January 2020

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PO Box 1036 Bentonville, Arkansas 72712 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.

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20 Repeat: What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up? BY: KINNA THOMAS

28 Dad’s View

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32 Update: Lisa Jones

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14

Defining Dyslexia: Rewind Feature

Update: Grayson Schmidt BY: BOBBI SCHMIDT

BY: DR. LANCE FADDIS

36 Update: Kat’s Kause BY: VERONICA LYNCH

42 We Are the Creature Crew 46 Empathy Expert BY: DWAIN HEBDA

50 Tips on How to Find a New Hobby BY: MEAGAN RUFFING

54 The Story Behind Super Science

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6 January 2020

From the Editor

photo by: Rebekah Cole Photography

Happy New Year!

I

always wait until nearly the very last second to write my letter from the editor each month. While I am not a last-minute person, and prefer everything else in my life to be either early or very early, when it comes to this piece, it is hard to wrap up. I feel like I cannot give an accurate reflection of our lives, or my own interpretation of it, until the very end of the month, because as a parent I am ever-evolving and learning -- not just from year to year, but from day to day. In fact, “never say never” is my takeaway from the year 2019, as many things I said I would never do or ever implement, I did. Like when I said I would never take my cell phone into a public restroom but.. I did and then since I forgot I had it in my hand in the first place because it was a small hole in the wall restroom on a trail I didn’t have anywhere to put it once I got inside. So while panicking that I even had it in the room with me I proceeded to drop it into the toilet. I won’t continue that story because the words that followed aren’t my finest but will just leave that little tidbit there for you to make you feel better about how your year might have ended.

The most noteable “never say never, but I did” decision was making a transition to homeschooling our fourth grader. While we loved his school, it came time to change things up a bit. Every kid is different, and sometimes the way a child learns is cultivated best when their classroom isn’t a traditional one. This change made me feel lost in a few ways. A part of Northwest Arkansas became foreign to me. I knew of homeschool groups and homeschool activities because I have been sharing their stories and including their events in the pages of Peekaboo for years, but now I found myself in a place where I needed to learn everything about what to do, where to go, and who the experts were, etc.

8 January 2020

We started Peekaboo in the 2000’s for the same reason. Even though both Jonathon and I are from this area, when we had our firstborn it became a strange land. We didn’t know where to shop for her, or which doctor to use, or which play group to join... or even that we needed to join a play group in the first place. Creating this magazine helped us make connections and find community just as much as it helped our readers connect with the area and each other.

Peekaboo then continued through the 2010’s, and now is entering the 2020’s.

A lot of the stories are timeless, so as we head into a new decade I wanted to re-share one that made an impact on our own family’s life -- a story about dyslexia from Dr. Faddis. When we got our son’s dyslexia diagnosis a few years ago, it was this doctor’s story, one that we had run years before, that rushed to the forefront of my mind. Every month for well over a decade, I have been able to share stories from families who are on their own special journey, and each month I hear from readers who are touched personally by these stories -that their perspective changed, or they are called to some sort of action that makes the world a little bit better.

In this issue, we are also excited to share a few updates from families who have shared before over the years. After all, just because the issue closes, doesn’t mean readers stop thinking about these powerful stories and wonder where they are now.

Even though January always comes at exactly the same time every year, this year its charm and feelings of “goodwill towards men” seem much more necessary than usual. Last month’s vote in the House of Representatives

was... well... intense. I never post anything even remotely political on social media, and definitely won’t do it here, but, suffice to say, flipping through my Facebook feed put a strain on relationships.

into what is important to your kids can help put your own priorities in their place. He-Man, after all, is a lot easier (and more fun) to navigate than an election.

It seemed like when people should be posting tidings of happiness and good cheer, sentiments took a much more grim outlook, with friends fighting with friends when their opinions on an issue didn’t match up.

Welcome to 2020!

With another election coming up soon, I am nervous for the divide it threatens to deepen.

I would love for everyone reading this to make a resolution to add a little good to the world in 2020, instead of fighting negativity with negativity. If someone offends or angers you with their opinion on an issue, make a point to say two nice things in return. Not only will you change the tone of the interaction, you will also stun them into silence (and maybe teach them a lesson that they will then pass on.) The world is already so full of divisiveness, so let’s clean up where we can, and make it a place to show compassion, instead of just another reason to argued. Plus, it opens up the opportunity to start posting the really important things... like how our holiday vacation got kicked off last month with a little ‘packing surprise’! Taking a peek

Elizabeth Gillespie understands things don’t always go right when having a baby. That’s why, when planning her third pregnancy, Elizabeth knew it was important to find a doctor and hospital she trusted. HerHealth Clinic and the entire team at Washington Regional Women and Infants Center were able to provide Elizabeth with a birth experience that gave her the comfort and confidence to be a new mom again.

“They met needs that I didn’t even know I had.”

Elizabeth Gillespie, Patient Washington Regional HerHealth Clinic & Women and Infants Center

To learn more about Elizabeth’s story, visit wregional.com/ElizabethGillespie.

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U PDAT E :

Grayson Schmidt

by: Bobbi Schmidt On December 6, 2011, we welcomed our first little boy into the world, Grayson Alan. He was always a happy baby, though he battled with allergies, was hospitalized twice as an infant due to high fevers, and always seemed to have a deep barking cough. He seemed to be sick a lot, but everything was always considered allergies or a virus when we took him to the doctor. Grayson had multiple ear infections, so the day before his second birthday, he went in to have tubes put in his ears and his adenoids taken out to try and help with his cough. This seemed to really help with his cough, and we were happy that he could be a normal little boy now!

A couple weeks after his surgery, however, we started to notice multiple bruises on his legs. We didn’t think a whole lot of it because he was a very active little boy, and we figured he was always running into something. His Nana and I both worked at his childcare facility, which allowed us to keep a close eye on him. One day, as his Nana was walking by his classroom, she noticed the lymph nodes on his neck were very swollen. She immediately let me know her concerns, and we thought maybe he had strep, so I took him into the doctor. They assured me that he just had another virus, and that 10 January 2020

the swelling would go down within a few days. So back to school we went.

His teachers informed me of a rash they had noticed on his arms that looked like little pin dots. We had a nurse practitioner at work, so I sent her a picture of it to see if I should be alarmed. She sent me a message back and said I needed to get him to his doctor for an appointment. So, I called his pediatrician at 2pm on a Thursday, and they of course didn’t have any appointments available, and were booked for Friday, too. Our practitioner referred us to a different pediatrician and was very insistent that we get him checked out. So, I called the new pediatrician and they could see him at 8:30am on Friday. I had Googled his symptoms and found some things that I felt pretty good about that I thought it could be. They weren’t lifethreatening, just would take time to go away on their own, so I didn’t stress or worry.

I woke up Friday morning and got ready for work, as usual. I was going to work that morning until his appointment time, and then pick him up from school and take him to the doctor. When I went to wake him up and get him ready for school, however, it was dark in the room... and all I could see was blood. He was sitting straight up on our bed and had blood all over his hands, arms, and face. I had no idea where the blood was coming from or what had happened. I then discovered that his mouth was bleeding from large hematomas that covered the inside of his mouth! He had wiped his mouth with his hands, so there was blood everywhere. I got him cleaned up and dressed, and we told my

husband goodbye before we headed out the door. I got him in the car and drove off before calling my mom at work and instantly starting to cry. I was so scared for my baby boy, because now I knew that what I had found on the internet was not what was wrong with him.

We went in to the new pediatrician’s office and the doctor wanted blood work done right away, so we went to the lab and headed back to the room to wait for results. The doctor came back in and told us his blood results were very strange, and that something was very wrong. I immediately burst into tears. His white cell count was over 80,000 and his platelets were at 9,000. I called my husband and told him I needed him to come be with us immediately. When he got there, the doctor told us we needed to go home and pack and head to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.

P L A N N I N G R E T I R E M E N T* O N Your T E R M S .

When we got to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, they ran more tests and drew more blood. We were admitted to the 4K floor, which is Hematology/ Oncology. March 6, 2014 is a day we will sadly never forget. We met with the oncologist and learned our precious boy had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia High Risk. The oncologist talked to us for a few hours about all the medications and treatment plan, but it was all a blur once we got out of the room. All I wanted to do was go hold my baby. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew this: Cancer has taken too many people from me, and it wasn’t going to take my baby! On Friday, March 7, Grayson went into surgery to have his port placed in his chest and to get his first spinal tap. My heart was broken.

Grayson recovered from his surgery well. Our initial stay at the hospital was a week. The discharge nurse met with us and gave us a long list of things to watch for and when to take him to the ER. If he were to get a temp of 101, we were to instantly t a k e him to the local ER. This scared me so much.

I never thought I would be scared to take my child home, but I was

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U PDAT E :

Grayson Schmidt

terrified. Grayson quickly fell asleep, and as I looked back at our precious boy, my eyes filled with tears. My husband took my hand and reassured me that we would be okay and we would fight this together. As we were going down the road, “God of Angel Armies” by Chris Tomlin came on the radio. My heart was instantly calmed as I listened to the words of this song: “Nothing formed against me shall stand/You hold the whole world in your hands/I’ll hold on to your promises/You are faithful, you are faithful!” Even in the midst of the storm, I could feel God right there with us.

Grayson had appointments in Little Rock every Tuesday to get chemo and spinal taps. We learned that after the first week of treatments, our little hero was in remission! At the end of his first month of treatment, however, he developed a fever. We had to rush him to the emergency room, where we learned he was going to be transported to Little Rock by ambulance. We had a week-long stay in Little Rock due to severe mouth sores that were causing an infection. Grayson was in so much pain from the sores, we had to decide to have him hooked up to a morphine pump to control the pain. There is nothing worse than having your 2-year-old in so much pain they have to have a pain pump. All I wanted to do was take his pain away. I felt helpless, but I knew that this was for the best. He fought the mouth sores off and after a week, was finally able to eat and be happy again.

Grayson went through nine months of hard chemo, which caused him to be in isolation most of the time. The only place we went was to church on a Sunday morning, and that was only if his counts were high enough. He had multiple spinal taps, and he hated the “white medicine” they used to put him to sleep. The doctor quickly learned that he had to sneak it into the room so that Grayson couldn’t see it. Grayson entered the maintenance phase in December of 2015, which allowed him a little more freedom, and less trips to Little Rock. He started back to school in March 2016, and did amazing! His maintenance phase consisted of weekly visits to Highlands Oncology for labs to check his counts, monthly visits to Little Rock for spinal tap and chemo, and daily medication. He took a chemo pill every night, with seven extra chemo pills on Tuesdays. He took high dose antibiotics every weekend to prevent a lung infection from his other medications. He was on steroids for five days every month. He took it all like a champ! His maintenance phase lasted 2 ½ 12 January 2020

years, and he took his last chemo pill on September 22, 2017! We had a huge party to celebrate!

