by Kristen Bagwell

It seems like just yesterday that our USA athletes wowed the audiences in Beijing and here at home, but it's been 4 years already! Starting tomorrow morning, team USA will be taking on competitors from all over the world in various London, England venues. The Olympic Games' opening ceremonies begin tonight, but the sporting events themselves started yesterday (women's football / soccer).  Read More

By Guest Blogger Derek A. Williams, D.O., Pediatric Cardiologist, Wake Forest Baptist Health – Brenner Children’s Hospital

For many parents with middle and high-school aged children who are gearing up for spring sports, getting the screening physical exam is part of the process.

Most children will sail through the exam without any problems. But occasionally, the doctor or physician assistant will spot a red flag - literally, in a heartbeat. It may come in the form of a murmur, an abnormal heart rhythm or shortness of breath.

So what does it all mean? And when is a heart condition serious? Read More

by Kristen Bagwell

Readers, we want to show how much we appreciate your support over the past year as Triangle Moms On Main has grown. And so...drum roll please...welcome to our second annual Holiday Giveaway! Two lucky readers will win a gift package valued at nearly $600 (each) on Friday December 16, just in time for Christmas!

Keep reading to see the participating merchants, and don't forget to register at the end of this post. Also, please visit these spots to do some holiday shopping or just to treat yourself, and tell them we sent you. (That will help us to bring you more free stuff!)

Oh, and one more thing - make sure you pass this giveaway along to your friends, because if one of them is our lucky winner, YOU ALSO WIN! Just tell your friends to enter your name on the survey where it asks how you heard about us. Bonus - if they also like the Triangle MOM facebook page, your name will get thrown into the hat twice, which doubles your chances of winning! Read More

by Cara McLauchlan, guest blogger
and author of Joy Goggles 

Winning is overrated. Losing might be the new "it."

Lately I have been watching a lot of losing at little league baseball. As a mom, I have run out of cheery things to say. But to truly appreciate winning, I think you need to lose a lot. Read More

By Guest Blogger Heather Bjork

September – school starting back and the start of soccer and football season. Fans of both sports are passionate in their love of these games. One does not have to look very far to spot people wearing football or soccer apparel around the Triad. Sports are an important part of most people’s lives, and they are commonly discussed at home, with friends, in the workplace, in cyber space and through any form of media that we come in contact with on a daily basis. As such, it seems we would be doing our children a disservice to not expose them to different sports and give them an opportunity to experience playing different sports.

If you have not yet provided your child with the chance to get involved in a sport, think again. Even if you are not a “sports” person yourself, there are multiple benefits to allowing your child to play sports. Read More

by guest blogger Susan M.

Our small town is a baseball town, they keep telling us. Nice fields, lots of former collegiate players and one very special Major League MVP. And I love baseball. I have no actual skill, but there is almost nothing that beats warm summer nights spent on bleachers with popcorn & some friends.  Read More

by Kristen Bagwell

As a young adult, I had a blast working at a YMCA Day Camp during my summers off from school. Now that I am a parent, I view my Y experiences in a whole new light. What better way to ensure that your children are being well-cared for in a positive environment AND having a great time with great friends? The YMCA of the Triangle Area has many options for working and at-home parents alike, and is a wonderful (and fun!) choice to help nurture your children and allow them to discover more about themselves.

Moms all over the Triangle agree! That's why our local YMCA programs won TWO 2011 Choice Awards: Best Summer Camp (YMCA Day Camp) and Best Afterschool and/or Sports Program! There are tons of ways to get your children involved, and so many branch locations to work with! Let's start with the YMCA Summer Day Camp options.  Read More

By Rachel Hoeing

Summer swim team season officially started for most swim clubs last week. I know it seems a little cold and I am sure many kids will have purple toes when they climb out of the water, but they will eventually have a wonderful time! If your child is participating in swim team this year – BRAVO! If you are still contemplating, I say do it! Here’s why… Read More

By Katie Moosbrugger

In my house growing up, if you weren’t playing a sport full-time then you were watching and cheering one either on TV or on the side-lines. We were a pretty athletic family – and I guess a little competitive too – but it was the basis of my upbringing. I couldn’t have imagined it any other way. Sure we tried our hand at being well-rounded in other ways, such as learning an instrument or running for student office. But it was playing sports that ultimately taught me a lot of life lessons that I still fall back on today.

And with the all the recent talk about Tiger Woods– and all the playground chatter about who’s child is playing what sport – I thought I’d dedicate today’s post to some random ponderings related to scandals, sports, scores and scheduling. But I’m just tossing out some thoughts and am hoping you’ll catch on and play the comment game at the end of this blog!  Read More