Norton Mom Wins Signature Healthcare Blogging Contest

Norton resident, mom and Norton Patch blogger Annemarie Holloway has been selected as one of the newest members of the Signature Healthcare Mommy Bloggers team. As a result, she won $250 and will bestow her motherly wisdom on the hospital’s blog website. She joins Sheila Gaudet, another Norton mom who won last year.

Learn more about Holloway in this question and answer:

How old are you?
I am 38 years old – turning 39 in May. I love birthdays – especially my own.. Just ask around – I am crazy about the fact that I am the product of really amazing people and that each year is a blessing..(sounds “hokie” but it is true!)

How old are your kids? 
My children (2 boys, 2 girls) are 11, 9 , 6, and 4.

What got you interested in writing?
Well, I come from a long line of storytellers. My mom (now 63) would captivate us with her stories. She was so talented that people began telling her she should make a career out of it and she did. I grew up watching her share stories and perform -- bringing her fictional characters to life for  preschool aged children in schools all over the south shore. Storytelling is as natural for me as breathing…

After the birth of our fourth child, My husband and I decided that we would start making a guide book for our children. We felt that if we started it while the kiddos were young, then we could cover topics that spanned across their lives and our own – so that when they were ready to go out into the world we could hand them this “guidebook” – and maybe – just maybe, it would provide them with some useful insight into how to navigate along the journeys they embark upon as adults… My husband, Marc and I continue to write down subjects to address – we keep a list. Many of my blogs revolve around my kids own insights to the world. They inspire such optimism, truth and hope.

What kinds of topics will you cover in the Signature Healthcare blog?
I am looking forward to meeting the team of Mommy Bloggers at Signature Healthcare! We meet the end of January to discuss our writing schedule and topics. I will also be awarded a cash prize of $250 for being chosen as a Mommy Blogger from this contest!

What is the hardest thing about being a parent?
The hardest thing about being a parent.. Hmmm…That I cannot keep my children from using a sled as a snowboard off a slide or teach them that the monkey bars are not fun!!!  I hate that I am on a first name basis with the lovely staff at the emergency room at Sturdy Memorial Hospital!! Haha!!!
All kidding aside – I have it easy. I have an incredibly supportive husband, family and community. I have four amazing kids. I love being a Mom. I did not enter parenthood with rose colored glasses on. I spent years working with families whose children have special needs.  I have seen heartbreak and challenge on an almost insurmountable level. But, I watched families triumph and fight. I have learned that there is an innate quiet determination that thrives in the soul and that no matter what is thrown your way – for your kids you find strength…Strength fueled by love.

What do you love most about being a parent?
The joy that comes from warm little arms wrapped around my neck and knowing that I have a partner in crime who is just as crazy about these kids as I am. I could not do this alone – for that reason alone I know I am blessed.

What do you do for a living?
I am a stay at home mom. My husband works multiple jobs to keep me home with the kids. Deciding to keep me home with the kids has been the most challenging piece of raising a big family. This decision has come with some great sacrifice, but we remain focused on our goals for our little growing group of rascals.

What are your other hobbies?
I love to play the guitar,  I enjoy photography, I teach Sunday School at the Trinitarian Congregational church and my husband and I volunteer to run their youth group (called the TYG!). We have been running their youth group for the past few years. We started with 8 kids in grades 4-8 and our membership has grown to almost 50! We spend a lot of time planning and organizing these programs.

Where else can people see your writing?
I began writing for Kelly at Patch (So glad I did!!) I also write for the Community Blog section of the Patriot Ledger and The Brockton Enterprise. You can also occasionally see my posts in Wicked Local and an online publication called “South Shore Mammas.”