Grayson continues to do amazing! He is now two years off treatment, and we see his oncologist at Arkansas Children’s Northwest every three months. They do lab work each time, and every time it has been perfect! We were able to get him into the allergy doctor, as they wouldn’t see him while he was going through chemotherapy. He was diagnosed with asthma and takes daily inhalers and medication to try to prevent any flare ups. His cough is doing so much better!

At his one year post-treatment appointment, he had to have an ECHO on his heart to make sure there was no damage from the chemotherapy. The cardiologist found no damage, but informed us that Grayson has an enlarged aorta. The doctor didn’t really have anything to compare the ECHO to because, as he was two years old at his last one, he was kicking and screaming and they couldn’t get very good pictures. We recently went back in September 2019 to have a follow-up ECHO done, and there has been no change. The cardiologist isn’t sure if he will end up growing into this, or if he will eventually need surgery done on his heart, which would more than likely be when he’s in his twenties. Right now, we are just keeping a watch on that and letting our boy live a normal life like he deserves!

Grayson is eight years old now, and in second grade. He is exceeding at math and is on a fourth grade math level! He played baseball this past season, and his team won first place! Grayson has touched so many hearts over the years and he will always be my superhero!

I know God has great plans for his life and I am so excited to see what He has in store.

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13

Dr. Lance Faddis

Defining Dyslexia

I have always been fascinated with books.

To me, they seem to be small treasure chests filled with knowledge, mystery, and exotic places.

I look for new ones whenever I travel. I have a large library in my home office, and Amazon Prime e-books may derail my retirement plan. For all this apparent love for books, I could count on my two hands the number that I have actually completed cover to cover (excluding medical textbooks).

REWIND FEATURE FROM JUNE 2016

With dyslexia, reading is a terrible struggle. It is exhausting and requires complete concentration with minimal distraction. New or unusual words continue to be a struggle for me at 45 years of age. However, with work, I was able to become a proficient reader... more than proficient in certain categories.

Dyslexia defined “Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.

These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”

To break that down a bit: people with dyslexia have issues decoding the sounds that are associated with letters, or groups of letters, as they make up words. Because of this, learning to read is difficult and spelling becomes an exercise in rote memorization. I first remember having trouble in school during the second grade.

The specifics of the troubles are foggy, but I remember being

sent out of class with an aide to work on handwriting skills.

I was also placed in group learning activities, but neither of these approaches addressed the root problem. Being removed from the regular classroom caused me a great deal of frustration, because I felt like I wasn’t getting credit for my true level of understanding. It was just assumed that I couldn’t understand the task at hand.

My mother was told that I was not smart, and would likely not do well in school. Thankfully, she did not take this advice and fought to find out why I was having difficulty in school. She sought help at the University of Arkansas, and we were also blessed with teachers at my school who looked beyond an inattentive child that was always behind, and instead tried

After my rough start in elementary school, I eventually achieved academic success. I graduated with my undergraduate degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Ouachita Baptist University in 1992. I then went on to get my Master’s degree in Microbiology from the University of Arkansas. I went back to Ouachita to teach for one year before starting medical school in 1996. After four years of medical school, I completed a 4-year residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. I have been working for Mercy Health Systems since 2004.

I have been married to my wife, Jennifer, since 2000 and we have five amazing kids.

to understand the “why,” rather than just chalking my issues up to laziness or low IQ. Around the fourth grade, a student teacher began more hands-on learning with me. I was allowed to verbally describe scientific observations, which proved invaluable to me. I eventually won this teacher’s “Albert Einstein” award (a man who, ironically, was also dyslexic), for the best scientific observations in class.

This was the first success that I can recall in school, and the introduction to what would become my life’s work.

I also accidentally stumbled on to a piece of dyslexic truth around the fifth grade while reading The Black Stallion series.

Subject matters!

Because the act of reading is such a struggle for most children with dyslexia, the subject matter has to be interesting to the child. At that point in my life, and some days still, I would have paid a very high price to be stranded on an island with a big black horse. Thanks to Walter Farley, I had now completed two books. Today I recommend that my patients with reading issues find a subject that interests them, and read whatever they can on it, whether that be The Black Stallion or a fishing magazine. Any interest that can be infused into the chore of reading will lessen the fatigue. With practice, most dyslexics can become proficient.

That proficiency is usually heightened inside of a specific subject matter.

As you become more familiar with words in a specific subject matter, reading comprehension goes up and fatigue goes down. Through junior high I continued to struggle with classes. I don’t think I ever passed a spelling test in my whole career, but science and history, where I could observe or hear the story, always seemed to go my way. I continued to be blessed with teachers whose teaching style was outside of the box or who were willing to bear with me as I worked through my struggles. In high school I became involved in public speaking.

For reasons I still do not understand, one of my teachers decided to put me in her honors English class. It was here that I was introduced to the oral book report. This is a dyslexic’s dream. You mean I don’t have to write anything? I can just read parts of the book and tell a good story? At this time I also became a more serious student of the Bible. Reading the Bible regularly continued to help improve my reading skills. It also gave me a clear picture on the value that had been placed on my life from God.

Many kids with dyslexia struggle with feelings of inadequacy or poor self-esteem. Isaiah 55:10-11 holds special meaning for me in regard to this.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to me empty without accomplishing what I desire and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

In college I was forced to concentrate again on reading in order to learn subject matter. Maturity had helped by now, but I continued to struggle in classes that were outside of the sciences. Graduate school was better. It was all science, all the time. Then there was medical school. The reading load was staggering, but it did not seem to matter anymore. I was completely comfortable with the material and the pace.

That brings me to advice for both parents and educators. Parents, don’t lose heart. Continue to advocate for your child. Seek reliable resources.

I suggest Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz MD as a good place to start.

Remember, not every child will learn the same way and that is okay. Help your child find their stride by playing to their strengths. Proverbs 22:6 advises us to train up a child according to their bent. For me, it started with horses and ended with science, but it got me to want to read, which ultimately led to proficiency. Teachers: so much thanks to the ones who believed in me and allowed me to learn outside the box. If you are an educator today, look for these kids. You never know when you might need a doctor someday.

Personal generosity.

Natural beauty.

Real community.

And new growth.

Mercy now cares for kids on our new Springdale campus.

With Mercy’s pediatric care close to home, it doesn’t matter whether you’re dealing with scrapes, sniffles, school or sports physicals, or annual check-ups.

You’re covered in Springdale.

Find your child’s Mercy pediatrician at mercy.net/SpringdaleKids

Mercy Clinic Pediatrics 4600 Mercy Lane l Springdale, AR 72762 (Intersection of Elm Springs Road and 48th Street)

Your life is our life’s work.

One of our favorite parts of the December issue is finding all the great gifts and products available locally. So, instead of waiting 11 more months for the next one, here is our Shop Local Guide : January Edition. Many of our gift selections encourage children to create positive resolutions and goals, as well as be good citizens.

Kindness and Joy Toys kindnessandjoytoys.com 2852 N College Ave, Fayetteville

Empowering and timeless, What Can a Citizen Do? is a book for today’s youth about what it means to be a citizen. Across the course of several seemingly unrelated but ultimately connected actions by different children, we watch how kids turn a lonely island into a community—and watch a journey from what the world should be to what the world could be. This is a book about what citizenship— good citizenship—means to you, and to us all.

Freckled Hen Farmhouse www.freckledhenfarmhouse.com

Backyard Sarari Company Grow Gardens - Grow Happiness in Small Spaces! Plant your Honey Bee Habitat Garden and enjoy the sight of honey bees pollinating your flowers.

Backyard Safari Egg Carton Gardening Kits make growing plants in small spaces a success, even for the novice gardener. These adorable egg carton garden kits come with all the supplies needed to grown their own garden. Plant the seeds in the twelve egg carton compartments and grown your own delightful plants!

Mother’s Rings at David Adams Fine Jewelry www.davidadams.com

A must-have for any mother or grandmother. This unique piece of jewelry is engraved by hand with your child’s name to make it look as though your child wrote their name themselves. One ring per child, and designed to be stackable.

Custom Tee Rex www.customteerex.com Mother Theresa, along with Martin Luther King Jr., and Ghandi (to name a few) is featured in the Social Justice League collection.

18 January 2020

Tee Rex has a fun t-shirt collection unlike any other. Owner Jayme Brandt designs a variety of shirts for people of all kinds. Our favorite designs are great inspiration for the new year, including their social justic league shirts, where some of the biggest movers and shakers in history get the superhero status they deserve - including a cape!

Our Favorite Finds - Shop Local Dream Big Tents

www.dreambigtents.com; Facebook and Instagram: @dreambigtents.com jennifer@dreambigtents.com A Dream Big Tents sleepover provides a dreamy experience for your child and their friends. Each child will have a personal tent which includes a soft mattress and sheet, breakfast tray with glowing lantern, fun decorative pillows, plush blanket, fairy lights, bunting, and more. You choose the date and theme option and we deliver, setup, and style, plus return the next day to take it all away. We can’t wait to create a sleepover experience for you!

Bentonville Mercantile

www.bentonvillemercantile.com 103 SE 2nd St, Bentonville, AR Where are the Bentonville Housewives? Bentonville Mercantile has several great items for you.

Dreamimals A great place for kids to write their New Year’s Resolutions and dreams all year long. Dreamimals are a cuddly and creative way to help with bedtime!

Jot down your dreams or wishes and tuck inside for bedtime fun! This was kid-invented by a hometown entrepreneur.

Dilly Dally’s Toy Store - 3301 Market St, Rogers www.dillydallys.com

B is For Bentonville Children’s Picture Book Go to www.buddypeg.com and search under ‘SHOP’

This holiday season, bring the LOVE of cycling to a child’s bedtime story! Fall in love with these two dogs and their animal friends as they explore Bentonville, AR, the alphabet, and learn what makes the bicycle (and local bike shops) so amazing.

REWIND FEATURE FROM JUNE 2019

What do you want to be when you

Grow up?

Story by: Kinna Thomas / Photos by: Sorella Photography

How many times during childhood have you heard this question? Better yet, let me ask another way... were your dreams as a child the same as they are as an adult? Here I am, at age 41, still wondering why people ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

am saying that there is more to this beautiful world than expecting a predicted response or choosing a purpose for your child. Expecting a 10-year-old or even a 15-year-old to have a strong grasp on “what I want to be when I grow up” is outright ludicrous.

