David L. Ryan/Globe staff

33,000 flags on the Boston Common for the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund Memorial Day ceremony at the Soldiers & Sailors Monument.

First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers in the aftermath of the Civil War, Memorial Day was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars. In addition to local parades and commemorations, here are some ways the whole family can celebrate America's heroes:

"Military Heroes Garden of Flags on the Boston Common," Boston Common, Boston. Through sundown Mon., May 27. View 33,000 American flags on Boston Common. Each flag represents a service member from Massachusetts who gave his or her life defending the country since the Civil War to the present day.

"Memorial Day Weekend Family Fun at the USS Constitution Museum," Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown. Sat., May 25 - Mon., May 27, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Free (donations welcome). Learn about the life of a marine and sailor at sea by learning to march, using the tools of the seafarer’s trade, exploring everyday life on board USS Constitution, and making an officer’s hat. Young sailors can purchase a 'Build a Ship' activity to take home or make at the museum ($2). www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org

"Free Memorial Day Community Weekend," Museum of Fine Arts Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. Sat., May 25 - Mon., May 27, 10 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. Free. Celebration theme is "Boston I Love." Enjoy special exhibitions -- including three paintings on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art -- art making, gallery tours, family activities, and a community art project. All on-site contributions this weekend will be donated to The One Fund Boston. www.mfa.org

Find more Memorial Day events around Boston.

Whatever you wind up doing, don't forget to share your Memorial Day weekend photos with us!
(Photo sent in by Rachel of Mansfield).

Kim Kardashian, who is due in July, flaunted her baby bump in several bikinis during her time in Greece. Check them out in the Splash News video above.

If you have taken pictures of your bump, covered or not, don't forget to share them with us! Also, don't forget you can discuss your pregnancy with other New England women in our Boston.com Moms pregnancy forum.

Photo by Aaron Washington

Head over to Boston's City Hall Plaza for the largest all-you-can-eat ice cream festival in the area, which will be serving up ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet from the nation's leading ice cream companies. Since 1983 the annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl has supported cancer care and research for adults and children at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Enjoy favorites from ice cream greats such as Baskin-Robbins, Ben & Jerry's, Blue Bunny, Breyers, Byrne Dairy Ice Cream, Edy's, Friendly's, Hood, and SoCo Creamery. On opening day of the event, June 4, some wives of Red Sox players will be on hand to scoop ice cream and to judge a kids' ice cream eating contest. Live entertainment and activities each day round out this "scooper" fun three-day event. Tues., June 4, noon - 8 p.m.; Wed., June 5, noon - 8 p.m.; Thurs., June 6, noon - 8 p.m. Ages 10 and up, $10; ages 3-9, $5; under 3, free. Groups of 15 or more receive $2 off each ticket. 'Scooper Pass,' $20, good for three separate visits. Tickets available online or at the door. Rain or shine. Boston City Hall Plaza, One City Hall Square, Boston. www.scooperbowl.org

We are having a blast learning more about local mom and dad bloggers as part of our new Boston.com Moms Featured Parent Blogger series.

Here's how it works. We get to know the blogger over the course of a week. The blogger posts in our Featured Parent Blogger forum each day. On Monday, we ask for an introduction. On Tuesday, the blogger shares 20 facts about him or herself and the blog. On Wednesday the blogger reveals his or her favorite post of all time and why. On Thursday, the blogger takes questions from readers. And on Friday, the blogger shares the blogs he or she is reading.

Check out some of the bloggers we've gotten to know so far.

Kimberly Hensle Lowrance is a mom of two in the 'burbs who has been blogging at Red Shutters since 2008. She met her hubby on Match.com and once slept overnight on the Great Wall of China. One of her favorite blog posts is about her anniversary trip to Paris. Check out her week with us.

Kip Durney is a North Shore dad of three (including twin girls) who blogs at Tubalub. His blog name came from trying to make bath time more appealing to his kids. And he tells us he is "infatuated" with sandwiches. His advice to new dads? "Sleep now. And often. And LONG." Check out his week with us.

