April 2017

10 THINGS I've Learned As a Mom Bellaflies Continuing to Make a Positive Difference

Tinkergarten® Comes to Arkansas

Erik's Journey with Autism

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2017

Camp Guide

PREVIEW

FREE April 2017

*Northwest Health Physicians’ Specialty Hospital is owned, in part, by physicians.

SPRING SUMMER

20% OFF

SUNSCREENS

Northwest Arkansas

Northwest Arkansas

Center for Plastic Surgery

Skin Care Center

137 Van Asche Loop • Fayetteville, AR • 479-571-3100

2016 2 April 2017

D. Heath Stacey, MD

BOARD CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON

www.nwacenterforplasticsurgery.com

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4 April 2017

Whether you need prenatal care, an annual preventive exam, or gynecological screenings, Willow Creek Women’s Clinic is here for you. We also provide family planning and postpartum care as well as gynecological services for adolescents.

To schedule an appointment, call 479-757-1730.

Ask about same-day appointments.

4301 Greathouse Springs Road, Suite 100 Johnson, AR 72762 Serena Pierson, M.D. Board-Certified OB/GYN

NW-Physicians.com Member of the Medical Staff at Willow Creek Women’s Hospital

DEDICATED TO WOMEN’S UNIQUE NEEDS AT

EVERY STAGE OF LIFE.

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The

Family KIMBERLY ENDERLE Editor-in-Chief editor@peekaboonwa.com | 479-957-0532

JONATHON ENDERLE Creative Director jon@peekaboonwa.com | 479-586-3890

Kim and Jonathon with Ava, Grant and Holden Enderle.

PHOTO BY MAIN STREET STUDIOS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER/EDITOR Frances Wilson

DISTRIBUTION/ CIRCULATION Joyce Whitaker Judy Evans Marcedalia Salinas

Jeremy Whitaker Michelle Dodson

Peekaboo Publications PO Box 1036 Bentonville, Arkansas 72712

BEN LACY Dad’s View

Columnist

VERONICA ZUCCA Story Design

Please send inquiries to: editor@peekaboonwa.com or call 479-957-0532 www.peekaboonwa.com Peekaboo may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Views expressed herein are those of the authors and advertisers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine.

PEEKABOO Northwest Arkansas accepts writing contributions

6 April 2017

JENNIFER CRISTOFARO Events

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From the moment your baby is born through childhood and adolescence, your relationship with a skilled and caring pediatrician is crucial to the health and wellbeing of your child. That’s why it’s so important to find a pediatrician who makes you feel comfortable and confident every step of the way. At our Northwest Physicians practices, we focus on providing preventive care, such as routine checkups, sports and school physicals, immunizations, allergy care, and diagnosis and treatment of childhood illnesses.

WE’RE WITH YOU

EVERY INCH OF Northwest Pediatric Convenient Care

3057 Springdale Ave., Springdale, AR 72762 Mon.-Fri.: Noon-8 p.m., Sat.-Sun.: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

479-751-2522

Susan Averitt, M.D. Staci Graber, APN

Best Start Pediatric Clinic

Megan Kumpe, APN

5501 Willow Creek Dr. Suite 104 Springdale, AR 72762 Mon.-Fri.: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

479-575-9359

Mark Lovell, M.D.

The Children’s Clinic at Har-Ber Meadows 6636 W. Sunset Ave. Suite A Springdale, AR 72762 Mon.-Thur.: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Fri.: 8 a.m.-Noon

479-306-4242

Laurie Anderson, M.D. Millicent Ford, M.D. April Durham, M.D.

The Children’s Clinic at Springdale 3057 Springdale Ave. Springdale, AR 72762 Mon.-Fri.: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

479-751-2522

Members of the Medical Staff of Northwest Health and Allied Health Staff of Northwest Health.

8 April 2017

Ask about our same-day or next-day appointments. To learn more or find a location near you, visit NW-Physicians.com.

THE WAY.

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Inside

APRIL 2017

Also 32

Northwest Health Welcomes Dr. Serena Pierson

40

March Calendar of Events

44

16

10 Things I Learned as a Mom BY: SHANNON CEBALLOS

20

Erik's Journey with Autism BY: ANDREA VANHECKE

2017 Camp Guide Preview

50

Dad’s View

WITH BEN LACY

58

Mom to Mom: Camping BY: MEAGAN RUFFING

66

Northwest Health Welcomes Dr. Marat Grigorov

70

Preschool Directory

24

Continuing to Make a Positive Difference BY: JANELLE PAQUETTE

62

Tinkergarten® Comes to Arkansas

36

Maggie's Heart BY: WILL AND HEATHER CORPORON

ON THE COVER

72

Meet Aubrey BY: ALICIA FUNA

BY: LISA ANDERSON

Cover Sponsored by: Northwest Health www.northwesthealth.com 10 April 2017

Maxxton, 7, and Miles 10 months Sons of Rob and Shannon Ceballos of Cave Springs Photo by: SC Photography NWA Family Photographer shannonceballos.wixsite.com/scphotography

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Now enrolling for Summer Camps, Classes, and Childcare. Fall 2017 Registration available.

casacastillo

Spanish Language Immersion Center Suzuki Music School Preschool

Preschool and Childcare Center

Our mission is to partner with parents in providing the ideal care for each child. We believe in preparing the whole child for success in a global society by developing strong character traits through rigorous study of the arts and academics. We believe in every child’s innate desire and ability to learn and grow; it is our responsibility to create the best possible environment.

Spanish Language Immersion

We support families working to raise bilingual children in Northwest Arkansas by offering preschool, child care, after school classes, parent training, and advocacy.

Suzuki Music Lessons

We provide group and private instruction for violin, viola, cello, voice, and piano.

479.640.4925 2000 E Central, Bentonville AR Jenny Castillo, Director

casacastillonwa@gmail.com

12 April 2017

www.casacastillo.net

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From the Editor

A look ahead: If you have a story to share, or an idea for a story, email editor@peekaboonwa. com and be a part of the Peekaboo family!

MAY continues our spotlight on all things summer camp. If you have a summer camp offering, we want to share it!

Do you have a product you would like to see featured in our Mother's Day gift guide? Email us at editor@ peekaboonwa.com

Photo by: Daniel Moody Photography

The countdown to the end of the school year is definitely in full swing. With spring break behind us, there isn't anything standing in the way of summer break--except, of course, the two months left of the final quarter of school. The wear and tear of a successful year are evident everywhere you look.

School uniforms are starting to look a little less polished and a lot more worn and stained, with a few holes here and there. School lunches are a lot less organized and thought out, while more "junk" food is starting to make its way in as fillers. This is a telltale sign that it's not only the kids getting antsy for a break from routine, but parents, too!

This year has been so amazing, and we have been so blessed with such wonderful teachers; thus, the desire for summer is less about an escape and more about celebrating a job well done. Our favorite way to recognize this is when we get to sit down, go through the camp guide inside this issue and plan out what camps and activities each of the kids will take part in this summer. To help all of our readers make the most of their summer, we have included a summer camp guide preview in this issue. We'll continue to add to it, and share even more camp options in the May issue!

In an effort to make sure we end the year on a high note as a family, I did what might seem like the opposite of a 'solution' for the car rides. On the drive to school and from school lately, our radio has been turned down to mere background music, and phones and iPods have been left behind at home. At the beginning of the year, I thought those were the key to a successful commute, but instead I found myself in the same space as my kiddos, not 14 April 2017

exchanging more than a word with them. I realized that, though the gadgets distracted them from fussing or fighting, they were also too distracted to communicate, to share their feelings either about the day ahead or the events of the school day now behind them. Without electronics, they each had 1520 minutes to do nothing but talk, so that is exactly what they did--only after we had many a lesson in not interrupting each other, of course. Even though I am with them from the moment they get home until the time I kiss them goodnight, our car rides together have now become our favorite part of the day. In just the past week, I have learned that Holden wants to build homes for people who can't afford them, and that he has become a mentor for a kid in kindergarten, helping this child get his back pack on every day while waiting in car line. I also had a long talk with Ava about the psychology of the cliques she described and how important it is not to fall into just one but be the girl who can see beyond the labels.

The list goes on, from vital to hilarious, and all of the stories would have gone unshared if I had let silence stay the norm.

After the loss of a grandparent last month, and the upcoming birth of a new baby next month I am extra sentimenal about soaking up each day. And don't worry, because even if you take away the radio during "kid time," you can still turn it up and rock out like you're back in high school after you drop the kids off and before pick up. Just do not (I repeat... do not) look in the mirror while you are doing it. The image of yourself in your head while singing tunes from senior year is NOT the image you will see in the reflection. Either way, I wish you happy, fulfilling car rides--and a great start to the summer season!

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10I’ ve learned Things as a mom STORY AND PHOTOS BY SHANNON CEBALLOS

10. Your mom tribe is vital.

The saying that it takes a village is 100% true. I don’t know where I’d be without my core group of "mom friends." They each have very different personalities, and I love that about every single one of them. Whether it's a wine night, a play date, or a late night run to Walmart together, your core friends are what get you through. You need those women that will pick your kids up from the bus stop when you can’t, and the women who will take your kids as their own at a moment's notice. Find your tribe. I want to give credit to these women in my life, as they helped me write the next 9 things.

9. Find a great dry shampoo and simplify your beauty routine.

This sounds silly, but it's not a joke. In your former life, you may have thought the women running around in leggings and tennis shoes were ridiculous, but have you tried to shower, put on a full face of makeup, AND pick out an outfit with a crawling 9-month-old lately? It’s impossible. Learn the quickest way to be presentable, and master it.

8. Find an outlet.

Do you love to work out? Have you always wanted to learn about photography? Find something that is for YOU only. Pursue it not to please anyone else except you. As a mom, we get so caught up in pleasing others and keeping these humans alive every day that we get lost sometimes. Carve out even just a single hour a week for YOU. I started taking spin class twice a week, and it has become my therapy. The lights are out, and its just me and that bike for 50 whole minutes. Basically, heaven.

7. Remember to look at a child''s time on earth in the number of days.

16 April 2017

We have been living and experiencing and learning and making mistakes for years. These little people are only in the beginning of their lives, and they need us to guide them with patience.

6. Don’t forget that the small things are huge things to kids.

We get so caught up in being adults and doing adult things that a lost Lego seems insignificant to us, but, in their world, that Lego was going to complete the Lego jet--a really big deal. Take the time to help them search for it.

5. Trust your gut.

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4. Don’t forget that your body is important, too.

No, I don't just mean that you 'need' to look great at the pool in the summer. Your kids are doing what you are doing. They eat what you eat. Set an example to them about health, and take care of yourself--for them.

3. Let them be little.

It’s easy to have all of these big expectations for kids. We are constantly in this weird state of comparison, but you have to let that go and just let them be little.

Specializing in: Early Gender Determinations 2D, 3D/4D Fetal Realistic View Ultrasounds

2. it’s okay not to commit to every event.

You don’t even need an excuse to say no.

1. The days are long and the years are short.

Having a 7-year-old and a 10-month-old, this really hit me this year. It was just yesterday that my oldest was ten months old himself and--poof!--he's in first grade already! I never realized how fast that went until the new baby came. My oldest seems so mature now, and I would give anything to hear his 2-yearold self tell me he "wuvs" me one more time. Thank goodness for Facebook memories!

4D Ultrasound Studio 3810 N. Front Street, Suite 2 Fayetteville, AR 72703 479-438-0728 or 479-214-1188 Hello Baby 4D Ultrasound of NWA peekaboonwa.com

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Erik's

J URNEY Autism with

BY ANDREA VANHECKE

O

ur son Erik was born on December 6, 2007. We had been trying to get pregnant for a few years, so we were overjoyed at his arrival. He was a healthy baby, weighing in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and was able to go home within 24 hours of being born. Because of that, we were expecting a typically-developed child. When he was 18 months old, however, we started to notice that something wasn't quite right with our son. We discussed our fears with his doctor, and decided to just keep an eye on things, for now. At age two, though, Erik started daycare, and began displaying true signs of autism--often playing alone, making poor eye contact, using very few words and not playing make-believe or dress-up with his peers. I was the first to notice that Erik was not learning as quickly as he should for a two-year-old, though my husband did not agree at first. I had had some experience interacting with special needs folks myself in college, as I had worked with special needs adults in a group home setting in my twenties. I also had an internship with special needs children while in college so I knew that this would affect our entire family's life. We dealt with frustration with, and denial of the fact that our son was not developing normally, at first, but, eventually, everyone grew to accept his disability.

