July 2014 by Peekaboo

Peekaboo JULY 2014

International travel with Children

INSIDE:

The Bentonville Project

Kids and their Pets

Northwest Arkansasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Family Magazine

the PEEKABOO family Kimberly Enderle

Editor-in-Chief editor@peekaboonwa.com (479) 957-0532

Ava. Grant. and Holden. Jonathon Enderle

Creative Director jon@peekaboonwa.com (479) 586-3890

Distribution/ Circulation Joyce Whitaker Judy Evans Marcedalia Salinas Colleen Cook Jeremy Whitaker Michelle Dodson

Peekaboo Publications, PO Box 1036, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712 Peekaboo Northwest Arkansas accepts writing contributions. Please send inquiries to: editor@peekaboonwa.com or call (479) 586-3890 Peekaboo may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Views expressed herein are those of the authors and advertisers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine.

Peekaboo nwa W h at ’ s I n s i d e | J u ly | 2 0 1 4 16

Meet Dyer by: Jenessa Bailey

Simple Reminders by: Sam Smith, MD

International Travel with Children by: Faye Medland

5 Things I Learned About Motherhood by: Trysta Herzog

Smart Ways to Spend the Summer by: Suzanne Miltich, Ph.D

Dad’s View with Ben Lacy

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life by: Kristen Speer

Our Baby Kate by: Chad Harvey

I’ve Been Here Before by: Spencer Presley

History of Kim and the CRV Disease

Phenom-A-Dog by: Trysta Herzog

Kitty Litter-acy by: Frances Wilson

Help! My Child May Not Be Ready For Kindergarten by: June Townzen

Only in Arkansas by: Annette King

Top Flea Markets in NWA by: Laurie Marshall

Bentonville Project by: Monica Kumar

Water Safety by: Jeff Savage, MD

44 16 34 62 o n t h e c ov e r Anthony Olivier Tamer, 2, son of Simone Tamer. Rafael Pagano Chen, 3, and Victoria Pagano Chen, 6, son and daughter of Carolina Pagano & Roberto Borkae Chen. Izabella Zoe Pinto, 8, daughter of Lucirene & Ricardo Pinto Cover Photo by: Sweet Portrayal Photography wwwsweetportrayalphotography.com Shot on location at Walnut Farm Montessori School in Bentonville www.walnutfarmmontessori.com

ummer is in full swing now, and kids across NWA are enjoying their days outside of the classroom. From summer camps, to special summer activities, to days at the water parks and pools, there are plenty of fun activities for all to enjoy. Making memories is easy with all of these opportunities available to families. I encourage you to sit down with your children and map out your calendar together. They will appreciate getting to pick and choose the things they want to do this month, and you can appreciate the extra help when working to create a month full of to-dos!

Here are a few ways we are seizing summer: Seize boredom and free play - When the kids say they are bored, don’t take it as a sign that you aren’t doing enough -- take it as a challenge. Encourage your children to not see it as a problem but a way to get creative and find their own ways to change their state of mind. Encourage them to have time to just play, discover their own interests, and to use their imagination. Seize a slower pace - it is easy to want to pack in as much as possible, but remember back to the days when you could lay on the couch and watch morning cartoons in your pjs. Give your kids the same opportunity without feeling guilty about being lazy. An unhurried pace is healthy, and a little time laying in the grass with the kids finding shapes in the clouds can be both good for the mind and for the soul -- all while creating memories your children will take with them forever! My hope is that at the end of this summer the kids can say, “We had a fun summer!” -- one that wasn’t filled with bickering and melt-downs because I overbooked them just so that I could ensure that we had done enough.

12 July 2014

Besides just being a full month of Summer fun, July also kick-starts the ‘dog days of summer.’ While the term is in reference to the sultry heat that comes from the sun’s relation to Sirius (or the Dog Star). To commemorate we have dedicated this issue to pets. When you watch a child with his or her furry friend, it opens up a part of their personality that you hadn’t seen before. It is a special bond that is unmatched. So many wonderful businesses, parks, and stores in NWA are available to families with a +1 (or 2, or 3) fourlegged friend. Inside you will have the chance to meet the owners of the new local doggy hot-spot, Phenom-A-Dog, and find pictures of kiddos with their favorite furry friends, as well as learn about a new program hosted by the Fayetteville Library called Cat Tales! A Look Ahead: We are taking nominations for our September Hometown Hero issue! This is one of my favorite issues - a hometown hero could be a soldier serving our country, a teacher who goes above and beyond, a doctor who went out of his or her way, a firefighter, or a police officer... the list is long. Send your nomination by July 10th toeditor@peekaboonwa.com.

www.homesbyjonathon.com

479.586.3890

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r e t e e D y CH Ambassador M n e ss a Ba il e y by Je

n March 31, 2013, we celebrated the 3rd birthday of Dyer, our beautiful baby boy, with our family. What’s not to celebrate? After all, we were blessed with a perfectly healthy, smart, active little boy. Just two days later, however, we found ourselves in Little Rock at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, totally unexpectedly.

his neck hurt. Since he was still moving his arms and legs, we thought he just had a stiff neck from sleeping funny the night before. After giving him some time to really wake up and try to wiggle around a little more, my intuition set in that something just wasn’t right. Dyer wouldn’t get out of bed, and his neck was still completely locked in a “looking left” position.