FULL ENTRY

Join a host of authors and artists for a day of enchantment at the 2013 Children's Book Festival at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. The theme, "A Fairy Garden Celebration," aims to inspire visitors through the world of fantasy, the magic of fairy tales, and the natural world. Build fairy houses in the orchard, experience a garden of delights in the galleries, and bring your own magic to this fun-filled day for fairy- and nature-lovers of all ages. Events include art activities, guest artist presentations, demonstrations, and exhibition, book signings, and more. Fairy, gnome, and other nature-inspired costumes welcome! Sat., Jun 8, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Free with museum admission: adults, $9; under 18, students and teachers, $6; family admission (2 adults, 2 youths), $22.50. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Rd., Amherst. www.carlemuseum.org (Photo: Eric Carle is photographed in 2011 at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art/Jonathan Wiggs)

Jim Davis/Globe staff

The Red Sox take the field on May 12 (not a peanut allergy-friendly game).

For the ninth year, the Boston Red Sox will welcome peanut allergic fans to Fenway Park this season, providing the opportunity for all fans to enjoy a day of baseball that's free from worry or danger. Accommodations for these games include appropriate “Peanut-Allergy Friendly” signs posted at the site location; prohibition of sales of any nut products on or near the right field terrace during the game; and an extra security, EMS, and a Fenway Park ambassador presence in the Cumberland Farms Deck throughout the game to troubleshoot questions and be of assistance in case an emergency arises. Peanut allergy families will receive a goody bag when entering the ballpark, and there will be a scoreboard message saying: “The Boston Red Sox Welcome Our Peanut-Allergy Families to Fenway Park.” As a special treat, Red Sox mascot Wally will visit the Cumberland Farms deck for a half-inning during the game. Additional accommodations will be made for fans with extremely severe allergies. Tickets must be purchased in advance of game day, and waivers must be signed to receive your tickets at the ballpark. Sat., June 8, 7:15 p.m.; Sat., July 20, 4:05 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 3, 7:10 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 31, 7:10 p.m. $50 per seat, $30 standing room only. Fenway Park, 4 Yawkey Way, Boston. For more information, email peanutallergy@redsox.com. www.peanutfreebaseball.com

More family-friendly Red Sox tidbits...Kids eat free at the Ninety Nine Restaurant the day after the Red Sox win! Get the details and discover more kids-eat-free deals. And if you are going to a game, don't forget to share photos of your kids at Red Sox games with us!

YO GABBA GABBA!, the award-winning live action television series and live stage show, will be headlining the kids’ lineup at the 2013 Life is good Festival Sept. 21 - 22 at Prowse Farm in Canton. (Photo: Courtesy DHX Media/ Yo Gabba Gabba! All Rights Reserved).

Tickets go on sale today. And, for a limited time, you can snag free kids' tickets with the purchase of adult tickets at www.lifeisgood.com/festival.

The festival is a two-day celebration of music and optimism with the goal of raising more than $1 million for The Life is good Kids Foundation.

The complete festival lineup will be announced June 17, but other confirmed family-friendly acts include Josh and the Jamtones and Recess Monkey.

A runaway stroller carrying a 14-month-old baby fell onto train tracks in Philadelphia Wednesday, prompting the 28-year-old mother to jump onto the tracks to rescue her child. Check out the rescue in the CBS video above.

The mother hands the baby up to another passenger and then is pulled from the track. The baby was taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where she was treated for a cut on her forehead, reports the Huffington Post, and is expected to be OK.

"What it looks like to us is that the mother became distracted by something, didn't apply the brake on the stroller and the stroller was able to move off the platform and onto the tracks," Scott Sauer, director of system safety for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, told the Huffington Post.

A passenger used an emergency call box to alert police and stop the next inbound train, which, according to this video, was only a minute away from the stop.

What do you think of the rescue?

Photo courtesy of PFLAG

From left: Chad and Anne Gifford with son Rufus Gifford, who is being honored at "Step Up! Make it Better NOW."

About 700 people are expected to attend a fund-raiser for Greater Boston's PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) called "Step Up! Make it Better NOW." It takes place under the Party in the Park tent in the Kelleher Rose Garden in Boston's Back Bay Fens on Thursday, May 16, at 6 p.m. The organization hopes to hire more people with the money raised.

"People often think we have a staff of 30," said Pam Garramone, executive director of PFLAG. "We have two staff members and a lot of volunteers."

