Jeff: It’s been great. Greg was the hardest to cast because he’s got be a kid that’s a bit of a jerk but makes the audience root for him anyway. And that’s hard to do. Zach (Zachary Gordon) delivered on that. Robert Capron was a no-brainer. As soon as the producer saw him, they said, “That’s Rowley, period.” All the kids did a great job.

BSP: How has your success impacted your family life?

Jeff: I used to have a pretty normal situation where I would write at night, and then have my full-time job during the day. The movie has really added a wild

BAYSTATEPARENT 13

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card. Being a dad and having success at the same time is the most agonizing part of my life. This work takes me away from my family so much. I fi ght for every chance I can to be with them and have some sense of normalcy. That’s the biggest confl ict I have, to try to fi gure out when to go away, when to be there, and it’s not always easy.

BSP: Are your boys budding cartoonists?

Jeff: My older son (Will) is a manic artist. He gets into these phases where he can’t do anything but draw. His drawings are really abstract. My younger son (Grant) is really into sports at an incredible level. He throws a football to himself all day long. He just recently got into drawing and it’s really empowering him, to know that he can do this, too. So that’s been really cool to see.

BSP: A new book, “The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary” was released with the movie. Why did you write this book?

Jeff: I got to be on the movie set and see the whole process, and I thought that kids might be interested in the process as well. I tried to capture the spirit of wonder that my readers would have if they were able to see everything that went into making the movie. It’s more interesting than funny. And I hope that my audience is willing to follow me there.

BSP: Can you give fans a sneak peek into “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Fifth Book?”

Jeff: It’s going to be about the resolution of Greg and Rawley’s friendship— whether or not these two characters will stay friends. And it’s also going to be about growing up. The roles are going to reverse a bit, with Rowley having an eye towards getting older and Greg wanting to hold onto his childhood.

BSP: Is there another movie in the works?

Jeff: I think that everybody hopes we’re going to make another movie. It feels like we’ve created this universe of characters. And we have a lot more stories to tell.

BSP: What’s your wish for your own boys when they approach their middle school years?

Jeff: My fi rst grader (Will) said to myself and my wife recently, “I’m happy.” You really can’t ask for anything more than that. I want them to feel happy and safe and secure. I don’t care what they do or what their interests are, I just want them to feel they are supported and can forge their own path.

BSP: What do you hope kids will come away with after they’ve read the Wimpy books and/or seen the movie?

Jeff: For the movie, my hope is that they feel like they’ve been entertained and that they’ve laughed and that maybe even that they’ve been touched by the movie. In my books, I just want them to

laugh. That’s my “low-minded” hope. My “high-minded” hope is that the books will turn kids into life-long readers.

BSP: What about parents?

Jeff: Some parents have had diffi culty accepting Greg’s character because he’s imperfect, and he doesn’t always do the right thing. I hope with the movie, that argument goes away. It’s clear (in the movie) that Greg isn’t perfect, but he’s not a bad kid—he’s just a kid that’s caught in the camera’s glare at the wrong time. And I also hope parents see that it’s OK to have a laugh.

Trish Reske is an award-winning freelance writer and mom of four wonderful, wimpy kids in Westborough.

For more information, visit her blog at trishreske.com, or follow her at www.twitter.com/trishreske

Wimpy Kid Diary Fun FactsDid You Know?

• “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” got its start as a Web comic on funbrain.com.

• Rowley’s mom in the movie is played by Robert Capron’s real-life mom. Rowley and his family live in Rhode Island.

• Greg’s younger brother in the movie,

Manny, is played by twins Connor and Owen Fielding.

• You can create your own wimpy character at wimpyourself.com It’s fun!

• You can also play Poptropica, designed by Jeff Kinney, online at funbrain.com.

• The movie, set in Westmore Middle School in Anywhere, USA was fi lmed in Vancouver, Canada.

• The Wimpy Kids book series has been translated into 28 languages. In German, the literal translation is “Greg Surrounded by Idiots.”

14 APRIL2010

Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts offers a special palette of school vacation fun, April 19 - 23, with engaging hands-on activities. Children are FREE. mfa.org

GO GREEN! April 3 - June 27. FREE What does it really mean to be green? Come discover the inspiration for Kermit and his fine muppet friends at the Jim Henson’s Fantastic World exhibition at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington. nationalheritagemuseum.org.

GO HISTORY! April 19 - 23. Step back in time and enjoy Native singing; colonial singing and dancing at Pli-moth Plantation. Also learn how to better care for Mother Earth, celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday, and much more! plimoth.org

GO SWIM! School Vacation Week. Dive in for a good time at the Longfellow Club, Natick. longfellowclubs.com

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You’re off to Great Places!You’re off and away!

- dr. seuss

GO School Vacation Week!

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BAYSTATEPARENT 15

BE SILLY. FOOL SOMEONE TODAY

Eric Carle Storytime. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m. Free with admission.Admis-sion to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

NanoDays Celebration. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 2: to 4:30 p.m. The Discovery Museums are partners in NanoDays, a nationwide festival of educational programs about nanoscale science and engineering. From gecko feet to nano fabrics, learn how materials have unexpected properties at the nanoscale. Find the nano in your everyday life and learn why scientists and engineers hope nanotechnology can solve problems – from energy efficiency to medicine. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org.

FREE Weekly Breastfeeding Support Group in Holden. The Holden Senior Center, 1130 Main St., 3 – 5 p.m. Drop-in-any time to safely take your new breastfeed-ing babies in town to meet and greet while having a cup of tea! Refreshments are included, though B.Y.O.W. (“Bring your own water”) and snacks is encouraged. Donations are joyfully accepted. Meets every Thursday. 508-847-8615.

Caring for Animals. Drumlin Farm, 208 South Great Rd., Lincoln. 4 – 5:30 p.m. Help the farmers and the wildlife care staff with chores and discover what it’s like to take care of the Drumlin Farm animals. Opportunities to feed and clean up after both the farm animals and the captive native wildlife. Thursdays through April. All ages. Fees apply. 781-259-2206, massaudubon.org/drumlin.

FREE Story Time at Goddard. The Goddard School, 10 Torre St., Reading. 10 - 11 a.m. Stories, craft, and healthy snack. RSVP: 781-942-0023, [email protected]

Face Painting Fun. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 10 a.m. – Noon. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Nanoscience from Brandeis University. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 1 – 4 p.m. Meet members of the Brandeis University’s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center and learn about their exciting interdisciplinary research that explores the interface of biology and nanoscale materials science. Try hands-on activities to discover how materials have unexpected properties at the nanoscale. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

FREE Stargazing at the Observatory. Museum of Science, Science Park, Boston. 8:30 – 10 p.m. Tucked away on the roof of the Museum’s parking garage, the Gilliland Observatory is a wonderful resource for the starry-eyed public. On the roof every Friday night is a stellar presentation equipped with a computer-controlled, Celestron CGE 1100 Schmidt Cassegrain telescope and staffed by knowledgeable Museum employees. Please call the Gilliland Observatory hotline, 617-589-0267, which is updated at 5:30 p.m. on Friday nights with information about that night’s observing session. 617-723-2500, mos.org

FREE Fashion Fun Paper Doll Craft. American Girl. Natick Collection. 1 – 3 p.m. Use stencils of clothing designs, patterned paper, and decorations to create original outfits for your own paper doll. For girls 8 and up. americangirl.com

A Great Day with Grandparents. American Girl. Natick Collection. 4:30 p.m.A delicious meal, plus a commemorative photo and keepsakes to take home as a reminder of the memories made during your special day. For girls 6 and up. $30 pp. Reservations required. 877-247-5223, americangirl.com

Build It. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m. – Noon. LEGO building for toddlers! Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

NanoDays Celebration! Science Discovery Museum, Acton. Drop-in 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. See April 1 listing for details.

Traditional Contra and Square Dances . 1870 Town Hall, 12 Woodward Ave., Berlin. 8 – 11 p.m. Live music by the Berlin Country Orchestra. All dances are taught. Everyone is welcome - from beginner to experienced. Come with or without a partner. Please bring clean, soft-soled shoes. Admission $5 PP with a maximum of $12 per family. Come at 7:30 for free instruction on the basic steps.First-time dancers get free admission. 978-273-8238, webpages.charter.net/brlncountyorch.

Kids’ Price Saturday at Franklin Park Zoo! Boston. Feel like a kid again when visiting the Zoo! From 10 a.m. -

noon today only, all guests will be charged $8, the children’s admission price. 617-541-5466, franklinparkzoo.org

Kitchen Science: Making Butter. Boston Children’s Museum.11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Using some cream and a jar, you can make your own butter! A $12, C (1 – 15) $9, under one, free. Fridays 5 – 9 p.m., all visitors $1. 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org Also Roots and Shoots Morning from 10 a.m. – Noon. Activities to make your home and community more sustainable. NanoDays. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. Noon – 3 p.m. Kids take part in a nationwide celebration of nanotechnology – the science of the super small – to investigate the tiny stuff that can’t be seen with a microscope. Build soccer ball-shaped molecule models, measure yourself in teeny nanometers, and encounter liquid crystals and find out how we use them every day. Ages 5 – 11. Free with admission. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org.

FREE Pass on the Gift Open House. Heifer Learning Center at Overlook Farm, 216 Wachusett St., Rutland. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. As part of Pass on the Gift Month, take a complimentary tour of the farm and their unique Global Village. Pop your head in the Peru house, walk up the stairs to the bamboo Thai stilt house, or just peer over the fence at the baby animals kicking up their heels (and hooves and little chick feet). Take a break and stop in to the Visitor Cen-ter to see the award-winning short film - 12 Stones. Browse the Shop for fairly-traded gifts for Mother’s Day. Discover how Heifer International plays a role in ending hunger and poverty at home and abroad and how your family can help too. 508-886-2221, heifer.org/overlookevents

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Chalk the Walk. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Celebrate spring by creating colorful sidewalk chalk drawings. Ages 3 – 11. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org.

FREE Introduction to Yoga. Central Mass Yoga and Well-ness, INC., 45 Sterling Street #28, West Boylston. 11 a.m. Free intro to Yoga class. No pre-registration needed. centralmassyoga.com

Storytime at Henry Bear’s Park. 19 Harvard St., Brookline. Every Monday, 11 a.m. henrybear.com.

Museum Challenges. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Kids choose a challenge sheet and comb the Museum on a quest for clues. Ages 4 – 11. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org.

FREE Tuesday Storytime. The Harvard Coop, 1400 Mas-sachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 11 a.m. Children ages 1 - 6 and their caregivers are welcome to visit and enjoy stories and snacks. thecoop.com

Frog Moon Night Hike. New England Wild Flower Society, Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Rd., Framingham. 6:30 – 8 p.m. Near the night of the “Beaver Moon,” instruc-tor Bonnie Drexler leads groups into the dark forest to enjoy the nighttime sights, smells, and sounds. Enjoy hot cocoa and make a booklet of full-moon activities for months of full moons to come. $10 pp. 508-877-7630, newenglandwild.org/learn

Dazzling Doll ’Dos for Fancy Occasions. American Girl. Natick Collection. 4:30 p.m. in the Craft Studio. Give her doll a special hairstyle for a fancy occasion. Stylists will share tips and tricks for creating a crown veil or ponytail veil hairdo. Each girl will also receive a special goody bag with doll hair accessories and styling instructions. $24 per person. For girls 8 and up. Reservations required. 877-247-5223, americangirl.com

FREE Red Flags – How to Identify Early Struggling Readers. Northborough Free Library, 34 Main St., Northborough. 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. A program for parents presented by Dr. Pamela Hook, President of the Mas-sachusetts Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (MABIDA). Learn how to identify the early signs of reading

MELTDOWN WARNING: Before you pack up the mini-van, please confirm your destination. Although we’ve done our best to assure accuracy at press time, things can and do change…

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SHARK! Get face to face with a great white shark on the screen in Disneynature’s new mov-ie, Oceans, opening on April 22 (Disney.com/oceans) or during Shark Week through-out April school vacation at Mystic Aquarium, where you can even touch a shark at it swims by! mysticaquarium.org

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struggles in your child. Registration is required: 508-393-5025 x 4. northboroughlibrary.org/northborough

Play and Learn. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 10 a.m. – Noon. Preschoolers build ramps and towers and experiment with rolling balls. Ages 2 – 4. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org.

FREE Talk by Sports Author Michael King. North-borough Free Library, 34 Main St., Northborough. 7 p.m. Sports Author, Michael King, author of “Patriots Passion: 50 Years of Fanatic Fandom Facts,” will talk about his book and engage the audience in interactive trivia about our New England football team. 508-393-5025, northboroughlibrary.org/northborough

Glass Xylophones. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 3 – 5 p.m. Kids make cool melodies with glasses of water in the FETCH!™ Lab, a hands-on activity center. Ages 5 – 11. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrens-museum.org.

Ocean Discoveries. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m. Explore the collection of ocean

life specimens. Practice your classification skills as you observe, touch, and sort shells, sea stars, and seaweed based on shape, color, and size. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discov-erymuseums.org

Take Apart Potluck. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Are you curi-ous about what’s inside telephones, VCRs and computers? Discover circuits, resistors, and capacitors as you uncover the inner workings of everyday objects. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Bitty Fun Day. American Girl. Natick Collection. 10:30 a.m. Spend some time with your little sweetie! Moms and preschoolers can color, celebrate, and learn Bitty Bunch games and rhymes before enjoying finger foods little girls will love. For girls 3 and up. $10 PP. Reservations required. 877-247-5223, americangirl.com

FREE Bitty Bunch Friendship Tree. American Girl. Natick Collection. Noon – 2 p.m. The Bitty Bunch has planted a friendship tree, and they want your little girl to help it grow. Your girl is invited to decorate her very own leaf to hang on the friendship tree for all to see. For girls ages 3 and up. americangirl.com

Story Center. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 3 – 5 p.m. Kids create their own stories using magnet words and explore funny tales and poems. Ages 5 – 11. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org.

Nature Adventures for 5s & 6s. Mass Audubon at Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Rd., Worcester. 12:45 - 2:45 p.m. Held the second Thursday of each month focusing on a new nature topic. C $15. 508-753-6087, massaudubon.org

Kamishibai - Japanese Storytelling. Boston Children’s Museum.11 a.m., Noon, and 1 p.m. Hear the folktale of “The Old Man Who Made Trees Blossom.” A $12, C (1 – 15) $9, under one, free. Fridays 5 – 9 p.m., all visi-tors $1. 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org

Kindergarten Readiness. Boston Children’s Museum. 6 – 8 p.m. Practice Kindergarten readiness skills. A $12, C (1 – 15) $9, under one, free. Fridays 5 – 9 p.m., all visi-tors $1. 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org

Spring Fever. Drumlin Farm, 208 South Great Rd., Lin-coln. 3:30 – 5 p.m. Dig for worms and plant some early spring crops in the garden. You can take home some seeds of your own to grow. All ages. $14 PP. 781-259-2206, massaudubon.org/drumlin

Preschool Story Hour – Wind-It Pollinates. Mass Audubon at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Rd., Princeton. 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.Read a book, do a craft activity, and go for a walk with Teacher-Naturalist Chris Eaton. For ages 2.5 to 5. $10 A/C

pair. $2 per additional child. 978-464-2712, massaudu-bon.org

Felting Wool. Mass Audubon at Wachusett Meadow Wild-life Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Rd., Princeton. 1 – 3 p.m. The sheep have just been shorn. Learn the art of felting. Make a small bag to take home. Learn about the unique characteristics of this ancient fiber, which can be made into a house, clothing, insulation, or flame-retardant material. Decorative colors will be provided for the felting process. The entire family is welcome. Adults free. $2 materials fee. 978-464-2712, C $12. 978-464-2712, massaudubon.org

Dinosaur Discoveries. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 10 a.m. – Noon. Come touch a real dinosaur fossil and pretend to be a paleontolo-gist digging for dinosaur bones in a mock excavation site! Bessie, the dinosaur mascot of The Discovery Museums, will make a special appearance at the beginning of the program. *Bessie is a costumed museum staff member. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Tap Dancing into Math Month. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m. Discover the art and math in tap dancing with tap dancer Julie Bradley as you use the noise from your own feet to learn about math and patterns. No tap shoes are needed, but a tapping attitude is required! Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Ocean Detectives Ages 5 – 7. New England Aquarium. Central Wharf, Boston. 2 – 3:30 p.m. Children will work with parents and peers to unlock the secrets of the deep while developing their math, science, and literacy skills. Track turtles, study crab movement, or look for trends in penguin behavior. C $30, adult admission included. 617-973-5206, neaq.org

Curious George Counts to 100. Boston Children’s Museum.11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Count to 100 on the 100th day of 2010. Free with admission. A $12, C (1 – 15) $9, under one, free. Fridays 5 – 9 p.m., all visitors $1. 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

FREE Safari Storytime & Craft. The Harvard Coop, 1400 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 11 a.m. thecoop.com

FREE Patriot’s Day Art Workshop. Munroe Center for the Arts, 1403 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Drop-in). Guided by two Munroe resident artists, youth will prepare a four-paneled poster and other artistic items to carry in Lexington’s Patriot’s Day Parade. Appropriate for youth grades K-12. Children under 8 require supervision of a parent. 781-862-6040, munroecenter.org.


7WEDNESDAY

PROFESSIONAL TENNIS COMES TO BOSTON!FREE Kids’ tennis clinic with tennis legends on Sunday, May 2 at Boston University. Hall of Famers John McEnroe and Pete Sampras interact with students during last year’s kids day event in Boston. For tickets to the Staples Champion Cup, April 29 - May 2, and more info on Lever 2000 Kids Day visit championsseriestennis.com (events).

8THURSDAY

9FRIDAY

10SATURDAY

BAYSTATEPARENT 17

Introduction to Home Education. Whitney Place As-sisted Living Residences, 3 Vision Dr., Rt. 9 West in Natick. 1 – 3:30 p.m. Considering home education? Attend this info session. 774-249-0806.

Half-Price Admission: Scout Day at Plimoth Planta-tion. Plimoth Plantation’s Education Department, 137 Warren Ave., Plymouth. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Boy and Girl Scouts are invited to visit Plimoth Plantation and Mayflower II for half price today. Scout leaders receive the discount as well. Colonial games and other activities throughout the day including a special wolf program at 1 p.m. (requires a ticket in addition to paid Museum admission). A $8, C $6. Scouts: $6 for adults and $4 for children. 508-746-1622, plimoth.org

Sensational India! Festival. Peabody Essex Museum,East India Square, Salem. 10:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. (Also April 11). The PEM celebrates an unparalleled 200-year legacy of cultural exchange with India, the longest of its kind in America. Honor that relationship and make connec-tions between the rich Indian art and culture represented in our collection and India’s remarkable performing arts. Weekend festival to include film, dance, art making, cook-ing, yoga, and more! A$15. Free for children 16 and under. pem.org

Fashion Show & Tea. Fairbank Community Center, Sudbury. 1 – 2:30 p.m. Ages 4 to 9. Fashions from Rugged Bear, sweets, tea, lemonade, door prizes, party favors, etiquette training, an American Girl Doll raffle. Sells out each year! A $23, C $18. Sign up at wayland.ma.us/park or call 508-358-3660 to register.

FREE 17th Annual Teddy Bear Clinic. Greendale Mall, Worcester. 10 a.m. - 3 p .m. An event that helps children of all ages learn about health and safety with fun and in-teractive booths. Teddy bears and stuffed dolls are welcome to come with their owners for a physical exam. Games! Entertainment! 508-793-6337, umassmemorial.org.

Bessie Needs a Bath. Children’s Discovery, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 10 a.m. – Noon. Plenty of soap bubbles and sponges will be on hand to ensure this dino-saur gets nice and clean. Don’t forget in between her toes! Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org.

Special Sundays. Eric Carle Picture Book Museum, 125 West Bay Rd., Amherst. 1 – 4 p.m. Participate in an additional art activity in the back of the Art Studio. Always a surprise and sometimes messy, so bring a smock! Free with admission. A $9, C (1-18) $6, under 1, free, family $22.50. 413-658-1100, carlemuseum.org.Puppetry Workshop. National Heritage Museum, 33

Marrett Rd., Lexington. 1:30 - 4 p.m. Ages 7 +. Art educator and puppeteer Michelle Finston will help people of all ages work together to make puppets from simple objects and use their creations to tell stories. Pre-register: [email protected]. $20 PP. 781-861-6559, nationalher-itagemuseum.org

FREE Addy’s Paper Lantern Craft. American girl. Natick Collection. 2 – 4 p.m. Learn to make a paper lantern that looks a lot like one Addy might have used in 1864. For girls 8+. americangirl.com

Addy’s Birthday Celebration. American Girl. Natick Collection. 4:30 p.m. Happy birthday, Addy! Join the celebration and learn about Addy’s life, enjoy a special meal, and take home a keepsake booklet with activities and journaling pages to help you commemorate this special day. For girls 8 and up. $26 PP. Reservations required. 877-247-5223, americangirl.com

Wild about Reptiles. Mass Audubon’s Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, 280 Eliot St. (Rt.16), Natick. 1-2:30p.m. Learn more about our wonderful scaly friends and take a short walk to see more reptiles in the wild.Pre-registration recommended. A$15, C$8. 508-655-2296.

No Time to Waste. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St.10:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. Learn what’s funny about trash in a family comedy about recycling. Four 20-minute shows. Ages 5 – 11. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org.

Sensational India! Festival. Peabody Essex Museum,Salem. See listing on April 11 for details

Model Railroad Show and Open House-Railfair 2010. Shirley. 10 a. m. - 4 p.m. Two locations: Shirley Middle School, 1 Hospital Rd., Shirley, will have many model railroad dealers, train exhibits, displays and clinics. Open House: Club quarters, 2 Shaker Rd Unit E-205, Shirley. See the association’s new state of the art model railroad.A$5, Free under 12. nvrra.com.

Groove, Wiggle and Move. The Honan-Allston Branch Library Auditorium, 300 North Harvard St., Allston. 6 – 7 p.m. with free pizza at 5:30 p.m. Sara Wheeler of Little Groove will lead an interactive music workshopfor parents and children Please register early. 617-254-1520, thehome.org/ecsoc

Museum Challenges. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Kids select hunts and search high and low to solve Museum mysteries. Ages 4 – 11. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org.

Sports Ball Math. Science Discovery, 177 Main St., Acton. 3:30 p.m. Celebrate Math Awareness Month’s theme of Mathematics and Sports as you test and graph the bounciness of various sports balls. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Storytime Theater in Kidstage. Boston Children’s Museum. 11a.m. A dramatic play program for our young-est visitors. A $12, C $9, under 1 free. 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org

FOR PARENTS “Girls Will Be Girls: Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters.” Parent Talk, Newman Elementary School, 1155 Central Ave., Needham. Book signing, 7 p.m.; Lecture, 7:30 p.m. Nationally-known author, lecturer, and preventive psychologist Dr. JoAnn Deak will describe the emotional and physical challenges faced by girls, and share her insight into what makes girls tick, including findings from the latest male/female brain research. $20 pre-paid; $25 at door. No Refunds. parent-talk.info.

Play and Learn. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 10 a.m. – Noon. Preschoolers practice spatial skills as they steer small cars over bridges and through tunnels. Ages 2 – 4. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org.

FREE MOMS Club of Sutton Open Playgroup. 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Crafts and games for children, coffee and refreshments, the MOMcycle table and much more! Learn about the MOMS Club of Sutton and make some new friends! Open House style - come for 5 minutes or come for 2 hours. MomsClubOfSutton.com

FREE MOMS Club of Millbury Monthly Social. 9:30 a.m. Monthly social for Moms and Dads, crafts, stories, snacks, and games for the kids. Open to Millbury and Grafton families. Email for location and more information. MomsClubOfMillbury.com

Shark Week. Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Explora-tion, 55 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, CT. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. each day. (Through April 20). Through activities and games, kids will discover which sharks are the fastest, largest and most docile, as well as the threats sharks are facing in the wild. At the new touch pool, you can even touch a shark as it swims by! All activities free with aquarium admission. A $26, C$19 (ages 3 to 17), 2 and under, free. 860-572-5955, mysticaquarium.org

Go Fly a Kite. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 3 – 5 p.m. Kids create kites and keep them flying high in the FETCH!™ Lab, a hands-on activity sta-tion. Ages 5 – 11. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrens-museum.org. Slithering Salamanders, Leaping Frogs Preschool Series. Mass Audubon at Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Rd., Worcester. 10 – 11 a.m. If you are between the ages of 3 and 5, bring your favorite adult for a thematic hour of a story, an activity, and a natu-ralist-led walk. Be prepared to go outside. $10 A/C pair; $2 per additional child. 508-753-6087, massaudubon.org

FOR PARENTS Knowing When and How To Say “NO!” Parenting Solutions, 6 Colonial Dr., Westborough. 7:30 – 9 p.m. One of a series on Discipline That Works! $30/parent (2nd parent 1/2 price). 508-366-7557parentingsolutionsprograms.com.