After all, as a family, you need to grow and adapt to meet the challenges together.

We started the Tefra/Medicaid application process when Erik turned two and a half, while he received developmental therapy at the daycare occasionally.

When he turned three, and we still hadn't yet received approval, we felt it was important to enroll him at the Sunshine School and Development Center in Rogers, where he attended until he was five and a half. There, Erik was able to receive regular occupational, speech and physical therapy. We are so thankful for the Sunshine 20 April 2017

DevelopmentCenter!

Just after Erik's fourth birthday, he had a neuropsych evaluation done at the Schmieding Developmental Center in Lowell, where he was diagnosed with severe autism and moderate intellectual disability. Hearing this, as well as seeing the proof in the physical results on paper was incredibly difficult for us.

Just before Erik's fifth birthday, he qualified for a new program in Arkansas called 'Arkansas Waivered Services.' We chose the Sunshine School as our provider, and their staff came to our home 15-20 hours per week after school to play with Erik, interact with and teach him, and overall support our family. The staff also purchased items

for Erik: a small table and chairs for 1:1 learning time (where they would teach him matching, and encourage vocalizations), a sensory swing, a PECS (picture exchange communication system) book, a mini pool and a mini trampoline, among other things. These gifts were very helpful for Erik! Though he aged out of the program when he turned seven, he has been attending public school in Bentonville since kindergarten, where he receives special education services and interacts with a one-on-one paraprofessional. Erik currently also attends classes with the Children's Therapy Team in Bentonville two times per week, wherein he receives occupational and speech therapy. We are thankful for their support of Erik and our family!

Our journey with Erik's autism hasn't been easy.

We definitely have frequent highs and lows, with occasional behaviors and meltdowns that test our patience daily. Thankfully, we started Erik on a behavior medication when he was six years old that has helped tremendously. Of course, our faith in God, the support of our friends and family, the testimonies of other special needs moms, and countless therapists and teachers have helped us on this journey. My husband and I tag-team on a daily basis to support both Erik's needs and each other. Erik is nonverbal, and uses PECS and simple

sign language such as "more," "all done," "eat," clapping and pointing to communicate his feelings and thoughts with us.

Erik loves to swim, and will spend lots of time swimming in our aboveground pool in the summer. He takes one-onone swimming lessons with Sarah Smith at the Walton Fitness Center thanks to an AIM (Autism Involves Me) grant. He also participates in Miracle League Baseball Organization in Springdale, in both the fall and spring. Erik attends a Horses for Healing Program in the Bentonville area with the Bentonville public school system. Erik also enjoys going to High Rise Trampoline in Rogers at non-busy times, swinging at the park, watching children's music on YouTube, and playing simple games on the IPad for relaxation. Currently, we're in the process of getting him started at Thrive Autism Solutions in Rogers for ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis), which would be great for Erik's communication and learning! Erik is slowly improving, and we're hopeful to hear more from our sweet and beautiful boy. We will continue to promote independence with all activities of daily living. Erik is a joy to our family!

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Camps 1009 MUSEUM WAY • BENTONVILLE, AR AMAZEUM.ORG • 479-696-9280

Spend your Spring Break and Summer with your friends at the Scott Family Amazeum. Registration is now open!

Spring Break Under the Big Top March 20-24 6-11 years

3D Animaker (In partnership with New Design School)

July 17-21 12-16 years Girls STEAM: Dream Big (girls only) July 24-28 6-11 years

Summer Sweet Science June 12-16 6-11 years

Superhero Academy July 31-August 4 6-11 years

Imaginate & Create (In partnership with Crystal Bridges. Crystal Bridges summer camps are sponsored by Nice-Pak Products.)

For complete information, visit amazeum.org and choose Camps from the Events and Programs tab.

Pre-registration and payment is required. Members receive a discount on camp registration.

June 19-23 6-12 years ARK-eology June 26-30 6-11 years Gadgets & Gizmos July 10-14 6-11 years Animaker July 17-21 9-11 years

Amazeum camps presented by

“I BUILT A CIRCUIT BOARD AT SCHOOL. “I “BUILT A CIRCUIT BOARD AT SCHOOL.” I BUILT A CIRCUIT BOARD AT SCHOOL. As Evie’s eyes twinkle and she gives a big thumbs up, she can tell you why SHE LOVES SCHOOL.

As As Evie’s eyeseyes twinkle andand sheshe gives a big thumbs up,up, sheshe cancan Evie’s twinkle gives a big thumbs Evie’s school day in prekindergarten may begin with

telltell youyou whywhy SHESHE LOVES SCHOOL. singing in music, creating art and end with creating LOVES SCHOOL.

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in the tinkering studio.

Evie’s school dayday in prekindergarten maymay begin with Evie’s school in prekindergarten begin with singing in music, creating art and end with creating singing in music, creating art and end with creating

“We get to build stuff, and we BUILT A CIRCUIT BOARD! And we go to Art Studio every day!”

in the tinkering studio. in the tinkering studio.

With a curriculum focused on science,

technology, engineering, and “We getget to build stuff, andarts wewe BUILT A CIRCUIT “We to build stuff, and BUILT A CIRCUIT mathematics (STEAM), our students learn BOARD! AndAnd we we go go to Art Studio every day!”

BOARD! to Art Studio every day!” from integration of these dynamic areas at

an early age.

WithWith a curriculum focused on on science, a curriculum focused science, technology, engineering, arts and technology, engineering, arts and

Our low student, teacher ratio and caring faculty help students look at the world

mathematics (STEAM), our students learn

in amathematics new way. (STEAM), our students learn

from integration of these dynamic areas at at from integration of these dynamic areas an an early age.

See what The early age.New School experience can mean

Ouryour lowlow student, teacher ratio andand caring for child.

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faculty help students at the world Schedule ahelp tour today look bylook calling faculty students at the world 479-521-7037 or visit in a new way. in a new way. thenewschool.org.

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SeeSee what TheThe New School what New School experience cancan mean experience mean NORTHWEST ARKANSAS’ PREMIER INDEPENDENT forfor your child.

SCHOOL SERVING PRESCHOOL THROUGH GRADE 9 your child.

Join us for PREVIEW DAY On April 17

The New School is an independent school that respects, embraces, and celebrates diversity in its curriculum, student body, and Schedule a tour today calling The today New by School does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, color, national or ethnic Schedule astaff. tour by calling origin in the admission of students, in hiring, or in the administration of its educational program.

479-521-7037 or visit 479-521-7037 or visit thenewschool.org. thenewschool.org.

Evie Evie PrePre KK

PREMIER INDEPENDENT NORTHWEST ARKANSAS’ PREMIER INDEPENDENT NORTHWEST ARKANSAS’ SCHOOL SERVING PRESCHOOL THROUGH GRADE 9 9 SCHOOL SERVING PRESCHOOL THROUGH GRADE

JoinJoin us us forfor PREVIEW DAY PREVIEW DAY OnOn April 17 17 April

The New School is anisindependent school thatthat respects, embraces, andand celebrates diversity in its student body, andand The New School an independent school respects, embraces, celebrates diversity in curriculum, its curriculum, student body, staff.staff.

The New School doesdoes not discriminate on the of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, color, national or ethnic The New School not discriminate on basis the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, color, national or ethnic origin in the of students, in hiring, or inorthe administration of its program. origin in admission the admission of students, in hiring, in the administration of educational its educational program.

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ellaflies

Continuing to Make a Positive Difference

By Janelle Paquette Who would 9-year-old Bella be? It’s a question that I ask myself often. I want to know who she is, and what she likes and dislikes--how she changed in those years. I will always want that, though. It doesn’t matter how many years have passed. I will always want to know her. She is my daughter, and my soul aches for her. That pain is part of what drives me to continue her legacy of kindness through Bellaflies, the foundation we started in her name. Bella was just too amazing of a person for the ending to her story to be that a pediatric stroke took her life. That wouldn’t do justice to all of the good that she brought to this world.

I

never thought that I would be the mother of an angel. When you’re pregnant, you worry about things going wrong with the pregnancy or delivery; but, when your child is already three years old, the possibility that a virus could cause your child to have a pediatric stroke is just not something you worry about. Despite all that, it’s been almost six years since I’ve held my best girl. A child changes so much in six years. She became an angel at the tender age of three, and on April 14th we will celebrate her 9th birthday.

24 April 2017

The weekend of September 11, 2011 was filled with excitement, because we were going to visit family in Conway and shop for the new baby I was pregnant with. We spent Friday and Saturday laughing and playing. If I had been able to pick how Bella would have liked to have spent her last weekend on Earth, it would have been like that. Of course, none of us knew what was to come. On Sunday morning, I woke up to Bella moaning, and she asked me to pick her up and walk. I knew she didn’t feel good when she asked me that. She started vomiting soon after, and did that on and off for the next few hours. She had typical stomach bug symptoms, and it was back-to-school time, so viruses were going around. In the early afternoon, though, my husband and I knew something was truly wrong when we tried to wake her and she couldn’t sit up without slouching to the side. My husband, Calvin, carried Bella out to the car, and I drove as fast as I could to the local regional hospital. To keep her awake, Calvin asked her questions, and she replied correctly, but only in a whisper. Finally, we arrived, but we had to wait in the ER waiting room with her limp body in our arms for some time. She had a 102-degree fever, couldn’t stand up on her own, and was not very responsive... all classic stroke signs. I pointed those all out to the nurse and was told, “Calm down, Mom... she’s fine.” We were then forced to go back to the waiting room and wait.

Calvin and I contemplated driving her to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, but we weren’t sure she was stable enough for us to take her.

We were finally called back. I may have scared the security guard with my pacing and constant repeated question, “Why has she not been called back?!” Even now, almost six years later, I’m crying and shaking as I write this, but I know these details are incredibly important for other parents to know. The hardest parts to relive as I write them are also the most important parts to understand in order to increase pediatric stroke awareness. I want you to know what Bella went through, and I want you to fight for your child, should they be in the same position.

Bella was carried into the ER with three classic stroke AND pediatric stroke symptoms, and we were dismissed, told to “calm down,” and forced to wait for proper care... all because she was a 3-yearold, instead of a 65-year-old.

They did the normal assessment for someone in the ER, and gave fluids and sugar through the IV because, after she had vomited so much, her levels were a little low. I walked out of the room to use the restroom, and lose it a little in there, and when I came back in Calvin yelled for me to go and get the nurse because Bella had had a seizure. The nurse came back with the doctor, and they didn’t believe us. Calvin has experience with combat search and rescue in the Air Force. He has seen seizures, and handled hers exactly like he was supposed to.

Following her first seizure, Bella came to, and she was scared and needing to go to the bathroom.

I have daydreamed many times about her just having one seizure. Would she still be here with us?

Unfortunately, there's no way to know, as that was not the only one. I crawled into the bed with her, held her between my legs and wrapped my arms around her. She said just one word, “Mommy...” and had a grand mal seizure. She had never squeezed my hands so hard, and her whole body went rigid.

She fell into a coma immediately afterwards, and I never heard her say “Mommy” again. She was scared when she said,” Mommy.” She had had a

seizure minutes before, and I think she knew it was going to happen again. She was placed on life support, and finally given a CT scan.

The radiologist read it a while later, and said she was “neurologically fine.” That assessment could not have been farther from the truth. In reality, she had had several strokes and her brain was swelling to the point that her skull started to separate.

Thankfully, the pediatrician on staff did not agree with that and called Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Angel One was out, and so were the ambulances, but they called a team in early to come and get Bella.

I couldn’t sit in the back with her because I was pregnant, so I sat up front and was yelling back to her in case there was any way she could hear me. I wanted her to know that I was there with her. She was stable enough to get there without the lights on, but the driver still got her there as quickly as he could. His son had taken a ride when he was small, so he knew how scared I was. We got to ACH and they did everything they could for seven days.