In the wee hours of the morning of April 2, Dyer woke up, complaining his head hurt. We gave him some Ibuprofen, then got him settled down and back to sleep. When he woke up the next morning, Dyer couldn’t move his head and was complaining that

We took Dyer to the emergency room. When he tried to walk or stand to potty, it was excruciating to him, so the ER doctor suggested that we run a scan to make sure everything was OK. Dyer was a champ during the scan and laid perfectly still to get to “go in the tunnel.”

We waited to hear the results, and Dyer was given pain medication so he could rest and lay still. The doctor came in quickly and it was immediately clear that something was wrong. Dyer’s neck was dislocated at the C1 and C2 vertebrae. My legs still go numb as I write this now, over a year later. We had no idea what this meant, but we were quickly made aware of how dangerous this was. Our doctor told us that Dyer must have had his angels watching over him, because he couldn’t believe that he was still with us with this kind of injury. He also told us that we had to get Dyer to the experts, and fast, and that the helicopter Angel One crew from Arkansas Children’s Hospital was on its way. Dyer was airlifted by the rock star Angel One crew to ACH in Little Rock. Mark was able to fly with them, while my parents and I loaded up Dyer’s little sister, Maye, then 4 months old, and we hit the road to Little Rock to meet them. There were no sure plans of what they would do, but we were told to be prepared for some type of immediate surgery or traction to take place. As a mom, my worst fear was that they would take Dyer back to surgery before I could see him again. My thoughts went to friends who have lost their children, and I prayed hard for protection over my baby boy. During that time, Mark arrived with Dyer at ACH where he was quickly assessed by our neurosurgeon, Dr. Cai. “What if I had just When Mark called said goodbye and me with the news that kissed him for the last Dr. Cai wanted to take time? I just couldn’t things slowly and not rush stand the thought into any extreme surgeries of it.” or traction, I was more than relieved; my prayers had been answered. Dr. Cai made the decision to place Dyer, still looking left, in a neck brace and put him on muscle relaxers and bedrest to see if his neck would relax and turn back into place on its own without invasive procedures. We were told that if this was going to work, it would most likely work within 48 hours or so. Dyer spent the night in the Intermediate Care ICU with Mark by his side, and I returned to a hotel so that I could care for Maye through the night. That night our prayers were answered that the right team would be in place to determine what exactly needed to happen for Dyer to be OK. Dr. Cai was the only doctor who had seen this type of “injury” before (just one other time) and he was the doctor there for Dyer. The next morning, Dyer was moved to the neurosurgery wing of the hospital so that the specialized nurses and doctors there could monitor him. As the waiting game continued and the commotion settled down a little, we quickly became aware of the amazing care he was receiving. We didn’t know how we were going to

[ story continued next page ]

who were there they needed to were so blessed and care given there.

M e e t Dy e r e n es sa Ba il e y by J

keep our busy 3-year-old boy laying still, but the hospital staff knew just what to do. From things like a TV on the left side of his body so that he could watch movies—yes, we watched maybe 1,000 hours of Curious George!—to his Child Life Specialist, Amber, searching the hospital for his beloved trains so that he could play with them on his tray table, we truly had nurses with the most loving, kind approach. We felt so comfortable and cared for. The staff at ACH not only cared for Dyer as a patient, but also took care of us as parents and saw to it that baby Maye had everything she needed. They even made sure the grandparents