Music and Movement. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m. Come and explore sound through singing and playing with Ms. Karina. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org Mystery Hike. Drumlin Farm, 208 South Great Rd., Lincoln. 3:30 – 5 p.m. Journey around the farm looking for rabbits, birds building their nests, spring flowers and much more. Ages 3 and up. $10 PP. 781-259-2206, mas-saudubon.org/drumlin

Chalk the Walk. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 3 – 5 p.m. Kids make their own mark with side-walk chalk at the Museum entrance. Ages 3 – 11. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org.

Season Opens at Davis Farmland. Sterling. Half price admission April weekdays after 2 p.m. Explore animal showcases, and pretend, climb, and play in Imagine Acres and Adventure Land. Plus, cool off in warm weather at the water sprayground. New this year: Foam Zone! Call for admission: 978-422-MOOO. April 17 and 18: Welcome Back Events; April 24 and 25: Animal Makeover Weekend. DavisFarmland.com. Preschool Series: Slithering Salamanders, Leaping Frogs. Mass Audubon at Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuuary, 414 Massasoit Rd., Worcester. 10 – 11 a.m. If you are between the ages of 3 and 5, bring your favorite adult for a thematic hour of a story, an activity, and a natu-ralist-led walk. Be prepared to go outside. $10 A/C pair; $2 per additional child. 508-753-6087, massaudubon.org

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18 APRIL2010


Handprint Wreath. Children’s Discovery, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 10 a.m. – Noon. Celebrate The Week of the Young Child by using your little hands and paint to create a beautiful wreath to brighten your home and commemorate this special moment in your life. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Operation: Spy Challenge. Boston Children’s Museum. 6 - 8:30 p.m. (Also April 23 and 30). Make contact with secret agents throughout the Museum. Target $1 Friday Nights 5 – 9 p.m., admission is $1 for everyone. 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org

FREE Open Playgroup. MOMS Club of Hubbardston Area, Location TBD. 10 a.m. MOMS Club of Hubbardston Area hosts a monthly Membership Circle/Open Playgroup on the 3rd Friday of each month where moms can learn more about this group and kids can play with new friends! RSVP or if you’re a Hubbardston, Barre, Princeton, or Templeton mom who’d just like more information, contact Vicki at [email protected].

MetLife Family Friday – Free at Five! Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 5 – 8 p.m. The Museum is open free of charge from 5- 8 p.m., sponsored by MetLife Foundation. Stay out late and splash, play, explore and discover! Kids ages 5 - 11 explore hands-on fun science challenges in the FETCH!™ Lab from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org.

Nature-Inspired Suncatchers. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 10 a.m. – Noon. (Also April 18). Collect an assortment of natural materials from the children’s museum grounds to create a dazzling collage to hang in a window at your home. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Sundial. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 1 – 3 p.m. (Also April 18). Make your own sundial and track the path of the Sun through the spring. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Meet Will Moses and Jay O’Callahan. Eric Carle Picture Book Museum, 125 West Bay Rd., Amherst. 1 p.m. Join folk artist Will Moses and internationally-re-nowned storyteller Jay O’Callahan as they share words and pictures from their most recent book, Raspberries. Free with admission. picturebookart.org

FREE Giveaway. Fountain of Blessing Ministry, Peoples Church, 56 South Main St., Ashburnham. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Free giveaway of quality clothing, toys, housewares and much more. 978-297-1894.

Critter Day: Animal World Experience. Boston Children’s Museum. 11:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m. & 1:15 p.m. A $12, C $9, under 1 free. 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org

FREE Storytime and Craft. The Harvard Coop, 1400 Washington Ave., Cambridge. 11 a.m. A visit from Peter Rabbit (costumed character), rabbit stories and craft. thecoop.com

Lanie’s Nature Activity Day. American Girl. Natick Collection. 3 – 5 p.m. Celebrate the wonders of nature and the fun of gardening with Lanie, the 2010 Girl of the Year! Your girl can get started by sprouting her very own “mini garden” in a seed-starter cup. She can also make a cute seed label for her mini garden and enjoy a garden-themed scavenger hunt, plus other fun activities. For girls ages 8 and up. americangirl.com

Float My Boat. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. Noon – 3 p.m. (Also April 18). Kids design tinfoil boats that can float dozens - maybe hundreds! - of pennies in the FETCH!™ Lab, an interactive science station. Ages 5 – 11. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org.

Welcome Back Weekend. Davis Farmland, Sterling. Meet the newest arrivals and have some fun with all your old Farmland friends. Be a star in Moo Moo’s parade and ride along for Moo-Moo’s first Outback Safari Hayride of 2010. A sweet way to end your day: decorate and enjoy your own cupcake! Call for admission: 978-422-MOOO.

Robin Hood Day. Higgins Armory Museum, 100 Barber Ave., Worcester. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Robin Hood and his “Merry Men of Sherwood Forest” are the subject of this fun-filled day of demonstrations, performances, and crafts. Adventurous visitors can learn how to use a quarterstaff, once used against the cruel Sheriff of Nottingham, during one hour workshops throughout the day. A $10, C (age 4-16) $7, 3 and under, free. 508-853-6015, higgins.org

FREE Felicity’s Ball-and-Cup Game Craft. American Girl. Natick Collection. 2 – 4 p.m. Make Felicity’s world come to life! Your girl can try a game Felicity might have played in colonial Williamsburg. She’ll design her own Ball

and Cup Game, then learn how to play. For girls 8 and up. americangirl.com

Felicity’s Birthday Celebration. American Girl. Natick collection. 4:30 p.m. Celebrate Felicity’s birthday in colonial style! Join the celebration and learn about Felicity’s life, enjoy a special meal, and take home a keepsake booklet with activities and journaling pages to help you commemo-rate this special day. For girls 8 and up. $26 PP, sales tax included. (gratuity not included). Reservations required. 877-247-5223, americangirl.com

Free with admission Kids Teaching Kids at Wenham Museum. 132 Main St., Wenham. 1 – 3 p.m. Have fun making origami, quilling and pop-up cards with junior art-ists of New England. A $7, C $ 5. Group rates available with pre-registration. 978-468-2377, wenhammuseum.org

Marathon Monday, Patriot’s Day, and Kick Off to School Vacation! Dinosaur Dig. Children’s Discovery, 177 Main St., Acton. All Day. Conduct your own paleontology dig in a giant outdoor sandbox. Bring a dinosaur and join in the fun! Sand, tools, and fossils provided. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Go Sustainable. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 1 - 4 p.m. Become a Patriot on this special day and learn about sustainability with Olin College engineers! Explore wind and solar renewable energy, make your own bio-plastic, and participate in design challenges led by the Olin College Engineering Discovery team. Admis-sion to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

continued on page 24

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The Natick Montessori School (NMS) and the Eliot Montessori School (EMS) have recently merged much more than

just their schools. They’ve combined the people, passion, and vision to create a new, preeminent Montessori school in New England.

Casting the Vision

The newly named Riverbend School plans to build a brand-new, “green” campus on a fi ve-acre parcel it owns on 33 – 35 Eliot Street in Natick across from the rented facility of the former Eliot Montessori School. “It was a natural partnership that developed,” says current EMS board vice president Laurie Davis, whose two children, Dylan (13) and Skylar (7), currently attend the

elementary school. “We (Eliot) were in the midst of planning to build a new school across the street when discussions about a merger began. We’re so excited and grateful to have this property across the street, and that the school boards prior to us had the foresight to buy the land.” The Riverbend School, which will serve toddlers through 8th grade, aims to break ground for the fi rst of three new buildings and two playgrounds in spring 2011. The new campus will serve up to 285 students, a 70% growth over the current student population. It’s a big vision for two relatively small schools, which speaks to the collective passion, optimism, and drive of the schools’ parents, faculty, and alumni. But they are up for the challenge and 110% committed to the cause. A key contributor to Riverbend’s vision

is its head of school Karen Riccardi, an infectious leader, administrator, and longtime educator of the Montessori philosophy. Karen is mom to three boys: Nicholas (10), Andrew (6) and Ian (4); a former board member of EMS; and co-founder of NMS for children aged 15 months to six years. Karen, along with NMS co-founder Lynn Shevory, successfully grew the school from four to 82 students in just nine years. “It was very much parent involvement,” says Karen. “A lot of great people putting together great ideas to have a successful organization. And a lot of hard work,” she adds. Now Karen is focused on making Riverbend “a premier school, marrying the philosophy of Montessori with the facility,” she says. “This is my life’s mission.”

“A Kid Whisperer”

“Karen is full of life, energy, and innovative ideas. She knows children. In my mind, she has demonstrated the ability to build rock-star programs,” says current EMS Board President Eileen Adler, whose son Evan (13) attends the school. “She is the piece that makes it all come together in an exciting way.” “We’re all very excited about the future, especially with Karen. She’s brought a whole new energy to our faculty,” she says. “She’s like a kid whisperer,” says current NMS Co-President and parent Kelty Whitworth-White, whose three children Connor (7), Alden (4) and Quinn (2) attended NMS. “She has an unbelievable sixth sense about being able to fi gure out a child and what’s best for that child.”

Parents, Fprepare topremier, uMontessor

trish reske steven king pho

BY

With a focus on preserving the unique history of their newly-acquired land, the Riverbend School Steering Committee plans to include one of Natick’s original taverns, the Morse Tavern (pictured here), on the school campus. Steering Committee members include: (l-r) Eileen Adler, current EMS board president, an ex-offi cio on the new Riverbend board;

Karen Riccardi, Riverbend’s new head of school; Kelty Whitworth-White and Laurel Lyle, co-vice presidents; Laurie Davis and Yvonne Keusch, co-presidents.

Building aLearning Legacy

BAYSTATEPARENT 21

Volunteering That Speaks Volumes

The personal time that parents are investing in the school merger, growth, and new building is enormous. “This is my job,” says Laurie. “and I commit myself to this as if it were a full-time job. And that’s the level of dedication we all have. These people are working, volunteering their time, and taking care of their kids. It’s amazing,” she adds. Kelty agrees. “I have been blown away by the enthusiasm and support of these communities,” she says. “Parents are extremely dedicated to the children and the school. Everyone brings something different to the table. This is what makes it so fascinating.” Dozens of parents and alumni are volunteering countless hours serving on

the new board, various committees, and parents groups, or are contributing in the classrooms. “When everybody takes a piece and owns it, you have a stronger school. We’re working together to provide a great education for our kids. It’s part of the Montessori philosophy and it’s the key to the success of the education we provide,” says Karen.

Growing Green

The Riverbend School’s new facility will incorporate green building technology and energy effi ciency. The campus buildings will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifi ed, meeting national standards for environmentally sustainable construction. “We’re hoping ideally for net-zero energy buildings,” Karen says. Being a green school gives Riverbend the green light to put brick and mortar to the Montessori philosophy of teaching environmental stewardship. “The building itself will become a living, teaching entity for the children,” says Karen. “Kids can learn so much just from their school environment—They’ll ask ‘What is the solar energy doing?’ ‘What is the geo-thermal system doing?’ Everything will be visible through glass walls and Plexiglas so the children will see the function of these things,” she says. “It’s exciting,” adds Laurie. “I think parents will really become engaged—knowing that their children are in an environment that is so enriching on so many levels. You feel good about being a parent who supports an idea like this.” The Riverbend School is also committed to preserving the land’s unique history. One of the three original taverns of Natick, The Morse Tavern, stands on the new property and was recently renovated by the school. “It’s a historical building, so we’re going to build respectfully around it, and will perhaps use it as our administration building,” says Laurie.

A Learning Legacy

What motivates these parents to go “above and beyond” and volunteer precious time, talent, and resources to make their vision a reality? It’s much more than new buildings; it’s a shared belief in the Montessori philosophy and how it positively impacts children and society. “This is a group of families that have come together to believe in the Montessori process,” says Laurie. “We each care so much about each others’ children: how they’re doing, how they’re progressing. The relationships they have with their teachers are amazing. Through all this, they develop such self-confi dence,” she says. “This school is a very special place,” says EMS board president, Eileen. “It has taught my son how to be an independent thinker. When you can get that in a school, your desire as a parent is to get the school to the next level,” she says. Eileen adds that continued involvement of parents of alumni “speaks volumes to their appreciation of what the school and what the community has done for them.” “Sure, it’s hours and hours of commitment,” says Kelty. “But it has been a very rewarding and positive experience

– working toward this common goal. We’ve all grown together in this group, and this is the chance to cross the fi nish line.” Laurie agrees wholeheartedly. “It’s about moving the vision forward and laying the foundation for the future of Riverbend,” she says. “And as always, it’s about the children, teachers, administration and parents, who pledge their time and commitment to an extraordinary educational experience. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?” The parents, volunteers, and faculty at Riverbend are working together to build not just a new school, but a unique educational option for the next generation of children. “100 years from now, none of us will be here,” says Karen, “But the building will still be here. And the concept will still be here. And children will still be here.” For more information on the Natick Montesorri schools and their merger (to be signed on July 1), visit eliotmontessori.org and natickmontessori.org.

Trish Reske is an award-winning freelance writer. She lives in Westborough with her husband and

four children. She can be reached at trishreske.com.

s, Faculty e to build r, unifi ed sori School

The Montessori Method of Education

Maria Montessori, Italy’s fi rst female physician, went on to achieve many ground-breaking accomplishments in child development and education throughout the 20th century. How-ever, she is best known for developing a unique child-centered teaching

method, which is widely-known today as the Montessori Method. A Montessori education, as Maria saw it, embraces some of the following practices: • intimate peer, staff, and parental involvement• rigorous, yet child-centered learning• one-on-one learning• hands-on, independent learning activities • respect for individual learning styles

and developmental stages• a focus on the student's interests • multi-age classrooms• spontaneous activity• a family setting• freedom within limits• environmental stewardship

The American Montessori Society can provide more explanation on the core values of the Montessori method: amshq.org.

king photographer

Karen Riccardi is touted as the high-energy, innovative visionary who will serve as

Riverbend’s new head of school.

22 APRIL2010

Soon after your child enters kindergarten, their backpacks begin to fi ll with art projects, starred worksheets, and... sign-up sheets asking for your help

in making the school year a success. And it’s not just about chaperoning a fi eld trip. Today’s parent volunteers are building school playgrounds, staffi ng libraries, funding and scheduling enrichment programming, and much more while juggling family, jobs, coaching, and other demands. Sign-up sheets make parents feel involved, motivated, and empowered but also a little overwhelmed and guilty. As your child learns classroom behavior and school rules, it’s your job to decide how much time and energy you can realistically donate to your child’s school. As the school year winds down for 2009-10, there is plenty to consider about what your contribution will be next year. This month, inspired by the commitment of parent volunteers who have come together to build a premier Montessori school in Natick (page 20 of this month’s issue), baystateparent provides some examples of how public and private schools benefi t from parent volunteers.

Bellingham South Elementary in Bellingham has a really involved PTO, says parent Jennifer Alizio. “We hold events (not all fundraisers) that benefi t both students and teachers. We work closely with the principal to make sure our money goes toward things the classes really need (white boards, projectors, playground equipment). We also provide programming that is not in the town’s budget. We have the largest elementary school in Bellingham and truly are a wonderful community, one that I am proud to call my extended family.”

Clinton Clinton has a brand new public school volunteer program with over 100 volunteers and a newly-appointed volunteer coordinator, Carol Chytil. According to reports in The Times & Currier, Clinton’s teachers used to be responsible for contacting and scheduling volunteers in the schools, but now a coordinator can help teachers to make the most out of their volunteer pool. The Times & Currier also reports that the newly-organized parent volunteers were able to receive training to help the school’s nursing staff conduct mandatory vision and hearings screening for 900 students.

Framingham Angela Haugabrook tells bsp about Barbiri Elementary in Framingham, “Our children have had opportunies for everything from weekly Chess Club, Lego Club, Math Club...all carried out by parent volunteers.”

Hopkinton The Hopkinton Education Foundation, a parent volunteer group of 35 parent/community members, raises approximately $75,000 per year for programs throughout the school system.

The

POWER of Parent Volunteers

carrie wattuBY

BAYSTATEPARENT 23

LOCAL MONTESSORIschool listingsschool listings

Cambridge Montessori

Toddler – Grade 9Cambridge

617-492-3410www.cambridgemontessori.org

Summit MontessoriPreschool (age 3) – Grade 6

Framingham508-872-3630

www.summitmontessori.org

Sunrise MontessoriPreschool & Kindergarten

Franklin508-541-8010

www.MySunriseMontessori.com

Nashoba MontessoriPreschool & Kindergarten

Lancaster978-368-3555

www.nashobamontessori.com

Lexington MontessoriToddler – Middle School

Lexington781-862-8571

www.lexmontessori.org

Oak Meadow Montessori Preschool (age 3) - Grade 8

Littleton978-486-9874 x226www.oakmeadow.org

Woodside MontessoriPreschool, Kindergarten, Elementary,

Middle School(Age 2.9 – Grade 8)

Millis508-376-5320

www.woodsideacademy.com

Inn Street MontessoriGrade 1-8

Newburyport978-463-0761

www.innstreet.org

Newton MontessoriToddler- Elementary

Newton617-969-4488

www.newtonmontessori.org

Adams MontessoriAge 2.9 -12

Quincy617-773-8200

www.adamsmontessori.org

Reading Montessori Preschool & Kindergarten

Reading781-944-1057

www.readingmontessori.org

Montessori BeginningsInfant – Preschool

(age 6 weeks – 5 years)Sandwich

508-477-7730www.montessoribeginnings.com

Bridgeview MontessoriPreschool (age 2.9) – Grade 6 (age 12)

Sagamore508-888-3567

www.bridgeviewschool.com

Inly SchoolToddler - Grade 8

Scituate781-545-5544 Admin. x114

www.inlyschool.org

Shrewsbury MontessoriPreschool – Grade 6

Shrewsbury508-842-2116

www.shrewsburymontessori.org

Green Valley MontessoriPreschool, Kindergarten, Elementary

Southbridge508-764-1700

www.greenvalleymontessorischool.org

Country MontessoriPreschool & Kindergarten

Sutton508-865-4223

www.countrymontessori.com

Vineyard MontessoriPreschool, Kindergarten, Grade 1-3

Vineyard Haven508-693-4090

www.vineyardmontessori.com

eBridge MontessoriToddler, Preschool, Kindergarten,

ElementaryWestborough508-366-9288

www.eBridgeMontessori.com

Leicester baystateparent reader, Kathleen Gaucher, says, “The Leicester Primary School has benefi ted greatly from the fundraising efforts of the Leicester Mothers Club. Art, fi eld trips, and supplies for the classroom have all been funded. The principal is one of our biggest cheerleaders!”

Leominster Saint Anna School offers a parent-led afterschool Lego Club. Parents fi nd donations and coordinate weekly Lego building activities that reinforce the math and science curriculum. Parents built a new playground when SouthEast Elementary in Leominster changed from a middle to elementary school.

Lunenburg Charisse Murphy’s daughter attends Twin City Christian School in Lunenburg. She says, “Their parent volunteers give a great sense of belonging to both the parents and the children. Parent volunteers help out with the teacher directly or behind the scenes.”

Marlborough “Being a full-time (plus) working mom, I have not had a chance to volunteer at my kids’ schools,” says one parent, “but I am always grateful for those who do. The PTO organizations at Richer Elementary and Marlborough Early Childhood Center - both in Marlborough - do a great job in bringing fun programming for the students and their families.”

Millbury “Assumption School in Millbury has some amazing parent volunteers!” says parent Janice McGlynn, “We have several parents who have begun new things over the past two years - a yearbook, a Christmas giveaway, a bottle drive for victims in Haiti.. Assumption parents rock!”

Oxford “Parents volunteer at Oakhill Christian School as lunch monitors so the teachers can eat their lunches together and have an hour apart from the children,” says Donna Morin,

“Parents also volunteer with holiday dinner donations and supplies for the school. Other parents help with the school Web site and update photos of teachers and school.”

Shrewsbury Melissa Pratt’s daughter has attended Parker Road Preschool and Beal Early Childhood Center (both in Shrewsbury), and says, “Through the generous efforts of volunteers and the PTOs, the schools have been able to provide the children with enrichment activities that they otherwise would not have had.” The PTO at Paton Elementary School in Shrewsbury, says parent Christina Manos, provides a generous budget for enrichment programs, teacher resources, and the like. “Parents pitch in in so many ways, large and small, to support the excellent staff and to enhance the sense of community there. It’s a great place!”

Sterling Nicole Macone’s children attend the Houghton Elementary. “They have a great PTO and parent volunteers that really help out in the classrooms and with fundraisers.”

Westminster Parents at Westminster Elementary school staff the library and are also working to get the library books onto an online database.

Worcester “Roosevelt Elementary School in Worcester has a very active PTO that does a great job raising money and planning fun events for the kids,” says parent Leticia Medina-Richman.

If you have information on how parent volunteers have made a specifi c, positive impact on your school, or if you have any helpful hints on how to navigate the world of volunteering as a parent, please email [email protected] by April 30th.

Did you know? The Massachusetts State PTA Celebrates their 100th Anniversary on Friday, April 9 - 11, 2010 in Plymouth. For more information on this event which includes awards, speakers, and workshops, visit masspta.org. IN

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24 APRIL2010

Vacation-week Adventures Camps. Animal Adventures, 336 Sugar Rd., Bolton. 9 a.m. – Noon. (Through April 23). Animal Adventures junior zookeeper and dinosaur adventure camp. Hands-on, educational FUN for animal lovers and dinosaur enthusiasts!! $40/day. 978-779-8988, animaladventures.net

Boston Marathon. Find a place along the route with your family to cheer on marathon runners! bostonmara-thon.org.

Boston Marathon Celebration. Boston Children’s Museum. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Celebrate the Boston Mara-thon with trivia, signs, and more! A $12, C $9, under 1 free. 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org

A Week of Self Discovery for Girls. Self Discovery Enterprises, Chelmsford Center for the Arts, 1A North Road, Chelmsford. (Through April 23). 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A team of area experts have designed u, ur friendz, ur lyfe =) A Week of Self Discovery, a unique program to address the challenges facing girls entering grades 7 – 9. Includes healthy snacks, hands-on demonstrations and more. Call for weekly tuition. 978-256-9391, aweekofselfdiscovery.com.

Concord Museum Patriots’ Day Activities. Cambridge Turnpike at Lexington Rd. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Explore the Why Concord? galleries and the treasures from April 1775 including the famous “one, if by land…” Revere lantern; enjoy a spirited discussion between a British Redcoat and a colonial Militiaman; listen to foot-tapping music by The Jolly Rogues; go on a museum history hunt; visit the new exhibition, Into Your Hands. All free with Museum admission, ongoing throughout the day. A $10, C (6-17) $5, Ch under 6, free. 978-369-9763, concordmuseum.org

Patriot’s Day in Concord and Lexington. For a list of battle re-enactments, memorials, parades, programs, and more, visit battleroad.org. Since events can and do change, be sure to confirm all events before attending!