The PICU fought for my daughter! They are the ones who noticed her strokes and brain swelling on the exact same CT scan that was done at Conway Regional. The medicine wasn’t working, the tests were all negative, and the decompressive craniectomy surgery did not ease her intercranial pressure. Her brain just kept swelling. They tried everything they could think of, and we are forever grateful for that. Bella received her wings and went to heaven in the early evening of September 17th, 2011. She was surrounded by family and friends, music, and her beloved Dora the Explorer. The Turn the page … room was filled with love. peekaboonwa.com

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She is missed every second of every day. God told Mary that she would be pierced to the depths of her soul. I cannot think of a better way to describe the feeling of being the parent of an angel. We still do not know what virus caused her non-stop brain swelling. We may never know, but we still fight for her through The Bellaflies Foundation (501c3) that Calvin and I created in her honor. We wanted to help families like ours who have dealt with pediatric strokes, and believe that the world still needs Bella and her kindness in it. I promised Bella two things: that I wouldn’t quit on life, and that I would make a positive out of the situation, and, because of that promise, the motto of The Bellaflies Foundation is “Making a Positive.”

Bellaflies’ mission is to raise pediatric stroke awareness, fund pediatric stroke research and education worldwide, and provide support to children’s hospitals. Most importantly, we 'Make a Positive' in this world by providing hope... hope that this awareness will save a life. Hope that the research we fund will be life-changing for the pediatric stroke community. Hope that the education we provide will help another child get life-saving treatment faster than Bella did. Hope that the support we give to children’s hospitals will help ease the stress on parents, so that they can focus on caring for their child. Hope is important 26 April 2017

in life. The pastor that prayed with us over Bella told us, “All people of faith grieve--they just grieve differently. They have hope.” Her foundation naturally gravitated towards kindness and hope because of who she was while she was here. She inspired that, and that is something I am extremely proud of. The world is better because of her, and that is a beautiful thing.

We are able to Make a Positive because of the generosity of everyone who supports her foundation and mission. We have our flagship event, Strides for Strokes, every year, and we always donate 100% of the proceeds. This year they will be donated to our partnership with Arkansas Children’s Hospital. We will be funding their Pediatric Stroke OutreACH Education Program for the next five years, as we have a joint goal of educating the whole state. Their OutreACH Education program is amazing, and intends to expand the capacity of EMS providers throughout Arkansas to treat pediatric medical emergencies. Pediatric injuries and illnesses require response by local emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, and high-quality early response to pediatric emergencies by local first responders is associated with better in-hospital and long-term outcomes for affected children.

OutreACH brings training to paramedics, paramedic students, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), and firefighters.

This training will focus on pediatric stroke emergencies and will be led by the highly specialized Emergency Department team at ACH. The course will include a simulation exercise, during which participants practice their response to a pediatric stroke using highfidelity mannequins, their own rescue equipment, and trained medical staff who play the roles of parents. We think there is no more powerful testimony than that of Charles Wooley, RNIII, Paramedic OutreACH Education Coordinator, who said about our efforts, "Bellaflies has opened my eyes to pediatric strokes. This revelation combined with the story of Bella has spurred me into action. We are teaching stroke recognition all over the state. We are also telling a story about a kid that we missed all the warning signs. This is treatment-changing information."

We are thrilled to team up with ACH, and honored that Bella’s pediatric stroke story is making a positive impact! We love ACH, and when the OutreACH Education Program was presented to us, we knew that it was an amazing opportunity to spread awareness and education throughout the state. To date, Bellaflies has donated over $42,000 to pediatric stroke education, research, and awareness. Prior to this, we funded a protocol at ACH that lead to the discovery of a new genus of viruses that was previously undetectable there.

Now that they are able to identify these viruses, doctors and researchers "Arkansas Children's will be able to report is fortunate to have on them for the entire the support of The state of Arkansas and the surrounding region, Bellaflies Foundation. contributing to an even We are grateful for greater understanding of the Paquette family these issues at a national and all who support level. Dr. Romero, Chief their important work of Pediatric Infectious through the Bellaflies Diseases and Director of Foundation.

Clinical Trial Research, says he plans to use this data to improve long-term outcomes in children. We could not be more pleased with the direction that he is Dr. Jose Romero taking with this exciting M.D., F.A.A.P., F.I.D.S.A. new testing!

Additionally, we have donated to pediatric stroke education at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The World Pediatric Stroke Association puts on a pediatric stroke education lecture series that brings pediatric stroke experts from all over the world as keynote speakers. We attended the lecture when Dr. Heather Fullerton from UCSF was the speaker, and were amazed by her dedication to pediatric strokes. We knew that we needed to support her groundbreaking research.

Soon, we were able to fund pediatric stroke research at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where Dr. Fullerton works. Our joint goal was to figure out why strokes happen in children like Bella, and how physicians and researchers can prevent them. Bellaflies’ funding helped them figure out that children with a stroke have an increased risk of having a second stroke, especially if they have diseased arteries to the Turn the page …

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brain. They also discovered with the pediatric stroke research grant that inflammation plays a role in the progression of the arterial disease in children with stroke, and increases the risk of a second stroke. The second study we funded at UCSF helped them figure out that herpes viruses (the cause of chicken pox and cold sores) are an important trigger for pediatric stroke. The most recent study we funded focused on strokes in the very young.

They found that children who are very young are less likely to have a headache at the time of the stroke, but more likely to have seizures. They found that the very young are more likely to have strokes from blood clots in the heart, but can still have diseased arteries to the brain. This research is just the beginning! This team of Vascular Effects of Infection in Pediatric Stroke (VIPS) researchers works with data from 355 children who have had a stroke, from 37 different hospitals, 5 continents, and 9 countries around the globe. We are all united in our goal of stopping pediatric strokes!

If you have supported Bellaflies in any way, these victories are yours! You are literally saving children’s lives by attending our events and donating to Bellaflies! In that vein, we want to invite you to our Strides for Strokes (SFS) event on Friday, May 12th, 2017, in downtown Rogers. SFS is extremely family-friendly! We wanted to plan an event that would provide lifelong memories and support lifesaving education and research at the same time. It’s a party atmosphere. We literally have something for everyone! We have a professionally timed 5k and fun run, and our “Kids Zone” is filled with so much to do, you’ll have to come back next year to finish it all. We have an obstacle course for the big kids (adults welcome), a bounce house for the little kids, a large auction (credit/debit accepted), a DJ to keep the party going, face painters dressed as various Disney princesses, a photo booth to capture your memories, a caricature artist, ice cream from Good Humor and Popsicle, food, medals for top runners, and so much more! Registration is now open, and you are guaranteed a T-shirt and goodie bag if you register on or before April 12th. If you cannot attend the event, or you do not want to run/walk, you can register as a virtual runner and we will ship the T-shirt 28 April 2017

to you. We have shipped the tees as far as Hawaii and Afghanistan, so we love to see how far Bella’s kindness reaches! To find out more about SFS visit: http://www.bellaflies.org/stridesforstrokes/ To register directly please visit: https://app.regwiz. io/register/stridesforstrokes/83 There are so many ways to Make a Positive for Bellaflies. You can spread the word about Bella’s foundation, talk about pediatric strokes, contact us for FREE pediatric stroke education information to pass out, support us on Amazon Smile (a percentage of every purchase you make is donated to Bellaflies at no extra cost to you), do something nice for someone, or stop and smell the roses with your children. Giving your time is one of the most precious gifts you can give. We look forward to seeing all of your beautiful faces on Friday, May 12th for SFS 2017!

ellaflies

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Dr. Serena Pierson Joins Northwest Health in New OB/GYN Practice

Serena Pierson, M.D., loves being an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) because she enjoys being able to provide care to women throughout their lives. She said her favorite part of her job is delivering babies.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to share such a special time with my patients.”

Dr. Pierson, board certified in obstetrics and gynecology, recently joined the active medical staff of Northwest Health, practicing at Willow Creek Women’s Clinic at 4301 Greathouse Springs Road, Suite 100 in Johnson.

Dr. Pierson finds her job exciting and fascinating.

“It really is amazing when you think about it,” she says. “...a tiny human growing inside another human.”

Dr. Pierson has been in practice for nearly three years in Northwest Arkansas.

She first had the idea she might become an OB/ GYN when she shadowed an OB/GYN as an undergraduate student, but she didn’t want to make up her mind about which specialty to choose until she was exposed to them all in medical school. It was during rotations in her third year of medical school that she decided to become an OB/GYN. “It just felt like the right fit,” she says.

Becoming a doctor was appealing for Dr. Pierson, because it was a way for her to use her skills and knowledge to help people. It was also something she knew she would love to do.

32 April 2017

Dr. Pierson provides gynecological care for women throughout all stages of their lives. In addition to preventative care/annual well-woman exams, she provides treatment for family planning, contraception, pre-conception counseling, problems with periods in women of all ages, infertility, ovarian cysts, abnormal paps and problems during menopause and beyond. She also offers screenings for sexually transmitted diseases, pap smears, mammograms, bone density testing, cholesterol, diabetes and thyroid.

Dr. Pierson’s experience in caring for pregnant women is extensive. She commonly treats pre-term labor, twin and multi-fetal pregnancies, diabetes in pregnancy, high blood pressure in pregnancy and high risk pregnancies and offers genetic screening, postpartum care and breastfeeding support.

The most important thing a doctor can offer is their knowledge and experience as a practitioner, Dr. Pierson says. It’s also important for a doctor to be compassionate and respect her patients as human beings.

A mother herself, Dr. Pierson likes to spend time with her husband, son, step-son and four dogs outside of work. She enjoys cooking, baking, running and traveling.

Dr. Pierson received her medical education at University of Minnesota Medical School, Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis, Minn. She then completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at one of the busiest obstetric centers in the nation, Parkland Health & Hospital System, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Pierson is currently accepting new patients.

Visit NW-Physicians.com or call 479-757-1730 to schedule an appointment.

WWW.TRIKETHEATRE.ORG | 479.464.5084

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Mag gie's HEART

By Will and Heather Corporon Photos by Karrie Jean Photography

When Maggie was born, it was immediately obvious that something was wrong. Every parent’s fear about their newborn baby was realized in an instant: Maggie was in trouble.

Over the next few months and, eventually, years, she came near to death many times. In the beginning, she required both a feeding tube and PICC line for nutrition, had seizures, and showed signs of being seriously, developmentally delayed.

Despite her precious smile, it was obvious there were genetic issues afoot. Doctors and nurses at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock saved her life... but what they couldn’t do was answer our two most basic questions: “What’s wrong with my baby, and will you be able to fix her?”

As it turns out, the answer to the latter question has been a definite “no.” Maggie’s problems can’t be fixed. The difficult answers to the former wouldn't begin to become clear for many years.

After about 12 year geneticists were able to identify the underlying issue, a duplication of chromosome 2P, a rare genetic disorder. So rare doctors weren't sure what to expect. After a period of relative calm, Maggie, who’d by then grown to be a 5th grader, began to show new signs of trouble. She was becoming less active, a little more tired, and complained about being cold even when sitting outside in the hot sun. What’s more, her legs were starting to hurt, especially when going up stairs.

These seemingly unrelated symptoms started out very mild, and were easily dismissed. Her pediatrician ran the appropriate blood tests, and nothing came back abnormal.

Her problems persisted, however, and worsened.

36 April 2017

When Maggie’s 6th grade teacher had to make a special pallet for Maggie to nap on during the day, it was obvious that there was something serious going on. More blood tests came back normal.

But then, her pediatrician, a doctor who had only seen Maggie a couple of times, observed that her heartbeat was slower than normal. He ordered an EKG, which led to an echocardiogram, which then led to a result that stunned her mother: Maggie had a congenital heart defect known as Ebstein’s Anomaly. Years and years of experts, exams and testing had somehow missed a badly deformed heart. We were stunned.

The pediatric cardiologist who initially diagnosed Maggie’s heart defect said that while it was unusual--as he had not seen Ebstein’s in a child like Maggie before--he felt that it was not causing her underlying symptoms. He told Maggie’s mother to watch her closely for more obvious heart-related symptoms, and come back and see him in two years.

Neither her mother, nor Maggie’s pediatrician, was comfortable with that diagnosis and time constraint, so the search began for other answers.

Heather asked for prayers in a Facebook post, and within hours prayers were answered in the form of a doctor’s name: Dr. Christopher Knott-Craig.

Dr. Knott-Craig is the Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and the co-director of the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis. One of his specialties is fixing kids with Ebstein’s Anomaly. A call to his office in Memphis

led to a whirlwind of activity, as he wanted to see all her medical records right away.

Heather and her husband started gathering medical records for the doctor. Since Maggie’s birth, she had seen so many doctors, had countless tests, CT Scans, MRI’s, blood tests, and therapy sessions. Records were painstakingly compiled for shipment to Memphis, and a few of those records, buried deep in the stack, shocked Heather.

