Welcome
Even if you don’t think of yourself as a traditionally creative person, one that can scrapbook or whip up a beautiful themed birthday cake, you have to channel somewhat
of an artistic spirit to make it as a parent. It’s survival in the fine art of parenting. Full Story
Meet Our Cover Model
Maggie Kelly Smith
baystateparent’s September issue celebrates
the arts. What’s your favorite
type of art?
I dance; I do ballet, tap, jazz and Irish step. My favorite class is my jazz class with Ms. Zoe. Full Story
GUESTBOOK
GBOUEOSKT Dear baystateparent,
I love the fact that this periodical is based in my local area and gives me the feeling that the Blackstone Valley isn’t off the map, just because it is outside of 495.
Jennifer Covell, Douglas
Dear baystateparent,
Full Story
Preschool COLORS Outside the LINES
This Fall, DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln will share its 35-acre outdoor sculpture park and unique indoor contemporary art gallery with Lincoln Nursery School’s 4 and 5-year-old class. Full Story
Art Bellies: CREATIVELY Record your PREGNANCY
Excited about her new pregnancy, Paola Dias and her husband Michael began to trace her growing belly against the wall to visually track her changes. They then started experimenting with different canvases, brushes, inks and paints and eventually hit upon a combination that they say made their jaws drop. Full Story
Help LIFT a BURDEN
The Home for Little Wanderers seeks backpack donations for at-risk youth.
As you complete your back-to-school shopping, The Home for Little Wanderers in Boston hopes you will remember that many of the youth at The Home have never had a bag of their own. Full Story
KEEP their LOVEY Forever
Belmont mom of two, artist Holly Johnson, came up with a great idea with the help of Mono, her son’s incredibly loved and thoroughly-worn stuffed monkey. Lovey Portraits, no bigger than 14’’, depict your child’s most beloved stuffed companion. The portrait aims to capture the innocence and beauty of this precious friendship. Full Story
DES Daughter Grows Up
What would you do if you discovered that you were exposed to a drug in utero that could cause certain birth defects and could potentially harm your health, or as later research suggests, the health of your children? Full Story
Circle of Friends
HIGHLIGHTS OF SEPT.’S ADOPTION-RELATED EVENTS
FREE Adoption Party
Sat., Sept. 11:
Home Run for a Child Adoption Party. Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE), Mass. Department of Children & Families (DCF). Boston Police Station, 1708 Centre St., West Roxbury. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Learn about the process to adopt a child from state foster care. Meet social workers and children awaiting adoption. Full Story
Embracing Makeda
Sitting in the living room of her Westborough home this summer, Laura Gilmartin recalled the excitement she felt as she entered
an orphanage in Ethiopia to meet
her daughter, 5-month-old Makeda. It was February 2009, and Laura made the trip with her husband, Tom, and their oldest son, Anthony, a college freshman at the time. Full Story
SEPTEMBER’SCHILD
Jacob is a 10-year-old Caucasian boy who is active, polite, caring and friendly. He is described by his foster mother as a “very sweet boy.” Jacob enjoys being outdoors in general, but especially likes fishing. He also likes to ride his bike, play video games, basketball and swim. Full Story
WHO’S COACHING OUR KIDS
Richard J. Frongillo
What got you involved with coaching?
Having “graduated” from Franklin Youth Soccer Association after playing for so many years, I was grateful for the people, typically dads, who had given up their time, year after year, to manage teams. Full Story
Mom’s Glamover
It’s hard to picture the glamorous mom pictured
here in a pair of self-described “obnoxious orange crocs,” but that’s what 35-year-old Milford mom, Calece Johnson, says she wears most days when she’s home with her kids. Full Story
Massachusetts Masterpieces
What did you do over summer vacation? Children of all ages answered baystateparent’s question by sending us artistic creations based on their outings. Thank you for sharing as it was fun to see family fun in the Bay State through your eyes.
Each of our featured artists won a family four-pack (valued at $82) to King Richard’s Faire, which runs September 4 through October 24, weekends only, in Carver, MA. The Faire invites families to party like it’s 1599 with entertainment, rides and games on their 80-acre wooded site. For more information, visit kingrichardsfaire.net. Full Story
Lowell:
It’s Kind of Like a Treasure Hunt
Kids and museums
don’t always mix, but
what’s an art-loving
Full Story
PETER H. REYNOLDS FOLLOWS HIS North Star
CREATOR OF DOT AND ISH, JUDY MOODY ILLUSTRATIONS, THE BLUE BUNNY BOOKSTORE AND MUCH MORE...
P ossessing unassuming charm and assurance, Peter H. Reynolds immediately puts people at ease. Quick to smile, with a childlike spring in his step, this author, illustrator and entrepreneur is a selfproclaimed ‘grown up kid.’ Full Story
THIS MOM HAS A VERY Full Plate
Sarah McIlroy is the definition of busy. The Marblehead mom and
entrepreneur has three
children under the age of 10 and a start-up business that is growing by leaps and bounds. Full Story
MOMS ROCK!
HELEN SHELDON BEAUMONT OF WORCESTER
What kind of basement do you
have? One overfl owing with seasonal décor and old furniture?
Home to creepies and
crawlies? Does your cellar serve as laundry room, makeshift playroom or family room? Full Story
UNDER MY ROOF
Reduced To A DOODLE
BY
jim keogh
When I was a kid I wanted to draw comic books. That was it, case closed. My fallback career was to play left field for the Red Sox once Carl Yastrzemski retired. Full Story
Get in For FREE!
Free and Discounted Museum Admission
Saturdays
Full Story
Behind The Scenes with baystateparent’s Creative Director
In honor of baystateparent’s annual arts issue,
our team convinced bsp’s creative director to
come out from behind the computer screen to
share her artful insights.
K ids have great creativity when it comes to inventing imaginary friends. It’s cute Full Story
Family Theatre & Musical Performances
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst.
Sun., Oct. 24, 1 and 3 p.m. The PuppeTree’s production of this classic tale is done with shadow puppets, and will be performed by professional puppeteers who will operate more than 100 shadow puppets. $7pp (does not include admission). c arlemuseum.org. Full Story
GIFT IDEAS FOR AGES 4+:
Local Lit
baystateparent highlights four children’s books written and/or illustrated by Massachusetts’ own, books that appeal to a child interested in giving back or learning more about sea life, being an only child or about the every day life of other children around the globe. Full Story
A Flock of Two
Growing up an only child, freelance writer Amy Rodriguez swore that one day she’d have a huge family, believing that more kids meant more fun.
My friend Sarah and I were 10 when we spilled bright red nail polish all over
her bathroom. Full Story
ONMY Plate
Special Ed Parent Wants to Stop the Madness
My son is a preemie twin. He is legally blind. He lost his left eye following a second corneal transplant. He uses a white cane sometimes. He is hearing impaired and wears a hearing aid. He has ADHD and dyslexia, is medically fragile, has had 20 visits to the operating room and two near-death experiences, but none of these things define him as a person. Full Story
FAIRS & FESTIVALS
...RIPE FOR THE PICKING!
It’s Fall in New England, and there’s something different in the air: sweet apples, aromatic leaves, crisp mornings. Full Story
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