Selena Gomez Dance Clinic. Gigueres Dance, Giguere Gymnastics, 148 Main St., Leicester. 4:30 – 6 p.m. For ages 5 – 7 (Also April 22 for ages 8+). Come dance to Selena’s music and learn some new moves. Watch her dance in music videos, practice some steps and even learn her routine from “Another Cinderella Story.” $15 PP. 508-892-3797, gigueregym.com

Braids & Bows. American Girl. Natick Collection. 4:30 p.m. A Doll Hair Salon stylist will share secrets for pulling off a variety of super styles for long or short hair, from fancy braids to ribbon twists. Each girl will also receive a special goody bag with doll hair accessories and styling instructions. $24 PP. Reservations required. 877-247-5223, americangirl.com

Camouflage! Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, 291 State Highway, Route 6,South Wellfleet. 2 - 3:30 p.m. With a naturalist by your side you will look high and low for the ways different animals use camouflage for survival: from birds to turtles to coyotes. At the end, pretend to be the animals and play a big game of Camouflage! A $8, C $6. 508-349-2615, massaudubon.org/wellfleet

April Vacation Adventures. Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, 291 State Highway, Route 6, South Wellfleet. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. or 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Through April 23). This is a kids-only program for children in Grades 2-4. Ranges from $22 to $45 per day. 508-349-2615, massaudubon.org/wellfleet

April Vacation Week. Mass Audubon at Broad Meadow

Brook Wiildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Rd., Worcester. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Through April 23). Every day will feature a new theme with new discoveries and new friends as well. For ages 6 to 11. $45 per day. Register: 508-753-6087, massaudubon.org

Higgins Armory Fun During School Vacation. Higgins Armory Museum, 100 Barber Ave., Worcester. Daily activities from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Through April 23). Shield Workshops: Children learn about heraldry and create their own unique heraldic shield. Daily CastleKids Story times:Children learn tales of adventure, from damsels in distress to mighty dragons, through well-known fairy tales. Stories are read to children in the Medieval Great Hall and include The Paper Bag Princess, George and the Little Knight, The Princess Knight, and more. Hands-on History: A personal look at arms and armor. Children try on a gauntlet, handle some mail armor, or pick up a helmet and experience what the “knights and warriors of old” experienced. Live Arms and Armor Show Why armor? Who wore it, who made it, and why are there so many different types? In this interactive program, discover the history of armor, from its evolution from mail to plate armor to its disappearance (and modern reappearance on the battlefield). Volunteers from the audience will have opportunities to help with the demonstration. A $10, C (age 4-16) $7, 3 and under, free. 508-853-6015, higgins.org

Bubble Bonanza. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. All day. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Engineers’ Exchange. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Meet a FIRST Tech Challenge robot and its designers from the Acton-Boxborough Robotics Team. Watch the robot maneuver and learn about the design process and competition. Try a simple engineering challenge to experience the design process. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Dance Week. Boston Children’s Museum. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Through April 23). Come learn different styles of dance from all over the world. A $12, C $9, under 1 free. 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org

Museum of Fine Arts School Vacation Fun. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. Daily from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. through April 23. Explore the ancient world and its mysteries this school vacation week with a wide range of fun, hands-on activities. Take a guided tour through a tomb, participate in an interactive performance, listen to stories, and create your own art inspired by ancient objects throughout the Museum. Vacation week activities are FREE with Museum admission. No registration required. All ages and abilities welcome. Children should always be accompanied by an adult. ASL Interpretation provided Wednesday, April 21. General admission $20, Children free. 617-267-9300, mfa.org

Recycle Mania (For ages 6-8). Fitchburg Art Museum, 25 Merriam Parkway, Fitchburg.10 a.m. – Noon. Make totems, toys, and more from recycled materials. $18 pp. Discount for multiple bookings. 978-345-4207, fitchburgartmuseum.org. Also Painting Without a Brush (for ages 6 – 8 and 9 – 11) and Recycled Reinventions (ages 9-11). Call for times.

FREE Family Hike. Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain. 1 - 2:30 p.m (Also April 23). Ages 6 – 12 w/A. Bring water and a snack (and binoculars, if you have them); wear sneakers or hiking boots, and a hat. Meet at the Hunnewell Visitor Center. In case of inclement weather, call 617-384-5209, arboretum.harvard.edu

April Vacation Art Camp. ArtSpan at the Munroe Center for the Arts, 1403 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington. 8:45 a.m.- 3:15 p.m., extended day available. (Through April 23). Spend school vacation creating art with ArtSpan! April’s theme is “Street Art”, with an interdisciplinary and integrated arts curriculum for ages 5-11. Focus on graphic art and/or murals, improvisation, Hip Hop, and ceramics. Youth attend four art classes a day, have snack, lunch, recess, and a great time! Call for fees. 781-862-6040, munroecenter.org

April Vacation Outdoor Adventures. Mass Audubon South Shore Sanctuaries, 2000 Main St., Marshfield. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Also April 21, 22, and 23). Explore nature through programs such as Creatures of the Garden, Arcaehological Adventures, and more. Kids, plan to dress for the weather! $50 PP whole day or $30 for half day. 781-837-9400, massaudubon.org/southshore April School Vacation Program. Longfellow Sports Club, 203 Oak St., Natick. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. with extended day available. (Through April 23). Swimming, gym-time,

arts and crafts, tennis, team games and more! $75 per day. 508 653 4633, longfellowclubs.com

Plimoth Plantation for School Vacation. 137 Warren Ave. All Day. (Through April 23). During the week: enjoy Native singing; Colonial singing and dancing; take classes to learn how to better care for Mother Earth; celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday; learn traditional Native and Colonial games; get hands on across the museum sites or participate in a historic-inspired family overnight program. Family memories worth revisiting again and again begin at Plimoth Plantation and Mayflower II! A $24. C $18. 508-746-1622, plimoth.org

State Ballet of Rhode Island. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 1 & 2 p.m. Enjoy a series of short ballet pieces where classic storybook characters come to life. Dancers will invite children to join them onstage for parts of the performance. Ages 3 – 11. Program free with Museum admission of $7.50 PP. 401-273-5437, childrenmuseum.org

Greater Worcester Mothers of Twins Meeting. First Baptist Church 111 Park Ave., Worcester. 7 p.m. Meetings are the third Tuesday of every month. worcester-motc.com

Butterflies. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 10 a.m. - Noon. Beautiful butterflies made by you! Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Dinosaur Adventures. Animal Adventures, 336 Sugar Rd., Bolton. 9 a.m. – Noon. Dinosaur Adventure Camp for Future Paleontologists. Exciting exploration featuring fossils, dinosaur artifacts, and exciting hands-on learning with live “modern day dinosaurs” such as alligators, monitor lizards, birds, scorpions and snapping turtles! Ages 6-12. $40 PP. 978-779-8988, AnimalAdventures.net

Fun for Families Day. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 280 The Fenway, Boston. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. The Gardner celebrates April School Vacation Week with a week of fun for all ages--and, midweek, a full day of storytelling, gallery activities, music, and art-making. Admission applies: gardnermuseum.org

The Meeting House and the Siege of Boston. Old South Meeting House, a Museum and National Historic Landmark on Boston’s Freedom Trail, 310 Washington St., in Downtown Crossing, Boston. 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Learn about what life in Boston and at Old South was like during the Siege of Boston! Most activities are drop in. A$7, C $2. 617-482-6439, osmh.org. Kids Tag Sale: Gently Used Clothes, Toys & Gear. Chelmsford Mothers’ Club, Greater Visions Childcare Center, 180 Old Westford Rd., Chelmsford. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Thousands of items. Admission is $1 or a nonperishable food item per adult. Cash or MC/Visa (with a $20 minimum purchase). Please note that, due to space, only umbrella strollers will be allowed on the sale floor.

Spring Banners (For ages 9-11). Fitchburg Art Museum, 25 Merriam Parkway. 10 a.m. – Noon. Paint and stamp a vertical cloth banner. $18. 978-345-4207, fitchburgartmuseum.org. Also Abstract Paper Reliefs (For ages 9-11) and Spring Banners (For ages 6-8). 978-345-4207, fitchburgartmuseum.org

Zentangle Workshop. Grafton Public Library, 1 - 3 p.m. For adults and children 8+. Check out this enjoyable and up-lifting art form for all ages: zentangle.com. Reservations: 508-839-3089. $5 kit fee applies.

Julie’s Yarn Diamond Craft. American Girl. Natick Collection. 4 – 6 p.m. Weave a pretty yarn diamond, like

20TUESDAY

21WEDNESDAY

SCIENCE!April 24 - May 2 Get your science on! The nine-day Cambridge science Festival features hundreds of events, almost all of them FREE, taking place throughout Cambridge. For a complete schedule of events, visit cambridgesciencefestival.org.

OH,THEPLACESYOU’LLGOcontinued from page 18

BAYSTATEPARENT 25

the ones Julie might have made with her best friend, Ivy, in the 1970s. For girls ages 8 and up. americangirl.com

FREE April Prince Jones Children’s Author Event. Sutton Public Library. 10 a.m. Hear Jones’ book, “What do Wheels Do all Day?” and “21 Elephants.” 508-865-8752.

Seashore Ramble. Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, 291 State Highway, Route 6, South Wellfleet. 9:30 a.m. – Noon. Explore the area where land meets the sea, searching for animals and plants of the tidal flats or salt marsh (depending on the tide). Using nets, small fish traps, and buckets, you will discover the world of crabs, shrimp, and clams. A $9, C $7. 508-349-2615, massaudubon.org/wellfleet

Frog and Salamander Meander. Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, 291 State High-way, Route 6, South Wellfleet. 2 – 3:30 p.m. Meander along the pond’s edge looking and listening for green frogs, bullfrogs, and other wildlife. Afterwards, head to the swamp and search under logs for red-backed salamanders, spring peepers, or other critters stirring about. A $8, C $6. 508-349-2615, massaudubon.org/wellfleet

Me and My Pal Spa Day. Girl Scouts of Central and Western Mass, 81 Gold Star Blvd.,Worcester. 1 – 3 p.m. Make homemade facials, play games, have a healthy snack, make a craft and try your hand at some beginning yoga. This event is for girls in grades 2-5 who are not currently registered Girl Scouts. $15 per couple. Contact Lynn at [email protected] to receive an electronic version of the registration form. 800-462-9100 x3604, gscwm.org.

Nature Walk. Children’s Discovery, 177 Main St., Ac-ton. 10 a.m. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

African Violets for Young Growers. Bay State African Violet Society and Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Dr.,Boylston. 1 – 2:30 p.m. Ages 9 – 14. Pot up a young plant to take home and learn to “put down” a leaf to propa-gate new plants. Younger children may attend with an adult companion. $5pp. 508-869-6111, towerhillbg.org.

Watercolor Woodlands (For ages 6-8). Fitchburg Art Museum, 25 Merriam Parkway. 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Paint a scene of forest plants and animals. $18 PP. 978-345-4207, fitchburgartmuseum.org.

Clay Creature Pots (For ages 9-11). Fitchburg Art Museum, 25 Merriam Parkway. 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.Sculpt and decorate a clay pot in the form of a creature. $18 PP. 978-345-4207, fitchburgartmuseum.org.

Toddler Thursdays. Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard. 10 – 11 a.m. (Also April 29). Every Thursday explore art, nature & history with your tod-dler/preschooler. Programs may include stories, art projects, gallery visits and outdoor exploration. Each week is a new adventure! Children must be accompanied by an adult. Register ahead or drop in. For toddler/preschooler with adult: $4. 978-456-3924, fruitlands.org.

Selena Gomez Dance Clinic. Gigueres Dance, Giguere Gymnastics, 148 Main St., Leicester. 4:30 – 6 p.m. For ages 8+. Come dance to Selena’s music and learn some new moves. Watch her dance in music videos, practice some steps and even learn her routine from “Another Cinderella Story.” $15 PP. 508-892-3797, gigueregym.com

The Sun, the Moon, and Father Time: Learn More About Clocks. National Heritage Museum, 33 Marrett Rd., Lexington. 2 – 4 p.m. Clocks have personality! Join museum staff for exciting gallery activities that explore “George McFadden’s Enchanted Clocks,” followed by craft

projects. For children ages 6 and up with accompanying adult. No pre-registration required. $5/family. 781-861-6559, nationalheritagemuseum.org

Bitty Bear’s Story Time. American Girl. Natick Collec-tion. 10:30 a.m. Preschoolers and their parents can hear a reading of Bitty Bear’s Story Time, then enjoy an art activity and tasty treats. $10 PP. For girls 3 and up. Reservations required. 877-247-5223, americangirl.com FREE Bitty Twins Animal Safari. American Girl. Natick Collection. Noon – 2 p.m. Your little girl can join the Bitty Twins for an imaginary animal adventure! At this fun event, preschoolers can punch-out and color paper animals to take home. For girls ages 3 and up. americangirl.com

No Time to Waste. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 1 & 2 p.m. Celebrate Earth Day with a hilarious family comedy about trash and recycling. Four 20-minute shows. Ages 5 – 11. Free with Museum admis-sion. $7.50 PP; under 12 months free. 401-273-5437, childrenmuseum.org

Create a Dragon Claw Fossil. Higgins Armory Museum, 100 Barber Ave., Worcester. Call for time. Sculptor Hilary Scott helps visitors create a dragon claw fossil to take home. Just as fun as discovering a fossil of your own! A $10, C (4-16) $7, 3 and under, free. 508-853-6015, higgins.org

A Grand Old Tree Earth Day Celebration. Wenham Museum, 132 Main St. 1 p.m. Celebrate Earth Day with renowned children’s author and collage artist Mary Newall DePalma as she reads her book “A Grand Old Tree” and leads a children’s collage craft in conjunction with the Paper Capers exhibition. Visit special exhibition Paper Capers: Adventures in Paper Art.Come fold origami, cut a paper silhouette, and create a paper doll chain as you discover the rich history of paper in family life. Book signing to follow. Reserve your book in advance by calling the museum. A$7. C $5. Group rates available with pre-registration.978-468-2377, wenhammuseum.org

FREE Poetry Read-Out. Frances Perkins Branch of the Worcester Public Library, 470 West Boylston St., Worcester. 7 p.m. Read poetry to one another. Bring your own poems or see what the library has. It’s a family event for children and their adults. No registration, just drop in. Refreshments. 508-799-1687, worcpublib.org

Cambridge Science Festival Overnight. Museum of Science, Science Park, Boston. 4:30 p.m. – 11 a.m. Thru April 24. Be among the first to experience the Cambridge Science Festival at the Museum by sleeping over on the night before it starts! Students in grades 1 - 7 and their adult chaperones are invited to see what happens at the Museum at night. Discover science in an entertaining, educational, and interactive way through experiments, a Theater of Elec-tricity Lightning! show, an Omni film, and much more. Plus, where else do you have a chance to sleep under a dinosaur or a giant grasshopper? Register early to ensure your spot: $45 PP. 617-723-2500, mos.org

Silhouette Artists at the Concord Museum. Cambridge Turnpike at Lexington Rd. 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Also on April 24, 9:30 a.m. - Noon. Silhouette artists Jean and Marcella Comerford use their skill with a scissor to cut delightful heirloom-quality portraits that make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift or keepsake. The artists have a monthly column, “Cut-Ups,” in Yankee magazine and visit the Con-cord Museum twice each year. Each sitting is approximately ten minutes. Children ages six months and up and adults of all ages are welcome. $29/profile; $10 additional copies; frames and mats available for sale on day of sitting. By reservation only. 978-369-9763, concordmuseum.org

Dazzle Your Doll. American Girl. Natick Collection. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Also April 29). Your girl will learn fancy

Saturday, April 17: Green Fest. Drumlin Farm, 208 South Great Rd., Lincoln. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. A day of family friendly programs exploring sustainable agriculture, wildlife and habitat protection, and energy conservation, including visits with the spring farm animal babies! Activities free with paid admission to the farm. 781-259-2206, massaudubon.org/drumlin

Sunday, April 18: Franklin Park Zoo’s Party for the Planet. One Franklin Park Zoo, Boston. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Celebrate Earth Day with crafts, activities, ani-mal encounters, and environmentally-friendly exhibitors. Did you know Zoo New England supports conservation efforts both locally and abroad? A $14, C (2-12), $8, under 2, free. 617-541-5466, franklinparkzoo.org.

Tuesday, April 20: Earth Day Crafts. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Dr., Boylston. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Celebrate Earth Day while making a fun craft out of re-usable and natural materials. Your imagination is the limit – piggy banks, nature journals, vases, gift boxes and more! No reservations necessary, program & materials are included with regular admission. A $10, C $5, under 6, free. 508-869-6111, towerhillbg.org

Tuesday, April 20 – Sunday, April 25: Earth Week at the EcoTarium. 222 Harrington Way, Worcester. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Earth Day 10 a.m. -4 p.m.) (Through April 25). Lots of exhibits and recycling activities all week plus an Earth Day Festival on Fri., April 23 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. with half-price museum admis-sion. Dance to the beat of the band Chuck and Mud, be entertained by costumed characters, get tattooed (yes they are temporary!), eat fun food and enjoy many more fabulous and festive activities. A$12, C $8. (half price on Earth Day April 23) 508 -929 -2700, ecotarium.org

Wednesday, April 21: FREE Julie’s Earth Day Idea Catcher. American Girl. Natick Collection. 4 – 6 p.m. Celebrate Earth Day the ’70s way! At this special event, girls can learn how to create an “idea catcher” filled with questions and conversation starters about the earth, animals, and the environment. For girls ages 8 and up. americangirl.com

Wednesday, April 21 and Thursday, April 22: Earth Day Adventures for Kids: NRWA April School Vacation Program. Nashua River Watershed Association, Williams Barn, 160 Chicopee Row, Groton. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Learn about the incredible natural world around us and what we can do to help protect it. Two adventure days, Wednesday for 4 to 6 year olds and Thursday for 7 to 12 year olds. $35/day. Registration is required; space is limited. 978-448-0299, or email [email protected].

Thursday, April 22: Earth Day. Boston Children’s Museum. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Celebrate the 40th an-niversary of Earth Day with activities, performances, and workshops throughout the day. A $12, C $9, under 1 free. 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org

Thursday, April 22: No Time to Waste. Provi-dence Children’s Museum, 100 South Street. 1 and 2 p.m. Celebrate Earth Day with a hilarious family comedy about trash and recycling. Four 20-minute shows. Ages 5 – 11. $7.50 PP, under 12 months free. 401-273-5437, childrenmuseum.org

Thursday, April 22: A Grand Old Tree Earth Day Celebration. Wenham Museum, 132 Main St., Wenham. 1 p.m. Celebrate Earth Day with renowned children’s au-thor and collage artist Mary Newall DePalma as she reads her book “A Grand Old Tree” and leads a children’s col-lage craft in conjunction with the Paper Capers exhibition. Reserve your book in advance by calling the museum. A$7, C$ 5. 978-468-2377, wenhammuseum.org. Also visit the special exhibition Paper Capers Adventures in Paper Art: Come fold origami, cut a paper silhouette, and create a paper doll chain as you discover the rich history of paper in family life.

Saturday, April 24: Earth Day Celebration. Hands On 4 Kidz, 44 Main St., Gardner. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Re-art in the Creation Station! Learn how to reduce,re-use,recycle in unique ways! Each creation is $4. Bring a canned good and save another 10%. 978-632-2815, handson4kidz.com

Saturday, April 24: Earth Day Celebration. Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, 55 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, CT. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Activities include an aquarium-wide scavenger hunt and pledge station where guests can make a magnet containing an Earth-friendly pledge. Guests can also build their own toy boats out of recycled materials and race them, or play games at various exhibits that test their recycling and conservation knowledge. All activities are free with aquarium admis-sion. A $26, C (3-17) $19, 2 and under, free. 860-572-5955, mysticaquarium.org

Sunday, April 25: Blue Discoveries Family Day: Earth Day Celebration. New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston.10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Learn more about the blue planet through art, science, and storytelling. Programs highlight Aquarium favorites as well as hidden treasures.All activities are included in Aquarium admis-sion. 617-973-5200, neaq.org

We love you Mother Nature! Events to celebrate Earth Day

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Celebrate Earth Day with a hilarious family comedy about trash and recycling at the Provi-dence Children’s Museum.

26 APRIL2010

salon secrets and five-minute doll ’dos, then decorate a tropical doll outfit that’s perfect for the beach. Plus, every girl will enjoy a meal and take home a doll-sized travel booklet—perfect for dolls on the go! For girls ages 8 and up. $50pp. servations required. 877-247-5223, americangirl.com

The Tempest In A Teapot High Tea. Plimoth Planta-tion, 137 Warren Ave. 3 – 4 p.m. This family-friendly high tea experience, features scenes from Shakespeare’s MacBeth, performed by the young players from Plimoth Plantation’s weeklong Shakespearean Camp for Kids, as entertainment. $15.95 pp, plus museum admission. Plimoth.org.

Domino Madness. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. Noon - 3 p.m. Kids work together to construct amazing domino chains that spiral, zigzag and snake. Ages 5 – 11. Free with Museum admission. $7.50 PP; under 12 months free. 401-273-5437, childrenmuseum.org

Bessie Suncatchers. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 10 a.m. – Noon. (Also April 25). Hang it in a window at your home and let the sunlight dazzle your dinosaur creation. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discov-erymuseums.org

Beany Baby Necklace. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 1 – 3 p.m. Make your own special living necklace and watch your baby mung or pinto bean sprout and grow! . Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discov-erymuseums.org.

North Shore Mothers of Multiples Children’s Sale. North Shore Mothers of Multiples, Second Congregational Church of Beverly 35 Conant St., Beverly. 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Toys, gear, clothing and more! $1 admission, age 14 and under free. Members of a mothers of twins club can shop at 9 a.m. Cash only sale! nsmom.org

Art in Bloom Family Day at MFA. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The MFA’s annual festival of flowers and art, includes a Family Day, featuring nature-oriented activities for children, as well as special programs and tours. A $20, $18 Sr./St., FREE (17 and under. 617-369-3169, mfa.org Junior Ranger Day at Boston Harbor Islands. Boats depart from Quincy Shipyard and Boston’s Long Wharf. Visit the stations of Fort Warren on Georges Island. Climb the stairs of this historic Civil War Fort.Earn your Junior Ranger

badge and picnic. Activities are for children and families.Ferry Fare – A $14, C $8. 617-223-8666 or BostonHar-borIslands.org Curious George Flies a Kite. Boston Children’s Museum. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Learn all about the wind, and kites from around the world. . A $12, C $9, under 1 free. 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org

Conservation Clues! Peabody Museum of Archaeol-ogy and Ethnology, 11 Divinity Ave., Cambridge. Choice of two 45-minute sessions: 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. Why can’t we touch the artifacts in the museum? Why can’t we eat and drink in the museum? Why are some of the galleries so dark? Explore artifact conservation science and the behind-the-scenes role of conservators. Handle and learn about conservation tools. Then join an educator and hunt throughout the museum to find evidence of conservation at work. A$9, C$6. Free with regular admission; advance regis-tration required and space is limited, call 617-495-2916. Recommended for children ages 7-12 with an accompany-ing adult. peabody.harvard.edu

FREE Cambridge Science Festival. MIT, in collabora-tion with Harvard, the City of Cambridge, WGBH, and the Museum of Science, Boston. See website for times and locations. April 24 – May 2. The nine-day Cambridge Science Festival features hundreds of events, almost all of them free, taking place throughout Cambridge. The festival promises to make science accessible and engaging through its hands-on workshops, demonstrations, behind-the-scenes tours, talks, performances, film screenings, and more. This year’s highlights include: FREE Science Carnival: Saturday, April 24 Noon – 4 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library and Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School Field House, 449 Broadway St., Cambridge. Be “wow”ed by a unique laser show made especially for the festival,then enjoy more than 50 booths of hands-on science demon-strations and activities for children of all ages -- from grade school to teens. cambridgesciencefestival.org.

FREE Storytime & Craft at the Coop. The Harvard Coop, 1400 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 11 a.m. Cel-ebrate earth day with stories and a green craft. the coop.

FREE Cherry Blossoms. Arnold Arboretum,125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.Drop by the Visitor Center for special family activities onthe last Saturday of each month, April through October. Ac-tivities may include scavenger hunts,science investigations, craft activities, stories, guided walks, and more—discover something new each month! 617-384-5209, arboretum.harvard.edu

Balls and Tracks. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. Noon - 3 p.m. (Also April 25). Create your own designs. Ages 5 – 11. . $7.50 PP; under 12 months free. 401-273-5437, childrenmuseum.org

Animal Makeover Weekend. Davis Farmland, Sterling. Events run 11 a.m. - 3 p .m. Be a stylist for a day! Four different events: start out by brushing a bunny, add some scrunchies and Voila! Next, try painting Jenny the donkey’s hooves or even makeover your favorite Farmland goats. Showcase your talent in a parade afterward so everyone can see your wonderful styling! Admission fees: DavisFarmland.com.