It turned out that Maggie’s heart was misshapen.

Part of her heart was larger than it was supposed to be and, in fact, a radiologist reviewing one of her CT scans several years ago noted “cardiomegaly,” or enlarged heart. We were shocked to discover that several radiologists had noted over several years and several reports that Maggie’s heart was “larger than normal” or “borderline” enlarged.

Each of those things should have led to Maggie’s pediatricians ordering further testing, but none did. Worse, there is no evidence that any of Maggie’s doctors ever even read those results, because it was never discussed with Heather.

Frustration and anger were immediate and consuming. How could such a major, obvious, physical symptom be missed or ignored by her doctors for so long? Unfortunately, that question will likely never be answered. In the meantime, Dr. Knott-Craig and his team reviewed Maggie’s records and recommended nearly immediate heart surgery. He said he could fix her heart, and she would feel better as soon as she woke up. He was right. Maggie’s heart was fixed in November 2016, in an open-heart procedure that lasted for five hours.

Had Maggie’s parents and pediatrician listened to the initial cardiologist and waited another two years to follow up, Maggie, according to Dr. KnottCraig, would likely have died in her sleep. Her slow heart rate combined with the heart defect were conspiring against her. A defect that should have been caught multiple times by multiple doctors would have killed her. Maggie’s parents say a new pediatrician, seemingly unconnected symptoms, and a Facebook prayer request saved Maggie’s life.

Now, nearly 13 years after she was born, doctors are still discovering the reasons that Maggie is Maggie. Maggie, her mother Heather, her siblings, and other family members have endured what so many special needs families do: hundreds of ER visits, doctor appointments, and therapy sessions.

Their definition of “normal” evolves as the calendar changes from month to month and year to year. Fortunately for Maggie and her family, the passage of time has led to many improvements.

Therapists have taught her to eat, walk, and talk, and her mind and body finally started to develop, albeit slowly and abnormally.

Lately, in February of 2017, Maggie was allowed to start participating again in her special needs cheer team, “Team Flawless,” as well as Special Olympics swimming. The surgery took care of her sleepiness and leg fatigue, and her body temperature is normal.

The doctors at LeBonheur, which includes a team of cardiologists, neurologists, and geneticists, continue to search for the underlying defects in Maggie’s genetic code. They say she is a very special girl.

Maggie’s family and friends agree!

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Maggie’s parents want to share some things in hopes that other parents might not have to go through such an ordeal.

Ask and verify. Ask your child’s doctor as many questions as you need to, but don’t necessarily take their word as final. The internet gives parents access to virtually all medical information and research available--take advantage of it.

Keep up with your child’s medical records.

You would think that a child’s doctor, or doctors, share information and keep up with new reports and studies. Sadly, that is not always the case.

Make sure you know the results of every test, scan, and study. Ask for copies so that not only do you have the record yourself, but you can also do your own research.

Continuity of care is very important. Many clinics have multiple pediatricians, so you may not see the same doctor twice. Respectfully request to see the same physician, or go to a clinic that will allow you to. Don’t accept feeling like your concerns aren’t being validated.

Get a second opinion. When faced with medical issues, it is incumbent on the parent to make sure the advice they are getting is the best

available. Asking a second, or even a third or fourth doctor doesn’t mean you are going against your pediatrician--it means you’re being thorough.

Your pediatrician doesn't know it all, and knows it. Some illnesses and conditions are beyond the scope of basic medicine. Your pediatrician should be honest with you about what he or she knows and, more importantly, may not know.

Seek out a “center of excellence.” When faced with an unusual condition or illness, reach out with the internet and social media in search of someone or someplace that specializes in your child’s needs. Don’t assume that the closest children’s hospital to you is best equipped to handle your child’s condition. A hospital may be excellent in one specialty and deficient in another.

Go with your gut. You are your child’s advocate, and they rely on you to do what’s best. If you have a bad feeling follow it until you understand why. As a parent you know your child better than anyone and never forget that.

Thaden School offers small classes where students discover joy in learning and cultivate their potential under the guidance of inspiring, innovative educators.

Applications for admission will be considered on a rolling basis for fall 2017.

Contact us or visit our website to find out how an independent school education prepares students to succeed in college and beyond.

610 SW B Street in Bentonville | 479-268-5321 | info@thadenschool.org | thadenschool.org 38 April 2017

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APRIL 2017 Library Story Times: Bentonville Public Library: bentonvillelibrary.org Fayetteville Public Library: faylib.org Springdale Public Library: springdalelibrary.org Rogers Public Library: rogerspubliclibrary.org Siloam Springs Library: siloamsprings.com

April 1

Celebration of Beauty & The Beast 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Barnes & Noble Rogers FREE Join us as we celebrate the release of the new Beauty and the Beast movie. In addition to a special story time, kids of all ages are invited to sing favorite songs from the movie soundtrack and participate in other fun activities. Attendees will receive a mini-poster and bookmark, while supplies last.

April 5-8th

Spring Photo Sessions, including KIDS SPRING SPECIAL! Mini Sessions at Main Street Studios mainstreetstudios.net (479) 524-2004 A premier portrait studio in Northwest Arkansas!

The Siloam Springs Museum cordially invites you to come experience a refined and tasty pastime – afternoon tea.

Indulge in our Victorian-inspired tea time complete with scrumptious finger foods and tea while learning about Victorian manners. A Victorian-style paper craft to follow.

Hats and gloves encouraged. Reservations required. Cost: $18/adult, $15/child. Purchase tickets at www.siloamspringsmuseum.com/events. Recommended for ages 5 and up. For more information, call 479-524-4011.

Bunny Breakfast Benefiting Arkansas Children's Hospital Northwest 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM Applebee's - Fayetteville Tickets - $5.00 each Come to Applebee's in Fayetteville to meet the Easter Bunny and have a pancake breakfast! Parents will also have an opportunity to take a photo of their child(ren) with the Easter Bunny himself!

Tickets are $5.00 per person and all proceeds benefit NWA Arkansas Children's Hospital. Hosted by Circle of Friends. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

Windmill Theatre’s Grug & The Rainbow Walton Arts Center Windmill Theatre Company travels all the way from Australia to present the story of Grug, who looks like a small, striped haystack with feet and a nose and who began his life as the grassy top of a Burrawang tree. Featuring exquisite puppetry, bopping tunes and gentle storytelling that has delighted audiences around the world, this show will draw your child into the delightful world of Grug.

Perfect for even the littlest theatergoers. Best for ages 1+

Evan's Birthday Splash Bash and Pies & Polo 8am - 5pm John Brown University Walton Health Life Complex, Siloam Springs A celebration of Evan Thomas' life with proceeds going to the Evan Thomas Foundation. Will consist of a swim-a-thon and water polo tournament.

Special Egg Event 2017

April 7

Hands Full Consignment Sale by NWA Mothers of Multiples (NWAMOMS) 7am to 7pm Saturday April 8th, 7am to 12pm. at the Trinity Assembly of God Gymnasium 1100 East Rolling Hills Dr. Fayetteville

April 8

Parents Left Behind FREE Seminar (Please register) 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM Central United Methodist Rogers 2535 W New Hope Rd, Rogers This is a 1/2 day seminar for parents who have lost a child of any age. There will be a keynote speaker, breakout sessions, networking, and remembering those we lost. FREE but please register. www.eventbrite.com/e/parents-left-behind-2017seminar-tickets-31842230970?aff=es2

Victorian Tea Party Inn at the Springs 201 W. University St., Siloam Springs 3:30pm-5:00pm 40 April 2017

1-3pm Hope Church of NWA 1700 SE Moberly Lane, Bentonville Hope Church is pleased to welcome you to the Special Egg Event, a unique Easter Egg Hunt for children with special needs. Your children can attend one of the following events:: A quiet egg hunt for children on the autism spectrum or children with sensory processing issues who need a quieter environment.

Children who do not need a calm sensory environment should sign up for the general egg hunt.

A talking egg hunt for children who are blind or visually impaired.

Slightly larger "talking" eggs are placed on the field. Once found beeping eggs are traded for prize filled Easter eggs.

A magnetic egg hunt for children with wheelchairs or mobility restrictions. Magnetic eggs are placed on a hard surface area (parking lot) and poles with magnets on them, allow children to collect eggs. Magnetic eggs are then traded in for prize filled eggs.

A general egg hunt for children with other disabilities and siblings of children involved in the other hunts. This egg hunt will cover a large field and be ran in two waves broken up by age.

April 9

Eggstravaganza 4 PM - 6 PM First United Methodist Church Bentonville 201 NW 2nd St

Palm Sunday Fellowship Event!

Fun for the whole family! There will be an Easter egg hunt, BBQ plates for purchase and lots of inter-generational fellowship! Tickets for food are $5 and can be purchased this Sunday by visiting with Ashley or Sadie. You can also purchase tickets during the week in the church office.

April 15

Spring Fling 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM Botanical Garden of the Ozarks 4703 N Crossover Rd, Fayetteville $7 adults, BGO members free, $4 kids, under age 5 Free This spring we are going to kick off the Little Sprouts season with a Spring Fling! This family-friendly event will include activities for children, a live music performance, and a very special Little Sprouts program with our new leader Caitlyn Spaulding.

Join us with your preschooler on the Tyson Terrace at 9:30am for one session of Little Sprouts. Garden Buds may join a Lower Elementary Program at the Cottage starting at the same time. From 10:30am-11:30am guests can take a walk through the garden, participate in some activities, and enjoy a children's musical performance. Second Little Sprouts and Garden Buds program from 11:30am-12:30pm.

April 19

Early Childhood Education Provider Professional Development 6:30 - 8:30pm The Amazeum Object Play: Enriching Early Learner Environments Adult only program for early childhood teachers/providers of children ages 9-60 months Object-rich environments provide meaningful, open-ended learning that is an effective way to help children develop their imagination, creativity, and to deepen critical thinking and problem solving skills. This workshop is designed to guide teachers’ understanding and practice of providing natural and recycled materials in the classroom and how to support children’s process of investigation and active exploration. $15 Amazeum member/$20 non-member. Advanced registration and payment required. Object play workshop is for adults only.

April 22

The First Tee Spring Carnival presented by Powerade 1-3pm The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas 715 E Monroe Ave, Lowell We are excited to launch our first spring carnival at The First Tee Learning Center where we will host the area’s biggest putt-putting party! Enjoy a free full round of putt putt, receive treats at each hole and also learn about the fun activities offered at The First Tee during our 2017 season. This is free for kids of all ages so come join us!! No prior golf experience necessary.

April 27

Timbalooloo

Walton Arts Center Internationally acclaimed jazz and world music artist Oran Etkin invites young children to join his band and explore the world of jazz. The performance starts off with a problem: Oran’s friend Clara was excited to come to the concert, but she fell asleep. He brought her to the concert anyway - in her bed. The kids join Oran in singing to wake her up and discover her name is Clara Net…Oran’s clarinet! With more singing, clapping, dancing and drumming, children see all of

the instruments onstage come to life and learn that making music means bringing their own character, humor and emotion to their artistry. Best for ages 4+

Annual Free Farm Friends Events 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center (arena), Fayetteville Free Animal and agricultural exhibitors will be set up in the Pauline Whitaker Arena in Fayetteville, and the public is welcome to come and get up close to farm animals of all kinds. Watch chicks hatching, sheep shearing, live bee hive & more!

April 28

The Moon’s A Balloon Friday, April 28 Walton Arts Center A balloon can be many things. It can be a friend to play with or a maker of friendships. A balloon can be something loved or something lost; something shared or something broken.

A balloon belongs to everyone, everywhere. It knows no borders or boundaries. Balloons connect us to each other in all kinds of ways. Simple white balloons, two performers and a musician can, through exploration, play and a search for meaning, give rise to a rich variety of composition, beauty, laughter, wonder, joy and story. Best for ages 4+

April 28th - 30th Dogwood Festival

Downtown Siloam Springs Held the weekend of the last Sunday in April each year, the Dogwood Festival brings an estimated 30,000 into the two major downtown parks in Siloam Springs. The award-winning festival has exhibitors from all over the United States setting up their booths. Handmade, assembled and resale items are all included in the more than 200 booths. Dogwood Festival food vendors provide a variety of home-cooked foods including red beans and rice, gumbo, bread pudding, smoked chicken dinners, tacos, turkey legs, catfish, hamburgers, hot dogs, caramel apples, funnel cakes, kettle corn and cold drinks. The KidZone provides rides and activities for the younger festival-goers including a trampoline bungee jumpers, inflatable obstacle course, a rock-climbing wall, a mechanical bull, a train ride, bouncing activities and much more!