More staffers will mean more community education, bullying training in schools, and support for families, things that have made a difference in so many gay kids' lives, Garramone said.

The event co-chairs, Joan Parker and Holly Safford, said they are passionate about raising money for PFLAG because they know what it's like to need that support. They each have two sons who both came out to them.

We spoke with Parker and Safford by phone about how they found out their children were gay, their reaction to the news, and their advice for other parents who find themselves on a similar path.

FULL ENTRY

Join hundreds of other boating enthusiasts at Hingham Harbor for a fun event that kicks off the boating season. Sponsored by the Friends of Hingham Harbor, the "Touch A Boat" event aims to provide an afternoon of fun and information about boating safety. Children can climb aboard Hingham’s Harbormaster boats and those from other state agencies. The Coast Guard Auxiliary will offer life jacket fittings and boat safety inspections. Kids will have fun with knot tying demonstrations, buoy painting, maritime crafts, face painting, bubbles, a highly anticipated "Pirate Treasure Hunt," and much more. Hingham’s favorite DJ, Chris Pickett, will once again get the crowd moving to the music. In keeping with the theme of boating safety, anyone who wears a life jacket to the event will be entered into a drawing to win a boat trip around the harbor with the Harbormaster. Local businesses, Bare Cove Catering and Nona's Ice Cream, will be on hand with a variety of food for sale. Sat., May 25, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Free. All ages. Iron Horse Park, Hingham Harbor, Rte. 3A, Hingham. www.hinghamharbor.org

According to a report in the New York Post, wealthy Manhattan moms are hiring disabled tour guides at Walt Disney World so their children don't have to wait in line.

The report says the disabled guides, referred to as "black-market Disney guides," pose as family members so the children can skip to the front of the line. The guides charge $130 an hour.

Read more in the New York Post report.

What do you think of this?

In other Disney World news...Check out these defunct Disney World attractions. Do you remember them? Tell us which ones you miss. And, if you've been to Disney, don't forget to share your Disney World photos with us!

A Texas baby was towed away inside a repossessed truck over the weekend.

The family's truck was repo'ed in Texas because the dad missed a few payments, reports kltv.com. The dad, who will not give his name, was getting ready to go to the grocery store Saturday night, placed the baby in the car, and then went back inside to get his keys, according to the report. When he returned outside, his truck and his baby were gone.

The baby slept through the entire ordeal and was picked up at the pound unharmed. The dad is calling it a simple mistake and police are not pressing any charges.

Do you think action should have been taken? Or do you agree it was a simple mistake?

Photo by Michael Malyszko

Bring your budding scientists to the Museum of Science on any Monday morning, and you'll find activities that are sure to spark new creativity. The museum has created a lineup of programming geared to children aged three through six that are sure to delight and educate. You can start off your morning with a "Live Animal Story Time" at 9:30, drop-in to participate in the "Soaring Satellite Design Challenge," walk among the free-flying residents of the Butterfly Garden, a warm conservatory filled with exotic plants, and visit the Discovery Center where your little one can put an animal skeleton together, touch a real fossil, or observe a variety of live animals up close. Wrap up your day with a viewing of "Big Bird's Adventure: One World, One Sky" in the Charles Hayden Planetarium, when you can Explore the night sky with your favorite friends from Sesame Street and learn about the Big Dipper, the North Star, and more. Please note that some activities take place at structured times, while others are on-going each day. Visit the website for schedules. Mondays through June 24, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Adults, $22; children, $19. Additional charge for "One World, One Sky": adults, $10; children, $9. Discounted rates for groups of nine or more. The Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston. www.mos.org

Dr. John Sargent is chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and director of the Child Psychiatry Residency Program at Tufts Medical Center. He is a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine, a clinician in the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Project, and a member of the Massachusetts Children's Behavioral Health Advisory Council. He was online to answer your questions about childhood depression and anxiety Thursday, May 16.