23rd Annual Sheepshearing Festival at Gore Place.52 Gore St., Waltham. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Activities include: demonstrations of sheep-shearing, herding dogs, spinning, weaving, kilt-making and more. Large crafts fair, live entertainment, wagon rides, historic demonstrators, games and farm animals. Food vendors on site. Free parking. No dogs allowed. Children must be accompanied by an adult. A $10, C 12 and under, free.781-894-2798, goreplace.org

Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival. Boston Children’s Museum. 11 a.m – 3 p.m. Activities to welcome spring flowers. A $12, C $9, under 1 free. 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org

FREE Molly’s Star Whirler Craft. American Girl. Natick Collection. 2 – 4 p.m. Say “Hurray for the USA!” just like Molly did in her day—learn to make a patriotic star whirler. For girls ages 8 and up. americangirl.com

Molly’s Birthday Celebration. American Girl. Natick Collection. 4:30 p.m. Happy birthday, Molly! Join the celebration and learn about Molly’s life, enjoy a special meal, and take home a keepsake booklet with activities and journaling pages to help you commemorate this special day. $26 PP. For girls 8 and up. Reservations required. 877-247-5223, americangirl.com FREE People and Spaces Family Day. The Clark, 225 South St., Williamstown. It’s a campus wide family adventure, 12 - 4 pm. This free day will explore how people fit into different spaces, places, and settings. Try to keep your bearings in a maze, create detailed clothespin people,build a miniature museum, climb a wall, and visit the Giovanni Boldini in Impressionist Paris exhibition. clarkart.edu, 413-458-2303.

FOR MOMS AND DADS An Evening with Your Favorite Authors. American Repertory Theater, Brattle St., Cam-bridge. 6:30 p.m. With Chris Bohjalian, James Carroll, Drew Gilpin Faust, Elinor Lipman, Jill McCorkle, Richard Russo, Anita Shreve and Alice Hoffman.Special guests the

Beelzebubs, Tufts’ famed a capella group, finalists of “Sing Off.” Cocktails, readings, dessert, book signings, and music by the Ensemble of Hope. Proceeds to benefit the Hoffman Breast Center at Mt. Auburn Hospital. [email protected] or 617-499-5656

Museum Challenges. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Kids explore exhibits from top to bottom for evidence to solve some perplexing problems. Ages 4 – 11. $7.50 PP; under 12 months free. 401-273-5437, childrenmuseum.org

Memories with Mom. American Girl. Natick Collection. Noon. You’ll enjoy a delicious meal, plus a commemorative photo and keepsakes to take home as a reminder of the memories made during your special day. This event features dining in the Celebration Room, posing for a commemora-tive photo, and creating a memory booklet. For girls 6 and up. $30 PP. Reservations required. 877-247-5223, americangirl.com Play and Learn. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. Noon – 2 p.m. Preschoolers use simple instruments to experiment with loud, soft, high and low sounds. Ages 2 – 4. $7.50 PP; under 12 months free. 401-273-5437, childrenmuseum.org

FOR PARENTS Parenting A Challenging Child. Parenting Solutions, 6 Colonial Dr.,Westborough. 6 - 7:30 p.m. Ongoing monthly group that provides support and strategies for parenting children with the more difficult temperaments. Meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Led by Sylvia Sirignano, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist. $25/parent; 2nd parent free. Monthly discount available. 508-366-7557, parentingsolutionsprograms.com.

Sports Ball Math. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 3:30 p.m. Celebrate Math Awareness Month’s theme of Mathematics and Sports as you test and graph the bounciness of various sports balls. Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Frog Slog. Drumlin Farm, 208 South Great Rd., Lincoln. 4 – 5:30 p.m. Ribbit-ribbit, what’s that sound? Enjoy the natural chorus of springtime frogs and explore pond edges in search of tiny peepers, elusive American toads and giant bull frogs. Ages 6 – 9. $14 PP. 781-259-2206, massaudu-bon.org/drumlin

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Blast Off. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 3 – 5 p.m. Kids use the power of air to blast a rocket across the room in the FETCH!™ Lab, a hands-on science center. Ages 5 – 11. $7.50 PP; under 12 months free. 401-273-5437, childrenmuseum.org

Build It. Children’s Discovery Museum, Acton. Drop-in 10 a.m. – Noon. LEGO building for toddlers! Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

FREE Flower Give Away. Friends of Fort Point Channel, 300 Congress St., Boston. 11:30 a.m. Receive complimen-tary potted daisies and the 2010 Fort Point Channel Guide which lists all of the happenings in the area - all to celebrate springtime!617-451-9239, friendsoffortpointchannel.org.

Inspiring Minds: Meet Women in Science. Museum of Science, Science Park, Boston. April 29 and 30, 9 a.m. and May 1, 10 a.m. Meet dynamic women who love their careers in science and engineering! Hear them describe their work and experiences in fields ranging from archaeol-ogy and astrophysics to marine biology and weather forecasting. Then, try out exciting experiments in related fields at our Technology Tables. Free with exhibit halls admission. 617-723-2500, mos.org

Mornings at the Museum Story Hour. National Heritage Museum, 33 Marrett Rd., Lexington. 10:30 a.m. In this program for very young children, read stories and do related crafts that explore the theme of creativity, as inspired by the exhibition “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World.” Pay a visit to the show. For children age 4 and under with accompanying adult. Adults free. C $5. 781-861-6559, nationalheritagemuseum.org

Dazzle Your Doll. American Girl. Natick Collection. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Your girl will learn fancy salon secrets and five-minute doll ’dos, then decorate a tropical doll outfit that’s perfect for the beach. Plus, every girl will enjoy a delicious meal and take home a doll-sized travel booklet—perfect for dolls on the go! For girls ages 8 and up. $50 pp. Reservations required. 877-247-5223, americangirl.com

Bubble Blast. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 3 – 5 p.m. Kids experiment with ways to blow bubbles big and small. Ages 3 – 11. $7.50 PP; under 12 months free. 401-273-5437, childrenmuseum.org FREE Book Swap. MOMS Club of Worcester North, First Presbyterian Church, 125 Holden St., Worcester. 10 - 11:30 a.m. Come share your used books and get some new-to-you ones. Books for all ages. Children welcome. The MOMS Club of Worcester North serves the

northern part of the City of Worcester (01605, 01606), as well as Shrewsbury, Boylston, and West Boylston. north.momsclubofworcester.org.

Ed Young Story Time. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m. Today’s story will be Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young followed by an activity where you can role play one of the characters. Admission to both mu-seums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Music or Noise? Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop-in 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. Can musical instru-ments be made from household objects? Come and find out while experimenting with PVC pipe, water, metal, and other materials, then make your own instrument to take home! Admission to both museums $10.50 PP, under 12 months, free. 978-264-4200, discoverymuseums.org

Into the Wood: Antonio Frasconi’s Art for Children. The Eric Carle Museum Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Rd., Amherst. . In addition to the original art from his picture books, the exhibition includes books created in such small editions they are rarely available to a wide audience for viewing. Free with admission. A $9, C (1-18) $6, under 1, free, family $22.50. 413-658-1100, carlemuseum.org

Bringing Up Baby. Drumlin Farm, 208 South Great Rd., Lincoln. 3:30 – 5 p.m. Babies, babies all over the place! Celebrate spring with our farm babies. Make a colorful May basket. Visit the spring lambs. In the garden plant your own baby plant to take home and care for. Have a “baby” snack. For all ages. $14 PP. 781-259-2206, massaudu-bon.org/drumlin

FREE Family Beach Party. Indian Hill Music School, 36 King St., Littleton. 6 – 7:30 p.m. Indian Hill Music School’s Early Childhood Department presents an indoor, family-friendly Beach Party! Bring your beach towels and escape into fun musical activities, and get a sneak peek at summer classes for newborns through age 7. 978-486-9524,indianhillmusic.org

FREE Lanie’s Nature Activity Day. American Girl. Natick Collection. 1 – 3 p.m. Sprout your very own “mini garden” in a seed-starter cup. Also make a cute seed label for your mini garden and enjoy a garden-themed scavenger hunt, plus other fun activities. For girls ages 8 and up. americangirl.com

Homeschool Programs at Wachusett Meadow – Toys Inspired by Nature. Mass Audubon at Wachusett Meadodw Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Rd., Princ-eton. 1 – 3 p.m. Make several toys to take home, such as

fox tails, flying bats, quacking ducks, and hopping frogs. Learn something about these animals that inspired these nature toys. How does a frog hope and a bat fly? Free for adults. C $12. 978-464-2712, massaudubon.org

Preschool Story Hour – Rain Showers. Mass Audubon at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Rd., Princeton. 10:30 – 11:30 p.m. Come enjoy an hour of fun with your youngster, focusing on nature. Read a book, do a craft activity, and go for a walk with Teacher-Natural-ist Chris Eaton. For ages 2.5 to 5. $10 A/C pair. $2 per additional child. 978-464-2712, massaudubon.org

Name Play. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. 10 a.m. – Noon. Preschoolers explore the letters of their names in the art studio. Ages 3 – 5. $7.50 PP; under 12 months free. 401-273-5437, childrenmuseum.org

Gerbil Show. American Gerbil Society, Holiday Inn9 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, NH. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.Gerbil owners and fans are invited to this family-friendly event. Serious gerbil owners and breeders may compete for the Best-in-Show honors. A fun Pet Class competition for kids gives awards for pets’ endearing characteristics. There will be Gerbil Olympics events, exhibits on gerbil colors, agility training, gerbil art, other rodents, specialty merchan-dise and a book signing. Admission is $2 (maximum $10 per family). Visit agsgerbils.org or call 603-620-9906 for more information.

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Kelsey Flynn is Mother Goose. The Eric Carle Picture Book Museum, 125 West Bay Rd., Amherst. Sat., April 24, 1 p.m. Join her and her merry minstrels and sing, rhyme, and even dance your way through beloved tales, songs, and poems. Arrive early, paint a picture and see it used in the production. Lots of audience participation! For prices and details: carlemuseum.org.

Family Shows at the Regent Theatre, Arlington. Robin Hood, Sat. April 3, 10:30 a.m., Sun., April 11, 2 p.m. Joe’s Backyard Band, Sat., April 10, 10:30 a.m., The Bellowphone Show, Sat., April 17, 10:30 a.m. Jazz for Kids 10th Anniversary and Boston JazzWeek 10 Celebration, Sat., April 24, 10:30 a .m. and 1 p .m. Liz Buchanan CD Release Party, Sat. May 1. C$8, A$10. regenttheatre.com.

FREE National Little Theatre of the Deaf Perfor-mance. The Children’s Center for Communication/Beverly School for the Deaf, 6 Echo Ave., Beverly. Wed., April 7, 10:30 a.m. This theatre travels around the country perform-ing original children’s tales that inform and entertain at the same time (in American Sign Language and voice) to audiences of children in grades K-6. Seating is limited but anyone in the area with a child ages 3-12 who is deaf or hard of hearing or uses American Sign Language as a mode

of communication is welcome to attend. Email: [email protected].

The Little Mermaid. Wheelock Family Theatre, 200 The Riverway, Boston. Friday 7:30 p.m; Saturday and Sunday 3 p.m. April 16 – May 16. Based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, this adaptation teems with tumultuous characters, dramatic undercurrents, deep emotions, rippling humor, and a titanic battle between good and evil. $25, $20, or $15 On Friday nights children in their pajamas are only $12. 617-879-2300, WheelockFamilyTheatre.org

Sesame Street Live, “When Elmo Grows Up.” Agganis Arena – Boston University, Boston. April 16 – 18. $15 & $20. 617-358-7000. ticketmaster.com, sesamestreetlive.com.

The Diary of Anne Frank. Boston Children’s Theatre. April 10 -18 for ages 12+ at the Boston Center for the Arts. bostonchildrenstheatre.org.

Circus Smirkus. Thayer Academy, 754 Washington Street, Braintree. Sat., April 10, 6 p.m.; Sun., April 11, 3 p.m. Circus Smirkus, New England’s internationally acclaimed traveling youth circus, brings its razzle-dazzling perfor-mances -- astounding aerials, clever clowning, fantastic

feats of juggling, and acrobatics. At the door: A$25, C$17. Discount for advance tickets. 802-533-7443, smirkus.org/htm/support/benefit.html.

Children’s Hour with Musician Ed Morgan. The Performing Arts Center of MetroWest, 140 Pearl St., Fram-ingham. 10 a.m. Fridays throughout June. For infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families, every Friday. Sing, clap, and dance along to well-loved children’s songs. A $5, C $1. 508-875-5554, pacmetrowest.org

Dinner-Theater Gala. The Cronin Auditorium, The Bromfield School, 14 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard, 6 p.m. The award-winning Bromfield Drama Society will present “Defying Gravity” followed by a Spring Grill Menu at the Fruitlands, 7:15 p.m. A donation applies. 978-456-5085, harvardschoolstrust.org.

Blackstone Valley Bluegrass Band. Wachusett Music Series, First Church of Christ Unitarian, 725 Main St., Lancaster. Sat., April 24, 7:30 p.m. Renowned musicians and celebrated recording artists, will WOW you with their award winning picking. A $15 in advance $18 day of show.C $10. 978-365-2043, wachusettmusic.com

FREE. Family Pajama Jam. Indian Hill Music School, 36 King St., Littleton. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Fri., May 14. Put on your PJs and have fun at the next musical story hour! Young families are invited to sing, dance, play instru-ments, and hear stories. Free Admission. 978-486-9524, indianhillmusic.org

FOR MOMS Girls Night: The Musical. Lowell Auditorium, 50 East Merrimack St., Lowell. Fri., April 16, 8 p.m. One Night only. Great for mother’s groups to get together for a Night Out! $56.50, $46.50, or $30.50. 978-454-2299, lowellauditorium.com

Music and Dance from Childhood. The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), Allegro Music School, and Children’s Dance Theater, 14 Summer St., Natick. Sun., April 11, 2 p.m. Performance event for children and their families: Memories conjured by Schumann’s Scenes from Childhood and Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite evoke a journey to the Fairy Gardens, Tom Thumb, the Japanese Princess, and Beauty and the Beast. Music and dancers conjure a time of innocence and simplicity, when princes fell for princesses and lived happily ever after. A $9, C under 12, $6. 508-647-0097, natickarts.org

MEOW!What began as a musical about cats after Andrew Lloyd Webber picked up a book of poems in an airport bookshop has become one of the longest running shows in Broadway’s history. Cats is coming to Boston’s Colonial Theatre, April 13 – 18. broadwayacrossamerica.com.

FamilyFamily TheatreTheatre && MusicalMusical PerformancesPerformances

BAYSTATEPARENT 29

Sara Wheeler and Little Groove. The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), 14 Summer St., Natick. Sat., April 24, 11 a.m. Groovy and educational music delights both parents and children, with ladybug and fairy costumes and puppets that create a fun vibe. A $9, C under 12, $6. 508-647-0097, natickarts.org

New Philharmonia Orchestra: Family Concert III. Newton Cultural Center 225 Nevada St., Newtonville. Sun., April 11, 3 p.m. “Lyle Lyle Crocodile:” Hear a musical jamboree of this favorite children’s book by Bernard Waber set to music by John Tarrh, New Phil’s Composer in Resi-dence. Program will also feature young string students of the Suzuki School of Newton. A $15, Family, $44. Advance purchase only. 617-527-9717 or newphil.org.

“I Drink the Air Before Me” by MASS MoCA. Jacob’s Pillow Dance and MASS MoCA, 87 Marshall St., North Adams. Fri., April 9 and Sat., April 10, 8 p.m. This evening-length work is inspired by the power of extreme weather and storms, both atmospheric and internal. Widely

regarded as one of the leading choreographers of his gen-eration, sound, visual art and fashion collide in Petronio’s dances to produce powerfully modern landscapes for the senses. $38 orch/$32 mezz/. 413-662-2111, massmoca.org.

Sparky’s Puppets. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. Mon., April 19, 1 and 2 p.m. Sparky’s Puppets dramatize favorite children’s stories with plenty of humor and audience participation. Watch Brer Rabbit sneak into the vegetable garden. Laugh at the antics of “The Grass-hopper and the Ant.” And find out what happens when a pesky goblin tries to outsmart a hard-working farmer. Ages 3 – 11. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org. Maria Sangiolo. Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St. Wed., April 21, 1 and 2 p.m. Children delight in this award-winning folk singer’s whimsical melodies, witty lyrics and eclectic mix of musical genres. Ages 3 – 11. $7.50 PP. 401-273-KIDS, childrensmuseum.org.

FREE Family Concert: Manguito, Musical Tour of the Caribbean. Rockport Music, Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main Street, Rockport. Sat., June 19, 10 a.m. Five internationally known Latin American musicians take

the audience on an interactive musical tour of the Caribbean as they play the rhythms of Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic on a variety of instruments. Just drop in! 978-546-7391, rockportmusic.org

Going Buggy Children’s Musical. Apple Tree Arts presents the children’s musical April 10, 7 p.m. and April 11, 2 p.m. at the GB & Lexi Singh Performance Center, Alternatives Unlimited, 60 Douglas Rd., Whitinsville. A$5, C (5+) $3. .

FOR MOMS Girls Night out: The Musical. The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. Thurs., April 15, 8 p.m. Ladies, grab your sisters, girlfriends and co-workers and prepare to laugh, cry and dance in the aisles! Tickets for the Wednesday evening performance include a $10 donation, with proceeds benefit-ting Daybreak and Battered Women’s Resources, sister organizations under the YWCA umbrella. Full price tickets are $32, $37, and $42. $5 discount available for AAA members. 877-571-7469, thehanovertheatre.org.

Assumption College presents Oliver! The Hanover Theater for the Performing Arts, Worcester. April 23 – 25. Based on the Dickens novel, Oliver Twist. Outstanding musical and dance numbers, “Food, Glorious Food,” “I’d Do Anything,” “Where is Love?,” “Consider Yourself...” etc. Tickets: 877-571-7469, thehanovertheatre.org.

Family Shows at The Hanover Theatre. 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, April 30 - May 2. $35-65 pp; Sleeping Beauty Performed by Moscow Ballet Theatre, April 6. The Moscow Festival Ballet bring lavish sets, beautiful costumes, and a corp de ballet with beauty and grace, as well as superbly gifted principal danc-ers and the music of Tchaikovsky. $39-$50 pp; Riverdance Farewell Performances, April 9 – 11, The thunderous celebration of Irish music, song, and dance that has tapped its way onto the world stage thrilling millions of people around the globe. $40 – 70 pp. Tickets: 877-571-7469, thehanovertheatre.org.

Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics. DCU Cen-ter, 50 Foster St., Worcester. April 1 – 4., multiple times. $55.75 - $18.75. 800-745-3000, dcucenter.com.

Family Theatre & Musical Performances

A Parade of Ice Princesses April 1 – 4:The DCU Center hosts Disney On Ice Princess Classics.

dcucenter.com

STUDIO DISCOVERY STUDIO ONE STUDIO TWO BROADWAY SPEC-

TACULAR STUDIO KIDS ROCK!

BOSTON’S THEATERFOR YOUNG PEOPLE

BOSTONCHILDRENSTHEATRE.ORG617-424-6634

SUMMERSTUDIOS One and Two Week Theatre Programsfor ages 4 to 16June 28 to August 13

at the BCT Studios 316 Huntington Ave.

617-424-6634

30 APRIL2010

Baseball season is here and that means Fenway Park is in full swing. The big leaguers are smacking the ball, and New England kids are hoping

to see it clear The Green Monster. It’s the Great American Pastime, baseball is. It goes with hot dogs and sunshine and kids with baseball gloves hoping to catch a souvenir from the game. And there is little more in life as heartwarming as watching your son’s eyes follow the ball and knowing that he’s dreaming of hitting it out of the park one day. I know because I’ve seen that look in my 9-year-old’s eyes. Joey studies the program, knows the players, records the stats, and dreams. It is a gift for me to get him to the ballpark to see a game. It is also an expense. The sport is costly. According to Major League Baseball’s 2009 Fan Cost Index (FCI), taking a family of four to see the Red Sox play a home game will average a whopping $326.45! Fortunately, here in New England, we have one of the country’s best collections of minor league teams and stadiums scattered throughout the area. Each has family-friendly ticket

prices and kid-approved promotions. Expect to see my family at many of these parks throughout the summer, but the real fun for us will be an affordable family day at Fenway Park.

The Most Affordable Way to Enjoy Baseball at Fenway

The day is called Futures at Fenway. It is an all-day baseball festival that features a double-header with two Red Sox affiliate teams. This year the games will include the Lowell Spinners and the Salem Red Sox. There will be autograph sessions with the players, mascot races on the field, and activities for the kids throughout the day. The Fenway concourse will be set up to entertain families. And the price will be a fraction of going to a regular season Red Sox game at Fenway Park. We already have our tickets: field box seats between home plate and third base just ten rows from the field. It is an excellent location to catch foul balls. Joey will have a terrific view of The Green Monster, the dugouts, and the scoreboard. Each of our

seats would normally cost $130 during the regular season, but we paid just $20 each for the Futures at Fenway experience. Bleacher seats to the event are just $5. The idea for Futures at Fenway came from Boston Mayor Tom Menino. Knowing that families are discouraged by increasing prices, he approached the Red Sox organization four years ago to introduce the idea of playing a minor league game in the park and making it affordable for families. The group embraced the idea and expanded it. They made it a double-header and worked to make it a family-focused event. Ticket and concession prices were dropped, and Futures at Fenway was launched in 2006 in front of capacity crowds. It is a great day of fun for children of all ages and levels of interest. But for a baseball fan like Joey, the appeal is in seeing professional ball players who may very well end up playing in the big leagues. A kid like Joey will get the program and learn the players’ names, collect their cards, and follow their careers. And, of course, he will get to watch the team mascots – always among his favorite entertainments.

This year, Futures at Fenway will take place at noon on July 10. The first game will feature Boston’s Single-A Affiliate Lowell Spinners against the Jamestown Jammers (Single-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins). The second game features the Salem Red Sox, the Red Sox’ Single-A affiliate in the Carolina League, against the Potomac Nationals, a Single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Tickets can be purchased at redsox.com or by calling 877-REDSOX-9. Plan to get there early as the fun on the concourse will begin well before game time. To save on parking, we take the T to Fenway Park. Joey loves to see all of the adults and kids in their Red Sox attire. He often strikes up conversations with others his age, comparing favorite players and sharing stories of yesterday’s game. And he likes to follow the map of stops along the way. We live in the western suburbs of Boston, so we drive to the Riverside station near the junction of the Mass Pike and Route 128. Parking is just $5.75, a hefty discount over the parking in Boston. When the last out of the day happens sometime in the early evening, we will

Baseball on A Budget:

A Cheaper Way to Fenway

LET’SROLL

mary jo kurtzBY

Joey Kurtz with his dad at Fenway.

BAYSTATEPARENT 31

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have a lot to talk about. The journey home will be full of chatter. Joey will have some up-and-coming star baseball players in mind to read about. And he will have some dreams of the game waiting for him in bed that night. The experience will cost our family about a hundred dollars, a far cry from the FCI estimate of over three hundred dollars. It is affordable family fun, a double-header in Fenway Park, and an unforgettable baseball memory for a 9-year-old boy. I call that a homerun.

Mary Jo Kurtz is a Massachusetts freelance writer and mother of two boys, 19-year-old Sam and 9-year-old Joey. Her work appears regularly in over 70 national

and regional publications. She can be reached at [email protected] or www.maryjokurtz.com.