It’s almost as if there is a standard answer that influences how we see the person responding to this dreaded and programmed question. Like it or not, the response that most of us want to hear is something impressive. We want to hear something that doesn’t seem financially risky or that doesn’t challenge our own truths. We proudly hold our heads high and stick our chests out if our tenyear-old says “I want to be a doctor!” or “I want to be a lawyer!” Ah, yes, they get it! There is validation in the appearance that you have raised a logical little human that is ready to take over the world, right? Wrong. More likely than not, they are giving the answer that you will accept. Based on your emotional responses, their logical brains know what you need to hear. After all, a child lives without constraints until a box is placed around them--usually one craeted by us. Our response to children helps determine their responses to us.

Our realities, self-awareness and self-limitations come with experience and maturity. It’s the reason that you can ask a 5-year-old what they want to do with life and the answer is completely different from a 10-, 20-, or even 30-year-old. Life teaches lessons and it has the ability to nip away at our dreams along the way. We have to figure out ways to be super intentional about dreaming outside of the box.

There is more to the world than getting to diagnose and heal the sick or defend our justice system, though these careers are absolutely amazing and admirable. A world without these incredible professions isn’t one that I’d like to live in, and I’m not minimizing all of the hard work, education, and grit necessary to keep up with these fields. Instead, I 20 January 2020

We need to stop putting ourselves in a box of what society deems as successful, and start letting the people around us dream. I believe there is so much truth in saying that our horizons are only limited by our imaginations.

As a busy career mom of two happy, basketball-loving little guys, things can get a tiny bit overwhelming with their As the boys are growing up, I want to make sure they have the resources and tools necessary to hit the

“what’s next” phase of their lives.

schedules. Julian (age 9) and Timmy (age 8) love the typical boy things. They are, however, super laser-focused on basketball. To call it an obsession might be a tiny bit of an understatement at this point. They trade basketball cards, watch Sports Center, play NBA 2K19 and can be found on any given day with a basketball in hand. They know all of the collegiate players by name, as well as pretty much anyone that’s secured the golden ticket to the NBA. They also asked to try baseball this year for the first time ever. Needless to say, things can get pretty hectic for our schedules. We have at least four practices and one game a week. Multiply that times two and there is total chaos on the calendar.

Our first priority is school, so there has to be a delicate balance with education and activities. We still somehow manage to make time to practice at least 100 basketball shots at the neighborhood court and exercise together regularly. Sometimes I want to let some of the activities go, but then I remember my own advice -- feed their dreams, not mine. This is their life, let them live it in a big and intentional way.

Our summer plans include -- you guessed it -basketball. They will attend four basketball camps, travel to visit family in St. Louis and splash at a water park in Texas. We have a concentrated focus on their activity of choice, but our entire family will be ready to vacation as often as possible this summer.

As you probably can tell, I don’t ask my kids the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” as I think it’s total malarkey. As the boys are growing up, I want to make sure they have the resources and tools necessary to hit the “what’s next” phase of their lives. For now, we are all about training for their expressed interest in the NBA. We will do that until they say otherwise. I’ve learned from my own experiences that putting limitations on dreams stifles and somehow seems to belittle purpose.

There is no way that I am doing that to these little people that I love.

By profession, I’ve had five careers! FIVE! It all started with programming, and then transitioned to insurance, then manufacturing, financial planning and now buying for the biggest company in the world. I vividly remember working for another company and having a conversation with my preivous manager. He asked me what I wanted to do next, and I was completely honest about my thought of being a buyer. He looked me square in the eye and said that I wouldn’t make a good buyer. I sought feedback on why and was told that I was too nice, not assertive enough, and he just simply couldn’t see my personality doing that. Less than 10 years later, I was nominated for buyer of the year three times with a company that valued my skill set. I say that to show that even when we know the direction that we’d like to take, there are a few dream killers along the way. Don’t be that for your children, or anyone else for that matter.

Encourage and motivate them to keep going… even if it’s not within the scope of what you would do. Guide them with valuable and actionable feedback to help them find their purpose.

My manager’s criticism was like fuel for my soul.

With hard work, great mentors and pure focus, I did something he never thought possible. I didn’t need his permission for my dream. After all, my goals are attached to my purpose -- not his. It taught me something extremely valuable about life, and even parenthood. Not everybody can handle your dreams. Whether they are a parent, family, friend, or even a boss, remember to live this life for you and to support DREAMS! If you decide to ask “What do you want to be when you grow up?” to anyone around you, please remember to brace yourself. Be ready to be supportive and positive, even when it doesn’t match your vision. Sometimes their dreams won’t fit the spaces you occupy. It’s not meant for you to understand in detail. Their purpose is their purpose. We are all created for a reason, so we may as well live life to its fullest. My request is super simple at this point: Dream outside of the box and color outside of the lines. Life is too short to be held to one person’s idea of what you should do.

Like I always tell my handsome little guys, you get to be the referee and the coach of your life. Dream like you will never fail. If you can dream it, you can do it. A dream plus motivation becomes reality. A future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Again, your horizons are only limited by your imaginations, so...

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THE

WAKE

MOVEMENT

by: Kelli and Brad Wilborne

We are The Wake Movement, a nonprofit organization reaching our community via wake and action sports culture. Our mission is to foster relationships and seek to build a community that fills every open boat seat to share the authentic Christ with others. We are so grateful for the beautiful playground that God has given us in Northwest Arkansas and across the globe. We hope to share this amazing playground, love others, and share the beautiful story of salvation with everyone.

Hop on the wave as we tell you about our journey!

The Wake Movement began with us, Kelli and Brad Wilborne, on a cold day in February 2018, as we were dreaming about the lake. God began tugging on our hearts to find a way to use our boat to grow the Kingdom of God. Kelli asked the question, “Who wouldn’t want to go to the lake?” and we immediately had an ‘a-ha’ moment! Who wouldn’t want to go to the lake?! From this moment on, the dreaming began. A website was secured, a Facebook page created, and Instagram was fired up. We had no idea of the big plans God had in store for our dream, but we just knew that we were being called to something greater than being just “boat owners.”

Shortly after the idea originated, we received a call from a man named Jarrett McLelland. He was insistent that the both of us meet him for lunch that day. Fifteen minutes later, we met Jarrett, and ended up spending three hours with him at McAlister’s. Jarrett shared with us that he had been in wake ministry for over 10 years, doing exactly what we were dreaming of doing. He had a 501c3 organization set up and had been very successful in running his ministry, The Wake Inc.(even our ministry names were almost the same!) Jarrett discipled us as we began to start our ministry. After 6 to 8 months of close guidance and training, Jarrett felt led to hand over the keys to the organization to us, and we didn’t know what to think! We had no other explanation other than how big our God is.

The flood gates were opened (water pun intended!)

24 January 2020

It was full speed ahead for us as we held our first summer event in 2018. This was an epic day on the lake where any and everyone could come and have access to our boat for tubing, wakeboarding, and swimming! We had three boats running that day, thanks to our wonderful volunteers who donated their time, boats, and fuel. The Wake Movement could not be effective in providing an avenue to experience God’s playground without volunteers who open their boats to others. Throughout the summer of 2018, The Wake Movement fostered relationships within the community, sharing our vision and loving others. This was an amazing summer full of new friendships, new ideas, and growth as an organization. Then came October, as well as its chilly weather. Well.. what do we do now?

At this point, Jarrett had been moved to a leadership position as Chairman of the Board

overseeing the activity of The Wake Movement. He challenged us on what our plans were for the cold months. How could we impact the community and love others without the warm summer water?

Through our social media platforms, we began to build relationships on a national level. We came in contact with Robby Maschhaupt in North Carolina, an ambassador for Centurion boats and a large advocate for water sports culture. He was hosting a WAKESgiving event in North Carolina.

This is a food drive event where crazy people put on wet suits and ride in the cold to raise food for their local community. We immediately reached out to see if we could bring a WAKESgiving to NWA. This idea exploded in NWA! The Wake Movement was covered by KNWA as Santa surfed behind the boat, and the footage was aired in thirteen states and gained over 300,000 viewers! Once again, no explanation besides how big our God is! We raised over 400 pounds of food and $200 for the NWA Food Bank. Success! Next, we participated in local Christmas parades. We even handed out pool noodles, thanks to an amazing donor in the community! It was so fun! The Christmas parades wrapped up 2018 for The Wake Movement. What a GREAT first year as an organization!

2019 became even greater, however. During the summer of 2019, we held two ‘Lake Day’ events.

The first event was with the Boys and Girls Club, and the second was with The Call. The impact we were able to have on these two local organizations in our community was so beautiful, with kids expressing that it was the best day of their lives!

Once again, all of this was made possible by our volunteers/donors. The Wake Movement ran five boats this year, all from volunteers in the lake community who willingly donated their boats and time. Along with these events, ministry was happening all over NWA. Our favorite story from summer 2019 was when we picked up two college kids wakeboarding on a jetski. This led to a summer full of fellowship with one of the young men. We even ventured to Hot Springs to support a similar water sports organization. We spent the drive to Hot Springs sharing the gospel with him, sharing how much God loves him and wants a relationship with him. This young man has become one of our closest friends and is on the water with The Wake Movement any chance he can get. This is life change; this is The Wake Movement.

This brings us to the now... the cold months. We are still riding regardless of the weather! We have hosted our second annual WAKESgiving, and have participated in Christmas parades in Rogers and Bentonville. We were able to raise 952 pounds of food to donate to the NWA Food bank this year at WAKESgiving.

So, what is next for The Wake Movement? We know that 2020 is going to be an even greater year for The Wake Movement, and we are excited to see God work in our community. One of the next moves for The Wake Movement will be working on expanding into ALL action sports in Northwest Arkansas. The vision for this includes identifying leaders in the community who are motivated to make a wave in the community through their action sport of choice. We have dreams of mountain biking rides, skate park hangouts, rock climbing groups, and more. All of these are action sports within our region that can be used to reach and love on others in the community.

You might be asking how you can get involved!

There are multiple ways to get involved with The Wake Movement. You can be a financial donor, volunteer, or just a friend in the community.

We are all in this together within Northwest Arkansas. Our 2020 fundraising campaign is now live, and we are raising funds to support our activity in the community through 2020. If you are interested in being a financial donor, you can find all of our information on our website, www.thewakemovement.com. If you are wanting to donate your time or fill item needs, the best way to stay in the know is on our Facebook and Instagram pages. All in all, we are so grateful to be in such a beautiful, generous, and opportunityfilled community. We want to make a wave in our community, and we want everyone to join us. So, hop on the Wave!

Amber J. Sills, MD | Amy Sarver, MD | Lisa Bearden, MD

500 SE Plaza Avenue Bentonville, Arkansas

are “things”. Now, some of these are pretty harsh and will have you slapping your head, like I have almost daily, since you’ve probably done these to people with cancer. Others will make you sit and ponder how you can make a more positive impact on someone with cancer. Others may tick you off.

Others will simply make you cry.