April 29

Walk a Mile in My Shoes- Shoe and Handbag Sale and 5K/ 1M Race 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Ozark Guidance, Springdale Free The 2017 Walk a Mile in My Shoes is an event like no other bringing awareness to mental health issues and Ozark Guidance! It's a SALE of new and nearly new shoes, handbags, accessories, and more, a RACE (5K/1M family fun walk), with a VIP Presale PARTY the night before. The public sale starts at 8 AM on Saturday, April 29, is open to the public, no entry fee. Brand new name brand running shoes donated by our presenting sponsor Rush Running Co. and high end designers will be sold for $40, other brand new shoes/ handbags $20, and nearly new shoes/handbags $10. Register for the new 5K and 1 Mile family fun walk benefiting Ozark Guidance Therapeutic Foster Care. The 8am race will start and finish at our main campus on 48th Street with walkers following. Early bird prices $25/5K and $10/Walk. www.ozarkguidance.org peekaboonwa.com 41

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Use “real” names for the things around her. Repeating the names of things helps your baby learn.

Babies whose parents talk to them often develop language at a faster rate.

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9 Language Development Learn more at bit.ly/ peekconversation 1. Talk, talk, talk.

6. Read to your baby.

Tips to Boost Your Baby’s

If your baby is awake, you should

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words like soft, blue or cold.

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2. Sing and dance.

soft books.

These babies know 300 more words by age 2 than babies whose parents rar

Babies find the sound of your voice soothing. Songs

with movement are even better. Pat your baby’s hands

together or bounce his feet. You’ll be dancing together before you know it!

Puffy pages are easier to turn. Most soft books have

Here are some how to get your baby talking. textures you cantips talkon to him about.

Ask talk, questions.

1.8.Talk, talk.

“What’s that?”

Point toyou a picture in a If your baby is awake, should

3. Babble back.

book and name the object.

be talking to him. Talk about what

Acknowledge your baby’s

is happening. Describe objects with

9. Play!

attempts at talking by

words like soft, blue Cake or cold.

Peekaboo and Patty are

answering with the same sounds.

standards for using repetition to

asking, “Where’s your nose?” Show 2.teach Singwords. and Try dance.

4. Reward your baby.

Give lots of kisses and hugs every time your baby tries to communicate.

your baby her nose.

Move on to voice name other parts of the Babies find the sound of your soothing.

Songs body. Tickles are allowed. Repeat often.

with movement are even better. Pat your baby’s hands together or bounce his feet. You’ll be dancing together

5. Name names.

Use “real” names for the things around her. Repeating the names of things helps your baby learn.

before you know it!

3. Babble back.

Acknowledge your baby’s attempts at talking by

boo April 2017.indd 1

vision of Child Care and Early Childhood Education

www.ARBetterBeginnings.com 1-800-445-3316

www.ARBetterBeginnings.com 1-800-445-3316

Make reading part of your daily bonding. Your voice soothes and relaxes her.

7. Give your baby soft books.

Puffy pages are easier to tur

textures you can talk to him

8. Ask questions.

“What’s that?” Point to a pic book and name the object.

9. Play!

answering with the same

Peekaboo and Patty Cake ar

sounds.

standards for using repetitio

4. Reward your baby.

your baby her nose. Move o

Give lots of kisses and hugs every time your baby tries to

body. Tickles are allowed. Re

Click here to visit our Resource Library. You’ll find activities and tips to help you prepare your child for life.

Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education

6. Read to your baby.

www.ARBetterBeginnings.com • 1-800-445-3316

Learn more at bit.ly/ peekconversation

teach words. Try asking, “Wh

communicate.

5. Name names.

Use “real” names for the things around her. Repeating the names of things helps your baby learn.

Click here to visit our Resource Library. You’ll find activities and tips to help you prepar

www.ARBetterBeginnings.com • 1-800-44

Learn more at b peekconversa

2017

Camp Guide

PREVIEW

casacastillo

Casa Castillo 2000 East Central, Suite 1 Bentonville, Arkansas (479) 640-4925 Spanish immersion summer camps! Campers will enjoy diverse activities each day with games, music and movement, dramatic play, visual arts and crafts, etc. Examples of camps include: Comida y Cocina, where vocabulary will be centered around food and the kitchen; and Animales de Granja, which is a camp for animal lovers! Learn about neighborhood animals, farm animals, jungle animals, safari animals and more!

Camp Invention campinvention.org (800) 968-4332 Science, current topics and creative problem solving collide with activities in a team setting.

For kids grades 1st-6th, depending on school district. Five days, from 9 a.m. -3:30 p.m. Starts in June and goes through July.

Larson’s Language Center Summer Camp and Summer Club!

(Ages 3-13) - 479-633-9900 www.larsonslanguagecenter.com 1730 W. Poplar St. Rogers Learn Spanish while playing! Foreign language, crafts, cooking, games and more! Our 2017 summer camp has before and after camp care, more fun, more language exposure, and more experiences.

44 April 2017

Here are a few of our favorite camps for kids this year! The full guide can be found in the May issue of Peekaboo and online at www.peekaboonwa.com

Want to see your camp listed?

Email editor@peekaboonwa.com to be a part of this amazing resource for parents across Northwest Arkansas!

School of Rock 2603 W Pleasant Grove Rd Suite 106 Rogers 479-936-8838 bentonvillerogers.schoolofrock.com Save 20% when you register in April and mention Peekaboo!

SCHOOL OF ROCK offers rock music camps for musicians of all skill levels who play guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and vocals. Students ages 7-18 can develop their musicianship and learn new skills in a creative and fun environment.

Our camps emphasize live performance through workshops, clinics, and group rehearsals, where students learn about playing together in a band and developing stage presence. Our camps are a great introduction to School of Rock, or a perfect complement to our year-round program.

New Life Ranch 918-422-5506 160 New Life Ranch Dr. Colcord, OK www.newliferanch.com

Girl Scouts Diamonds girlscoutsdiamonds.org/camp 800-632-6894 Summer resident camp is open to ALL girls entering 1st-12th grade, including those who aren't yet involved in Girl Scouts!

JOIN THE FUN! Rogers Activity Center

Summer Day Camp and Summer Sports Camps 315 West Olive Street www.rogersarkansas.com/recreation

Fast Lane June 12-16th and July 10-14th 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (or 1 p.m. with lunch option) For kids ages 5-11, with activities including bowling, laser tag, spin zone bumper cars, a play structure and an arcade! Register early and save!

Driving NWA www.drivingnwa.com

Choose the weeks you want. Camps run from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for 1st through 7th grade.

Field trips, fun activities, breakfast, lunch and snack! Also offering summer sports camps to enhance your child’s skills in their favorite sport.

NWACC Kid’s College www.nwacc.edu/web/workforce-economicdevelopment/kids-college NWACC Kid’s College 2017 offers numerous fun, educational short-term courses for two age groups: 9-12 and 13-16. From music and dance, robotics, to cooking, acting, Harry Potterinspired writing and more. There are a variety of great options, allowing young students to experience the excitement of being on a college campus while learning about topics that ignite their passion.

Kaleidoscope 900 SE Village Loop Bentonville kaleidoscopedanceacademy.com

Trike Theatre, 209 NE 2nd St. Bentonville, www.triketheatre.org Trike’s 2017 Summer Camps: Register now and create memories that will last a lifetime. Fine arts, production, and young actors camps!

Infiniti www.infinitiathletics.com Summer program at Club iNFiNiTi providing full-time youth activities ALL SUMMER LONG! The experience your children will have this summer in being a part of CLUB iNFiNiTi will create memories that will last a lifetime, while accommodating parents' busy schedules. During our summer camp program we use our full facility, as well as taking multiple field trips each week.

We make sure all of our students are having great life experiences having fun, staying fit and meeting new friends in a safe environment!

Monday-Friday, 8:00a.m.-6:00p.m. (7:00a.m. drop off available), multi-child discounts, and snack included every day. peekaboonwa.com

45

2017

Camp Guide

Community Creative Center communitycreativecenter.org

PREVIEW

Amazeum 1009 Museum Way, (J St & Museum Way) Bentonville www.Amazeum.org Amazeum summer camps specialize in curiosity!

Our unique week-long summer camps are the perfect place to unleash your child’s curiosity to explore and make new discoveries. Summer camps offer hands-on STEAM-focused fun that encourage your camper to be a creative explorer.

Camps include: Sweet Science, Imaginate & Create, ARK-eology, Gadgets and Gizmos, Animaker, 3D Animaker, Girls STEAM: Dream Big, Superhero Academy

ATA Martial Arts Fayetteville – 479.443.5425 Bentonville – 479.273.1212 Most amazing and original summer camp ever!

Make new friends! Martial arts action! Pizza party! Bullying prevention! Board-breaking tricks! Games!

Super Science 1034 Reed Valley Rd Fayetteville, (479) 444-0303 super-sci.com Super Science one-day camps are most popular with 4 to 12 year olds. We keep kiddos busy with Estes rocket-building and launches, T-REX dinosaur tooth (fossil) casting, a light and laser show, fun science games and more, culminating with all-you-can-eat cotton candy. Yes, there is science behind the invention of cotton candy!

Imagine Studios SUMMER ART CAMPS 2017 at Imagine Studios 479-619-6085 imaginestudiosnwa.com Fire up your creativity and join the summer fun!

At Imagine Studios, campers will expand their imaginations as we explore the world of art.

We’ve got so many themes that your budding artist will be sure to find inspiration with us!

Harry Pottery, Under the Sea, Crafty Chicks, and more! Weekly 1/2 day sessions are offered in the morning and afternoons Monday through Thursday.

46 April 2017

Bentonville Parks & Recreation 479-464-PARK (7275) parks@bentonvillear.com Camp Bentonville is back and ready for a great 2017! From Camp Memorial to Camp Downtown Bentonville, showcasing tennis camps, soccer camps, and more, you are sure to find a camp that guarantees your child will have a fun-filled summer!

Young Chefs Academy of Rogers 5208 Village Parkway Suite 6 - Rogers (479) 401-2006 youngchefsacademy.com

The Little Gym 2603 W. Pleasant Grove, Suite 118, Rogers, AR 479-636-5566 Little Gym’s expert instructors fill each threehour camp day with fitness and fun. Obstacle courses challenge them. Arts and crafts engage them. And group activities, snack time and special events give them time to interact and build their social skills – all in a non-competitive, nurturing environment.

Crystal Bridges Summer Camps www.CrystalBridges.org Register now for Crystal Bridges summer camps for kids 6 to 12! Explore the museum galleries and grounds, enjoy art-making and theatre activities, make friends, and have fun!

All materials and healthy, nut-free snacks are included in camp fee.

Aloha : Mind Math | Reading | Writing (479) 426-3419 www.alohamindmath.com 100 SW 14th Street, Bentonville Offering programs for ages 3-12, for a half-day camp. It's a one-of-a-kind summer camp, and a perfect choice for your child to rediscover the joys of reading while engaging in creative writing... all in a safe and fun learning environment.

Champions Day Camp www.championsspecialministries.org Champions Special Ministries is making rounds to our all time favorite cities this summer for day camp. 5 full days of HIGH ENERGY, HIGH FUN activity! Crafts, games, Bible study, worship, dance parties, themed parties, new friends... no shocker that summer is our favorite season!

This is a wonderful opportunity for families who would like their child with special needs to be able to participate in a camp designed for them!

Fayetteville - June 12-16

Experience Robotics www.experiencerobotics.com Robotics, programming and engineering camps available. Experience Robotics offers one-week day camps in Bentonville, Arkansas. Campers have the opportunity to explore areas of engineering while learning project management skills in a supportive team setting. Our camps are best suited to campers who have completed the 2nd grade, and who have yet to start high school.

Teams are created so that campers are working together with other campers of the same age group. No previous experience is necessary for robotics and engineering camps!​

First Tee of Northwest Arkansas Summer Golf Camp www.thefirstteenorthwestarkansas.org Our 2017 Summer Golf Camps are designed for ages 7 to 9 and ages 10 to 18. Each day, participants will be given instruction on full swing, short game, putting, and game management while playing the course. Golf camps will be offered at the First Tee Learning Center in Lowell and Brittany Golf Course in Bella Vista. Lunch is not included during that camp, but there will be an awards pizza lunch on the last day of camp. Campers should bring their favorite drinks and snacks. Water will be provided. peekaboonwa.com

47

Kids Series Patch Theatre Company’s

The Moon’s A Balloon

$8

TICKETS

Friday, April 28 | 7pm

Theater for your little ones!