What is the Fan Cost

Index? The Major League Baseball Fan Cost Index is released each year at the start of the baseball season. As of the printing of this issue, the latest numbers available are from 2009. The FCI includes the following prices when calculating the average cost of a major league baseball game for a family of four:

• 2 adult average price tickets• 2 child average price tickets• 2 small draft beers• 4 small soft drinks• 4 regular size hot dogs• Parking for one car• 2 game programs• 2 of the least expensive adult size adjustable caps• Total Average Cost: $326.45

Fenway Park Tours

Fenway Park tours are a great way to enjoy all of the interesting finds that baseball fans see on television. The 50-minute walking tour will take you to The Green Monster seats where you can sit down and enjoy the view. Walk through the press box and see where Jerry Remy broadcasts the game and find out why there is one seat painted red in the middle of the bleachers. The tour costs $10 for children ages 3 to 15, $11 for seniors, and $12 for adults. Fenway Park Tours take place every hour on the hour from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. seven days a week. The tours suspend three hours prior to home games.

The Pawtucket Red Sox

A long-time favorite with my family, baseball at McCoy Stadium is designed with families in mind. It is home to the Boston Red Sox Triple-A Affiliate Pawtucket Red Sox. Tickets run from $5 to $11 a seat, and every game

features a family promotion. This year, kids with box seat tickets get free food vouchers, and there are giveaway nights including bats, Pawsox caps, and team mugs. Among Joey’s favorite activities is taking his glove and positioning himself with the other kids on the berm seating during team warmups. This grassy area next to the outfield is the perfect spot for catching pop-ups and homeruns. In addition, the Pawsox organization offers free youth clinics several times through the season in which young players bring a glove and spend over an hour practicing with the players. Five nights are set aside this season for Scout Sleepovers. Kids enjoy an on- field clinic with the players before attending a game. Then the scouts fill the outfield with pitched tents and watch a movie together on the big screen. For more information on this or any other promotions, check out pawsox.com.

The Lowell Spinners

Once home to Red Sox star Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston’s Single-A Affiliate Lowell Spinners start their season in late June. Games are played at Edward A. Lelacheur Park, a stadium that holds over 5,000 fans and is also home to the UMass Lowell Riverhawks. Tickets cost between $5 and $10. Family events and promotions include giveaway nights with cooler bags, hats, bobblehead dolls and bat bags. There are also nights set aside for fireworks after the game. Local scouting groups can enjoy scheduled Scout Sleepovers on July 17 and August 21. The sleepover events include box seat tickets to the game, a scouting patch, food vouchers, and play under the field lights. For more information, go to lowellspinners.com.

The Worcester Tornadoes

A relative newcomer to professional baseball in the area, the Worcester Tornadoes fill the stands at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field on the campus of Holy Cross College. With over a century of baseball history, Fitton Field is older than Fenway Park! It has been renovated to accommodate the new team and brings old time charm to the summer game. As a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, the Worcester Tornadoes have no affiliation with Major League Baseball. The level of play has been compared to AA league play. Tickets run from $5 to $18. Be sure to check for player autographs before the game. Also watch for their Field of Dreams promotion. The promotion allows Little League teams to go on the field before a Worcester Tornadoes home game and meet the players. When it is time for the national anthem, the kids can join the Tornadoes starting players on the field. For more information, check out worcestertornadoes.com.

32 APRIL2010

I had always been a dog person. Prior to our human children, my dogs (who had been adopted from the humane society) had birthday parties and kept me company while I drove around town running errands. After

meeting my husband, Bjørn, an engineer from Norway, and securing my own career as an emergency medicine physician, we determined that although we didn’t feel quite ready (and realized that we probably never would), if we wanted to start our biological family, the clock was ticking, and had been for a while. I was fortunate to have an easy pregnancy. I loved being pregnant and was able to work full-time until my due date, and exercise daily. The day after my due date, I ate what is known as the “labor-inducing cream cheese” from Eric’s La Patisserie in Worcester, and within hours was on my way to Labor and Delivery. While we never had an ultrasound to determine gender, every old wives’ tale and passerby declared I was having a boy, so it was no surprise when Erik was born. Twenty-one months later, our daughter, Annika, was born. With a boy and girl, people stopped asking, “When are you going to have the next?” Both Bjørn and I were raised in families with two children, but I wanted a tie-breaker. Being a staunch

environmentalist and not wanting to produce a third biological child, I suggested to my husband that we adopt. With two children still in diapers, we did not feel the need to adopt an infant. After much research, we decided to go through the foster care system and adopt in our own backyard. In Massachusetts alone, there are thousands of children waiting to be adopted. We also liked the idea of having more involvement in selecting our child and the fact that no lawyer, individual, or organization would be making a profi t from the adoption of a child. After almost two years of training, home-studies, and mostly just waiting, we met our son, Nikolas, at an adoption party in Massachusetts. He was 4 ½ years old and everything we were hoping for. Active, healthy, close in age to our current children and legally free for adoption. As a bonus (which we took as an omen that things were meant to be) his name was spelled with a “K,” to perfectly compliment Erik, Annika, Kok, and Smoky. Our au pair also noted that if you write “Nikolas” vertically and the other seven names in the household horizontally, they all fi t together like a puzzle. Nikolas would be the fi nal piece in the puzzle that links the family together. We spent the month of December 2007 driving back and forth (usually in

a blizzard), from Nikolas’ foster home to ours in Shrewsbury. Each time we drove over Lake Quinsigamond, Nikolas would say that he wanted to go swimming. After explaining that you couldn’t swim in a frozen lake, I took him to the pool at the YMCA. Fortunately, I had already secured a bubble to him, because the moment he saw Annika jump into the pool, he followed suit. He popped back up to the surface with a terrifi ed look on his face. I then asked him “Have you ever been swimming before?” to which we replied “No.” It was sometimes hard to imagine that this child who would soon be ours had already lived for four and a half years, much of which we would know very little about. Perhaps we are lucky, but Nikolas made an effortless transition into our family. Within two weeks he was calling us Mama and Papa, and Erik and Annika referred to him as their brother. For Thanksgiving that year, Annika said that she was thankful for princesses, ponies, and social workers. Nikolas was thankful for gymnastics lessons and Moe’s burritos. Nikolas’ adoption was fi nalized on October 9, 2008. It was a happy day but mostly a formality as far as we were concerned. Nikolas became our child the day he moved in. We choose not to celebrate his adoption day frankly because we have too many things

Dominic is a 10-year-old Caucasian boy described as outgoing, resilient, and happy-go-lucky. He likes playing sports, especially basketball and football, and also likes to skateboard. However, his favorite activity is playing video games, which he is only allowed to do on the weekends,so as not to distract him from doing his homework. He also likes playing with his Star Wars Legos and fi nger skateboards. His favorite television program is Pokeman; in fact, he enjoys all of the superhero shows and movies. Dominic is in good health, eats anything and everything (including vegetables), and sleeps well. Dominic is in the fourth grade, does well in school, and has many friends. He does not require any specialized education assistance; although, he has been diagnosed with attention defi cit with hyperactivity disorder. He only requires some prodding and consistency, which he responds very well to. His favorite subject is math, and he thrives on one-on-one attention. Dominic is seen by a therapist on a weekly basis, who is helping him address some of the loss issues he has suffered. He is outgoing and able to verbalize his feelings with adults he trusts. Since his foster family has a dog, Dominic likes animals and would like to have a pet of his own one day. Dominic has been in the care and custody of the Department for over three years and is now legally free to be adopted. He does have an aunt who visits with him monthly; however, she is not able to make a permanent commitment, but does support his placement in an adoptive home. Dominic would probably do best in a single or two-parent family, as long as he was the youngest or the only child. If you can make a permanent commitment, provide consistent nurturing and structure, and lots of one-on-one attention, you might be just the right match for a child like Dominic. If you would like more information about Dominic, or general information about adoption and/or foster care, please call Barbara Ford at the Department of Children and Families (DCF) 508-929-2143.

FINALLY,FOREVER

NIKOLAS: THE FINAL PIECE IN THE PUZZLE

gayle gallettaBY

APRIL’SCHILD

Dominic, age 10

BAYSTATEPARENT 33

to celebrate. I love talking to others about my adoption experience and am never offended when people ask where Nikolas if from. None of my children look like me, and Nikolas, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, looks nothing like his blonde-haired, blue-eyed siblings. A few months ago someone asked Annika if Nikolas was her friend. Very matter-of-factly, she replied, “No, he’s my brother. We got him from his social mother” (a social worker and foster mother rolled into one). To this day, she refers to Nikolas as her “brown brother.” Now life is just crazy. Erik is 7, Nikolas 6 ½, and Annika 5 ½. They are all so different from each other with their own personalities, interests, and talents. We love them all the same, but have to express it differently. Erik is smart, sensitive and cautious; Nikolas athletic and independent; and Annika is still our baby girl. We still love our dogs too but no longer throw them birthday parties.

Gayle and her husband, Bjørn, moved to Shrewsbury 10 years ago. Since then,

she has worked full-time as an ER physician at UMass, Marlboro, and Clinton Hospitals.

In her spare time, she races triathlons and completed her fi rst Ironman last June. Gayle travels with her family to Norway each year to spend time with her husband’s family and friends, and to enable her children to learn a

language that no one else can speak at school.

Circle of FriendsHIGHLIGHTS OF APRIL’S ADOPTION-RELATED EVENTS

Free Adoption Information MeetingMonday, April 12: Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) gives adults the opportunity to learn about foster care and adoption from experienced adoptive families and talk with social workers from the area. Waiting children will not be in attendance (this event is a preview for the April 24th adoption party in Springfi eld to help interested families make the best use of that event). Held at the Providence Behavioral Health Hospital, Holyoke. 6 - 8 p.m. FREE. 617-54-ADOPT (542-3678), mareinc.org

Free Western Mass Adoption PartySaturday, April 24: The Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE)hosts this event at Springfi eld College from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. The event begins for prospective parents, with an orientation detailing the “ins and outs” of Adoption Parties. At 10:30 a.m., the party activities begin for adults and waiting children of all ages. The adoption party gives prospective parents the chance to interact with adoptable children and their social workers

in low-key, informal activities, such as arts & crafts, and large and small group games. Attendees should dress for outdoor play. Lunch will be served. 617-54-ADOPT (542-3678), mareinc.org.

Korean Adoption Circle PlaygroupApril 1 & 15 : For families who have adopted from Korea. 10 a.m. to 12 Noon. Korean Presbyterian Church, 2 Main St., Hopkinton. $1 donation per child appreciated. Meets on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month. Seasonal family outings, Ladies Nights Out, and Book Club. Contact Jill at [email protected].

Adoption: Secret Histories, Public Policies: ASAC 2010 ConferenceApril 29 – May 2: MIT, Cambridge. The conference seeks to promote understanding of the experience and institution of adoption in relation to literature, history, philosophy, anthropology, law, political theory, cultural studies, and other humanistic disciplines, and to provide a forum for the presentation and

discussion of artistic creation dealing with adoption and related issues in poetry, fi ction, memoir, fi lm, and other disciplines. Visit english.pitt.edu/adoption&culture/Home.html for more information or search the conference on Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Adoption-Secret-Histories-Public-Policies-ASAC-2010-Conference/424695550267

37th Annual New England Adoption ConferenceSaturday, April 17: Bellingham High School, Bellingham. Presented by The Adoption Community of New England, Inc. (ACONE). Offers over 85 workshops on an array of topics for adoptive parents, those considering adoption as a way to build their families, birthparents, adopted persons, extended family, and professionals. Fees apply. 508-366-6812. AdoptionCommunityofNE.org.

Mare’s Walk For AdoptionSunday, May 16: Presented by the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE). Begins at Jordan’s Furniture, 450 Revolutionary Dr., E. Taunton, 9 a.m. – Noon. Help a local child fi nd a home while you celebrate adoption with hundreds of other families. Music, games, refreshments, 1-hour of walking indoor/outdoor, with a 1 1/2 hour party! Prizes for top fundraisers. Walker registration: $10pp, $25/family of 5, $5 for each additional family member.617-542-3678, fi rstgiving.com/MARE

Please submit May’s adoption-related events by Tuesday, April 6 at

baystateparent.com, “Submit an Event.”

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North Central Charter Essential School is accepting applications for the 2010 11 school year. We are located in the Cleghorn Neighborhood of Fitchburg in the renovated former Anwelt Shoe Factory building. As an Essential School, NCCES is part of a network of more than 1,000 schools across the country that follow a common set of guidelines to make learning more effective, more meaningful and more powerful. We maintain roughly a 350 student population giving us the ability to offer small class sizes where our students are known personally, challenged intellectually and expected to participate actively in their learning. Guided by our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness, we seek to send graduates into the world who THINK for themselves, CARE about others and ACT creatively and responsibly. NCCES offers a safe environment in which each student is free to be himself or herself without feeling pressured to “fit” into a crowd. Here at NCCES, we welcome and encourage family involvement and we view families as partners in education.

Space is limited so it is important to ACT NOW! Call our front office for more information, (978) 345 2701.

TAKE A TOURFamilies wanting to learn more

about our Think Care Actmission and our personalized

approach to academics can come to an

Information Session:

Sunday, May 2nd

34 APRIL2010

Reserved seats: $16 Ch & Sr, $22 Ad • Visa & MC • Group DiscountsTickets : www.danceprism.com or 978-371-1038

Celebrate S pring with Dance P rism—

LittletonP e rf. Arts Center, M a rch 28, 2:30

AndoverCollins Center, April 11, 2:30

WorcesterMechanics Hall, April 18, 2 : 3 0

A Midsummer Night’s Dream& The Frog Prince

Meet Frogs & Fairies, Princes & Princessesat free Post-Perf “Lily Pad” Reception!

“I am 10% intelligent in friendship” is how Jake Greendale describes his limitations as a highly- functioning autistic. He knows, too, that he is very intelligent about nature, is very creative, and is 100% special. Our family suffers because we know how desperately Jake wants friends and how hard he tries to be one, but children with autism often struggle to understand the nuances of building relationships.

A FRIEND FOR JAKE When Jake’s parents, Alan and Elizabeth, learned about NEADS (National Education for Assistance Dog Services), and the fact that they train dogs to be “social dogs,” they investigated immediately. They learned from the NEADS’ Web site that “social dogs are trained to assist children and adults who can benefi t from the therapeutic value of a dog, but are not able to assume total responsibility for its care and training.” Alan and Liz wanted Jake to have a best friend, and the unconditional love of a dog seemed like the answer. The parents met with the staff at NEADS at its national headquarters in Princeton, Massachusetts and then Jake went for an interview to see if he was a good candidate for a dog. We were all thrilled when Jake was accepted into the program. It can take as long as a year to match a dog to a client, but our wait was shorter than that and ended last November. Jake and Liz spent several days in residence at NEADS getting trained themselves on how to work with and care for the dog. The days are long, and training can be pretty intense. With the help and support of many people, Jake has a 2-year-old Black Lab named Basket. And when Basket wakes up in the morning, the fi rst thing she does is get Jake up, whether he is awake or not. “She’s given him

a constant companion, the friend who is always there for him,” says Jake’s mom. It’s a two-way love affair, because when Jake gets home, his fi rst call is to Basket.

ALL ABOUT NEADS NEADS is a non-profi t that uses prisoners in the area’s correctional facilities and volunteer families to train the dogs. The training is extensive and impressive. Basket is so well-behaved and mellow, she can go anywhere – even to Disney World – and never be a problem. She actually fell asleep on the “It’s a Small, Small World” ride. It costs more than $20,000 to train and equip a service dog, but clients are asked only to help raise $9,500 for the organization. NEADS sets up a donor page specifi cally for the client where prospective donors can read the individual profi les. Donors can target their donation to one individual, or they can support the organization as a whole. We were blessed and very lucky. Friends and family raised $3,500, and then an anonymous benefactor donated the rest. We have no idea who this donor is, but s/he is a regular part of our list of gratitudes. But no client who needs a dog is turned away for lack of money. There are sponsors for each dog, waiting in the wings, to fi ll any gaps in fi nancing for an animal. These sponsors come from all over the country not just Massachusetts. Clients do, too. The dogs, who come from different breeders and organizations, are donated. Basket came from the breeding program at Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

Sometimes dogs with mellow personalities do not perform well as guide dogs for the blind, but they are very responsive to training and can provide support in other ways. Basket is perfect testimony to that. NEADS trains dogs to assist people in many ways. There are hearing dogs, service dogs for the physically disabled, including many who assist combat veterans. The dogs can retrieve the remote or the telephone when it rings, turn lights on and off, pull wheelchairs up ramps, and carry things in their saddle bags. There are also ministry dogs, balance dogs, and more. The stories revealed on neads.org are heartwarming and reassuring that there is goodness in the world. This particular kind of goodness – the training of special dogs – happens right here in Princeton. The staff offer tours of the facility located at 305 Redemption Rock Trail South. There are many ways in which volunteers can help this nationally recognized charitable organization including raising puppies. What may be the most amazing is the joy for one little boy who now has a friend to play with and a companion that is teaching him responsibility and how to respond to someone else’s needs. This family will be forever grateful to the many donors, trainers, and other people affi liated with this wonderful organization. For more information, including how you can volunteer to help raise a NEADS puppy, visit neads.org.

Mary Greendale is a Holliston-based freelance and grant writer. She is Jake Greendale’s proud grandmother.

EVERY CHILD

NEADS A BEST FRIEND

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Jake Greendale with his NEADS’ dog, Basket.

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CAMP COUNTDOWNSUMMER CAMP: WHAT KIDS THINK

SUMMER CAMP FOR THE ATHLETIC CHILD

CHOOSING A CAMP: MYTHS AND FACTS

A HUG FROM HOME

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CAMPCOUNTDOWN

baystateparent scouted out happy campers across Massachusetts who shared their summer camp experiences with us here.

If you’ve prolonged making a summer camp plan, the following responses may provide all of the inspiration that you need to get out your calendars and make some calls.

I went to baseball summer camp once. We learned to play baseball, and I played a game about fi nding treasure. My friend Wyatt was there, and I had a cool coach. This year I am going to a cool camp with swimming lessons and a pool! It’s in an old barn by the ocean. I get to learn how to use a bow and arrow! It’s gonna be cool.

Owen McCarthy, 6, Scituate

My favorite part of soccer camp was running around and scoring goals, and my favorite part of gymnastics camp was everything, especially playing in the Zone. Can I go to camp today?

Daniela Graffeo, 5, Millbury

I’ve done lots of cool things at summer camp, like at zoo camp, I gave an iguana a bath. At Strain Horse Camp, we tried different kinds of riding every day like trail rides, bareback, English, and Western. At Camp Shepard (a YMCA camp) we got to do high ropes courses, archery, kayaking, and we got to sleep there overnight. The best people I met at summer camp were my counselors because they were really fun - and my friends. I was worried that I wouldn’t know anyone, but I made lots of friends. That’s been true at every camp I’ve gone to.

Faith Wang, 10, Southwick

Summer Camp: What Kids Think

Daniela Graffeo, 5, of Millbury loved free swim at Gymnastic Learning Center’s Flippers Camp in Shrewsbury. She can’t wait to go again for more swimming, gymnastics, crafts, and fun. Daniela will also hit the fi elds at BEST soccer camp with her brother, who will turn 3 before summer.

Charlie Richards’ fi rst experience with overnight camp was last July at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown. He was only 7 and spent a week at their “Elementary Outreach Camp--A World Of Opportunity,” which helps blind and legally blind children meet other children in a camp setting. Al-though his parents expected a call for him to be driven back and forth to his Framingham home, he was able to work through being homesick and had a great time. He learned independent living skills, how to deal with his disability, and most of all meet other kids who are just like him! Charlie says, “I liked riding horses, going canoeing in the Charles River, making snowman cookies, and playing in the sprinklers. I made a friend too! I also liked spending time in the Perkins greenhouse.”

Isaac Josti of Auburn climbed a rock wall during Family Day at YMCA’s Camp Harrington. “I loved boating, doing arts and crafts, and especially ar-chery!” His mom, Paige, says, “It was a wonder-ful week at camp, and he is looking forward to returning for another.”

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CAMPCOUNTDOWN

Hillside School, 404 Robin Hill Road, Marlborough MA

Helping Children Climb Mountains Thru Experiential Learning at Hillside School

Hillside School is offering two 2-week sessions from July 5- July 30th

Co-ed summer programs for kids ages 9-16

• Leadership training (with a ropes course and climbing wall)

• Academic enrichment

• Small class size (6-10 max)

• ESL

• Offering field trips to Fenway Park, Six Flags and historic Lexington and Concord

• Outdoor pool and working farm

• Soccer, Lacrosse, Tennis and much more.

Please check out our website at www.hillsideschool.net or call 508.485.2824

Camps are located at the Burbank YMCA in Reading and located on Stiles Pond in Boxford and Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield. The Burbank YMCA offers summer camps for preschool through 10th grade.

Burbank YMCA Summer Camps• Outdoor Camps• Preschool Camps (1/2 day and full day)• Leadership Camps• Sports Camps• Field Trip Camps

36 Arthur B. Lord Dr.Reading, MA 01867

781.944.9622 ymcaboston.org/burbank

Bring in this ad when you signup for a Burbank YMCA

Summer Camp and receive $25 OFF a week of camp!

Offer expires 5/1/10. Offer not valid at other YMCA locations. May not be combined with

other offers. Ad must be presented at sign up.

Learn more at a Camp Fair:Saturday, May 1, 10:30am-12:00pmSaturday, May 9, 10:30am-12:00pm

To download a camp brochure visit www.ymcaboston.org/burbank.

The coolest thing I ever did at summer camp was enter a watermelon eating contest. The best person that I met was Emma because she likes to build sandcastles with me. This year, I'd like to do a full dive in the pool.

Kayla Mead, 9, West Boylston

Archery was the coolest thing I did at summer camp. A lot of kids get nervous going to camp, but as soon as you get there, you will forget about being nervous and have a great time.

Adam Karofsky, 11, Framingham

I liked the campfi re cooking! I am at the right age for summer camp because I can do everything at camp.

Matthew Pulnik, 9, Clinton

I once made ubleck at a science camp(a liquid and solid in one) and another time, I met a girl named Madeline at a creative writing camp. We exchanged emails; she was really cool. I’d like to try rock wall climbing and horseback riding this year.

Hannah Ditto, 11, Westfi eld

I liked going swimming and meeting a boy at camp, but I don’t remember his name. He was fun, so I hope he comes this summer. This year, I want to put up the fl ag and do the bow and arrow.

Nathaniel Pulnik, 7, Clinton

The coolest thing I ever did at summer camp was build a four-foot high teepee with sticks and leaves. All of the counselors were really nice and fun. This year, I would really like to do an overnight camp.

Patrick Ditto, 8, Westfi eld

The best thing I did at summer camp was archery and rowing in the front of the canoe. I also had a lot fun doing the Flying Squirrel. That’s where you are lifted up high into the trees. I was scared at fi rst but then I got used

to it.The best person I met was my counselor. She was very nice and made me feel safe. The counselors are very nice.

Isaac Josti, 7, Auburn

It’s always fun in Wayland because you get to take a dip in the town pool and every Thursday we go to the Wayland Town Beach. Some fun fi eld trips included CocCo Key, a bowling alley, the Pirate Ship Cruise, and a movie. I have been to the same camp (Summer Adventure) since I was in 1st grade and it is perfect. At Summer Adventure, the counselors are fun, very nice, and have as much fun as the kids.

Thomas Castillo, 11, Wayland

The coolest thing I ever did at summer camp was play Dodgeball. I can’t wait to play more Dodgeball this year.

Patrick Mead, 10, West Boylston

When We Were Kidssummer camp memories

from bsp staffers

“I loved getting everything ready for camp and the feeling of leaving home. It felt like I was going away to another world where everything was new and exciting. I loved being on my own. I loved the new friends. I loved being out late at night to a camp activity and being able to walk down the hill to my tent. It was a great independent feeling.”

Stephanie Pearl, baystateparent sales and business development manager

“I went to Girl Scout Camp. I didn't like being away from home at overnight camp, so I only went for one year. I did love the popsicles they had in the dining hall. I liked daycamp a lot better. I had fun playing with gimp and doing crafts.”

Stephanie Renaud, baystateparent graphic designer

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sign up early and

SAVE!CAMP

LONGFELLOW“In Wayland and Natick”

LONGFELLOW ARTS CAMP

“Join Our Exploration of Arts & Movement”

www.longfellowclubs.com

HAMMELTENNIS CAMP ‘10

“37 Years of Fun & Learning”

524 Boston Post Rd., (Rte. 20) Wayland, MA • 508-358-7355203 Oak St., (Between Rt 9 and Rt 30) Natick, MA • 508-653-4633

HAMMELTENNIS CAMP ‘10

Longfellow Does...For Every Age & Interest!