It’s Personal Like I mentioned above, my wife has cancer; I don’t. But I can tell it’s very personal. I can’t do anything to take it away, make it better, or treat the side effects. We’re a little beyond Tylenol, chicken soup, and putting the kids to bed. So, if you are the primary caregiver, or really anyone trying to help, know there are going to be some low points where you are simply worthless, unwanted, and unneeded. Don’t take this personally because, again, this disease is personal.

Cancer Cues and Clues

My wife has cancer. Sadly, I’m quite certain that you could easily tell me about your experience with a loved one, a friend, a co-worked, a family member that has gone through the absolute horrors of chemo, the disheartening depression of hair loss, and the total hell of surgery.

We’re half-way through chemo. Wait, no, that’s not correct... and that is actually one of my major pet peeves. It’s kind of like when people say “We’re pregnant!” Seriously, ladies, why do you let us get by with that? I mean, a fella’s involvement in pregnancy is vital, but in no way we should be jumping on the “we” bandwagon. Same with cancer. It takes a tribe of medical personnel, friends, and family just to get through each day, but at its most basic point, cancer is a very personal disease. Your body is attacking your body. That’s so deep it is nearly impossible to describe the mental and physical angst and anguish.

But I’m straying from the main focus of this article.

Cancer clues and cues. Meaning, those things people on the outside looking in have no idea 28 January 2020

I’ll Come See You! We have admittedly been overly cautious with potential illness and have taken germaphobic behavior to unprecedented new levels, but the last thing you should do to someone going through chemo is usually the first thing you think you should do... hug them. We’re all a bunch of filthy humans. Admit it. It is a full-contact world out there and although weekly Walmart visits might actually help our long-term immunity, it is bad, bad, bad, bad for those undergoing chemo treatment. Not that they don’t want, need, and would enjoy a hug from you. No, it’s not lack of desire, it’s a lack of white blood cells. You know, those cells that fight off shopping cart crud and coughing children. Don’t take it personally; she also can’t get near me for two out of three weeks of treatment. The first week her body is expelling extremely harsh chemicals from leftover chemo drugs, so she is toxic to me. Then we switch during week two as her white cells drop and my germy self becomes toxic to her.

This pattern also causes another soul-crushing side effect. My wife badly wants to see all of her friends and yearns for human interaction outside of my boys and I; none of which are dynamic orators. However, she also knows these visits can truly be dangerous to her health. And while we probably overdo it with this concern, know this; any temperature above 100.4 means an immediate call to the oncologist. Most of us have had 100.4 temperatures and never even thought twice about it. Scary.

Chemo Brain This was the one topic that I called BS on when

we first started learning about cancer, treatment, and side effects. “Chemo brain” is the name for the potential effect of chemotherapy on the patient’s noggin. It can range from acting a little bit like a fifteen-year-old ditzy blonde, to feeling like you came off a three-day bender in Lost Wages (Vegas), to having the memory of a ninety-five-year-old, to being kind of scarily completely out of it. How do I know all this? Personal experience. And be careful joking about this around a patient. How do I know that? Personal experience.

Shaved Heads and The Pink Posse As humans, we like to empathize and sympathize with others. One way is show solidarity. My wife lost her hair due to her particular chemo cocktail. I, after growing my hair out for two years, immediately volunteered as tribute to shave it all off. I got a very clear “absolutely not”. Her thought process was “I know I’m going to be bald and I know I have to be bald; you don’t.”

And regarding pink. It’s just not her color…

The “How are You” Text/Voice Mail/Post This one, like having visitors, is a mixed bag of emotions. Yes, my wife and I want to know people are thinking about her. But several dozen daily “how are you”-s create stress as we try to answer all of them while trying to maintain some bit of normalcy in the house. Chemo brain also factors heavily into this, as there are times when it is difficult and confusing for her to return the messages. Two suggestions on this. First, we have a couple of friends that always say, “No need to respond, just thinking of you”. That’s a great way for everyone to feel love instead of pressure. The other thought I have is a little odd, but my favorite.

Instead of asking me, “How are you?”--which, if we answered honestly, would contain a long line of capitalized four letter words, tell me how you are. Example: a dear friend just moved to Hawaii.

After our initial cancer cry call, I made a deal with him: Don’t ask me about my wife’s cancer. Instead, send me a daily picture of Hawaii and tell me what you are doing. He thought that sounded wickedly harsh, since he knew our day probably wasn’t going to be as good as his; however, it gives a daily escape away from the “real world”.

The Kid Factor At some point, we had to tell our kids about the diagnosis. We waited, and we feel rightly so, until we had a treatment plan. This allowed us to avoid saying “Your mom has cancer…” and letting them fill in the blanks. Instead, we told them

“Mom has breast cancer and will be treated with chemotherapy that starts on October 7th and will continue every third week until January 20th, at which time the doctors feel the tumor will be gone and she can them proceed with surgeries. She will lose her hair within the next month and it will start growing back a month after chemo is finished.” All the details were shared, which we thought was ageappropriate. That might be TMI for you, but it was exactly what our kids needed to hear. They wanted information and to know that we had a plan; especially regarding hair loss, since that is a very physical and easy thing for kid’s to notice and cling to.

How did they react? We have three children.

One bawled uncontrollably for a bit of time, then wanted extremely detailed information about each and every little thing that was going on. If I forgot to mention one small piece of data, it sounded off alarms. Another offspring retreated from us and stayed in their room for a week or two; likely processing the information. They didn’t want to talk about it, and eventually emerged like nothing had happened. The third didn’t even listen to the full diagnosis and plan before hitting Google to desperately try to complete med school before bedtime.

In Closing The above represent some of the encounters my wife and I have had with HER cancer. We’ve quickly learned that no two cancers are alike and no two patients are alike. Therefore, do not take these as the “be all end all” facts on cancer care.

Also, please know this. At the end of the day, I actually know nothing about cancer. As I mentioned, this is a personal battle. We don’t have cancer; she does.

CHILDREN CAN DEVELOP THE SAME MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AS ADULTS, BUT SYMPTOMS MAY BE DIFFERENT. Children can develop all of the same mental health conditions as adults, but may express them differently. This can make them more difficult to identify.

If you believe that your child may be struggling with a mental health condition, a research study could be an option. Children ages 12 and older that qualify and participate receive care from doctors and other medical staff and no cost. Compensation for time and travel expense may also be available.

Consider a research study for your child.

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WHAT SHOULD YOU WATCH FOR IN YOUR CHILD FOR SIGNS OF A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION? Drastic changes in behavior or personality like frequent fighting, out-of control-behavior, and overwhelming fear can be warning signs.

Feelings of withdrawal and sadness lasting 2 weeks or more or severe mood changes that affect home or school life.

Headaches and stomachaches may develop over sadness and anxiety.

Trouble sitting still or focusing at school leading to poor grades could be a warning sign.

At Pediatric Dental Associates and Orthodontics you’ll discover that we go the extra mile for our patients! From the moment you see our office, you’ll know what we mean. We have a fully themed environment that is comforting and fun for your children.

We offer preventive, restorative, and orthodontic services for kids ages 0-18.

We also specialize in dental care for children with special needs.

1607 E. Rainforest Rd. Fayetteville, AR 72703

801 SW Regional Airport Blvd.

Bentonville, AR 72712

Fayetteville: 479-582-0600

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We accept all insurances and we are in-network with Delta Dental, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, ARKids, Delta Dental Smiles, and MCNA. peekaboonwa.com

31

U PDAT E :

[

Lisa Jones

Without the rain, there would never be rainbows.

story by: Lisa Jones photo by: Max Grubb www.mileswittboyer.com

If you’ve ever experienced the loss of a child, you understand the heaviness of the grief that overcomes you. The pain that the flesh feels is so deep that it can be hard to see a light shine.

I’m a wife, a mother, a boss, and most importantly, a sister-in-Christ. For the past seven years, I’ve owned Elysian Boutique in downtown Bentonville.

Two years ago, we welcomed our first little girl, Devyn Rae Jones, into the world. The love you feel when you become a mother is the purest love there is. It’s one that will take your breath away when you think of the first time you held them.

My name is Lisa Jones, and this is our story.

October 14, 2018 was one of the worst days of my life. That morning, I journaled these words...

“I miscarried today. I never in my life have felt so alone. Even though I have the most amazing husband, and this beautiful little girl staring up at me watching the tears fall down my face... I feel alone. Because this life inside of me is gone. This dream of our family becoming a family of four in the spring is gone. This vision I started to build of the perfect nursery has now become a black hole with thoughts of what now? Is it really happening?

Did you do something to cause this? Is the stress of owning a business too much?

Jess has been the most amazing husband. He has cared for me today and he has shown me love in ways I’ve never felt before. Devyn has hugged me and kissed me because she knows something just isn’t right. I’ve mourned. I am mourning.

I’m bawling as I write these words. Will we try 32 January 2020

again? What if it happens all over? Why did this have to be a part of our story? I’m praying for understanding. I’m praying for peace. I’m praying for this bitterness to disappear. I’m afraid. Most of all, I’m heartbroken.”

I’m thankful for a husband that listened. He watched for my cues of sadness and allowed me to grieve.

I’m thankful for the women that work for me, that work next to me. I’m thankful for the way they have loved me and have allowed me to mourn our loss day in and day out. I’m thankful that not only did they sit beside me and watch the tears fall, they cried with me.

I’m thankful for the women who have also experienced this horrible part of motherhood that no mom should ever have to experience, because they understood my feelings and helped me navigate the sorrow.

Exactly one year later, on October 14, 2019, our rainbow baby, Lennon Grey Jones, entered the world. The minute they laid her on my chest and I looked into her eyes, I saw the ‘why’. I wouldn’t be holding her now if we hadn’t gone through the pain, through the heartbreak, through the loss. We now have another beautiful baby girl that is perfect in His eyes and I’m so thankful His plan is always better than mine. Our family is now complete.

Thank you Lord for providing us with a loving family and wonderful friends to help guide us through the darkness.

“I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born” says The Lord. Isaiah 66:9

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33

LO O K A N D F E E L

YO U R B E S T At Women’s Health Associates, we want you to feel confident about every aspect of your life, including how you look. That’s why we offer a number of aesthetic services designed to help you be your best self at every stage of your life.

FA C I A L S Designed to help you put your best face forward, let us help you discover a more beautiful and youthful-looking you. All facials include an in-depth skin analysis, cleansing and exfoliation of the neck, face, and décolleté.

Also Offering: Dermaplaning | Microneedling | Chemical Peels | Microdermabrasion

I N J E C TA B L E S A N D D E R M A L F I L L E R S As we age, our faces naturally lose subcutaneous fat and the “plump” look of our youth. Injectables and dermal fillers can be used to help diminish facial lines and restore volume and fullness in the face. Plump thin lips, enhance shallow contours, soften facial creases and wrinkles, and improve the appearance of recessed scars.