Enjoy fun samurai-inspired activities for children and adults at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, on Saturdays in May. Get swept up by the masterworks of samurai cinema (see individual film listings for screening times and locations). Design your own family crest armor inspired by the Samurai exhibition. Explore the tools and materials that artists use to make Japanese woodblock prints, and talk with knowledgeable staff at this drop-in program. Discover the MFA’s Buddhist Temple Room in a short talk. Take a self-guided exploration of arms and armor in the MFA’s collection from around the world. Treat yourself to "bento boxes," a Japanese-inspired lunch special for adults and kids in Taste café and wine bar. Samurai Saturdays are free with museum admission; no reservations are required to participate in most of the programs. In addition, you can enjoy free admission to the entire museum on May 25, as part of its Memorial Day Community Weekend celebration. Sat., May 18, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Sat., May 25, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Adults, $25; seniors and students, $23; children 7 - 17, free after 3 p.m. and on weekends, otherwise, $10. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. www.mfa.org

iStockphoto.com

If you are about to start solids or are deciding when and how to start solids, this is the event for you! Head over to Mud Puddle Toys, where representatives from Purely Pears, producer of homemade baby food made from local and organic ingredients, will be on hand to share the latest on introducing solids to your baby, including what to try and when. They'll also debunk common myths, answer frequently asked questions, and share recipes and strategies for encouraging your children to be lifelong lovers of healthy foods. They will cover common feeding concerns such as food allergens, choking hazards, organic versus non-organic, as well as food safety. Purely Pears will be offering samples of their seasonal and fresh purees. Bring your little on and your appetite. Thurs., May 23, 11 a.m. - noon. Free. Mud Puddle Toys, 221 Essex St., Salem. wwwpurelypears.com

It seems everyone is using Twitter these days. And now, even your baby's diaper is tweeting.

Well, technically it's not the diaper, but a sensor clipped to the diaper. And it's probably not your baby's diaper because the new TweetPee app causing buzz this week is being tested only in Brazil. Huggies Brazil plans to launch the app in July.

Here's how it works: The parent attaches a little owl-shaped sensor to the baby's diaper. When the baby pees, the sensor detects a change in humidity and sends a tweet to the parents saying baby is wet.

According to this NBC News report, it's not clear whether the app will be made available in the U.S. But Adweek is reporting that it will not be available for purchase (after joking that a TweetPoop app would probably be more useful).

What do you think of the app? Would you use it?

A teacher who zaps children into apples, an eccentric dance teacher, two talking pigtails, a mysterious and spooky substitute teacher and 14 students who ride the wave of this zaniness. Watertown Children’s Theatre’s Play Factory presents "Sideways Stories from Wayside School," a play based on the very popular series by Louis Sachar. Wayside School was accidentally built sideways. It was supposed to be only one story high, with thirty classrooms all in a row. Instead, it is thirty stories high, with one classroom on each story! Maybe that's why all kinds of funny things happen at Wayside -- especially on the thirtieth floor. An ensemble cast of 3rd - 5th graders brings this childhood favorite to life. Fri.,. May 17, 7 p.m.; Sat., May 18, 1 p.m.; Sun., May 19, 1 p.m. $10, plus online ticket service fee. Black Box Theater, Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown. www.watertownchildrenstheatre.org

In appreciation for all those who acted so quickly and selflessly during the tragedy at the Boston Marathon, Showcase Cinemas is offering a weekend of free movie admission. First responders and one guest can choose any movie on both Saturday and Sunday, and each will receive a complimentary regular-size popcorn and soda. Must present a valid photo ID and offer must be redeemed in person (no online orders). Participating theatres are Showcase Cinema de Lux Legacy Place in Dedham, Showcase Cinema de Lux Revere and Showcase Cinema Woburn. Sat., May 11 & Sun., May 12. www.showcasecinemas.com

Also: Free admission for first responders at the Boston Children's Museum through the month of May.

A 7-month-old baby named Ryder Blair from Australia is learning to water ski. Check out his skills in this KTLA video posted above.

The video, posted on YouTube by his mom Tamara, has been viewed more than 300,000 times and has created a lot of buzz. The New York Daily News reports the video has "stunned the world."

Here is what the skiing tot's mom posted with the video:

This is our son Ryder learning to ski at the age of 7.5 months at Lake Dyer, Queensland. Please note: he is not actually behind a boat he is just being pulled along the shoreline. Next step is to get him beside the boat next season when its warmer again.

What do you think of waterskiing at 7 months old?