(And All Camps Include Swimming!)

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36 North Main St.North Grafton, MA(508) 839-1648www.danceitup.com [email protected]

Summer Intensive Workshop atDance It Up!

Dance It Up! Dance Center presents a third year of intensive work under the guidance of international ballet instructor Joanna Duncan, Royal Academy of Dance.

Designed for the serious student, participants will learn moving the body in unique ways, using physical disciplines such as ballet, contemporary dance, break dance, ground, and aerial acrobatics. Classes will be divided into three levels by age. For ages 9 & up!

DATES:July 12-30, 2010; Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM

INSTRUCTORS:Joanna Duncan, A.R.A.D.; Francoise Voranger, Jillian St. Germain, Gavin Mark McNally and Ronnie Terrell Thomas of Hybrid Movement Company

CLASSES:Ballet Technique, Ballet Repetoire, Pas de Deux, Equilibric Technique, Acrobatic Balancing, Break-Dancing, Aerial Dance (including split silks) and Muscle Conditioning.

For more information please contact us.

The Hybrid Dance Company Presents

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Spend the summer at

PER WEEK

NOW THRU APRIL 30, 2010

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL*

$15 OFF

Register online today!

No extended day fees

Transportation Included

Beach-front location

Outdoor adventure

Daily swim lessons

Summer at FAY SCH OL

Register now for Fay Day Camp, a full-day program for children ages 4-12,

located on Fay School’s campus in Southborough.

www.fayschool.org/fay/summer508.490.8251

•Athletics•Arts•Aquatics•Adventure

FAY SCHOOL • 48 Main Street • Southborough, MAFay School is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school serving grades 1 through 9. Boarding begins in grade 6.

Four two-week programs

June 21 - August 13, 2010

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Lawrence AcademySummer ProgramS

Specialty CampsArtist-in-ResidenceComputer Game DesignCookingCrime Scene InvestigationDance Digital Media DesignMathMusic CompositionJr. NaturalistPhotographySoap Box DerbySpanish/French/Latin

LanguagesTheatre • RoboticsWeb Design

Day CampsFull-DayHalf-DayOutdoor AdventureDay Trips

Sports CampsAll-SportBaseballBasketballField HockeyLacrosseSoccerSoftballStreet Hockey

• Grades 1-11

• Coed

• Team and Early Bird discounts

• One and two week programs

• Extended day available

• Pool time

• Lunch provided

• Transportation available

2010

Lawrence AcademySummer ProgramS

Groton, MA

Camps run from June 21 until August 20, 2010.Summer Programs–978-448-1610

www.LA-Summers.net

It’s Never too Hot to Dance!Summer Dance

CampJune 28th – July 2nd

& Aug. 9th – Aug. 13th

Program will include all forms of danceincluding hip hop, creative movement,

improvisation and acrobatics & arts and crafts.

Call for more information.

Chickee’s Dance WorldWorcester Business Center (the former Thom McCan building)

67 Millbrook St., Worcester (south entrance)508.792.0959 • [email protected] • www.chickeesdanceworld.com

TumblingIntensive 2010

June 28th – July 2nd

July 12th – 16th

August 9th – 13th

Filled with conditioning, tumbling/acrobatics & fun.

Space is limited.

For more informationCall 508-793-2571 or visit

www.goholycross.com

2010 Summer Camps

Boys SoccerDates: July 7-10Ages: 8-19

Girls SoccerDates: July 11-14Ages: 9-18

Girls LacrosseDates: July 18-21Ages: 10 & Up

Field HockeyDates: July 21-24Ages: 12 & Up

Boys LacrosseDates: July 25-28Ages: 10-18

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Intro to DanceAges 4-5Join us for a 4-week Mini Session!July 7-29, 2010Wednesdays, 9:30-10:30am or Thursdays, 10:30-11:30am$60/sessionAn introduction to dance through imagination and self-expression. This class is designed to develop coordination, rhythm flexibility and love for music and dance.

Dance ‘N Play©

Ages 2.5-4July 7-29, 2010Wednesdays, 9:15-10:45am or Thursdays, 10:45am-12:15pm$100/sessionUniquely magical movement program designed to promote preschool readiness. Geared to provide social interaction in a fun, creative and exciting atmosphere.

Dance ‘N Play© for a Day!Choose 1 or all 4 days:Tuesdays, August 3,10,17,24 from 10:00-11:30am$25/day

Intro to Dance for a Day!Choose 1 or all 4 days:Tuesdays, August 3,10,17,24 from 10:00-11:00am$15/day

508.839.1648 ✶ 36 North Main Street Rt. 140 ✶ North Grafton, MA ✶ www.danceitup.com

Have aWonderful

FunderfulSummer at

✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶

✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶

for grades 8-10

Campers will developleadership skills in a camp setting.

Girls and Boys grades 1-7

Seven Weeks (June 28 - Aug. 9)Campers will experience outdoor activities of swimming, boating, outdoor cooking, water safety, trail blazing, and more!

For Girls grades K-8

Ten Weeks (June 21—Aug. 23)Weekly fun and educational programs designed specifically for girls. Girls will experience hands-on program activities: swimming, arts & crafts, computers, cooking, outdoor games, plus weekly field trips.

All ages welcome

Seven weeks of community theater. This year’s production of Peter Pan will be performed in August.

For more information, please contact us at 508.755.9525 or visit us at www.girlsincworcester.org

Register today to reserve your space!

• Bus transportation available for Camp Kinneywood only • Extended hours available• Limited financial assistance available • Sibling & Multi-Week Discount’s

Jewish Community Center633 Salisbury Street • Worcester, MA 01609

For more information and free brochure call 508 756-7109 • www.worcesterjcc.org

The JCC is open to all, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or economic condition. The Center is handicapped accessible. Scholarships available.

Camp Sabra - Preschool ages 3-5June 7 - August 13 • 1 week sessions

Camp Habonim - Grades 1-6 June 21 – August 13 • 1 week sessions

Sha’ar - Grades 7 & 8 June 21 – August 13 • 1 week sessions

Galit (CIT Program) - Grades 9 & 10 June 21 – August 13 • 4 week sessions

Sports Specialty - PreK - grade 12June 21 – August 20 • 1 week sessions

Creating Memories that last a Lifetimein a warm and caring community

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CAMPCOUNTDOWN

Children who demonstrate tal-ents in particular sports at a young age often put their par-ents in diffi cult positions. Dur-ing the summer, there can be

intense pressure to push athletically gift-ed children into high-powered clinics, or to sign them up for travel teams or indi-vidual coaches. The promise of standing out on a high school varsity team, earn-ing a college scholarship, or even receiv-ing a professional contract can entice lots of families to focus exclusively on that sports dream. For most children, though – even those who excel at soccer or base-ball or basketball – a summer at camp, one where sports are but a component of a larger program – can provide great and long-lasting benefi ts.

Cross-Training is Key Many experts interviewed pointed to the risks involved with focusing on one sport at an early age. Megan McHugo, the Ivy League’s Compliance Coordina-tor, said that “broad based participation in multiple sports allows different muscle groups to develop. Working on skills in multiple will ultimately make a person more well-rounded (muscularly), and can also aid in injury prevention by not over-using the muscles from constantly repeat-ing the same motions of one sport.” Maureen Sullivan, a high school varsity basketball coach and a parent, said, “Our youngest daughter just began college. At age 6, she broke records in the backstroke. At 10, she was an accomplished diver. At 12, she was star of the basketball team, and then at 14, she took up the game of golf. Once an athlete, always an athlete, and over the next four years, she became one of the top golfers in our state and se-cured a golf scholarship to college. The best gift a parent can give an athletically gifted child is the opportunity to partici-pate in a myriad of sports over the course of the year. Cross-training affords a child

an opportunity to participate on a team where he or she is not the best on the fi eld – always a good lesson to learn.” David Hixon should know better than most about what helps young athletes succeed. He is the longtime head men’s basketball coach at Amherst College; in 2006, they won the Division III national championship. His wife, Mandy, was the head diving coach at Amherst before be-coming the head diving coach at UMass in 2000. She competed in the 1984 Olympic Trials. Their 15-year-old son, Michael, is on track for the Olympics in diving, too.While he trains year-round in that sport, his parents know all too well the risks of injuries from playing only one sport. “One of the problems,” Hixon wrote, “is that coaches – particularly outside of school, but sometimes in school – dis-courage kids from playing another sport and ‘demand’ that kids only play their sport. We are fi ghting a battle to keep kids involved in more than one.” Re-garding their son in particular, he wrote, “His coach – his Mom – and I insist he diversify. He is going to play high school basketball and should make the varsity this year. Michael plays golf, too. I also believe that competition is competition, and the more times you put yourself into the fi re, the better you’ll be, whether it’s on the board needing a big dive, at the free throw line needing a make to win, on the 18th needing a putt to win – it all is the same.” Most of those interviewed noted that, at a certain age, when an athlete needs to make a serious commitment to become an elite athlete, attending specialized pro-

grams is probably a necessity. But there’s no rush to do so.

A Needed Balance Before the summer starts, summer camp staff at ACA-accredited summer camps receive all sorts of training to help them push and challenge their campers. They have the opportunity to go to teaching clinics across New England to become better teachers and coaches. In many ways, these summer camp counselors will provide more valuable, instructive lessons than a Division 1 athlete who might be working with kids at all-star showcases or clinics where coaches might be scouting or recruiting. Certainly, there is likely to be an emphasis on sportsmanship at sum-mer camps, and on discovering the plea-sures of the game. That’s not, of course, to say that children at summer camps won’t also have the op-portunity for top-notch athletic competi-tion. Just because a summer camp offers a broad program doesn’t mean it doesn’t also offer high-level instruction and op-portunities in particular areas. Many summer camps offer the fl exibility that allows families to enroll their chil-dren in summer camp for a few weeks and participate in sport-specifi c clinics during the rest of the summer. Joanne Fay, Director of Program Development at Crossroads for Kids, said, “I have had some campers in our day camp who have needed to stop coming to camp at the ages of 11, 12, 13, because their parents said they needed to go to golf programs, foot-ball camps, baseball clinics, etc. These kids have returned as staff members when they were 18 because this is where they

really wanted to be. I fi nd that many kids specialize in one sport at a young age and burn out of it before they reach middle and high school.” Indeed, many summer camps see them-selves as oasis away from the grind of fo-cusing on one sport all the time. Susan Chenet, Assistant Director of Camp Wa-Klo, a girls’ summer camp in New Hamp-shire, wrote, “Most parents would choose our camp to give their daughter a break from the intensity of the school year. Summer camp offers a needed balance between the intensity of the competition and the fun of the sport. After camp, our girls go off more energized to accomplish any task that’s asked of them during the school year.” Summer camp offers the best of both worlds: one-on-one instruction and the opportunity to play while enjoying all the advantages of a broad program in a summer camp setting. If you’re wondering which camps might be a fi t for your ath-letic son or daughter, inquire about the summer camp’s athletic philosophy: does everyone get to play, or is the emphasis on competition? Are there cuts from teams? Do nearby summer camps, which might play each other throughout the summer, share the same philosophy? There are many ways that summer camps give their charges the opportunity to enhance their skills as athletes while also giving them the chance to try new things and learn about themselves along the way.

Bette Bussel is the Executive Director of the American Camp Association, New England. For more informa-tion, visit acanewengland.org or call 781-541-6080.

Summer Camp

for the ATHLETIC

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Visit www.thehanovertheatre.orgor call 508.770.0179 for more information

YOUTH SUMMER PROGRAMfor students ages 12-18

JUNE 28-JULY 16

Two performances JULY 17

Were you born to be on stage?Want to be a better singer, dancer, or actor?Are you ready to perform in a world-class theatre?

SIGN UPNOW

Enrollmentis Limited

to reserve your spot!

Now a three-week

session!

TheHanoverTheatre.org 871.571.SHOW2 Southbridge Street Worcester, MA 01608Discounts available for groups, members, students, and WOO card holders

Worcester Center for the Performing Arts, a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, owns and operates The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Join us for Tea with Bell on 4/30!Seating is limited; visit thehanovertheatre.org or call 871.571.SHOW for details.

Be Our Guest.Be Our Guest.

Introducing our Summer Sewing Programs for: Budding Designers – ages 8-11

Designers-in-Training – ages 10+ • Fashionistas – ages 12+Then select from our ½ Day Morning or

Afternoon Weekly Themed Sessions starting June 28th. Each level will have a maximum of 5 students.

PH: 508.393.6300 • www.readysetsew.orgMon-Thur 9am-9pm • Fri & Sat 9am-6pm

Learn to Sew Studio

Register Early!Call or stop by the shop to pick up a schedule

and register your child for one or more sessions!

Visit our website for a listing of evening and weekend classes for adults that will continue through the summer!

290 West Main St. Northborough, MA 01532

Sewing is a fun and useful skill that your child will enjoy for a lifetime!

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A Rewarding, Therapeutic Camp for Youth with Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism

and Pervasive Developmental Disorders

West Meadow Woods Day Camp

at Devereux

For more information please contact theDevereux Admissions Department at 508-886-4746, x.322

or email [email protected] Miles Road, Rutland, MA 01543

West Meadow Woods is a fun filled summer day camp program for boys and girls ages 6 to 17 diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder who

would benefit from social skills training, small groups (3 campers for every counselor), structure, and building friendships with a group of peers.

Campers can participate in any of three sessions

(as many as you choose):

Session I: June 28 – July 16 Session II: July 19 – Aug 6

Session III: Aug 8 – Aug 27**(third session is dependent on number of enrollments)

All sessions run Monday – Friday

9:00 AM to 3:00 PMThis camp is compliant with regulations of the

Massachusetts Department of Public Health and licensed by the Rutland Board of Health

Summer Dance!

Registration: Saturday May 1st, Noon-4pm* Discounts w/Fall 2010 Registration!

* Schedule subject to change.

Contact us today for more information!

508-832-0045E-Mail:

[email protected]

Faucher School of Dance64 Auburn Street (just off I-290)

Auburn, MA 01501www.faucherdance.com

*Providing classical training with today’s edge!*

Special Children’s Programs:Dance, Games, Crafts,

Costume Making

• Ballet Babies (3-4yrs) July 6-8, 10am-Noon

• Kids’ Kamp (5-6yrs)July 13-15, 10am-12:30pm

• Broadway Bound (7-9yrs) July 20-22, 10am-1pm

Weekly Intensive Classes:July 7-Aug 12 • Ages 7-18

• Jazz & Contemporary • Evenings

FSD Workshop Weekend: Aug 13-15 • Ages 7-18

(Assigned to appropriate levels)

• Guest Choreographers

• Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Theatre, Hip-Hop

A Summer Multi-Arts Programfor Ages 8–15

APPLY TODAY!WWW.CRCAP.ORG OR CALL 508-785-8250

Now Enrolling for our 41st Season:

Application Available at: www.CRCAP.org

from over 130 courses

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At Game Builder Creation Camp your child will actually design, develop and create a one of a kind video game.

We combine learning and fun and bring it to a whole new level.

Enroll atgamebuildercamp.com/video.htm

888.652.4377

Eagle Hill SchoolHARDWICK

MASSACHUSETTS

GIVE THEM THE BEST SUMMER EVER!

For girls and boys ages 5 to 15

A day camp experience that’s out of this world!

Summer Fenn Day Campat The Fenn School in Concord, 516 Monument Street • 978.318.3614 or www.summerfenn.org,

email: [email protected] • To schedule a private campus tour, please call or email us.

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Our Most Popular CampsSummer Spotlight Theatre 2010

Selections from "Annie", "Seussical" & "The Wiz"Sibling Discounts! Call for details.

3- 2 Week Camps - Daily Monday - Friday - Ages 7 - 14 years

An exciting program for children interested in all aspects of performing. Classes in singing, dancing, improvisation, costuming,

set building, and more – with an opportunity for each student to step into the “spotlight” with two performances for family and friends.

Session I • June 28th - July 9thSession II • July 12th - July 23rd

Session III • August 9th - August 20th

Toddler and Preschool Classes Offered Mornings in August • Ages 2-5

Mini Dance Camps 2010 A Real Hit!2- 1 Week Camps

Daily Monday - Friday Ages 5 -10 years • 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Camp I July 12th - July 16th Camp II July 19th - July 23rd

A fun filled camp where dancers try all kinds of dance, even Hip Hop! The mornings include crafts, dance games and improvisation and every Friday is "Bring a Buddy Day!"

Call about our Summer Youth Ballet July 12 thru July 23rdand our Dance Intensive July 26th thru August 5th

Mini Dance Campers & “Buddies”

$99 per camp!

50 Leominster Rd. • Sterling, MA 01564 • 978-422-6989 • [email protected] • www.paulameoladance.com

REGISTER TODAY!Save with Code MA27

Game Design3D ModelingWeb Design

FilmmakingProgrammingRobotics & more!

Merrimack College Bentley Stanford Harvard Vassar Brown ColumbiaMIT Fordham NYU & more!

North America’s #1 Tech Camp for ages 7-18 held at:

TECH CAMPSinternalDrive.com 1-888-709-TECH (8324)

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OPEN CLASSICAL BALLET CLASSES--ages 12-adultSession I–June 8-29, Tues., Wed., Thurs., 7:00-8:30 pm

Session II–July 13-August 10, Tues., & Thurs., 7:00-8:30 pmRegistration required, please call for price details.

THE YOUNG DANCERS SUMMER DAY CAMPJuly 26–August 6, 2010 • Monday–Friday, 9:00 to 12:30

Join Us for a One or Two Week Session!

Ages 7-9 and 10-12Beginner Through Advanced Students Welcome!

Instruction from our professional faculty in Classical Ballet, Pre-Pointe, Modern, Jazz, Flamenco,Folk/Character, Classical Indian dance, Stage Make-up, Composition, Variations, Introduction to

Acting, Chinese Dance, Stretch & Pilates and lecture for pointe.

Ages 5-6Pre-Ballet, Creative Movement, Ballet Stories, Pre-Character dance, Flamenco, Classical Indian

dance, Chinese dance and Costume making from our nurturing staff in a safe and fun environment. Supervised snack and break times!

ALL CLASSES SUBJECT TO CHANGEJENNIFER AGBAY • 36 HARLOW STREET • WORCESTER • 508.791.3233 • BALLETARTSWORCESTER.COM

PROUD PRESENTER OF THE NUTCRACKER AT THE HANOVER THEATRE!Mass Audubon

* A unique opportunity to learn about the natural world, meet new friends and have lots of fun!* Specialty sessions in Art & Nature and Digital Photography & Nature also available* Experienced staff who provide a safe, educational, and noncompetitive camp environment.* Small group nature study* An experience that will last a lifetime!

Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary113 Goodnow Rd., Princeton, MA. 01541978-464-2712 Camp Director [email protected] ages 3.5-17

Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary414 Massasoit Rd., Worcester, MA. 01604508-753-6087 Camp Director [email protected] ages 5-16

Mass AudubonNatural History

Day Camps

Have Fun In Nature This Summer!

www.massaudubon.org/camps

Serves ages 4.5 – 16

Register Now for 3-day sessions in July & August.(Extended Day Program available)

Open to Squires & Maidens Age 7 to 12Knight School Curriculum includes instruction in:

Calligraphy, Poetry, Armor, Castles, Swords & Quarterstaffs, PLUS much, much more!

Knight SchoolBe a Gallant Knight or a Warrior Queen

Call or visit us online for more informationwww.higgins.org

508.853.6015

150 Cordaville Rd. (Rt 85), Southborough, MA 01772

508.485.STAR (7827)[email protected]

• We offer a flexible summer program so your child may continue gymnastics or cheerleading throughout the summer.

• You may sign up for 1 week or all 8 weeks.

• Half day and full day sessions

• Evening classes available

Summer Session!

In our Summer Fun Day Program children will learn life skills, discipline, respect

& self control. Ancient Warriors, archery, Karate skills & other fun activities included.

MIA Martial Arts

Choose your week: July 12-16 or August 2-6 Full day program, age 5+

64 Main Street, Spencer508-885-9100 • www.mjamartialarts.com

Experienced, energetic and qualified teachersChildren will enjoy field trips twice a week...

Anywhere from Boston to right here in Worcester!

111 Park Ave., Worcester, Ma. 01609508-791-4884

Now enrolling children ages 5-10Camp will run from 7:30am-5:30pm

June 28-Aug 27 • Choose your week(s)

Early Care and Education Center

Thinking About Summer Fun?

www.southboroughextendedday.com

Then join the Southborough Extended Day Program Summer Fun Club

Check out ourFlexible Schedule

Register forone day, one week

or all summer.

For grades K - 57 a.m. - 6 p.m.

508-481-9353

or Visit

Call

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CAMPCOUNTDOWN

Happy CrayonsTu., Th. • Preschoolers

A multi sensory approach to learning basic strokes and

letter formation, hand strength and development of grasp.

Happy PencilsTu., Wed., Th. • School Age

Focuses on fine motor skills, letter formation,

spacing/sizing, and remediation of errors.

Camps available July 12-23 or August 9-20

76 Otis Street #7Westborough, MA 01581

508-898-2688www.barrettfamilywellness.com

Give Your Child a BOOST For the Fall!Family Wellness Center

We are constantly barraged with information about camps - from magazines and emails,

to headline news and parents talking on the sidelines at little league. Sometimes it’s hard to separate fact from fi ction. You will want to know what’s true and what’s not as you answer the all-important question, “What will I do with my kids next summer?” To help guide you, we’ve compiled a list of myths vs. facts about camps.

Myth: “Overnight camp is only for the rich.”Fact: The truth is that there is a camp out there to fi t every budget. And, if you plan ahead, you can take advantage of early enrollment discounts and fi nancial aid. Applying early, it is possible to get a 20-50% discount off of camp tuition, based on need. Private camps tend to be more expensive, so contact camps run by your local county government or agencies like the Campfi re Boys and Girls, the Jewish Federation, Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts, the Jewish Community Center, and the Salvation Army. Lastly, inquire about shorter sessions and discounts for multiple children from one family.

Myth: “Only I know what is best for my child.”Fact: It is tempting for us (especially if we are former campers) to re-create our own camp experience for our child. While the saying “Mother knows best” is true in most circumstances, some input from your child is the best approach when choosing a camp. Involving the child in the camp

research may produce unexpected results. Maybe you think an all boys camp is the best place for your son, but he may want the opportunity to make friends with girls in a relaxed setting. You may think your daughter wants to be at a camp that specializes in art and drama because that is what she enjoys, but maybe she wants to improve her tennis game this summer. Ask your child: do you want to build on your existing strengths and interests this summer or try something new? Be open to the unexpected!

Myth: “If I send my child to camp with a friend, it will make her more comfortable.”Fact: What outwardly seems to provide a safety net has its pitfalls. A friend can sometimes act as a barrier to your child’s making new friends. All too often, one of the campers has a diffi cult time. The other child then feels responsible for the friend, which can be extremely burdensome. In addition, your child may choose his activities based upon his friends’ interests, rather than his own. It is important to weigh the comfort of going with a friend with the possible drawbacks. If going with a friend is the only way your child will try camp, it might be worth it. Just prepare your child with possible scenarios and provide him with the problem-solving strategies.

Myth: “A specialty camp – rather than a traditional camp – is the best place for my child.”

Choosing a Camp: MYTHS

and FACTSlois deckelbaum and barb levisonBY

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CAMPCOUNTDOWN

show them they can change the worldThe challenges of living on a small farm are brought to life with Overlook Farm’s Day Camp in Rutland, MA.

Campers in grades 1-6 learn about their global neighbors while enjoying activities like milking livestock,

harvesting vegetables, games and arts and crafts. Five-day sessions begin July 12 and run through August 27.

For more information, or to download an application, call (508) 886-2221,

visit www.heifer.org/daycamp or e-mail [email protected].