Offering: BOTOX® Cosmetic | JUVEDERM®

I N T I M AT E W E L L N E S S CO2RE Intima vaginal treatments help restore your vaginal health… and help you rediscover what you’ve lost. The procedure only takes a few minutes and many women report symptom relief after the very first treatment. The treatments use laser energy to stimulate healing and renewed collagen that results in increased elasticity and natural lubrication, decreased urine leakage, and more pleasurable sex.

B O DY C O N T O U R I N G Love the idea of reshaping your body, but not the reality of incisions or scars? Our non-invasive procedures don’t require any incisions and deliver noticeable results. The treatments work to improve the appearance of cellulite, reduce dimpled skin, and tighten skin on the abdomen, love handles, hips, thighs and other areas that require fat reduction. BodyFX addresses problematic fatty tissue in larger body areas such as the abdomen, back (flanks), and thighs. MiniFX addresses problematic fatty tissue in smaller areas like the neck, arms, and knees. Forma tightens the skin on the face, neck and hands.

Also offering: Photo facials with Lumecca | Laser Hair Removal | Waxing Spider Vein Treatment

500 SE PLAZA AVENUE BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS

479-876-8111 www.whanwa.com 34 January 2020

U PDAT E :

Kat

Local Student and Co-Founder

KAT’S KAUSE Brings Diabetes Awareness to Northwest Arkansas Schools and Beyond During Cold and Flu Season

by: Veronica Lynch This is Kathlyn, literally “armed” with an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor. In 2012, when she was 7, I took her to the doctor, suspecting diabetes. He told me that she would be fine, saying, “It’s just a virus, why put her through all that bloodwork?” What I know now, is that the “bloodwork” could have been done in his office, with one drop of blood in five seconds. However, he told me what I wanted to hear, that my baby would be okay, so we went on our way.

Several days after that visit, Kat came downstairs in a pair of “shorties,” summer pajamas. I was behind on my laundry (as usual). At age 7, she was bathing and dressing herself. It occurred to me that I had not seen her legs in a week or two. It was the middle of winter, and she was always in sweat pants or fuzzy jammies. Kat has danced for years and even at that young age, she had muscular dancer’s legs. I felt like I was looking at someone else’s child, with thin, frail little legs--the calf muscles were completely gone. I now know that for weeks, maybe months prior, she was not getting the nutrients from her food that she needed. The insulin-producing cells in her pancreas were slowing shutting down, and the glucose produced by carbs she ate (whether healthy fruits or sweets), was now building up in her system, making her blood thick, sugary, and toxic. So, her body fueled itself by first going to any 7-year-old “pudge” that existed and then started to eat away at her muscle.

She had been looking thin and pale, yet “eating like a lumberjack.” This was not uncommon for a growth spurt. Diabetes is so difficult to diagnose 36 January 2020

because it can be rationalized away as other things, such as a growth spurt, stomach bug, or virus.

I went to our local pharmacy and bought a blood glucose meter that day. There was one on the shelf and it had been opened. I brought it to the pharmacist and asked if there was a new one in the back. “Why do you need that, dear?” the woman behind the counter asked. I’m sure she saw the fear in my face. I was a nervous wreck. She got me a new tester, showed me how to load the needle and use it. She told me to wait until the following morning and test Kat before breakfast, to get a read of her fasting blood sugar. She said if her blood glucose was over 120 that we should call the doctor. The next morning, I felt sick inside. I tested my baby girl and she was 256. Normal blood glucose at fasting is 70-80. With one finger stick test, our lives changed. She was not fine, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on December 9, 2012, and we had caught it early. By the time we got to the emergency room, her glucose level was over 500. The hospital staff was in shock that we had caught it so “early.” Most kids are diagnosed at 700 or 800. At 1,000, you can slip into a coma and your organs start to shut down, or you can suffer a stroke... or worse. I learned afterwards that kids still die from misdiagnosed Type 1 diabetes. We were so lucky. By the grace of God, we had dodged the bullet of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) and having to be admitted in the ICU, like so many.

About a year later, at a routine physical, we were sitting in a pediatrician’s office and Kat asked

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davidadams.com

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

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why there weren’t any posters with symptoms of diabetes. The seed for Kat’s Kause was planted.

Since then, it’s been our mission to share signs & symptoms. Knowing the signs saves lives!

Seven years after her own diagnosis, Kat’s Kause, Inc., filed letters of incorporation, giving her a bigger platform to share her message. We have big, big plans! According to the American Diabetes Association, there are over 30 million people in the U.S. with diabetes (that is a combined Type 1 and Type 2 number) – that’s almost 10% of our population. Both Type 1 and Type 2 are on the rise; however, we are missing the mark as a society when it comes to education and detection. We need to do a better job of getting out in front of the public, in key locations, where someone experiencing signs may need to see this information. That is exactly what we aim to do with Kat’s Kause. I knew to do an internet search on “extreme thirst and frequent urination” because when we lived in Northwest Arkansas the first time, we knew two families with T1D children. However, it was so easy to rationalize those symptoms away – even our doctor got it wrong. What about the people who have no idea that these signs are related to diabetes?

Kat’s Kause launched an awareness campaign this past November, during National Diabetes Awareness Month, that placed letters, posters and electronic graphics in Bentonville Public Schools and several areas at the University of Arkansas.

The truly beautiful thing about this effort and the evolution of Kat’s Kause is that as we have met with various people in the community, the project continues to grow and meet needs. For example, when working with the schools to understand how to share our information, I spoke to two different school principals that saw the letter and both said, “I wish I had had this information several years ago.” Both were unaware that they had Type 2, but both had almost every symptom outlined in our flyer. We felt it important to share that signs and symptoms at onset of Type 1 and Type 2 are the same, even though they are ultimately very different conditions. We learned that almost half of the those diagnosed with Type 1 are adults. We often think it’s a juvenile disease and assume kids will grow out of it, or not have to worry about the risk at a certain age. This is not true. Type 1 can strike at any age and is often misdiagnosed as Type 2. If your A1C is elevated (measure of blood glucose over a 3-month period), demand your doctor check for the presence of antibodies as well. Even though our hearts will always be with those with Type 1, we feel strongly that the information we share address all those experiencing signs of diabetes.

38 January 2020

We have spoken to so many people that were misdiagnosed, and so many have stories more traumatic than ours. As we move into the height of cold and flu season, when diabetes is so often misdiagnosed, we will continue our efforts and move from the schools and into our community with a grassroots campaign to spread the word.

Our goal is to get the information out to the public, so if you suspect diabetes, you know how to search the symptoms and what to do to find the answers early. Diabetes is difficult. It is much less traumatic for those involved if they can be diagnosed early and suffer less physical damage. We believe someone in your circle needs this information.

Signs include: Super thirsty, lots of bathroom breaks/bed wetting, super hungry, dramatic weight loss, lethargic, blurry vision, flulike symptoms (nausea and vomiting), and fruity breath (did you just drink a juice box?). If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately! Ask your doctor for a blood glucose test, preferably a finger stick test that can be done on-site with one drop of blood that takes 5 seconds. You may not have the time to wait three days to get a full blood panel back from the lab. If you can’t see your health care professional, many pharmacies have clinics and can do a finger stick test on-site. Or, you can do what we did and buy a blood glucose meter and strips and test yourself. The store brand meters and strips offer good accuracy at a good value.

The ADA recommends that your glucose levels be 70-130 mg/dl before a meal and less than 180 after a meal. If your meter reads “HIGH,” go to the emergency room.

For more information, visit katskause.org.

If you would like educational materials for your business, school, or class, please e-mail katskause@gmail.com or visit katskause.org and download our flyer.

We are excited to share that Tara Kinsley and Freeride Spin Studio will be hosting a ride for charity to benefit Kat’s Kause on January 25th at 9:30am, so we can continue to supply materials to our local schools.

For more information on this upcoming event, visit freeride.studio or follow us on Facebook at Kat’s Kause Diabetes Awareness.

Together we can make a huge difference!

Knowing the signs of diabetes saves lives!

Dr. Averitt, Megan, Staci & and the staff of Best Start Pediatric Clinic would like to welcome our new Nurse Practitioner, Bessie Smith, APRN.

Willow Creek Women’s Hospital now offers

“hidden scar” breast cancer surgery At Willow Creek Women’s Hospital (WCWH), women diagnosed with breast cancer can now access a new type of breast cancer surgery that is performed in such a way as to hide the scar.

“We are thrilled to be expanding options for women in Northwest Arkansas with a procedure that effectively treats the cancer and optimizes the cosmetic results,” said Juli McWhorter, Chief Administrative Officer of Willow Creek Women’s Hospital. “Many women are unaware of all the surgical options available, including minimally invasive approaches that minimize the visual reminders that may impact the emotional healing process. This new surgical technique enables highly trained surgeons to remove the cancerous tissue through a single incision made in an inconspicuous area, preserving the natural shape of the breast while reducing visible scarring.”

Dr. Joseph Kelamis and Dr. Christopher Menendez, both independent members of the hospital’s medical staff, have been trained in the new advanced approach to breast cancer surgery that hides scars, minimizing the daily visible reminder of a breast cancer diagnosis.

In 2019, an estimated 316,700 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Patients undergoing breast cancer surgery using this new approach experience optimal clinical and cosmetic outcomes, and are at no higher risk of recurrence than patients who undergo any other surgical technique.

Dr. Menendez 40 January 2020

“New surgical techniques are made possible through advancements in technology, especially through devices

used to better visualize the surgical field,” said Dr. Menendez, who is a board-certified surgeon specializing in breast surgical oncology. “We are proud to offer our patients advanced oncologic surgery using smaller cosmetic incisions.”

“One in eight women will be affected by breast cancer in their lifetime,” said Dr. Kelamis, who is a board-certified plastic Dr. Kelamis surgeon.

“For many women, a scar can impact their overall wellbeing as a reminder of breast cancer, but with the hidden scar surgery, they now have options for what that post-recovery journey will look like.”

Performing breast cancer surgery through a smaller incision requires consistent illumination throughout the surgical cavity, so surgeons can clearly see and effectively remove the tumor. WCWH invested in new technology to improve visibility for surgeons performing the new procedure as well as for lumpectomies and nipple-sparing mastectomies. This enables the surgeons to perform complex, in-demand surgeries with greater confidence, and give more women access to transformative options.

For more information: On Willow Creek Women’s Hospital’s breast cancer program, visit www.NorthwestHealth.com/breast-care For referral to a physician or more information, call 800-734-2024.

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO REACH THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES ACROSS NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE IN NEXT MONTH’S ISSUE EMAIL: EDITOR@PEEKABOONWA.COM

MULTIPLE SIZES OF ADS TO FEATURE YOUR BUSINESS, IN NWA’S PREMIER FAMILY MAGAZINE!

