By: Janice Johnson-Plumer Growing up, you would never catch me indoors. There were so many great outdoor games: kick the can, dodgeball, baseball, hide and go seek, board games, and riding bikes. I relished being outside. It was a way to be free and to exercise without knowing it was exercise. My mother would tell … More What Ever Happened to Playing Outside?
By: Martianne Stanger If you came to my house during bathing times when my oldest was a toddler, you would have thought something awful was going on inside. My boy had a sensory aversion to water that made routine hygiene a harrowing experience for us all. Fast forward a handful of years and our boy … More Swim Lessons for a Sensory Kid
By: Martianne Stanger “Mommy, a mouse!” my oldest son Luke called. I thought he was kidding. We’d been talking earlier in the day about how Grampy and his friends once had a running prank with each other that revolved around mice. Then, I saw it. My son was not kidding. As I looked at where … More A Mouse, A Duped Dad and a Plea For YOUR Tips
By: Martianne Stanger May day! May day! Oh, how my family loves the days of May. 1. Harbingers of spring continue to bloom everywhere, inviting us to pause to smell them. And, perhaps, even to draw them. 2. The sun radiates bright heat, giving us a foretaste of summer beach days. And, who doesn’t love … More 4 Simple Delights of May
By: Martianne Stanger Every year around this time, my children and I enjoy a phenomenon that New Englanders have marveled at for centuries – the annual herring migration. When we see birds flocking to Oliver Mill Park off Route 44 in Middleboro, we know that the herring are running. So, we make an impromptu stop … More The Herring Are Running! The Herring Are Running!
By: Martianne Stanger April showers? Bring them on! We have had our fill of cold and snow. We are ready for the rain! That’s right. Rain. Not only does our family enjoy many activities for all ages when warm, refreshing rains fall, but we also love the mud! Each spring and summer, my children become … More April Showers Bring… Mud Kitchen Fun!
By: Martianne Stanger Snow. Glorious snow. My oldest has declared that he wants to see 20 more feet of the white stuff fall this year. Me? I’ll take about 10% of that quite happily, but not all at once. For as I cleared inches upon inches of snow from our walk and driveway during the … More The Snow Speaks: Activity Does Not Equal Exercise
By: Martianne Stanger What is it about my life and plumbing issues? Honestly. Ever since we moved into our home eight years ago, we have had leak after clog after… oh, just name the plumbing issue and I bet we’ve battled it. Let me tell you, if it weren’t for Google, YouTube, and places like … More Two Home Ingredients Save The Day (Or At least A Plumbing Expense)!
By: Martianne Stanger “Who wants to hear about their greatness,” I ask as I glance down at the clock-radio, take a deep breath, and turn the ignition key. “Me! Me! Me!” A surge of eager voices spills forward from the back of the van, washing away the woes of the moments before we hit the … More Celebrating Greatness
By: Martianne Stanger Where can you enjoy standing inside a bubble… making your own ball drop contraption… going on a safari… building your own inventions… playing outdoor pipes… creating gigantic tangrams… and a wall of geoboards… and more? At the Discovery Museums in Acton! Now, I know that’s a hike from our Signature Moms area, … More Venture Out to the Discovery Museums
Community Voices for Health 