EXTENDED CARE OPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE

Day Camp at Overlook Farm

Fact: Specialty sports camps focus on teaching technical skills, not necessarily life skills. A child goes to this type of program to work on the skills for one sport (or for the art form, or for drama, etc.), rather than to be part of a community found in a traditional camp. Parents should not make the mistake of thinking a specialty camp will necessarily provide counselors to take care of a homesick child. The coaches and instructors are there to teach skills, not to help your child to make a friend. Therefore, we usually recommend younger kids attend these programs with a friend.

Myth: “A one-week session is the best way to ease into an overnight camp experience.”

Fact: Sometimes it is the parent who sets a child up for an overnight camping failure by offering things like “I will pick you up if you are unhappy,” or “Let’s just try this camp for one week to see how it goes.” Kids need a chance to feel homesick and get through it with the help of counselors and individual coping mechanisms to feel successful about a camp experience. One week barely gives a child a chance to fi nd their way around a camp, much less feel the tinge of missing Mom and Dad (or the family dog). A two to four week introductory session allows the child to be immersed in the daily routine of a new and safe place, build friendships that will carry over until the next summer, and feel the success of doing something totally on their own. Do the research right and feel comfortable with letting go!

Myth: “My son plays sports all year long, so I want to give him a break from the routine.”

Fact: While it is a nice break for some kids to fi sh and hike at camp, others just want to play ball! We advise parents to look for a camp that can provide the sports that the child likes, plus some new challenges that the parents might want for their child. Summer sports are far different than sports during the school year. There is less of an emphasis on winning. A child who can’t make the select baseball or soccer team at home may shine in a camp environment. There are no “helicopter parents” hovering over their kids or yelling on the sidelines. One camp director told me that at the beginning of each session, the campers focus much more heavily on the sports because this is how they are comfortable socializing. Yet, by the middle to end of the session, the kids are much more comfortable to take risks – both athletically and socially. Whether it is up to bat or on the boat, these camps hire counselors who serve as

role models to teach qualities like good sportsmanship, teamwork, and learning to lose gracefully.

Myth: “My friend is the best source for camp suggestions.”While your friend may speak to her own child’s experience, camp advisors visit literally hundreds of camps each summer. Camp advisory services have years of experience addressing families’ questions and concerns. Advisors ask families the

questions necessary to make sure the “fi t” is right between the program and the child and provide families with list of questions to ask directors. These services are free, helping families to gather information, compare programs, and obtain references and feedback from past participants. The breadth of information an advisory service can provide is invaluable.

When the time comes for choosing a camp, there are a thousand questions to ask. But, it is important to ask the right questions and get the facts so that you can get the right fi t for your child. Once

you have done this, the investment will provide you and your child with lifetime rewards. Happy camping!

For more information and advice on sleep away camps and programs, to request brochures and DVDs,

or to speak to a knowledgeable consultant, visit TipsonTripsandCamps.com or contact Lois or Barb at 866-524-5349 or email Lois@tipsontripsandcamps.

com or [email protected]. Their camp expertise is completely FREE via phone,

email, and Web site.

50 APRIL2010

Strengthen Friendships that last a Lifetime!

Contact Jennifer at 508-852-7727 or visit greendalepeopleschurch.org

2 Weeks of Summer Fun in North Orange, MA

from Greendale People’s Church

A Summer Of Fun – A Lifetime Of Skills, Confidence And Friendships.

Fleur de Lis Camp is a nonprofi t residential camp for girls 8 to 15, on Laurel Lake in Fitzwilliam, in the beautiful Monadnock region of New Hampshire. Girls develop long-lasting friendships, form a strong sense of themselves, and build new skills as they live together in

a community. Situated on over 36 acres of woods, open fi elds, and streams, Fleur de Lis provides a broad range of activities in its 2, 4, 6, and 8 week sessions.

www.fl eurdeliscamp.org603 585-7751

E-mail: info@fl eurdeliscamp.org

New Hampshire ResidentsSave 10%

(Choose as many weekly sessions as you want)

for Ages 8 - 16 years old

Children choose any one of the following CORE programs:

•Physical Science • Natural Science

Performing Arts • SportsRobotics • Fine ArtsAdventure Challenge

•They also enjoy activities like: Rollercoasters, Bubble Bubble,

Rockets, Hot Air Ballons, Ultimate Frisbee, Geodome and

Grossology - to name a few!

574 Lake Street • Shrewsbury • www.gymnasticslearningcenter.com508-792-1551508-792-3535

Swim Into Our Summer

Programs

FREETrial Class*

Help your child behealthy and fit!

*New students only. Valid on a gymnastics class

• Boys & Girls Gymnastics Lessons, “Walkers” & Up• Red Cross Swim Lessons in our Heated Pools! • Themed Gym & Swim Camps 1/2 & Full Day• Wet N’ Wild, Gymnastics Galore, Circus Time, Trip Dip N’ Flip• Chef “Yummy”, Nature Adventure Olympic All Star and Performing Arts Week!

METROWEST YMCA HOPKINTON

45 East Street Hopkinton, MA 01748(508) 435-9345 www.metrowestymca.org

REGISTERING NOW FOR SUMMER 2010!

MetroWest YMCA Day Camp

June 28-August 27 • Co-ed for ages 3-15

Traditional Camp activities include archery, arts and crafts, canoeing, kayaking, nature

study, music, drama, sports, high and low ropes course,

outdoor skills, and swim lessons.

Specialty Camps include Circus Arts, Drama,Gymnastics, Fort Building,

Robotics,Engineering with Legos, John Smith Soccer and Horseback Riding

Teen Leadership and Trip and Travel Programs.

Busing, AM/PM extended day programsand financial assistance are available.

Registered Nurse on site at all times. First Aid, CPR and EPI-pen trained staff.

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Where active music-making builds brain power!

REGISTER NOW FOR SUMMER CLASSES

Music and Movement (birth – age 5)

Keyboard Classes (ages 5-9 + adults)

Youth Theatre (grades 1-2, 3-6, and 7-12)

Private Instrumental & Voice Lessons(ages 9 and up)

Apple Tree ArtsGrafton, Massachusetts

www.appletreearts.org508-839-4286

Day or residential - Options603-731-1087

www.ceps.unh.edu/outreach/techcamp.html

Explore the world of engineering at the

University of New Hampshire

July 12-16Girls entering grades 6 & 7

July 19-30Coed entering grades 7-10

BAYSTATEPARENT 51

OVERNIGHT CAMP: TWO HALF-SEASON SESSIONS, GRADES 2-10.FOUR MINI SESSIONS, FOR FIRST TIME CAMPERS.

FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION CALL: 401-463-3170

Located in Wakefield, RI.Kosher dietary laws observed

Unforgettable Fun, Incomparable Surroundingsbeautiful, newly developed campus • 72 acre site • magnificent waterfront

sailing, canoeing, kayaking • spacious cabins • comprehensive programming expansive rec hall • sports fields and courts • dining hall with an inspiring view

twoo swimming pools • protected environment • highly skilled, caring staffwarm, friendly atmosphere • family feeling

Offer expires April 30, 2010. Offer expires April 30, 2010.

Finding A Great Camp Has Never Been Easier

baystateparentbaystateparent Online Camp Fair!

baystateparent.com/campfair Inside you will fi nd a variety of camps and programs – all under one online roof.

Just click a category, stroll the aisles, and click through to the camps that interest you.

For Advertising Information, Call 508•865•7070508•865•7070 Have fun!Have fun!

Day Camp Overnight

Camp

ArtCamp

Sports CampSpecial

Needs Camp

AcademicCamp

CAMPCOUNTDOWN

52 APRIL2010

Summer Vacation Planning Made Easy• Ranked by Budget Travel as one of America’s Top 50 All-Star Family Camps

• Spectacular locations in the White Mountains or Moosehead Lake region

• Guided family programs led by experienced naturalists

• Hiking, paddling, fly fishing, evening programs, and more

• Option of private bunkroom, private room, or private cabin

• All-inclusive rates include lodging, meals, and guided activities

• 12 sessions in July and August

Family Adventure Camp with AMC

Check availability and reserve by calling 603-466-2727 or visiting www.outdoors.org/adventure_camps

All-inclusive 5-night package rates start at $590 per adult and $350 per child.

Mention rate code BSP and get 10% off the package price.Restrictions: New reservations only. May not be combined with other offers or discounts. Taxes extra.

YMCA Camp is where today’syouth learn

strong lessons they will carry with them long after camp is just

a distant, beautiful memory

Camp for ages 3 - 12

Leadership Development Programs for ages 13 & 14

YMCA OF CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS

Action, Adventure, Friendship and Fun

Imagine Their Summer at The YMCA

nancial Assistance is available www.ymcaofcm.org

Boroughs Family Branch YMCA

4 Valente DriveWestborough, MA 01581

Phone:508-870-1320

Central Community Branch YMCA

766 Main StreetWorcester, MA 01610Phone: 508-755-6101

Greendale Family Branch YMCA

75 Shore DriveWorcester, MA 01605Phone: 508-852-6694

Financial Assistance Is Available.

Bring in this ad by April 30th & receive 2009 rates!

Y our fi rst-time (or even veteran) camper will probably not bring her blankie on her overnight.

However, a special pillowcase especially designed by her could provide just the hug from home she needs when it’s time to cuddle up and sleep.

Our March cover model, Lily, drew her favorite things about home sweet home on a sheet of white paper, and a local printer did the rest.

Here’s How:1. Draw your favorite things about home on a sheet of white paper. Bold markers work best.

2. Bring the drawing and a white pillowcase to your local printer.

3. Your personalized pillow will be ready for just under $20.

or

4. Scan your child’s drawing into the computer and print out on iron-on transfers. Then, follow package directions to iron onto the pillowcase.

Ideas: Parents may want to write a special message in fabric marker on the pillowcase, or have your child’s summertime friends autograph the pillow as a remembrance of the fun they shared.

a HUGHUG from home

Overnight camp. Summer sleepovers. Bring ‘em on!But can I bring something special from home...just because?

CAMPCOUNTDOWN

steven king photographer • clothing provided by the the children’s place

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www.mothersandcompany.com140 Worcester Street • West Boylston, MA 01583 • (508) 835-6666

54 APRIL2010

222 Boston Turnpike (Route 9 East), Shrewsbury 508.831.4080 www.readymed.orgCheck our website for estimated wait times.*Contact your insurance plan for referral requirements.

You want adoctor now!

Saturday Soccer Sprain?

For convenient, walk-in medical services, visitReadyMEDTM afternoons, evenings and weekends.

ReadyMED accepts most health insurance plans*.

We also accept cash, personal checks, as well as MasterCard ® and VISA®.

161 Essex St. | Salem, MA 01970 | 978-745-9500 | pem.org

Made possible by the Lowell Institute and ECHO (Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations)

Children 16 and under admitted

free!

All programs included with museum admission

For more information, call 978-745-9500, ext. 3205,

or visit pem.org/calendar

School Vacation Week

Trash Springs to Life!Monday, April 19 – Friday, April 23Welcome spring and celebrate Earth Day with a week of earth-friendly art and activities! Meet artists featured in Trash Menagerie and transform recycled plastic, newspaper and discarded makeup into puppets and works of art to take home!

• Interactive Object Theater Performance

• Live Animal Presentations

• Collaborative Sculpture

BAYSTATEPARENT 55

A night under the stars with small kids? Are we crazy? That was my fi rst thought when my husband and I began

entertaining the idea of camping with Eva, 3, and Jacob, 1, last summer. We decided to take the plunge – and it rained. Hard. A few tears were shed, and not just by the kids. I forgot to pack long pants for Eva. Jacob ate his fair share of dirt. Nonetheless, we’re doing it again this year. Why? Because we love the outdoors, enjoy how camping brings us together, and want to raise our children with a spirit of appreciation for the environment. But we also plan to be much better prepared the next time. Amanda Voigt, mom to three kids under the age of fi ve and an avid camper, tells me this story: “We once went backpacking when Owen (her oldest) was about 10 months old. It poured rain and water pooled along the sides of the tent. I spent the whole time worrying about my baby being cold,” she remembers. “Between that and the chorus of snoring from my husband, son, and dog, I didn’t sleep all night.” But wait; before you hang up your tent stakes, listen to her next story from a couple of years later, this time with

two kids. “We went to a campground for two nights,” she recalls. “We spent a lot of time playing on the beach and exploring the trails, and went to a Ranger presentation about how the land in the area was formed by glaciers. It stands out because it went so smoothly and was very relaxing for all of us, and we had a great time as a family.” As any experienced camper will tell you, there is no guarantee that a trip (with or without kids) will be pulled off with nary a raindrop or tear, so a little extra preparedness never hurts. Are you planning on taking your young ones camping this summer? Consider the following.

Location, Location, Location

For many of us, the draw of camping is the isolation and quiet of a night deep in the woods, with no buildings or other people in sight. Yet there are benefi ts to an established campground that are worth considering. For one, there will likely be a store nearby in the event that (gasp!) you run out of diapers or milk. Entertainment options are often increased at a campground, which in addition to hiking trails and/or beaches may also

KIDDIE camping

stephanie dethlefsBY

have playgrounds and swimming pools. Finally, in case of the dreaded emergency, a campground would have supplies and emergency contact capabilities not available to you further into the woods. When venturing out into the wild, there are certain – ahem – comforts that adults can easily manage to do without, but that for many children can be highly intimidating and a little stressful. “We try to fi nd a place that has [actual] bathrooms rather than outhouses, because it tends to be easier with ones who are newly potty-trained,” suggests Voigt. If you are planning to camp at a site without facilities, consider an outdoor potty lesson before you head out.

Safety Measures

There are two priority issues to address with your children immediately: boundaries and the campfi re. Before setting up the tent or even unloading the car, take a walk around the site with the kids and point out a clear boundary which they should not cross. Use landmarks such as large rocks, trees, bushes, or picnic tables. And when it comes to the fi re pit, Voigt says: “Off-limits, whether there is a fi re or not. We have an imaginary radius around it. That way they can practice staying away before we have a fi re lit.” For many, camping equates with heading for the hills. Be sure to keep in mind that higher elevation means cooler temperatures, especially at night. Pack clothing that is easy to layer on those small bodies, and bring extra socks and a warm hat.

Entertainment Value

While sitting by a tent and reading a book with the birds chirping overhead sounds like paradise to many of us, it is not going to satisfy the younger set. Plan to venture out away from your site on several small adventures (remember, they’ve got short legs!) Bring along tools that will make such excursions more than just walks, a compass, GPS, trail map, or paper and crayon for rubbings, for example. And don’t forget a bag or bucket for collecting treasures! For campsite entertainment, don’t go overboard with the toys. “The kids do a lot of jumping, climbing, and playing with the things they fi nd,” says Voigt. “It is amazing what they can do with what

they discover on the ground!” And, yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to expect them to have some quiet time in the tent. Perhaps everyone would benefi t from a mid-day snooze during such an active outdoor adventure.

Stephanie Dethlefs is a freelance writer, mother of two, and outdoor enthusiast.

HAVE YOU CAMPED WITH BABIES?

from baystateparent’s Facebook Fans (780 fans and growing strong!)

We have gone camping with our little ones but stayed in yurts [circular, dome, canvas shelters]; several MA state campgrounds have them now. No worries about anyone crawling out in the middle of the night, we put our toddler in a port-a-crib and could even lock the door. You still get the camping experience with less hassles.

Elizabeth Stock

I took my 3-month-old camping. It was a little diffi cult. We were in a tent but set up a pack ‘n play and managed pretty good. My biggest concern was the bugs so we kept a mosquito net over his carrier when we were just hanging around.

Kelly Hansen

We’ve camped with our 2-year-old and an infant, and it went pretty well considering that we didn’t get a lot of sleep because our toddler slept in the blow-up mattress with us. We kept our infant (now age 1) in the carseat to sleep. Our 3-year-old talks about going this spring and fi shing too! We’ve done both tent and yurt camping around New England and are moving to Vermont to be closer to it all.

Andrea Thorpe

We bought a camper based on what we would need for children. The back area has plenty of room for a port-a-crib with space to play. We would walk around the campground while wearing my son (around 1 years old at the time), and people would love to say hello as we walked by.

Colleen Cekovsky

Amenities: Family campground, 30 acre fresh water pond, planned activities, kayak rental, bikes welcome, 2 playgrounds, store, hiking, fi shing, swimming. 3 miles from Cape Cod Canal and train bridge.

9 miles from downtown Plymouth and waterfront.

SANDY POND CAMPGROUND

834 Bourne Rd., Plymouth, MA. 02360

508-759-9336www.sandypond.com

SUNSETVIEW FARM CAMPING AREA

Fun family camping for over 40 years!57 Town Farm Road, Monson, MA 01057

1-90 Exit 8 Rt. 32 South413-267-9269

www.sunsetview.comAmenities: Planned activities during summer weekends,

playground, pool, and pond.

INSPIRED TO TAKE YOUR FAMILY CAMPING? CHECK OUT BAYSTATEPARENT’S NEW CAMPGROUND DIRECTORY BELOW.

56 APRIL2010

After fi ve years of swimming with the Synchro-Maids at the Worcester YWCA, Samantha D’Angelo loves most things about the sport – the water, the

people, and the choreographed routines. It’s the Knoxing, she said, that she can do without. “For shows, we put our hair up in tight buns, and mix Knox gelatin and brush it into our hair,” said the 16-year-old from Charlton. “It’s so your hair looks shiny and doesn’t fall out in the water, but it’s awful to take out.” The Synchro-Maids of Central Massachusetts, explained coach Patty Flanagan, is a competitive synchronized swim team. The team has been practicing at the YWCA since 1967 and competes at both the local and regional level. There are 20 members, ranging in age from 7 to 16. There are beginning classes and four teams: Novice, Intermediate for girls 12 and under, Juniors and Seniors for girls 13 to 15 and then a Masters Teams for adults. The Masters team will be going to the

World Championships in Sweden in July. “It’s defi nitely an intense sport, and at the same time, it’s pretty,” Flanagan – a former Synchro-Maid herself -- said. “It’s a combination of athleticism and aesthetics. Throw in a little bit of performance, and there you have it.” A hundred years ago, synchronized swimming was referred to as “water ballet.” The sport was popularized in the 1940s by U.S. freestyle champion Esther Williams, who starred in several musicals featuring synchro sequences. Around that same time, national competitions began and in 1984, synchronized swimming was accepted as an offi cial Olympic sport. In Beijing in 2008, the Russian Federation team won the gold medal in team competition. D’Angelo said while she tries to follow the Olympic competitions, her role models lie closer to home. “That’s probably my coaches,” she said. “They’re always pushing for everyone to be better.” Synchronized swimming has been around the YWCA since the 1930s.

Synchronized Swimming: Synchronized Sw PRETTY, INTEN

christine m. quirk, steven king, photographerBY

Synchro-maid Rose Caplan, 14,

of Holden is lifted out of the water by the strength

of her teammates. “Imagine crouching

down on land and using your hips and legs to

propel yourself to jump upward except these

girls are pushing off the water,” says coach

Patty Flanagan, “It’s the hips and back

that do most of the work,everyone’s power

all together lifting their teammate.”

BAYSTATEPARENT 57

“Every now and then I meet someone who was involved when she was in her teens, and she’s in her 90s now,” Flanagan said. The sport requires both strength and endurance, and the beauty of a Synchro-Maids show doesn’t give full justice to all the hard work going on behind the scenes. At a typical practice, after a warm-up, the girls practice short combinations of skills and then parts of their routine. For drills, they wear weighted belts to help develop their core. Any time the girls’ legs are exposed, their toes are pointed. In fact, one of their drills involves ballet legs, where the girls are on their backs with their legs extended, toes pointed toward the ceiling, moving the length of the pool. And the entire time they are in the water, they are sculling – a technique which keeps the swimmer above water. The girls move their hands under the water in a sort of fi gure-eight pattern. They are constantly treading water, often using an “eggbeater” movement of their legs, which allows them to pop up out of the water. They never touch bottom, not during any of their drills and performances,

Synchronized Swimming: Swimming: ENSE

including those stunts during which they lift a teammate into the air. “They usually take one small section and drill it over and over again,” Flanagan said. “Eventually, they are set to music.” Rose Caplan, 14, from Holden, was the swimmer being tossed about at a recent practice. She dismissed with a smile the idea that fl ying through the air might be a little daunting. “You kind of land in the water anyway,” she said. Though Flanagan does the choreography, as the girls get older, some of that responsibility shifts to them. Last year, for the fi rst time, the girls partnered with a college synchro team from Wheaton College in Norton. “The choreography is fun to watch,” Flanagan said. “It’s evolving. There’s a lot more lifting and throwing than when I was a kid.” The advantages to the sport are many. The girls gain stamina and endurance, but not all the benefi ts are physical. “As a kid growing up, this program was where I learned more than anywhere else,” Flanagan said. “I made best friends and I learned about setting goals, time management, and working well with others. I remember clearly there were some girls and we were great friends and others I didn’t like, but we learned to work well together. It was part of my process of growing up. It gave me huge amounts of self-confi dence – as a coach, I want to see the girls experience that.” Lacy Miner, 9, has a story which illustrates that. She is from Millbury and began with the Synchro-Maids three years ago, when she was only 6 years old. “The fi rst show was scary and I backed away from the pool,” Lacy said. “I was crying. Patty’s daughters helped me, and we swam together, and I’ve been doing it on my own ever since.” “We tried dance, gymnastics, soccer, basketball – she was never into any of that, but she always loved to swim,” Lacy’s mom, Liz Miner, said. “Her fi rst show was frustrating for all of us, but she

picked up from there and kept going. One of the things I love the most about the program is it’s helped her to develop her self confi dence. She can challenge herself to learn new things and still get up and do a performance. … It’s important for her, for her health, for social reasons, and it’s taught her so many things. It’s such an amazing group of young women, she’s learned it’s OK to grow and make mistakes.”

Those skills, Flanagan said, last a lifetime. “So many people are afraid of speaking in public,” she said. “But once you stand up in front of a crowd in a bathing suit, standing up and speaking in public is nothing. … It’s great to see them going

from being terrifi ed to being confi dent.” __Liz Miner agreed. “My daughter has always been that kid who wasn’t really sure,” she said. “We’ve all seen how she has changed. Her teachers have seen it. I love all of it -- we have such a great group, they all have self-confi dence and they all work as a team.” Flanagan said the girls begin at varying levels and it’s rare for the team to turn someone away. “To start, they need to have some comfort level in the water,” she sad. “They have to be comfortable in deep water. … If they are weak on swimming skills, we suggest regular lessons too.” The Junior and Senior girls practice six and a half hours a week. It’s a big commitment for them, Flanagan said. In fact, one swimmer, Wendy Kaufmann, 13, lives in Rindge, N.H., and has been making the commute for six years now. “It takes about an hour,” she said. “I try to do my homework on the way here, because it’s too dark to do it on the way home.” She keeps coming back, she said, because she loves both the sport and her teammates, and those teammates all agree. “I’m going to keep going until I can end it,” Lacy said. “It’s a lot of fun. I like learning new stuff. It’s hard, but they make it fun.” “It’s all the best parts of being a little girl,” Liz Miner said. “She gets to wear make-up, and get her hair done, and wear sparkly bathing suits, and she gets to swim – dance, really -- in the water.” True. But perhaps more importantly, Lacy and her teammates are on their way to being healthy, self-assured women.For more information, visit y w c a c e n t r a l m a s s . o r g / w e l l n e s s /synchromaids or contact the Head Coach at pfl [email protected].

Christine M. Quirk is a freelancer living in Clinton with her family.

“The sport requires both strength and

endurance...For drills, they wear weighted belts to help develop their core. They are constantly treading

water. They never touch bottom, not during any of their drills and performances,

including those stunts during which they throw a teammate

into the air.”

The Synchro-maids of Central Massachusetts.

58 APRIL2010

“Bullying is conscious, deliberate, willful, and repeated behavior. I’m asking you to try to separate that from 3, 4, and 5 year-old kids who are learning to control impulsive behavior. Nobody comes into the world wanting to share their toys, wanting to wait their turn. These are learned behaviors.”

- Deborah Roth-Howeis an early childhood support consultant

who recently spoke to concerned parents in South Hadley, MA

Preschoolers. Even though they bite, throw sand, steal toys, and tell you when you’re not invited to their birthday parties, they’re probably not bullies. Yet.