Using lighting effects, a stimulating score and simple white balloons, this visual-theater production is the perfect treat for you and your family.

Kids Series sponsor

Media support

T X NE

DAD'S VIEW

N O I T A R GENE

P

cy with Ben La

lease pardon the super nerdy marketer in me, but does anyone remember this ad campaign from Pepsi? It had a catchy little jingle, though I’ve always been more of a Coke dude... actually Dr. Pepper (however, if any of you have traveled north of the Mason/Dixon line you know that finding Dr. Pepper up there is about as easy as finding an honest politician at a legitimate boxing match.)

Anyway, this story is not about semi-creative and definitely annoying 1990's product slogans. Nope, this article is about semi-crazy and definitely annoying tendencies of parents of millennials to push our kids to always do “whatever is next.”

Huh, you say? What is this guy talking about? I’m talking about today’s NASCAR mentality of doing everything we can to accelerate our children faster through life – or at least through childhood. This mostly occurs in the school and sports arenas, as those are pretty much what takes up the majority of kids' time these days.

First off, school. No matter what my kids are doing in school, the first question out of my wife and I when we attend parent-teacher conferences is “What more can they be doing?!" We say it in a quasi-terrified, totally obnoxious and anxious tone, forever concerned that they will be left behind. The teachers are always so kind with their responses. For example: “Well, Mr. and Mrs. Lacy, since our last meeting, at your request we removed your first grade daughter from art and basic math and placed her in Mandarin IV and AP Advanced Thermodynamic Engineering, so let’s see how she progresses before making any further changes.”

“What’s next?” is our focus, and we're constantly pushing for more, more, more! Meanwhile, little sis is bummed about the teacher taking away her paint brush and math fact cards. Oh, yeah, and it gets worse as they get older. People look at us with shock and horror and question whether we are fit to be parents since our junior high son hasn’t selected a career, course of study and his top 3 college choices.

50 April 2017

And then, there’s sports. The first tee-ball player I met on the first tee-ball team I ever coached was Brock (name not changed to protect the innocent, because I have no clue what his last name was, anyway.) Brock came strolling up to meet me along with his father, both Dad and offspring decked out in full Under Armor apparel, along with not one, but two $300 bats and shoes with a retail higher than any dinner I’ve ever consumed. “Brock’s a switch hitter,” offered his dad. “Awesome,” I responded, because, as you know, switch hitting batters are a must for 5-year-old tee ball teams (that’s sarcasm, folks.) I quickly learned that Brock’s switch hitting talents were purely geographic.

Meaning, if he was in the third base dugout, he batted right-handed, as that is the closest side, and if he was in the first base dugout, he batted left, again, because it was closest. Anyway, the dad asked me after every practice and every game, “How do I get my son on a travel team?” and, “What can I do to improve his skills so he can play up an age level next year?” and, “Do you know anyone that can give him private lessons?”

Neither the dad nor the son had any fun that season. Pops was so concerned with doing what he could to push his child to become the first 9-year-old on the Yankees opening day roster, while the son was far more interested in postgame snacks than proper stealing technique.

Again, “next” was more important than “now.”

Recently, the fine peeps at Crystal Bridges hosted an event led by Deepak Chopra, which I attended with the Mrs. Now, if you know who Mr. Chopra is, then you understand what he is about. If you

don’t know who Mr. Chopra is, then Google him, as I don’t have the vast vocab or mental molecules to explain what he does. But, in the midst of all the really big words he was using, he said something that I understood, and that all parents should understand. Deepak said, “We are human beings, not human doings.” Take that to heart, friends. It’s not always about doing more, and striving to be the best, and always trying to push our kids into what is next. Relax, pump the brakes, slow your roll--enjoy what is happening now.

They say patience is a virtue. I agree--and not only is it a virtue, but it's an absolutely vital part of raising kids. So, I’ll leave you with a quote from someone much more my speed and definitely at my level: Grand Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda. He said, “Yesterday’s history, tomorrow’s a mystery, but today is a gift... that is why it is called the present.” Enjoy today and trust me, tomorrow will come fast enough.

WHERE YOU START THE JOURNEY CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. Tour your local Goddard School and experience why it’s the best preparation for social and academic success. Goddard Systems, Inc.’s program is AdvancED Accredited.

OPENING FALL 2017

NOW ENROLLING! FAYETTEVILLE 479-262-0970 GoddardSchool.com

LEARNING FOR FUN. LEARNING FOR LIFE.®

The Goddard Schools are operated by independent franchisees under a license agreement with Goddard Systems, Inc. Programs and ages may vary. Goddard Systems, Inc. program is AdvancED accredited. © Goddard Systems, Inc. 2017

peekaboonwa.com

51

Math & Language Therapy

Academic

READING • SPELLING HANDWRITING • MATH GRAMMAR

Multisensory Language Therapy “Take Flight” , a comprehensive intervention for students with dyslexia based on OrtonGillingham concepts.

Reading • Spelling • Handwriting • Phonics Vocabulary • Fluency • Comprehension (classes available) Pre-Flight (Phonological Awareness) Multisensory Math • Counting and Numeration • Addition & Subtraction facts for instant recall • Multiplication & Division facts for instant recall • Fractions • Decimals & Percents • Integers & Algebra I & II Multisensory Grammar • Parts of Speech, Capitals, Punctuation …

Verbal to Written Expression (thoughts on paper) Writing Treatment for Hyperlexia (can read, but does not understand what is read) Study Skills • Time Management • Notetaking • Memory Technique • Test Taking Strategies …

Visit us at www.amltherpy.com or call 479-253-3256

Bentley

Greeter

104 North 37th Street Suite B Rogers, AR 72756

Karen Sykes — Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT)

52

29 years experience teaching Lisa Lundeen — CALT, 6 years experience in Social Work, 6 years experience teaching April 2017

peekaboonwa.com

53

Autism Awareness Month Reflection My Superpowers

A

by Frankie Quinn

utism feels like my superpower because I'm very good at routines.

I use my own alarm, and I get myself ready for the day. Because I'm good at routines, people can depend on me to do what I'm supposed to do. I don't mess around and I get things done quickly.

I feel like I have a superpower when I write in my secret diary every day. I'm good at writing my thoughts and feelings. I write things that have happened to me that make me feel happy, sad, or mad. Sometimes I would rather write my feelings than talk to somebody. This makes me feel safe.

When I make up words, I feel like I have a superpower. One word I've made up is failabeeto. It means you failed. Everyone in my family laughs and thinks it's funny when I say it.

My brother and I use the word rubbergoosing to mean being too nice to someone. We hope to add that word to our own TV show some day.

54 April 2017

I love making up good stories for books. It takes a long time to make books because I have to write the story, draw the pictures, and edit the whole thing. When I'm done, this definitely feels like a superpower. I even sew some of the animal characters from my book, "Patties Kittens."

Their colors match my drawings, and they have happy faces.

I'm also good at telling stories to myself, and I even make myself laugh sometimes. Laughing is a superpower many people should enjoy.

Children's Therapy TEAM teen, Frankie Quinn, was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 4. Through her writing, she explores her life-long fascination with social norms and expectations. Her characters often have 'super powers' of their own, such as an ability to get a joke when no else is laughing. With the loving support of her family, she has written and illustrated several creative comic books available as ebooks on Amazon.

NEW HOPE NEW CONNECTIONS NWA's only CI Movement Therapy Program is at Children's Therapy TEAM. Children with long-term loss of functional movement in their hand or arm can benefit from CI Movement Therapy. Because kids can build new connections in their brains, there is hope for gaining new, life-changing movement.

Call 521-TEAM or visit ChildrensTherapyTEAM.com

Frankie (middle) and her Speech Therapists, Amy

and Carmen

Frankie and her Dad peekaboonwa.com

55

56 April 2017

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! PEEKABOO MAGAZINE KIDSFEST AT BFF

DOWNTOWN BENTONVILLE Saturday, May 6th from 10-2

LOGO WHERE THE KIDS OF THEDESIG COMMUNITY TAKE CENTER STAGE! AND GUIDEL

Bounce Houses and Mechanical Bull Riding by 16:9 Entertainment Petting Zoo and Pony Rides with Farmland Adventure Arcade Games and Activities from Fast Lane Entertainment Arts and Craft Projects with Imagine Studios And many more great activities!

To be a part of KidsFest email editor@peekaboonwa.com peekaboonwa.com

57

to A COLUMN FOR MOMS, BY MOMS, AND FOR THE LOVE OF MOMS

By Meagan Ruffing

who do camp with their kids, I understand that it can actually be a really fun thing. I think the fact that there was literally no grass at the park we were at should have been a red flag to me. We spent most of our time either in the cabin or wasting time trying to find an area without rocks so our kids could run and play.

I do know that there are great places to camp these days. There are websites devoted to this stuff, My head gets flooded with thoughts about tents, water, and there are tons of families dew, and moisture seeping in, to the point where I wake out there who have made some up and my sleeping bag is no longer dry and toasty warm. incredible memories. In fact, one of those families lives right here in I think about my kids. Lots of kids just yelling, Bentonville, Arkansas.

Josh and Tracie Grall have screaming, and running around a campsite, and there is nowhere for me to hide. I think about been taking their three little girls camping since there being no shower, or place to brush my their eldest (now eight) was four months old. teeth. I think about one kid crying, and then no Tracie says one of her family’s most memorable one sleeping. However, afer all that, there is still moments happened just last spring at Devil’s Den. something about the idea of camping that excites “It was much colder than planned, our air mattress me. I think about all of the fun memories I would had sprung a leak, and the girls were all cranky, so make with my kids, watching them explore things I might have managed an hour of sleep,” she says. for the first time. After all, my kids absolutely love “Josh took all of our girls on a drive around six that to be outside. They are at their happiest outside, morning so I could get some rest. They ended up and they have the most imaginative play when at the overlook at sunrise and they all loved having they’re outdoors. The closest I have ever gotten to that special time with their daddy. They still ask if camping, however, was when my husband and I they can do it again.” That sounds pretty fun to me. took our kids to a Yogi Bear campground. I think that experience was enough to keep me from With warmer days approaching, I thought it might camping ever again. But, after talking with others be nice to gather some tips about camping with kids. I wanted the perspective of someone who has actually gone camping, had fun, and continues to go camping year after year with their kids. And the Hi! Welcome to my column crying thing? Tracie says it’s all about expectations.

“Mom to Mom” where all “The crying thing definitely happens,” she says. moms are welcome. Each “Some methods that we have used are: a stroller month I will share real life ride around the camp, a car ride, or, if it gets really stories from my own every bad, we leave our stuff (a good reason to camp with day parenting struggles as friends and close to home) and we come back early well as stories from other the next morning. We’ve only had to come home moms in the community once, but it wasn’t bad.” who face certain challenges.

Camping. It terrifies me.

Join me, as we share our less than glamorous motherhood moments so there may be one less lonely mom out there.

If you have a Mom to Mom story you would like to share with Peekaboo readers, email me at ruffingmeagan@gmail.com.

58 April 2017

But where exactly do people go camping? Do they stay in state? Do they look elsewhere? I wanted to know the ins and outs about where to find a good campsite. For those just starting out, Tracie recommends looking for campsites close to home and exploring them all together during the day.

“Another thing that helps us,” explains Tracie, “is

www.arkansasstateparks.com www.arkansas.com/outdoors/camping/ www.arkansasonline.com (lists the top 10 best camping sites in Arkansas)

going with friends, whether it's several families or just one. It really helps build strong friendships and plus, if one of you forgot something, there is a good chance the other folks didn’t.”

So what’s the one thing Tracie can’t go without? “A good air mattress and small electric heater.”

Maybe I should give this camping thing another try? If you have any camping tips, or maybe a favorite place, head on over to my Facebook page at writermeaganruffing and let me know. Be sure to use the hashtag #peekaboocamping2017.