WE ARE

The CREATURE CREW We bring animals home to you!

The Creature Crew provides kids with a convenient and fun way to learn about Earth’s awesome animal kingdom. Our subscription boxes guide them to explore wildlife’s wonders, including many species most of us may never see firsthand. Not only that, we offer an ideal format for discovering unique habitats around the globe.

+ Elephants can cry. But why? + “Motion dazzle” is an optical illusion we see when groups of zebras (called “dazzles”) move together.

Each month, young subscribers receive our box in the mail filled with full-color fact and activity pages, kid-friendly recipes, science projects and puzzles, animal tracker stickers for their colorcoded wall map, and keepsakes that fit with each month’s animals and their environment.

The Creature Crew brings animals home to your kids with hands-on learning (woo hoo, no screens!). One-month, six-month, and one-year membership options make it easy for families to find the best fit for them. Yearly membership is most cost-effective and includes the most bonus benefits to maximize your child’s TCC experience.

Kids will get a view into environments like the tundra, savannah, grasslands, and coniferous, deciduous, and rainforest habitats. We have future plans for farms, rivers and lakes, and oceans. Each habitat is color-coded, and pages are hole-punched so Crew members can build their collection of information and activity pages in a binder for years to come.

Before long, your kids will be seeking answers to their questions and quoting their answers to you:

+ The lemming is one of the smallest tundra animals.

It’s subniveal, meaning it moves beneath the snow by digging tunnels. + A pangolin’s tail is strong enough to support its body weight.

42 January 2020

Or how about these? + Cows don’t have upper front teeth. + Dolphins use sonar to detect structures around them. Do you know another name for sonar? + Goats can change the sound of their bleats, like an accent, depending on their environment around different goats. + Did you know a group of pugs is called a grumble?

Your children may have heard terms like genus and species, food chain, gestation, and hibernation, but they may not know what those concepts mean for different animals. (Bears aren’t the only creatures that hibernate, for instance.)

The amazement potential makes us giddy!

One of Our Favorite Extras Through our Caring for Creatures feature, we partner with organizations that help animals. With every box, we’ll highlight what an organization does, what creatures they serve, and how they do it. By putting our box in their gift shop or posting about us to their social media followers, they’ll receive a portion of profits from our box sales that month. It helps them, helps us, and helps more animals—all while helping kids gain a broader view of the world. Members get to smile extra big knowing their subscription makes a difference to animals in need.

WHO IS THE CREATURE CREW? The new start-up began with a dream that proliferated like a creche of caiman hatchlings (your subscriber will learn about that).

Each Christmas for years, founder Ginger Quye bought subscription boxes for her two children.

When she couldn’t find one focused on animals, she decided to create the product she wanted for them.

As a homeschooling parent, she also longed to trade in her corporate job for a career that allowed her to work from home. She sought the partnership of two friends with professional backgrounds and skills that complemented her own and filled specific roles.

Through a lot of meetings and back and forth ideas, activity days, and brain stretching, a year and a half later, The Creature Crew launched in December 2019.

Northwest Arkansas is not only rich in wildlife; it’s also an environment that nurtures entrepreneurship. Residents move here for family life, vast opportunities, and culture that feeds the soul. As The Creature Crew, we’re thrilled to share those very things with you and your family.

Please visit us at www.thecreaturecrew.com and enter code PEEKABOOWIN19 for 10% off your order through February 29, 2020.

Or Find us on Facebook and Instagram at #thecreaturecrewbox.

WILDLIFE ADVENTURES IN NWA Let us jump start your family’s animal-sighting adventures. An online search for hiking spots in the area is a great way to start (www.nwatrails.org/ trails). Plan a few hours on a weekend to discover the creatures around us. Aside from that starter, here are a few more ideas to add to your list. Keep it growing (and let The Creature Crew know where you go!).

1. Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge www.turpentinecreek.org

2. Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge (not open to the public but worth exploring online) www.fws.gov/ refuge/Logan_Cave/ Marian Knaust is a speech pathologist and mother of two teens. She’s behind the puzzles and activities, 3. Ponca Elk Education Center (near the Buffalo River) along with researching inclusion items and other https://agfc.com/en/explore-outdoors/nature-andbusiness matters. education-centers/peec/ Erin Marshall is a published author, professional editor, and the writer of most of what you’ll read on our pages. She also likes the marketing side of things.

4. Bird watching www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/ outdoors/bird-watching-wildlife 5. Hobbs State Park www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/ hobbs-state-park-conservation-area

pre-primary (2-4 years)

primary (5-12 years)

secondary (12-21 years)

Engaging & Individualized childrensABAteam.com peekaboonwa.com

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Empathy Expert:

Raising empathic kids starts early

By Dwain Hebda A four-year-old runs and laughs with her friends on the playground. In typical zig-zag, every-whichway fashion, the tots chase and laugh and tag one another, or no one in particular.

Then, the little girl’s eyes momentarily shift focus, her foot catches on the ground and she tumbles into the wood chips beneath her. She’s more startled than hurt, but startled is all it takes, and she begins to cry. Her mother walks over, collects the child and begins to soothe her as the other kids gather around, wide-eyed and quiet.

This scenario plays itself out thousands of times a day all over the country, but its frequency doesn’t dilute its potency as a teaching moment. For beyond the skinned knee and the stinging tears, it’s how the parent relates to the child’s distress, calms her and restores equilibrium to the girl’s mood that’s instructive. In a word, the parent demonstrated empathy, and in so doing taught her daughter and any other child watching how to do the same.

Every parent knows that children learn by imitating the actions of others, in ways both conspicuous and subtle. Empathy – the ability to 46 January 2020

relate to how another is feeling – is one of those attributes that demands understanding of another, which can be very difficult for children, given that most are wired to be fundamentally self-centered.

However, by modeling the appropriate behavior, parents can leave an indelible imprint on their child, encouraging empathy – or apathy – to the plight of others.

We asked Gail Lane, clinical director of Northwest Arkansas Chenal Practice in Rogers to spell out some of these strategies. In times such as these, we could all use a little more compassion.

1. Understand what you’re driving at.

Understanding what empathy is and is not goes a long way toward bringing it out in children.

Empathy is frequently confused with sympathy, even though the two offer completely different levels of connection between two people. For instance, customer service representatives are often taught to show empathy (“I understand how you feel”) versus sympathy (“I’m sorry your TV doesn’t work”) as a more effective means of defusing an irate consumer.

3. It takes one to know one.

Language is one of the last mechanisms a child develops and, even when they do start talking, it’s years before they assemble a vocabulary sufficient to express everything they may be feeling. Parents, therefore, have to train their children to recognize emotions through visual cues. It’s the same thinking behind why storybooks start out pictureheavy and text-light.

“A really important thing for fostering empathy in kids is playing with emotions,” Lane said.

“With young kids, when you’re watching a movie together, pause it and talk about it. ‘How do you think they feel right now?’ ‘They feel sad.’ ‘Have you ever had that experience before?’ ‘Yeah, when Bobby did this to me at school.’”

4. What’s behind that smile?

As children become better equipped to recognize the outward attributes of emotions (tears, facial expressions, etc.) it’s important that they also learn about feelings. As we all know, there’s physical pain and there’s emotional pain, and the empathic child is one who is able to relate to both.

“The first thing that parents must do is make sure they have a clear definition of empathy,” Lane said.

“Empathy is feeling with someone and creates connection. Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone and it creates distance or disconnection. It’s really important to make that differentiation.”

“Talk about how that affects somebody else. ‘How do you think they feel?’ is a really good question to ask kids,” Lane said. “Or, ask your child if they have ever felt that way before. ‘When you felt that way, what happened?’ It’s something that connects us to all of humanity, recognizing that we all experience feelings.”

2. It starts early.

5. Analyze, process, repeat.

Empathy training starts a lot sooner than you may think. When babies connect with a parent’s face and mirror their expression, that’s connecting with the feelings of another, albeit on a somewhat reflexive manner. From this basic framework, Mom and Dad can construct understanding of what emotions are and how to recognize them.

“I really think it starts when you come out of the womb,” Lane said. “As kids develop cognitively, they’re able to put language around emotions and that happens through modeling. A kid stomps their feet and Mom or Dad says, ‘You feel angry.’

That is beginning the structure for developing empathy in kids.”

Emotions are ruled by individual differences, cultural mores and by the situation. What’s devastating to one child is no big deal to another and only sometimes a big deal to another. The more variations of emotions children can be exposed to over time, the more intuitive they become, given proper guidance and food for thought.

“Pursuing interactions in which they are with people who are different from themselves should be followed by pointed conversations about it,” Lane said. “You can’t just walk through that experience and not process it with the child and think that they’ll develop kindness or empathy.

The key is having those conversations that always point it back to, ‘What do you think the other person is feeling?’”

➽ Five Facts

By: Dwain Hebda

Non-Profit Organizations Doing Important Work in NWA A servant’s heart isn’t much use without an organization to harness it for the good of others.

Fortunately, that’s not an issue in Northwest Arkansas, where the spirit of community is as old as the hills and caring for one’s neighbor is a deeply ingrained part of the culture.

PEEKABOO Magazine dug into local resources to discover some nonprofit organizations that are making a difference every day in this part of the state: helping the less fortunate, feeding the hungry, leading people to self-sufficiency, and generally making Northwest Arkansas a better place to live.

These five are by no means the only organizations needing your help or support, nor are their mission or causes more important than those not featured here. PEEKABOO salutes all nonprofit organizations in Northwest Arkansas for the work that they do and to the many ordinary citizens such as you who support that work with time, money, and/or resources.

Horses for Healing Horses for Healing was established as Rocky Creek Horses Help in 1991 to provide therapeutic riding for a group of 15 children with special needs. The first therapeutic riding center in Arkansas to become a Premier Accredited Center through Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, Horses for Healing changed its name and moved to its current facility in Bentonville in 2004. The organization 48 January 2020

works with hundreds of children with special needs every year, but challenges still remain, as there are an estimated 10,000 eligible children who could benefit from therapeutic riding.

Volunteer opportunities abound at Horses for Healing, a sample of which include administrative support, farm upkeep, horse management, fundraising and directly assisting with riding sessions.

Horses For Healing 14673 Daniels Road, Bentonville (479) 795-0570 horsesforhealingnwa.org

Habitat for Humanity of Benton County Habitat for Humanity of Benton County, Inc. is an inter-denominational Christian housing organization that helps low-income individuals – including families and those who were at one time homeless – to build and own their own home. HFHBC leverages partnerships within the community to secure materials and organize volunteer building crews who work alongside the homeowners in constructing the homes.