But according to Deborah Roth-Howe, an early childhood consultant with the Hampshire Educational Collaborative, there’s a lot that parents of young children can do right now to ensure that their children eventually grow up to become caring and considerate adults. “I know a lot of you are here because of the tragedy at the high school,” she said, addressing a roomful of parents and teachers assembled at a church in South Hadley, the quiet, collegiate Massachusetts town where, on January

RAISING CARING KIDS

TAKEGOODCARE

andrea bugbeeBY

5 TIPS FROM A TOWN IN TRAUMA

14, high school freshman Phoebe Prince committed suicide in reaction to bullying from her peers. “Bullying is conscious, deliberate, willful, and repeated behavior,” Roth-Howe emphasized. “I’m asking you to try to separate that from 3, 4, and 5-year-old kids who are learning to control impulsive behavior. Nobody comes into the world wanting to share their toys; wanting to wait their turn. These are learned behaviors.” But how do parents make sure that their me-me-me-me preschoolers do learn these behaviors? Fortunately, the lessons are straight-forward, and they absolutely start at home.

1. Teach Empathy. “Empathy is huge,” said Roth-

Howe, referring to studies prompted by the heinous 1999 Columbine High School shootings. “There’s a lot of research that shows that kids who can empathize with others are less likely to engage in bullying behaviors.” The perpetrators at Columbine, she said, just didn’t care. Of course, any parent who’s ever dealt with sibling rivalry knows you can’t make a child feel sorry for someone else, but opportunities to teach empathy enter our worlds every day. While reading together, stop at different points in the story and ask how a character might have been feeling. When Grandma smiles or Fido growls, point out facial expressions and body language and talk about what they mean. Help your child to

BAYSTATEPARENT 59

become emotionally literate by using not only their own, but others’feelings as examples.

2. Protect Kids from Exposure to Violence. Kids who routinely see violence easily get the idea that it’s somehow OK, normal, or, heaven forbid, a good way to get what they want. If there is bullying or aggression at home, a child is more likely to imitate that behavior at school with peers. “But another thing that’s really important is what your kids are watching on TV,” Roth-Howe pointed out. “It’s really worth your while to monitor your child’s screen time. Even commercials. Even previews at the movies. They can be violent, too.” Experts agree that kids who repeatedly see violent images on television, movies, or video games eventually become desensitized to it (i.e. they become uncomfortably like the Columbine shooters - it just doesn’t bother them any more).

3. Give Words to Replace Actions. “Young kids can be aggressive because a lot of the time they don’t have the vocabulary to give you a verbal response rather than a physical response,” Roth-Howe explained. “If a child is able to label their emotions it helps them to communicate their emotions to others, and it also helps them to recognize those emotions in themselves,” she continued. “It takes a lot of practice and a lot of skill.” Furthering that point, Sharon Maryea of South Hadley’s Gorse Early Childhood Center explained, “There’s a huge varia-tion in when children master these skills.” Some 3-year-olds are able to articulate, “I’m sad because I was waiting for the swing and you went in front of me.” But some 5-year-olds, in the same situation, still just push the offender out of the way. As adults, we need to expect, and accept, developmental differences.

4. Model Kindness. Tanya Kopec is a family day care provider in South Hadley. Referring to Phoebe Prince’s suicide, she said, “When this whole tragedy happened I really felt hurt that parents blamed the schools.” For Kopec, raising caring kids is a job for the entire community, not just our school systems.

“Every situation is a learning opportunity not just in curriculum, but in how our actions affect other people,” she stressed. “We need to intentionally be positive role models, and the younger you start, the easier it is.” Make your kindness daily, intentional, conscious, and visible. Your children will not only notice these gestures; they’ll imitate them, too.

5. Nurture Self Esteem. “Kids who have strong self esteem are more likely to be the ones who reach out to others,” contributed Lorilee Jones, a teacher at South Hadley’s Plains Elementary School. “If you don’t feel good about yourself, you’re not going to be assertive when it’s appropriate.” And, added Roth-Howe, “People who have low self-esteem are more likely to target others so that they can feel better about themselves.” In fact, kids who feel masterful, loved, and capable are not only less likely to be bullies, they are also more likely to be happier and more successful in school. Rather than enthusing, “You’re

wonderful, honey,” over and over, parents can build real self-esteem by helping children to fi nd and foster their own, unique talents. They can give children responsibilities at home so kids see themselves as an important members of the family team. And, fi nally, parents should treat kids with the same, human dignity, and respect that we expect them to show others.

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG

Unfortunately, teaching your child to be compassionate doesn’t mean that every other child in the sandbox will be, too. If your child complains that a classmate is being mean, listen to the complaint thoroughly. If it seems legitimate (as opposed to, “I wanted her gummy bears but she wouldn’t give them to me”) then teach your child to use words, to ignore the other child, to move away from the other child, and/or to tell an adult. Role playing these strategies at home can help. If the problem persists, make an

appointment with the teacher to calmly (not angrily) strategize ways of eliminating the diffi culty. Sometimes a teacher’s watchful eye and swapped seats will be enough. Sometimes more creative measures are necessary and, in cases of true bullying, disciplinary steps should be taken. If you feel the problem still has not been resolved, then it is absolutely appropriate to bring it to the attention of the school’s principal. When dealing with smaller confl icts, however, do remember Murphy’s Law of Parenting: The minute you criticize another child’s behavior, your own child will do the same thing – in public, in front of your mother-in-law, and on fi lm. After all, Roth-Howe reminded her audience of concerned young parents, “Your kids are little. They’re still learning. They’re not going to get everything right.”

Andrea Bugbee is a freelance writer living in Southwick, MA with her family.

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60 APRIL2010

Oasis

New England moms are especially grateful for the much-needed burst of sunshine and energy that comes with spring.

For Millbury mom, Shannon Tracy, it’s spring all year round. “Honestly, I am just fortunate enough to have tons of good ‘ole natural energy,” says Shannon, “I truly feel that we are blessed with the opportunity to make the most of this one life, and I try to do that every day.” Gratitude is something Shannon feels in every muscle of her body. Literally. Last year, the busy mom of three boys under the age of 4 set a goal to run 26.2 miles in the world’s most prestigious marathon: Boston. Just as extraordinary is that Shannon hadn’t run a mile in six years and never more than three miles at a time. Her reason for setting a goal that most seasoned runners hope to achieve in their lifetime? To say thank you. Two years ago, when Shannon was pregnant with her third child, Benjamin, doctors suspected he was at high risk for Down Syndrome. While the tests came back negative, when Ben was born, there were other kinds of complications that no one expected. Ben struggled to breath. Shannon says, “There was ‘foam’ coming out of his mouth and bubbles on his lips.” Doctors discovered that Ben had a blocked esophagus that had grown into his trachea, creating a pit. “He was drowning in his fl uids,” says Shannon. Ben was transferred from his Metro West hospital to a state-of-the-art NICU at Mass General in Boston. “He had an amazing pediatric surgeon,

Dr. Peter Masiakus, a pioneer in esophagus repair,” says Shannon, “Imagine a 6-day-old, 6 pound baby, and a doctor stitching his tiny esophagus. The skill and talent is amazing!” It was also at Mass General that doctors found another surprising medical problem, a hole in Benjamin’s heart. Ben would later endure another surgery, this time at Children’s Hospital Boston, but he would have to reach 10 lbs. fi rst. It took several months of drinking breast milk fortifi ed with corn oil and formula until 4-month-old Ben was ready for heart repair. “Babies are so resilient,” Shannon says, “It took Ben only one week [after heart surgery] before leaving the hospital. He left on regular breast milk and no medication.” The gratitude Shannon felt continues to overwhelm her with emotion. “You have such an unbelievable sense of repayment to the doctors,” she says, her eyes fi lling with tears, “They say it’s just their job, but...I say, ‘ you saved my child’s life.’” Shannon tried to think of a way to express her deep appreciation for all that the doctors and nurses at Mass General and Children’s Hospital had done when she thought of the Boston Marathon. After sharing her personal story on an application for the Miles for Miracles Run for Children’s Hospital Boston, she was accepted. “Oh my God!” she screamed when she heard the news. And then, “Oh my God!” as next came the hard work of training and raising $5,000 (she exceeded the $3,000 requirement) while caring for her baby and his two busy bothers.

With her husband, Matt’s love and support, Shannon prepared. On Marathon Monday 2009, at Mile 17, Shannon spotted 10-month-old Benjamin and his big brothers and daddy cheering her on. “I just started sobbing!” she says. But she had another hurdle to go: Heartbreak Hill. Throughout the race, she focused on inspiration derived from her children, especially Ben: “If he can do it, I can do it.” When she crossed the fi nish line just short of fi ve hours, the accomplishment was all Shannon’s, her own feats of strength and endurance. Yet she says, “It was Ben who helped me fi nish the race, no question.” And a heart full of gratitude probably didn’t hurt either.

Take 15 with Shannon1. Three words to describe my family: loving, busy, and amazing.

2. The Easter Bunny comes to our house: after church. We can fi rst focus on the true meaning of Easter, and the kids have an incentive to be good in church.

3. What I do for myself: Marathons, half marathons, and road races. As moms, we put ourselves last, and it is important we

fi nd the time to do things that we enjoy and fi nd satisfying, without feeling guilty. Running is just that for me; it keeps me sane and fi t!

4. We love going to (places in Massachusetts): Most defi nitely, the Cape every summer! We also enjoy the Acton Discovery Museum, Playtown Express in Hopkinton, and the Mendon Drive-in during the summer.

5 What we do for fun: Every Friday is Family Movie Night. We loved Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs! 6. Best things about the town (or area) where I am raising my children: I love living in Central Massachusetts as a ton of activities are accessible within an hour’s drive or less. Our favorite things to do in the Millbury area include utilizing the Blackstone Bikeway, swimming lessons in Sutton at Marion’s Camp during the summer, amazing playgroups at the Beginning Years Family Network in Sutton, and Millbury’s wonderful children’s library and programs. 7. I am the queen of: multi-tasking and Saturday morning pancakes!

8. I love scrapbooking because: I highlight moments in our lives while documenting the story at the same time.

MOMSROCK!

carrie wattu steven king photographer

BY

Age: 31

Occupation: stay-at-home mom; part-time profile editor for Care.com; owner of Love Your Space Professional Organizing

and The Perfect Page, a scrapbook consulting company

Mom of Three Boys: Gabriel, 5, Lucas, 4, and Benjamin, almost 2 years old

Married to: Matthew Tracy

Hometown: Lexington, MA

Shannon Tracyof Millbury

BAYSTATEPARENT 61

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Mom’s OasisOasis

My children cherish their books and often spend time just going through them themselves. I think to myself how cool it would be, now as an adult, to have such a detailed history of my youth to look through; that feeling pushes me through when I get tired of cropping, gluing, and organizing pictures over and over!

9. Tips for parents who want to start scrapbooking: Start small because it can seem daunting when just beginning, especially if you are years behind. Take even a recent trip or birthday and begin there.

10. The secret to getting organized: Honestly, there is no real secret only hard work and commitment. The hard work is getting started and weeding through the mess, and the commitment is the key to a system’s longevity. Once a system is in place, it is imperative to take 15 to 30 minutes every day and maintain the order. Clients often express how embarrassed they are that they need help from a professional organizer to get their homes in order. I reply, “Are you embarrassed to bring in a plumber to fi x a leak?” We all spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on our homes and for a minute fraction of that, it can become a place of calm and order; a place that you can truly enjoy.

11. Best part of my day: Dinner with the family at night. It is a chance for us to catch Daddy up on our day; sometimes the funniest things are said!

12. My part-time job: I am a profi le review editor for Care.com (an online resource that offers people seeking a caregiver for their children, pets, or elders, or looking for housekeeping, tutoring, or care gigs, a safe and secure environment in which to do so). I am part of their Mom Force, a team of work-at-home moms that help with safety and customer service. The site offers free background checks, uses the Mom Force to review all care providers and job posts before they are posted online, and gives people access to recorded references and reviews to help them decide who to hire. I may be biased, but I think it is a great resource!

13. What I learned from our recent trip to the Magic Kingdom: Pack PB & J, snacks, and frozen water with you before heading to the parks as buying lunch can be painful with hour-long lines. The breakfasts in the parks were overpriced but defi nitely a great opportunity to meet the characters (Mickey is not walking around the park like when we were little). Plus, breakfasts allow you to enter the park early.

14. My husband is: Everything that I do is possible because of my husband, Matt. He is the best friend, father, and husband I could ask for. He is amazing and unconditionally supports me!

15. What I hope my children will remember about me when they get older: things like Saturday morning yard sales with Mommy, my love of life

and activity, and most importantly, how much I love them, and how I cherished spending my days home with them when they were little.

Seeing the good in what moms do is what our monthly “Moms Rock” feature is all about. If you know an inspiring mom, please email [email protected].

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62 APRIL2010

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BAYSTATEPARENT 63

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Arts and Crafts!

Call for an appointment to speak with us, and visit our program in action!

114 Main Street Worcester, MA 508-752-5520

Solid curriculum to prepare for Kindergarten

Miss Toni and Miss Judy

Morning schedule includes:

We are looking for smart moms who:

• Know how to network.• Will hold an event or join existing events (see website).• Have passion for helping sick kids smile.

Cancer Mom looking for Moms who want to HELP

One Mission is dedicated to enhancing the lives of pediatric

cancer patients and their families.

For more information contact Ashley Haseotes at 508-272-6677 or [email protected]

www.onemission.orgRegistered 501c3

Giving Hope.Giving Help.Giving Life.

PHILANTHROPY

BIRTHPROFESSIONAL

• Maternal Wellness •Labor & Delivery Support

Prenatal • Postpartum • Lactation

Peaceful Birth and BeyondDoula Services

Certified DONA Doula, CLC [email protected]

Teresa Coyle Airey • 978-833-8240

Professional care with

compassion.

For a beautiful birth experience!

PIANO • VIOLIN • VOICE

L E S S O N S AT H O M EDIVA MUSICMusical instruction — right in your house.

Any age or level.

Some of the finest music teachers in the Boston area will come to your door.

[email protected]

CLASSES

66 APRIL2010

CAMP

Make Easy Money While Having Fun With the Girls!

now enrolling!children 2.9 - 5 years old

Where the growth & development of each individual child is nurtured

Call for Details (508)752-5354102 Russell Street, Worcester [email protected]

SaintSpyridonNurserySchool

NURSERY

To advertise call

Stephanie Pearl

at 774-364-0296 or email

stephaniep@

baystateparent.com

PEDIATRICIANS

www.holl istonpediatrics .com

HOLLISTON100 Jeffrey Avenue

508-429-2800

MILFORD321 Fortune Boulevard

508-478-5996

• Physician Available 7 Days/week• 24 Hour Emergency Phone Coverage• Evening Hours• Lactation Consultant On Staff

Laura Zisblatt, MDDebra Gfeller, MD

Rachel Vespole, MDAndrea Urban, MD

Rachel Heppen, MDMark Ryan, MDLars Kula, MD

Lauren Farber, MD

Holliston Pediatric Group

BAYSTATEPARENT 67

Board5 Oak Avenue • Northboro, MA 01532

508 351-9976www.cornerstoneacademy.org

email:[email protected]

Tutoring ServiceAvailable for Grades K-6

New Consulting Service Being Offered - A Child's Life Coach.

TUTORING

Chestnut Nursery School

6 Institute Road • Worcester

[email protected]

www.chestnutnurseryschool.com

• Ideal Worcester Location• Half and Full Day

Child Care• Smaller Classrooms

• Transitional• Pre-K

• NAEYC Accredited

For over 40 years, a great place for kids to be!

Suzanne FitzgeraldReading Specialist

Wilson Reading System CertifiedMA Education Certified

Private Tutoring Available - Adults and Children

Call or email to schedule an appointment857-205-6569

[email protected]

email:[email protected]

A quality education founded on the four foundations (Education, Character,

Social Responsibility and Family)that are the Cornerstones to Life.

SURROGACY

888-363-9457www.reproductivepossibilities.com

SurrogateMothers Needed

Be part of a miracleThe rewards are

more than financialSeeking women 21-43

non-smoker with healthy pregnancy history

HELP WANTED

www.baystateparent.

com

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS ON OUR WEB SITE.

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CALL

508-865-7070

SCHOOLS

St. Mary School

Accepting Applications:Pre-school —3 programs A.M. & P.M.

Full Day Kindergarten

Grade 1 through Grade 8

16 Summer St., Shrewsbury508-842-1601www.stmarysparish.org

Accredited by the N.E. Assoc. of Schools & Colleges

FUNdamentals FirstTutoring Service

Holly [email protected]

978.582.6520www.fundamentalsfirsttutor.com

Reading • WritingLanguage • Math

Kindergarten - Grade 3

57 East Main Street • Suite 101WESTBOROUGH

508-366-9288www.eBridgeMontessori.com

Please Call to Sign Up for Monthly Parent Group Tour

Toddler, Preschool, Kindergarten &

Elementary

SCHOOLS

To advertise call

Stephanie Pearl

at 774-364-0296 or email

stephaniep@

baystateparent.com

68 APRIL2010

BAYSTATEPARENT 69

Join the Birthday Club!Are you part of the iParty Birthday Club? Well, what are you waiting for?! Sign up today and start receivingiParty exclusive in-store savings and discounts, contest information, FUN party and project ideas along with so much more! Just go to www.iparty.com, complete the form and join the FUN today!

he Mexican holiday Cinco De Mayo, The 5th of May, commemorates the victory of Mexico over France in 1862

and is as good a reason as any to don a sombrero

and shake a maraca.

Bright colors put the fest in the fiesta as well as some inflatable

cacti and plenty of salsa.

Invite some friendly matadors (it’s as easy as an iParty back-drop), and the party can start.

As adults slurp sangria, and the kids nosh on nachos,

have some fun trying:

the limbo a pinata

the Macarena the Mexican Hat Dance

a hot pepper eating contest

Who knew May 5th could be so much fun?

Compliments of iParty

baystateparent’s creative team found all of the props for our Cinco De Mayo party at...

Yeah, we’re feeling

models provided by m

ass models, photographer steven king

70 APRIL2010

117 Elm Street • Millbury, MA 01527

Child’s Name Age PARENTS:

Address

City State Zip Phone

Email

Also enter at baystateparent.com. Click "Enter Our Contests."

baystateparent

Deadline to enter is April 30th

Enter to win an

ALVINAND THE

CHIPMUNKS

DVD

CLASSIFIEDSSurrogate Mothers Needed

Established Surrogacy Program seeks loving women ages 21-43, to carry couples’ biological babies. You must be a non-smoker, and prior birth experience is required.

Be a part of a miracle.The rewards are more than financial.

For more information, please call 888-363-9457 or visit our website: www.reproductivepossibilities.com

Adventure Boot Camp LLC............61 Appalachian Mountain Club..........52Apple Tree Arts...........................50Attorney James Connors..............26Backyard Adventures...................17Ballet Arts Worcester...................47Bancroft School............................5Barrett Family Wellness...............49Becker College...........................13Boston Children’s Theater.............29Broad Meadow Brook..................47Camp Jori..................................51Charles River Creative Arts Program..44Chess Camp...............................45Chickee’s Dance World.................40Children’s Music Academy..............8Citi Performing Arts Center/Storytime Live............................................4Claytime......................................8Clinton Savings Bank..................19Concord Academy.......................46Cornerstone Academy....................3Cutie Patutie’s............................19Dance It Up..........................39,41Dance Prism..............................34Davis Farmland............................4Devereux/West Meadow Woods Camp..44Devereux Therapeutic Foster Care.....61Dr. Bruce Fieldman.......................6Eagle Hill School........................45Ecotarium.............................39,68Elite Dance School......................51Fallon Ready Med.......................54Faucher Dance School.................44Finagle A Bagel..........................70First Friends Daycare Inc..............47

First Unitarian Church..................17Fleur De Lis Camp-New Hampshire..50Forge Works Farm......................11Gigueres Gymnastics...................41Girl Scouts of Central & West.......50Girls Inc.....................................41Greendale People’s Church...........50Guild Of St. Agnes Daycare..........27Gymboree.................................27Gymnastics Learning Center..........50Health Alliance...........................59Heifer/Overlook Farm.................49Heywood Hospital......................63Higgins Armory Museum.............47Hillside School...........................36Holy Cross College......................40Inn at East Hill Farm...................34Internal Drive Tech Camps............46Iparty Retail Stores Corp..............69Lawrence Academy.....................40Life Tech Ventures.......................50Little Patriots Early Learning Center..27Longfellow Clubs........................38McDonald’s................................62Metrowest Gymnastics.................47Mill Street Motors.......................18MJA Martial Arts.........................47Mothers and Company.................53Mrs. B’s Preschool......................59Music Worcester.........................63New Horizon Karate & More........10Next Generation.........................31North Central Charter School........33Oak Meadow Montessori School...22Old Sturbridge Village.................45Organic & Beautiful Photography...19

Panera Bread...............................5Parenting Solutions.....................10Paula Meola Dance.....................46Paula Swift Photography................9Peabody Essex Museum..............54Plimoth Plantation......................37Portraits by Joseph......................31Ready Set Sew...........................43Saint Vincent Hospital.................72Sandy Pond Campground.............55Seeking Sitters...........................53Shrewsbury Health and Racquet....57Shrewsbury Montessori School......33Skribbles Learning Center...............8Southborough Extended Day.........47Southwick’s Zoo.........................46Summer Fenn............................45Sunsetview Farm Camping Area....55Teamworks................................44The Fay School...........................39The Hanover Theater..............43,71Touchstone Community School........2Tsongas Center/Curious George....18University of New Hampshire-Tech Camp..50Violet’s Pea Pod.........................17Wifesavers.................................27Womens Health of Central Mass...58Woodside Montessori..................22Worcester JCC............................41YMCA OF Central Massachusetts...52YMCA of Greater Boston-Burbank .......37YWCA.......................................39YMCA-Metrowest........................50Zoo New England.......................30WXLO..................................16,23

Afl acLooking for a career that

offers you flexibility, family balance, and ample financial

rewards? Aflac is a Fortune 500 company and a leader in the employee benefits industry.

Find out more today! Call Donna at 508-752-9900.

The Budget CoachGet fiscally fit in 2010!

Tax preparation service, Budget set-up, Coaching towards your financial goals.

Personal tax and budget service designed for your needs and goals.

$20 discount to new clients. Free consultation available.

It’s time to meet with the coach! [email protected]

508-792-9087

Four Kitchen Chairs For Sale Black Balser wooden kitchen

chairs from Ikea. Good condition. Paid $200. Asking $75 for all four.

508-832-4207

ADVERTISERS’DIRECTORY

WWW.BAYSTATEPARENT.

COM

BAYSTATEPARENT 71

April 23-25Gershwin Sings Gershwin

May 9

MAY 1-2 Disney’s Beauty & The Beast8 Jimmy Fallon live in concert9 Gershwin Sings Gershwin

14 Capitol Steps15 Music Worcester presents An Evening with

Chris Botti19 Burncoat Arts Magnet School presents Dance

Tribute to The Lion King20 Laughter and Reflection with Carol Burnett:

A Conversation with Carol where the Audience Asks the Questions

JUNE 28-30 The Hanover Theatre Summer Youth Program

JULY 1-17 The Hanover Theatre Summer Youth Program29-31 Always, Patsy Cline

AUGUST 5-7 Menopause: The Musical

All

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es, p

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nd t

imes

are

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to

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with

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tice.

TheHanoverTheatre.org 871.571.SHOW2 Southbridge Street Worcester, MA 01608Discounts available for groups, members, students, and WOO card holders

Worcester Center for the Performing Arts, a registered not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, owns and operates The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

APRIL 6 Music Worcester presents Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty”performed by Moscow Festival Ballet

7 US Air Force Band of Liberty9-11 Riverdance—Farewell Performances

12 In The Mood14 Guster15 Girls Night: The Musical17 Defending The Caveman

23-25 Assumption College presents “Oliver!” 27 Vince Gill Live!28 Opera Worcester presents

Madame Butterfly29 One Night of Queen30 Disney’s Beauty & The Beast

Give the Gift of Entertainment

72 APRIL2010

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April 2010 Baystate Parent Magazine

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Transcript of April 2010 Baystate Parent Magazine