Join thousands of people in Franklin Park to celebrate the arrival of spring. A family tradition with thousands of Bostonians of all ages, the Annual Boston Kite and Bike Festival, will take place at Franklin Park. Kites will be available for purchase, or you can bring your own. Boston Bikes will have free bike 'rentals' and helmets for all size riders so you can explore the park on wheels or join a guided tour. Participate in interactive games, get your face painted, explore the vendors' wares, and snack on a variety of food as you set your kite high in the sky. The Boston Kite Festival is an annual tradition dating back to the 1960s. Sat., May 18, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. (rain date, Sun., May 19, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.). Free. All ages. Shattuck Picnic Grove, Franklin Park, Seaver St., Dorchester. www.franklinparkcoalition.org

Submitted by Ben Rodriguez of Suffield, Conn.

A TodayMoms.com survey of more than 7,000 U.S. mothers found that mothers of three children stress more than moms of one or two. We have no idea what the stress levels are like at the Rodriguez home in Suffield, Conn., but love this shot of their three kids, twins Elise and Nora with an older sister who is not named.

The study also reported that mothers of four or more children have lower stress levels. Once again, we can't speak for their stress level, but we love this shot of the Tate family, which has two sets of twins that are 17 months apart -- Emma, Robin, Morgan, and Ryan.

Submitted by Nina Tate of Waltham

"Life is crazy, but we wouldn't change a minute of it!", writes Nina.

Essdras Suarez/Boston Globe

During the month of May, Boston Children's Museum will recognize first responders and medical personnel for their efforts in aiding victims and families affected by the Boston Marathon bombing. All month, the museum will offer free admission for all police, fire, EMT, and U.S. military personnel and their dependents as well as to all medical personnel from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Tufts Medical Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and Mount Auburn Hospital. Daily, through May 31, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Fri., 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Boston's Children's Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org

In other Boston Children's Museum news...did you know the museum turns 100 this year? Happy birthday Boston Children's Museum! Take a look at photos from the last century at the museum (Photo: Sue and Lee Kelley from Weymouth play at the museum in 1954/The Boston Globe, file). Also, save money at $1 Friday nights at the museum!

Sleeping and eating -- two things most of us love to do (especially the littlest among us). But how many of us can do both at the same time?

A little boy named Zach in the KTLA video above proves he can do just that. As his parents watched the battle between hunger and sleep, they taped it. The episode happened on a flight from Baltimore to Cancun, Mexico.

What do you think of Zach's sleepy chicken nugget eating? Has your child done something similar? Did you capture the moment on camera?

Globe Staff file photo/Justine Hunt

A mom and her baby enjoy the Duckling Day Parade on Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is on May 12th, so you'd better be ready with to celebrate the woman who fed, bathed and clothed you (and let's not forget about all those diapers). Here are some Boston-area activities to help you prepare, as well as some unique things to do on the big day. So get out your calendar, and get busy planning!

"National Public Gardens Day," New England Wildflower Society, Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Rd., Framingham. Fri., May 10, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Adults, $10; 65+, $7; 3-17, $5; under 3 and members free. Instead of buying Mom flowers, take her to a garden! Grand opening of new family activity area amid the 45-acre living museum. www.newfs.org

"Pop-Up for Mom," Wenham Museum, 132 Main St., Wenham. Fri., May 10, 10 a.m. - noon. Adults, $8; ages 1-18, $6; under one and members, free. Visit the pop-up exhibit with the curator and learn how pop-ups are made. Make a pop-up card for someone special you’d like to honor on Mother’s Day. www.wenhammuseum.org

"Mother's Day Storytime and Activity," The Curious George Store, 1 JFK St., Cambridge. Fri., May 10, 10:30 - 11 a.m. Free. RSVP required. Hear stories about awesome moms, like "Llama Llama Red Pajama," "Mama, Do You Love Me?," and other great stories. Then make a pretty card to thank mom for all her hard work. www.thecuriousgeorgestore.com

"Made for Mom," Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. Fri., May 10, drop-in 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. Adults, $11; ages 60+, $10; children, $11; under one and members, free. Explore the science of papermaking as you design and create your own Mother’s Day card to share with Mom, Grandmom, or someone special this weekend. www.discoverymuseums.org

FULL ENTRY