Volunteer opportunities abound, especially on work crews. Many churches and companies utilize Habitat for Humanity building projects as a means for team-building and community service. No prior building experience is necessary. Other help is also needed in HFHBC’s ReStore, a unique thrift store which accepts

donated items for resale with the proceeds going to fund future building projects.

Habitat for Humanity of Benton County 1212 North Walton Boulevard, Bentonville (479) 335-5970 habitatbentoncounty.org

Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter The private, non-profit Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter is a haven for children who are victims of abandonment, abuse, and/or neglect. NACS incorporated in 1991 and after two years of community fundraising, opened a physical shelter to serve five girls in 1993. Today, more than 10,000 children in crisis situations have been served, each provided loving care and hope for a brighter future.

Corporate volunteers organize the NACS warehouse, maintain vehicles, and decorate the shelter for the holidays.

Volunteers play kickball, basketball or lead arts and crafts with the kids, tutor middle schoolers and teach life skills to resident teens. They also assist in The Shelter Shop, a resale store that helps fund NACS operations.

Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter 14100 Vaughn Road, Bentonville (479) 795-2417 nwacs.org

Helping Hands, Inc. Helping Hands Inc. is a partnership of 26 churches throughout Benton County.

Founded in 1976, Helping Hands operates a thrift store which helps fund the group’s client-focused programs. Services include assistance with rent or utility bills, help with doctor visits and providing diapers and formula for babies. In addition, Helping Hands operates one of the largest food pantries in Northwest Arkansas, providing food to more than 900 families each month.

Helping Hands was founded by volunteers, is still supervised by a volunteer board, and relies heavily on volunteer labor to fulfill its mission. Volunteer opportunities include

staffing the thrift store, receiving and processing donations, and readying them for sale, among many other tasks.

Helping Hands, Inc. 320 Airport Road, Bentonville (479) 273-2511 helpinghandsnwa.org

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank Northwest Arkansas Food Bank was founded in 1988 to provide a credible food source partner to agencies serving the hungry across four NWA counties.

Originally located in Rogers, it quickly outgrew its first two locations, building a 12,000-squarefoot building in Bethel Heights in 1993, expanded in 2011. In 1989, 89,000 total pounds of food were distributed; in 2016, NWA Food Bank distributed 11.5 million pounds of food and 8.8 million meals through more than 150 agencies.

Volunteers work in NWA Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry, assisting set-up and loading groceries for attendants. Another area in need of volunteers is the warehouse where individuals build boxes of food for distribution and sort food collected during community food drives.

NWA Food Bank 1378 June Self Drive, Bethel Heights (479) 872-8774 nwafoodbank.org

Tips on How to Find a New Hobby:

January is National Hobby Month by: Meagan Ruffing When I was a little girl, I used to be in a Lisa Frank Sticker Club. It wasn’t an actual club, just one that my third-grade friends and I started one day at recess. I got sick of always being the first one out in dodge ball, so me and a few of my gal pals decided it was time to break out the one-inch binders and pocket sleeves. My recess time turned into one of the most fun times of the whole day when I would show my friend’s the newest, hot pink puppy dog stickers I’d picked up at the Dollar Store in exchange for a glimpse at another friend’s collection. I found something that I was interested in and went all in. It’s one of my most fun memories from my childhood.

January is National Hobby Month, which got me thinking about past, current, and future hobbies for myself. One of the first questions I ask someone I’ve just met is, “What do you like to do for fun?”

I’m often met with puzzled looks, wondering if I’m asking to fill the time, or if I’m asking because I really want to know. The answer is, sometimes it’s both. Most of the time, I get the same answers like, running, painting, hanging out with friends, or the other person saying, “Fun? When do I have time for that?” I try to always encourage people to find something they like to do, because it’s important to have some sort of release in this crazy thing we call life. We’re all just trying to do the best we can with 50 January 2020

what we have. My thought is, why not make it the best life possible?

Instead of making a traditional New Year’s resolution, why not commit to trying something new? Maybe pick up an old hobby you used to enjoy before having children, like hiking or archery. Give it another go in this new year.

National Hobby Month is a great time to focus on doing more of what makes you happy. After all, when you’re happy, others follow suit, and who doesn’t love to be around someone who is a wellrounded and confident human being?

If you’re not sure where to begin or how to start a new hobby, try a few of these tips.

1

Ask around. The best place to find out what is trendy and on point right now is within your own community. Talk to your friends, the people at church, your kids’ parents, and anyone else you come in contact with to get an idea about what’s hot right now. The town I live in is really into outdoor activities like mountain biking, hiking, and running.

2

Think about your interests. What do you like to do? What brings you joy? Don’t just do something because you think you should be doing

it. Do it because you’re interested in it and have a hunch it might be something you would like to do.

I never considered myself as someone who liked to run, but a few years ago I stumbled into it because everyone around me kept telling me how amazing they felt. I begrudgingly ran my first 5k and I’ve been hooked ever since.

3

Make a bucket list. This is my favorite way to pick a new hobby. I made a bucket list a few years ago and I add to it as I think of random things I want to do. I have big ideas on there like skydiving and small things on there like guitar lessons. I looked at my bucket list for inspiration about two years ago and that’s when I decided to finally take the plunge and sign up for guitar lessons. I learned to play the guitar and kept it up for about a year before I decided that I’d dabbled in it enough.

4

Make time. This isn’t a joke. Find pockets of time and make them bigger. Use the time you have while you’re waiting for your kid to finish up at practice to work on your calligraphy skills. Put dinner in the crockpot first thing in the morning so you can spend your time at night perfecting your new hobby. Or, if cooking and baking is your new hobby, make it fit in with your nighttime routine.

5

Involve your kids. My kids thought it was the coolest thing ever when I started taking guitar lessons. They used to sit on my bed and listen to me play “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” over and over again, and you know what? They didn’t care one bit that I missed a chord here and there.

My awkward finger-picking at the strings was met with cute little smiles and lots of giggles. My middle daughter, Hannah, actually started playing her guitar more often when she saw me practicing.

It felt good knowing my kids were picking up on my desire to want to be better at something and, in return, watching them do that same thing for themselves.

Make this year’s National Hobby Month one that you’ll remember forever. Start jotting down a few ideas to get the creative juices flowing. You never know where your next new hobby might take you.

Meagan Ruffing is a freelance parenting journalist who is on the hunt for her next hobby. She plans to take a few weeks off this holiday season to love on her kiddos and then she’ll pick back up where she left off and start a new cross-stitch pattern until she finds something else she’d like to try out.

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have all enjoyed the thrill and excitement of a live “never-a-dull-moment” experience.

Having a franchise is still not owning your own business. however, as you are on contract with corporate headquarters to carry out their specialty of service and demands to do it their way. After the ten year contract was up with the Mad Science Group of Montréal, Stephen finally started his own business: Super Science of Northwest Arkansas, Inc. “This ‘Super Steve’ thing started in Dallas,” said Cox, when kids at a North Dallas Catholic School kept calling him Super Steve every time they met for eight weeks of a science after-school program.

“The name has stuck in a somewhat serendipitous way because I was called Super Steve on many occasions in different parts of the country, therefore I deduced it had some significance or purpose,” said the man of seriously funny science.

Television for decades has done so much for education that it becomes hard to imagine the vast knowledge available at your fingertips. Today, a smart phone can take you anywhere and provide an instantaneous resource for study, especially in the field of science. From early television’s Mr. Wizard, to a more modern version of the science teacher/ presenter in Bill Nye the Science Guy, science educational entertainment, “edu-tainment,” has also hit some high notes in the state of Arkansas. A big time example, Kevin Delaney from Little Rock’s Museum of Discovery, performed outstanding ‘ooh, ahh!’ experiments that totally blew away the audience of “The Tonight Show,” with host Jimmy Fallon having him back for two more shows that can be seen just by Googling: ‘Science Guy on The Tonight Show’.

There is another ‘Science Guy’ in these parts who has himself built up quite a reputation as one of these science edu-tainers. For over fifteen years now, Stephen Cox of Super Science of Northwest Arkansas has traveled from coast to coast bringing exciting science demonstrations that audiences of all ages just love. Starting in Dallas as an instructor for the world’s largest science provider for kids, Mad Science, Steve went on to work for Mad Science of Los Angeles, and then came on home to the Ozarks to operate his own franchise: Mad Science of Northwest Arkansas. Ten years passed rather quickly and schools, libraries, parks and recreation departments, non-profit groups, etc.

54 January 2020

You could call it destiny, because science is all about order in the universe, and timing is so important, no matter what course you take in life.

Stephen remembers the days when this country excelled in the sciences, and grew up near the Houston Manned Spacecraft Center in Texas. The space program brought forth our newest facilities at NASA with all of “the right stuff ” to get us to the moon and back in 1969.

You could say it was all about a focus on “STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) that put us first in the world, and it is a shame that in just one lifetime the United States has fallen precipitously in grade school math and science scores. “If you are a science teacher these days, you really have a calling to point out our slippage and make an effort to promote the arts and sciences,” Cox said. Super Science of NWA has a national stage to work with as far as reaching all kinds of folks that come to see a cool science presentation at their local school, library, church, recreational center, outdoor amphitheater, or any other venue suitable to a “rock and roll” science show. It’s a big enough show to take up a whole main stage, but can be scaled down to a regular classroom workshop with fun hands-on activities.

Stephen’s Mad Science franchise required about ten employees to carry out all of the science programming that included all-day summer camps, after school programs, preschools, workshops, booths at conventions, and church programs, with a few of them doing science birthday partie,s which was fun if the proper venue was supplied. Nowadays, Super Science focuses on larger group presentations, such as assemblies, presentations at outdoor and indoor theatrical

complexes, banquets, churches, special events at convention centers and civic centers, shopping malls, and more. There is still plenty of room to schedule an after-school program, workshops with hands-on subjects of your choice, a field day event, or maybe, if the timing is right, the wonderful concept of a science birthday party.

800 kids in one place, and have done back-to-back (sometimes triple) assemblies in one day to cover all the students, teachers, parents, and guests. The community special events they hold draw standing room-only audiences at outdoor amphitheaters, natural science centers, malls, fairs, and exhibition halls.

Over the years, Super Science has filled to capacity numerous places and venues all over the four-state area and, not to boast, has actually set attendance records at the Bentonville, Fort Smith, Tahlequah, and other Arkansas and Oklahoma libraries. “Just give us that new 700-seat auditorium expansion at the Fayetteville Public Library, and we will fill it to capacity,” Cox confidently declared. They are quite at home with large audiences as they have performed to countless assemblies of sometimes

It is quite evident how much people of all ages love the performance brought to them in these stellar arts and science shows because their popularity is second to none, and that enthusiasm can take a good science presenter all the way to “The Tonight Show” and beyond. The gift of science has always uniquely enthralled the human imagination, from witnessing wonders on stage and screen, to the endeavor of shooting for the stars.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

2020

Th

January KiDs DaY!