With school inching its way to an end, the summer is the perfect time to continue camping or to explore this newfound hobby of yours. Think of what it would be like if we all unplugged, even just for a little bit. What if we spent the day with each other and not with our phones? What would it look like if we hiked with our kids in order to pass the time instead of turning on the TV? I’m excited to find out. I’m excited to learn something new about each one of my children and, even

Tracie shares her top 5 tips on how to find a camping location with Peekaboo readers: Ask family and friends about places they have been.

Choose a location with plenty of room for kids to run and play.

Look for family-friendly hiking.

Plan all meals ahead of time and keep it simple. (Think fried potatoes and smoked sausage). Bonus tip: Tracie saves the leftovers for the next morning and adds eggs and cheese for breakfast.

Pack extra kids’ clothes. (Tracie says she has had to wash and line dry a couple of times and it is no fun).

though camping might not be at the top of my list of things to do… I’m willing to give it another go for the kids. This time though, I’ll be using Tracie’s tips to get the ball rolling.

Meagan Ruffing is in the business of helping moms go from overwhelmed to in control. She believes in creating an environment where moms are free from judgement, so there will be one less lonely mom out there. You can read more about her movement at www.meaganruffing.com and in her new book, “I See You: Helping Moms Go from Overwhelmed to In Control.”

peekaboonwa.com

59

School Assemblies & Workshops • Special Events & Camps • Corporate/Non-Profit Presentations • Awesome Party Concept

SUPER SCIENCE SUMMER CAMP

A d ay o f sp ec ta cu la sc ie n ce an d le ar n in r g!

Bentonville Parks & Recreation New Community Center

June 15 and 16

Build, launch, and keep your own Estes Rocket Awesome Laser Show Make gooey plastic slime Take home a huge bag of science goodies Eat fresh made cotton candy Camp lasts one day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Parents/guardians stay at no cost Water/juice provided. Please provide lunch.

CALL 479-696-0200 FOR REGISTRATION

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

www.super-sci.com • 479-444-0303

100 West Center, Ste 101 Fayetteville 479-444-7778

AUTISM INVOLVES ME

WEEKEND

WEEKEND CO-CHAIRS Julie Murphy EVP, Neighborhood Markets, Walmart Jeff McAllister SVP, Supply Chain, Walmart

MAY 12/13 2017

MAY 13

MAY 12

AIM GOLF KINGSDALE COMPLEX

AIM WALK HORTON FARMS

BELLA VISTA 8 AM & 1 PM

GRAVETTE | 9 AM

GOLF WALK Presented by Jarvis

Presented by Henkel

MISSION Autism Involves Me (AIM) enhances the

lives of people with autism by connecting the NW Arkansas community through greater awareness and resources.

PROGRAMS AIM serves families impacted with autism

in both direct and indirect ways: Annual community event (AIM Weekend), ongoing family friendly events for those impacted by autism, grants and professional resources to inform and educate.

REGISTERINFO@AIMNWA.ORG AT AIMNWA.ORG .

.

. . . . .

Bentonville C O m pa n y

E-COMMERCE MEDIA · SAMPLING · DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT

CASSADY

CHILDREN’S CENTER

sponsors as of 3/15/17

Play, Learn, and Make Mud Comes to Arkansas

BY LISA ANDERSON

T

wo years ago, my family was living in a small apartment in the middle of a big city. From our high-rise window, I looked longingly at the green mountains in the distance, and remembered my own childhood spent climbing trees and wading in creeks. My husband and I felt strongly that we needed to find a way to add nature into our kids’ daily experience.

Around the time that we moved to Northwest Arkansas, we learned about a unique educational program called Tinkergarten. I was impressed by the idea—a class where children are encouraged to explore, imagine and create, all while playing outside. As I read about Tinkergarten, I quickly recognized that this was the kind of experience I wanted my kids to have. I wanted them to get some dirt under their fingernails, use sticks to build a fort, run and climb without being told to sit still, and make friends at the same time.

A GROWING MOVEMENT Founded in Brooklyn in 2012 by a mom and dad who believed in the importance of outdoor education and play, Tinkergarten has spread to hundreds of communities across the country. Until now, the nearest classes have been in neighboring states, but that’s changing. Having completed the leader training program, I am now certified to lead Tinkergarten classes in Bentonville and Bella Vista.

Support and enthusiasm for the program have come quickly, and I am delighted to be helping local kids and their caregivers have adventures outside.

What to Expect A typical class begins with exploration time, after which the children (referred to as “explorers”) and their adult companions (or “guides”) gather together to greet, sing, and prepare for the main activity. Next, the leader presents an idea or a problem to be solved. Based on this prompt, the 62 April 2017

children are free to explore and create solutions, using the natural resources around them. At the end of class, everyone comes together again to clean up, eat snack (“feast”), and reflect on what they’ve learned. Many adults who attend as guides find that the children reenact or reinvent the activity throughout the following week, sometimes including siblings, friends or even parents who weren’t at class. Whether it’s making mud, chasing the wind, or painting with berries, participants come away from a Tinkergarten class excited and empowered…and probably a bit dirty!

WHY OUTSIDE? What is so important about playing and learning outside? Dr. Kenneth Ginsberg of the American Academy of Pediatrics describes it this way: “Nature places virtually no bounds on the imagination and engages all of the senses. For all children, this setting allows for the full blossoming of creativity, curiosity, and the associated developmental advances.” There are numerous studies that demonstrate the physical, mental and emotional benefits of outdoor play (see www. childrenandnature.org for a compilation). Time in nature can be a powerful aid to development, attention and behavior, sensory integration, balance and coordination, and stress-management.

“Time in nature is not leisure time; it’s an essential investment in our children’s health (and also, by the way, in our own),” writes Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

Isn’t Nature Free?

A common question leaders hear is, “Why do I need to pay for my kids to play outside?” The answer is, you don’t. In fact, all of Tinkergarten’s lesson plans are free and accessible on Tinkergarten.com, and the hope is that many families will take advantage of these fun, professionallydesigned activities.

However, life is busy.

Between work, school and extracurriculars, families generally don’t spend as much time playing outside as they would like, and one way to make it a priority is to schedule it in the calendar. LoriAnn Gregory, a Tinkergarten leader in Oklahoma City and an Arkansas native, often hears parents say, “I know I could do these kinds of activities at home with my kids, but I probably never would.” LoriAnn has also seen the positive effects of cooperation and conflict resolution among children in her classes. “It’s good to be around other families who are also of the Tinkergarten mindset. [When the whole group feels enthusiastic,] play can get to a more complex level where learning really happens.”

Ultimately, there is something special about making a deliberate effort to spend time outside.

It’s an opportunity for kids (and adults) to experience a sense of wonder and to make discoveries. Founder Meghan Fitzgerald writes in the Tinkergarten blog,called 'More than Mudpies,' “Each of these discoveries not only makes us think or imagine, but they also help us appreciate the amazing world around us. Kids see how beautiful, intricate, coordinated and special our world truly is. No matter how or why you think we all got here, ours is a mind-blowing home, and there is so much for which we can be grateful… Wonder is a habit of mind that drives a lifelong love of learning and sense of being in the world.”

Join the Fun! This spring’s classes, which are geared toward children from 1 to 5 years old, will be held in parks in Bentonville and Bella Vista. The 75-minute classes meet once a week, and cost $140 for an 8-week season. For more information, visit Tinkergarten.com/classes.

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Dr. Marat Grigorov Northwest Health's New Neurosurgeon

Dr. Marat Grigorov has family members who are doctors, and they exposed him to the medical field at an early age.

“Over time, it became the right thing for me,” he says about working in the medical field, adding that he enjoys what he does.

Marat Grigorov, D.O., who completed a neurosurgery residency with extensive experience in spine pathology, recently joined the active medical staff of Northwest Health, practicing at The Neurosurgery Center at Northwest Health at 601 W. Maple Ave., Suite 505 in Springdale.

While in medical school, Dr. Grigorov learned that he likes neuroscience. He completed a neurosurgery rotation and found that he liked seeing results in patients, and seeing improvement in them as fast as possible.

"The most interesting part about my specialty is that neuroscience is still in its infancy," Dr. Grigorov says, "The field is growing and evolving."

“It’s just a beautiful field of medicine,” he says.

The most fulfilling part of his job is making a difference in peoples’ lives, Dr. Grigorov says.

He believes the most important thing a physician can offer a patient is comprehensive care, and to

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treat patients like they are the doctor’s family members.

As far as what he wishes other people knew about neurosurgery, Dr. Grigorov says that sometimes people see negative outcomes and generalize, thinking that it’s not making them feel better. He wishes people knew that there are a lot of different approaches within neuroscience that, a lot of the time, can improve patients’ health.

“There are so many things we can do to help them,” he says.

The most common ailments Dr. Grigorov treats are brain and spine conditions. This includes brain tumors and trauma injuries to the spine.

Dr. Grigorov offers comprehensive neurosurgery and same-day appointments for serious situations.

He treats patients who are 18 years old or older.

Dr. Grigorov received his medical education at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Penn. He completed his neurosurgery residency at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center in Normal, Ill., following a surgical internship at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va. Outside of work, Dr. Grigorov enjoys spending time with his family, including his two small children.

Dr. Grigorov is currently accepting new patients.

Visit NW-Physicians.com or call 479-757-3550 to schedule an appointment.

ON FIELDS FAR AWAY Our Community During in the Great War

Open: Mon - Sat, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

322 S. 2nd Street Downtown Rogers 479-621-1154

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CHILDCARE • PRESCHOOL • LEARNING ACADEMY To be a part of our monthly guide to childcare email editor@peekaboonwa.com

70 April 2017

BENTONVILLE

“I BUILT A CIRCUIT BOARD A

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As Evie’s eyes twinkle and she gives a big thumbs up, she can tell you why SHE LOVES SCHOOL.

Evie’s school day in prekindergarten may begin with

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(479) 640-4925 “We get to build stuff, and we BUILT A CIRCUIT casacastillo.net CasaAnd Castillo isevery a day!”

Spanish BOARD! we go to Art Studio Language Immersion Center With a curriculum focused on science, and Suzuki Music School. technology, engineering, arts and We are a childcare center, mathematics (STEAM), our students learn preschool, music school, from integration of these dynamic areas at and offer anafter early age. school programs Our low student, teacherfor ratio and caring older children. faculty help students look at the world We are familyin a new way. owned and dedicated to See what The New Schoolyour providing experience mean the child canwith forabsolute your child. best careaavailable.

Schedule tour today by calling singing in music, creating art and end with creating

HAPPY KIDS LEARNING ACADEMY 301 SE 28th Street (479) 464-8686 abchappykids.com Our Learning Academy offers a wide range of programs fora variety of ages - from infants to toddlers, and two-yearolds to preschoolers. Our curriculum is tailored to each age group and is based on sound child developmental principles regarding how children ideally grow and learn.

Mary's Little Lamb's Preschool

479-521-7037 or visit thenewschool.org.

FAYETTEVILLE

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS’ PREMIER INDEPENDENT SCHOOL SERVING PRESCHOOL THROUGH GRADE 9

MARY'S LITTLE LAMB 506 SE Moberly Ln Ste 6 (479) 273-1011 mllpreschool.com We are a licensed private preschool early education program dedicated to serving our community and providing quality care and education for children of all ethnic, religious, social, and developmental backgrounds.

We offer early e d u c a t i o n a l experiences in a safe, inspiring, and nurturing environment that will help children to reach their fullest potential.

The New School is an independent school that respects, embraces, and celeb

staff. TheNEW New School does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ge THE SCHOOL origin in the admission of students, in hiring, or in the adminis 2514 N New School Pl (479) 521-7037 thenewschool.org A coeducational, independent school serving students from toddler age through grade nine. The school community is dedicated to inspiring a love of learning and empowering students to reach their potential for academic achievement, creativity and citizenship. With a low student-to-faculty ratio, our students are known and cared for by an excellent faculty in an encouraging atmosphere.

THE GODDARD SCHOOL 3916 N. Bellafont Boulevard (479) 262-0970 www.goddardschool.com We are excited to be opening The Goddard School in Fayetteville. We are committed to providing the highest quality preschool experience for the children in our community. Our unique nurturing approach will give your child the opportunity to develop into a joyful, confident learner who is prepared for success in school and in life.

FIRST BAPTIST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 3364 W. Pleasant Grove Rd. Rogers (479) 878-1052 fbcchristianschool.org Preschool through middle school grades are offered, with a mission to pursue academic excellence while growing in the grace of God's word so that we may engage our community with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. and grade school – and into awesome grownups!

ROGERS

HAPPY KIDS LEARNING ACADEMY Central Rogers Academy 2808 W. Walnut St (479) 621-6126 North Rogers Academy 2204 N. 12th St (479) 202-5691 abchappykids.com Our Learning Academy offers a wide range of programs for a variety of ages - from infants to toddlers, and two year olds to preschoolers. Our curriculum is tailored to each age group and is based on sound child developmental principles regarding how children ideally grow and learn.

IBC GO CENTER PRESCHOOL 2555 S. 26th Street 479-636-1230 preschool@ibcgocenter.com Immanuel Baptist Church Global Outreach Center invites your child to come learn and grow at our preschool! We strive to help each child achieve through outstanding, Christian-based curriculum and interactive learning! Enrolling nowclasses available for 3-5 years of age!

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FRIENDSHIP PEDIATRIC SERVICES 212 South Lincoln Street (479)770-0744 We are learning hubs for children aged six weeks to five years with developmental disabilities or delays + children who qualify for the Arkansas Better Chance program. FCC prepares children for success in integrated and therapeutic classroom settings, so that they have the skills they need to continue growing with strength and independence throughout kindergarten and grade school. We create the foundation for successful, happy adults.

SILOAM SPRINGS

FRIENDSHIP COMMUNITY CARE 918 South Mount Olive (479)524-2456 fccare.org Developmental Preschool: Friendship Community Care’s Developmental Preschools are learning hubs for children aged six weeks to five years with developmental disabilities or delays + children who qualify for the Arkansas Better Chance program. FCC prepares children for success in integrated and therapeutic classroom settings, so that they have the skills they need to continue growing with strength and independence.

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Meet M

BY ALICIA FUNA

y daughter, Aubrey, was born in October of 2012 with an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. I had a perfectly normal pregnancy, with nothing abnormal detected on the ultrasound. On October 2, 2012, Aubrey was born, weighing in at a surprisingly large 9 pounds, 4 ounces at Willow Creek Women’s Hospital in Johnson, AR. She passed all her newborn screenings with flying colors, and we were ecstatic. However, just as we were about to be discharged from the hospital, a nurse noticed that Aubrey’s skin tone was a little blue in color. A second ‘pulse ox’ test was administered, and its results told the doctors that her blood oxygen was very low. After she didn’t respond to a flow of oxygen, a problem with her heart was suspected, and an echocardiogram confirmed the diagnosis. Aubrey had a congenital heart defect called ‘Transposition of the Great Arteries.’ In a matter of minutes, we went from absolute joy, thinking we had a healthy baby and were headed home, to being overwhelmed with the scary news that our baby had a heart defect. Not only that, she needed to be immediately airlifted to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, AR, and we should prepare for a six-week stay, at the minimum.

Around 1 in every 100 babies is born with a congenital heart defect, and around 1250 babies per year are born with what Aubrey has-Transposition of the Great Arteries. TGA, as it is commonly referred to, is a heart condition that occurs when the two main arteries (pulmonary and aorta) are switched in position. This condition does not allow oxygen-rich blood to mix and be administered to the rest of the body, and can have dire effects, which is why Aubrey’s condition merited such a quick evacuation to ACH. 72 April 2017

The day after we arrived in Little Rock, Aubrey underwent a procedure via heart catheter to stabilize her until the main surgery could be performed. On October 12, a mere 10 days after she was born, Aubrey had an arterial switch operation via open heart surgery to switch her arteries back to the correct location. The surgery was successful, but the first few days after surgery were critical to see if she would respond favorably.

To our great relief, Aubrey responded very well to the surgery and, just three weeks after her birth, we were released from ACH (Arkansas Children’s Hospital) and were headed home! We had tentative hope that we were in the clear. Unfortunately, after a week of being at home, Aubrey started running a very high fever. We rushed her to her pediatrician’s office, and he immediately suspected infection in her chest incision. In a matter of a few minutes, he had another helicopter coming back for Aubrey.

Aubrey was being transported yet again to ACH in Little Rock, and our hearts were filled with fear and worry once more.

The infection complication was worse than the pain she had with the heart surgery. The test results came back and confirmed everyone’s fears-it was Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a very dangerous form of staph. MRSA is a type of staph that has become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat staph. The doctors at ACH immediately got her on the correct antibiotics, reopened her chest incision and placed a wound vacuum in to drain the infection.

After another two-week stay in the hospital with Aubrey, she was once again surprising doctors and nurses with her strength and amazing progress. We were discharged for good--thank goodness!--when she was six weeks old. Aubrey was sent home with a PICC line, and my husband and I immediately became home health experts, administering her medicine through her PICC line 3 times a day.

Around 1250 babies per year are born with what Aubrey has-Transposition of the Great Arteries.

From a 6-week-old baby, to a flourishing 4-yearold, Aubrey grew and grew, and never looked back.

Incredibly, she was just like every other kid with no restrictions! We continued to have regularly scheduled visits and follow-up echocardiograms every six months to monitor her progress, though, just in case. The summer before Aubrey turned four, we received some disappointing news that confirmed something that we knew had been a possibility all along... Aubrey needed a second open heart surgery. Having a baby with this type of surgery is hard enough, but doing this with a 4-year-old came with a whole new set of challenges for us as parents. How on earth do we explain it?

How will we make her lay still? What if she doesn’t trust us anymore? How will we help her to be less afraid? Will she understand her scar on her chest?

We were definitely glad to be in the expert hands of the staff at ACH that handle cases like Aubrey’s all the time!

In November of 2016, just a month after her fourth birthday, Aubrey had her second surgery to widen her pulmonary artery. Another successful surgery and one tough girl meant that, happily, we were discharged after a five-night hospital stay! This time, no complications emerged and Aubrey was back at school just three weeks after her surgery.

Today, at almost 4 1/2 years old, we realize that we didn’t need to worry about Aubrey. She’s proud of her chest scar because it is a symbol of her bravery. She lives a full life, and enjoys dance, gymnastics, swimming, and soccer. Her favorite foods are mac' and cheese, pizza, and broccoli. She loves anything that has to do with Disney princesses, and her favorite characters are Ariel, Belle, and Cinderella. In January, we were able to make our first family trip to Disney World! She is very outgoing, and really enjoys spending time with her friends and family-even people she’s just meeting for the first time!

When visitors come to the house, she is always excited to greet them with a hug.

To give back to ACH, which has given us so much, Aubrey and I love to volunteer! We are members of the Northwest Arkansas Circle of Friends (COF), which is a statewide group of volunteers that fundraise for Arkansas Children’s Hospital. The Northwest Arkansas chapter is specifically raising money for the construction of the new campus in Springdale, which will be called Arkansas Children’s Northwest.

Aubrey’s future is bright, but also untold. The potential for future surgeries does exist, but we trust that Aubrey is in the best care at ACH, and we pledge to live every day to the fullest in the meantime.

For more information on Circle of Friends and how to get involved, visit giving.archildrens.org or contact Elizabeth Sullivan at 479.725.0405.

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"I will try my best every day to LEARN, to LOVE others and to ACT like Jesus" All proceeds from the event will fund scholarships to St Joseph School

BLEW & ASSOCIATES, PA CIVIL ENGINEERS & LAND SURVEYORS

Saturday, May 6 8:30am: 5K START | 9:30am: 1 MILE FUN RUN | 10am: TODDLER DASH

Registration available on www.facebook.com/SJCS5k or www.arkansasrunner.com

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At a

Glance ARTS and MUSIC

Amazeum (Pg. 22) (479) 696-9280 Crystal Bridges (Pg. 19) (479) 418-5700 crystalbridges.org Imagine Studios (Pg. 63) (479) 619-6085 Trike Theatre (Pg. 33) (479) 464-5084 triketheatre.org Walton Arts Center (Pg. 49) waltonartscenter.org

BANKS First Security (Pg. 48) www.fsbank.com; www.onlyinark.com

CHILDCARE/NANNY SERVICES ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 53) (479) 202-5691 abchappykids.com Better Beginnings (Pg. 43) (800) 445-3316 arbetterbeginnings.com Casa Castillo (Pg. 12) (479) 640-4925 Mary’s Little Lambs Preschool (Pg. 56) (479) 273-1011

CHURCH First Baptist Church Rogers (Pg. 13) fbcrogers.org

CLOTHING Deal Depot (Pg. 68) (479) 750-DEAL Oh Baby Boutique (Pg. 73) (479) 254-2911 www.ohbabynwa.com

DENTIST My Village Ped Dentistry and Orthodontics myvillagesmiles.com (Pg. 21) Pediatric Dental Associates (Pg. 39) (479) 582-0600 Smile Shoppe Pediatric Dentistry (Pg. 35) (479) 631-6377 Rogers

DERMATOLOGY / SKIN CARE

The Goddard School Pg. 51) (479) 262-0970 The New School (Pg. 23) thenewschool.org (479) 521-7037 School of Rock (Pg. 77) (479) 936-8838 Super Science (Pg. 60) (479) 444-0303 www.super-sci.com Thadon School (Pg. 38) (479) 268-5321 Young Chef's Academy Pg. 4) (479) 401-2006

FAMILY FUN / ENTERTAINMENT Crystal Bridges (Pg. 19) (479) 418-5700 Fast Lane Entertainment (Pg. 42) (479) 659-0999 www.fastlanebowl.com Girl Scouts (Pg. 59) (800) 632-6894 New Life Ranch (Pg. 33) NewLifeRanch.com Rogers Historical Museum (Pg. 67) (479) 621-1164 Starlight Skatium (Pg. 67) (479) 444-STAR Super Science (Pg. 60) (479) 444-0303 www.super-sci.com

FITNESS/SPORTS iNFiNiTi (Pg. 31) infinitiathletics.com (479) 715-6840

FOOD / DRINK TCBY (Pg. 3) (479) 636-8229 (TCBY)

HEALTH AND WELLNESS Best Start (Pg. 27) (479) 575-9359 Children's Therapy TEAM (Pg. 55) ChildrensTherapyTEAM.com Family Foot Health Center (Pg. 51) (479) 636-9393 Friendship Pediatric Services (Pg. 29) fccare.org Northwest Primary Care (Pg. 8-9) nw-physicians.com Tate HealthCare (Pg. 68) (479) 271-6511 www.tatehealthcare.com Touch Therapeutic Massage (Pg. 64) www.touchtmbyflor.com

Advanced Dermatology / Skin Care Center (479) 268-3555 (Pg. 53) NWA Center for Plastic Surgery (Pg. 2) (479) 571-3100 nwacenterforplasticsurgery.com

JEWELRY AND GIFTS

Academic Math & Language Therapy (Pg. 52) (479) 253-3256 Aloha (Pg. 17) (479) 426-3419 First Baptist Christian School (Pg. 13) FBCChristianSchool.com

LEARNING CENTER

EDUCATION/TRAINING

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David Adams (Pg. 60) davidadams.com (479) 444-7778 Oh Baby Boutique (Pg. 73) (479) 254-2911 www.ohbabynwa.com Academic Math and Language Therapy (Pg. 52) (479) 253-3256 www.amltherapy.com

To advertise and become a part of the Peekaboo Family email: editor@peekaboonwa.com ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 53) (479) 202-5691 abchappykids.com Mary’s Little Lamb Preschool (Pg. 56) (479) 273-1011

PEDIATRICIAN Bentonville Pediatrics (Pg. 15) (479) 273-5437 Living Tree Pediatrics (Pg. 34) (479) 282-2966 Northwest Pediatric Convenient Care (Pg. 7) (479) 751-2522 Ozark Pediatrics (Pg. 39) (479) 544-9432

PHOTOGRAPHER Main Street Studios (Pg. 78) (479) 524-2004

REAL ESTATE

THERAPY Academic Math and Language Therapy (Pg. 52) (479) 253-3256 www.amltherapy.com Children's Therapy T.E.A.M. (Pg. 55) (479) 521-TEAM Friendship Pediatric Services (Pg. 29) (479) 524-2456

WOMEN'S HEALTH Hello, Baby! (Pg. 17) (479) 438-0728 Parkhill (Pg. 56) Parkhillclinic.com Siloam Springs Women's Center (Pg. 79) (479) 524-9312 Willow Creek (Pg. 5) NW-physicians.com Women's Health Associates (Pg. 65) whanwa.com

Homes by Jonathon (Pg. 18) (479) 586-3890 www.homesbyjonathon.com Limbird Real Estate Group (Pg. 18) (479) 799-8929

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