January 7| 2pm Rogers Back to Health Chiropractic The first Tuesday of every month, we offer care for kids 16 and under as a public service to our community. Donations go to Charity Water.

Homeschool Library Class January 8 | 1pm Rogers Public Library

Ages 5-12 and their caregivers are welcome to join Miss Dara for science experiments, art projects, exploring geography, games, and more!

Kids Night Out - Cupcakes January 10| 6pm Young Chefs Academy, Rogers

It’s Kids Night Out! Tell your parents to go out for the evening and drop you off at Young Chefs

Academy along the way and enjoy true handson, culinary fun in the kitchen! $45 per participant. Ages 5 and up

Kiddo’s Pizza and Paint Night January 10 | 6pm Art and Soul Studios, Rogers

We will be providing pizza with several different toppings, along with with a variety of beverages.

This will be followed by a fluid art class where your kiddo will work on a 9”x12” canvas. The cost of this session is $20.00 per kiddo, and all supplies are included.

Archaeology of the Ozarks

January 18 | 5:30pm Museum of Native American History, Bentonville Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear Don Dickson discussing archaeology and prehistory of the area!

Winter Wonderland Ball January 25 | 10am and 4pm Metroplex, Springdale 479.595.6700

Join us for our annual Winter Wonderland Princess Ball featuring your favorite fairytale characters. Our glam squad is also returning with your favorite activities. Snacks will be provided at the open snack bar. Our DJ will play your favorite tunes so we can all dance the night away! Every person entering is required to purchase a ticket.

A Year with Frog and Toad January 25 |2pm Trike Theater

The show on January 25 at 2pm is a relaxed performance.

Youth Country Swing Dance Class

January 25 | 6:30pm Genesis Gymnastics Academy · Bentonville No dance experience necessary! Students will learn an art form, confidence, teamwork, and have a ton of FUN! Please share with others to help us make this an event to remember! $10 per person. Ages 10-17

56 January 2020

Did you know Defy Trampoline Park in Rogers (formerly HighRise) offers a special membership for homeschooled kids – for just $10 a month?! With a homeschool membership, kids that are homeschooled, their parents, and their siblings can come enjoy the park from 10am to 3pm, while local school districts are in session. Not only that, but you can also use the party rooms to do homework or enjoy snacks during those times as well. www.defy.com

We all know and love Turpentine Creek Refuge to see and love big, exotic cats, but did you know our state also has a place for elephants? Riddle’s Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary was established by Scott and Heidi Riddle in 1990, on almost 400 acres in Greenbrier, Arkansas.

Over the years, the sanctuary has housed a number of elephants, both African and Asian, male and female.

Right now, you can visit two Asian female elephants named Peggy and Betty Boop.

www.elephantsanctuary.org The Chandler and Paisley Skies Foundation donated a CuddleCot to Washington Regional Medical Center last month.

A CuddleCot is a bassinet cooling system that allows families who have suffered the loss of a baby to spend more time with their child. Heather Bailey, Director of the Women and Infants Center at Washington Regional says, “We’re so appreciative of this donation.

Having a CuddleCot gives an important gift to grieving families.”

Michelle and Dusty Hurst created the Chandler and Paisley Skies Foundation after experiencing the loss of their twins in 2014. The mission of the Foundation is to provide comfort for parents going through the unimaginable loss of a child by providing Caring Cradle units for hospitals. “These units provide the gift of time to families who are living the final moments they will ever experience with their children here on Earth,” Michelle says.

- www.wregional.com

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

Let’s Imagine Indoor Playground opens this month in Bentonville and we could not be more excited than we already are! No need to worry about cabin fever during the winter, because Let’s Imagine Indoor Playground has the perfect place to meet up with friends or make new ones. For ages six months through six years of age, it is both enriching and entertaining, with an environment that is both comfortable and welcoming for parents and caregivers. Let’s Imagine is specifically designed to cultivate the rapidly developing mind of babies, toddlers, and young children through purposeful play and engaging activities. letsimagineplayground.com

Did you know that Olympic gold medalist Jordyn Wieber is the head women’s gymnastics coach at the University of Arkansas?

Wieber is a familiar name in the gymnastics community after a prolific career as a competitor, including earning a gold medal as part of Team USA in the 2012 Olympics as part of the “Fierce Five.”

For tickets visit arkansasrazorbacks.com

58 January 2020

THE MOST ADVANCED PERINATAL CARE

NOW IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

We specialize in providing health care services for high-risk pregnancies.

Our staff includes obstetricians with expertise in maternal-fetal medicine, specially trained sonographers, skilled obstetrical nurses, registered dieticians with expertise in diabetes and genetics counselors.

Now taking appointments at 5414 Pinnacle Point Drive, Suite 300 Rogers, AR

Glance At a

ARTS and MUSIC

Amazeum (Pg. 33) (479) 696-9280 Walton Arts Center (Pg. 22) waltonartscenter.org

BANKS

First National Bank (Pg. 35) (479) 621-6800 fnbnwa.com First Security (Pg. 11) www.fsbank.com; www.onlyinark.com

CAMPS

Amazeum (Pg. 33) (479) 696-9280 Super Science (Pg. 33) (479) 444-0303 www.super-sci.com

CHILDCARE/NANNY SERVICES

ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 51) (479) 202-5691 abchappykids.com Goddard School (Pg. 2) (479) 696-9280

Clothing

Oh Baby Boutique (Pg. 55) (479) 254-2911

DENTIST

Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics (479) 582-0600 (Pg. 31) The Smile Shoppe (Pg. 16) www.smile-shoppe.com

DERMATOLOGY / SKIN CARE

Women’s Health Associates (Pg. 34) (479) 876-8111 whanwa.com

Dog Training / Boarding Joint Forces K9 Group (Pg. 58) JFK9.us

EDUCATION

Classical Academy (Pg. 3) (479) 715-6662

60 January 2020

To advertise email: editor@peekaboonwa.com

Crowder College (Pg. 13) crowder.edu Goddard School (Pg. 2) (479) 696-9280 Life Way Christian School (Pg. 62) lwcsar.com Providence Academy (Pg. 45) providence-academy.com Super Science (Pg. 33) (479) 444-0303 www.super-sci.com

FAMILY FUN / ENTERTAINMENT

Amazeum (Pg. 33) (479) 696-9280 Girl Scouts (Pg. 19) girlscoutsdiamonds.org/cookies Let’s Imagine Indoor Playground (Pg. 7) letsimagineplayground.com Starlight Skatium (Pg. 13) (479) 444-STAR Super Science (Pg. 33) (479) 444-0303 www.super-sci.com Walton Arts Center (Pg. 22) waltonartscenter.org

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Arkansas Children's Northwest (Pg. 5) ARchildrens.org Friendship Pediatric Services (Pg. 27) fccare.org NWA Health Solutions (Pg. 44) (479) 636-1324 Northwest Physicians (Pg. 64) mynorthwestphysicians.com Make-A-Wish (Pg. 61) midsouth.wish.org/refer

JEWELRY AND GIFTS

David Adams (Pg. 37) (479) 444-7778 davidadams.com

LEARNING CENTER/THERAPY

ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 51) (479) 202-5691 abchappykids.com Academic Math and Language Therapy (Pg. 52) (479) 253-3256 www.amltherapy.com Friendship Pediatric Services (Pg. 27) (479) 524-2456 The Grace School (Pg. 43) (479) 871-7994 Posh Tot Learning Academy (Pg. 56) (479) 268-6609

To advertise email: editor@peekaboonwa.com

PEDIATRICIAN

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!

Best Start (Pg. 39) (479) 575-9359 Friendship Pediatric Services (Pg. 27) fccare.org Mercy Clinic Pediatrics (Pg. 17) mercy.net/springdalekids Ozark Pediatrics (Pg. 37) (479) 544-9432

HERE IS A LOOK AHEAD! _____________________________

Research

Woodland Research Group Northwest (Pg. 30) (479) 231-3051

WOMEN'S HEALTH

HerHealth Clinic-Washington Regional (Pg. 9) (479) 463-5500 Lifespring Women’s Health (Pg. 23) (479) 271-0005 The Perinatal Center (Pg. 59) (479) 268-4979 Siloam Springs Women's Center (Pg. 53) (479) 524-9312 Women's Health Associates (Pg. 26) whanwa.com

FEBRUARY is our 12th birthday... which means it's going to be the biggest and best birthday guide yet! Do you have a business that helps makes birthday parties great? Email editor@ peekaboonwa.com by January 10th.

MARCH is dedicated to non-profits. Do you have a favorite you want us to share? Let us know!

APRIL is our CAMP GUIDE PREVIEW. We want to have the most comprehensive camp guide yet to make sure you know every possible camp option for your kiddos this summer.

MAY is when we honor Mothers across the area. It is your chance to nominate your favorite mom and let us know what makes her special.

For children battling a critical illness, a wish is more than a dream. It can be a turning point that can give them the emotional and physical strength to keep going.

WISHES NEED YOU

R E F E R A C H I L D T O DAY AT MIDSOUTH .WIS H .ORG/RE FE R

I wish to be a cowgirl Kionna, 10 cancer

ww

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Dr. Katie Beal and Dr. AmyitFry have Northwest Northwest Physicians makes easier to joined see a primary care Women’s provider –Specialty quickly. Just Group, a part of Northwest Physicians.

They are accepting new patients, and call 479-255-2420. Most calls will result in a same-day appointment with a physician welcoming all former patients. If you’ve been a patient of Dr. Beal or Dr. Fry, call or nurse practitioner at one of our 20 primary care locations. Flu shots also available. us today for assistance in transferring your medical records.

Extended hours offered, and lab and X-ray facilities on-site at select locations.

479-255-2359 or go to Callanytime, To schedule an appointment online, go to MyNorthwestPhysicians.com NorthwestHealthOBGYN.com

for more information.

Katie Beal, M.D. Board-Certified OB/GYN

Amy Fry, M.D. Board-Certified OB/GYN

2900 Medical Center Pkwy., Suite 240A Bentonville, AR 72712

20 PRIMARY CARE LOCATIONS.

SAME-DAY APPOINTMENTS. SAME GREAT CARE. 479-255-2420 NEW

ADDRESS.

Bentonville • Centerton • Eureka Springs • Fayetteville • Centerton Fayetteville Johnson • Bentonville Johnson • Lowell • Rogers ••Siloam Springs •• Springdale

Lowellof •theRogers • Siloam Springs • Springdale Members Medical Staff of Northwest Medical Center - Bentonville, Northwest Medical Center - Springdale and Northwest Medical Center Willow Creek Women’s Hospital.

64 January 2020