to help had all that assist us. Wow! We by the level of love to us by everyone

As the days rolled on and no change was evident in Dyer’s neck, we began to have discussions about what might come next. All the while, Dr. Cai was encouraging us that we should continue to wait because the next step could be extreme. During this time of waiting, we were amazed by the staff that would come in to check on him, especially the Angel One crew who visited and brought special treats and asked Dyer things like how his baby sister Maye was doing, or if he had anyone check on his dog, Jack. Our friends and family also showed us so much love during this time, sending balloons, treats, books and toys that Dyer could use in bed. Dyer’s spirits remained pretty high during his entire stay because of the love that was poured out to him. Finally, on the last day of trying the slow and steady approach, we asked all of our friends and family to pray that Dyer would wake up the following day with his neck able to turn forward. While we had faith that the Lord would provide for us no matter what, we did not want to embark on those next steps and procedures. Early on the last day of our week stay (the morning after we asked everyone to stop and pray), Dr. Cai and his team came in and removed the brace from Dyer’s neck. I can still close my eyes and go right back to it: Dyer was finally able to turn his neck back to the front! Can you imagine the tears that we shed and the party we had in that room? Our prayers had been answered for Dyer through the team that was assembled for him. From there, they checked all of Dyer’s reflexes and functions, as they had been all week, and we realized he wasn’t able to walk on his own. With an assessment from the physical therapy team, they determined he could still go home with the neck brace on and have physical therapy back in Fayetteville. We took a wagon ride for more X-rays and scans to ensure that the vertebrae were indeed where they needed to be, and then we had an extra special ride up to the roof of the hospital for some fun on Angel One. What a treat for Dyer after being stuck in bed all week!

18 July 2014

We were able to leave ACH late that afternoon. We were thankful, happy, nervous and forever changed by our experience there. Needless to say, our drive back home was slow-going and quite cautious, and we were nervous as to what daily life would look like now without the help of professionals. How would I care for a seriously injured 3-year-old who couldn’t walk and a 4-monthold infant? Prayers were again answered and Dyer was up and walking—running!—the next day... and, never

fear, as we were one step behind him everywhere he went. We did live in some fear and lots of faith as his recovery happened each day. The sparkling clean house and stocked freezer that we arrived home to, given to us by our amazing, wonderful, generous friends also eased the day-to-day tasks so that we could focus on our kids and Dyer’s care. I don’t think they will ever know the blessing that that was to us, and the way they showed Christ’s love to us through pasta and Pledge. Regardless of Dyer’s outcome, the care that we received was far beyond what you might ever expect from a hospital. From doctors, to nurses, to theAngel One crew, to techs and housekeepers, everyone showed us their love and kindness. Arkansas Children’s Hospital is a true gem with world-class care right here in our little state. Whether you have experienced it, know someone who has, or have

now heard our child’s story, you know that families in Arkansas are blessed by Arkansas Children’s Hospital. After a couple of months of physical therapy and time in a neck brace, Dyer visited Dr. Cai again and we got the “all clear” report. We were able to head back home with no neck brace and the most excited little boy ever! Our family has been changed by Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and we are forever grateful.

You Can Help Keep Angel One Flying This year, proceeds from the annual Will Golf 4 Kids tournament and Color of Hope Gala will benefit the Angel One Transport program. The golf tournament, Aug. 7-8, will be held at the Kingswood Golf Complex in Bella Vista. The Color of Hope Gala on Friday, Aug. 8 will feature a delicious dinner, both live and silent auctions, and lively music. The color of hope this year is turquoise, so attendees are asked to wear their best turquoise attire. Dyer is the Champion Child for the Color of Hope Gala this year. So people can meet him and hear more of his story! Sponsorships and tickets are still available. To learn more, please visit www.willgolf4kids.org.

SAFETY FIRST!

No parent wants to believe that they could accidentally leave their kid in a hot car during the summer, but it happens every year and it happens even to good parents who love their children very much.

his is a hard topic to discuss. Last summer alone, 44 children died across the U.S. because they were left in a vehicle. It’s a heart-breaking epidemic, but it can be prevented. Parents should realize how quickly a car can heat up after it’s turned off—the inside temperature can jump 20 degrees Fahrenheit in just 10 minutes. Even prior airconditioning doesn’t help. Within five minutes, a vehicle’s interior temperature reaches that of the outside air. On a 68-degree day, a car can easily reach 110 degrees inside.

Simple Reminders May Save a Child from Being Left in a Hot Car T his Summer By Sam Smith, MD Surgeon in Chief, Arkansas Children’s Hospital

22 July 2014

Children are even more at risk for damages caused by extreme heat because their little bodies absorb heat more quickly and have trouble cooling off. Sweating won’t cool down an infant or young child in the same way that it does an adult. In addition, a child may not be able to extract himself from a car seat or take off his or her clothes to help their body adjust. Parents of younger children should also keep in mind that they can easily fall asleep in the car and may not make a peep. This can contribute to parents forgetting a baby is in the back seat in the first place. According to the Injury Prevention Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, more than half—52 percent—are “forgotten” by a caregiver. Another 29 percent play in an unattended vehicle and are trapped. Sadly, 18 percent of these deaths occur when a child is intentionally left alone. Research has shown that a change in routine often plays a part in the tragedies that involve caregivers forgetting a child. Even a small change in routine can cause us to lose focus and overlook important responsibilities. It can absolutely happen to anyone if preventive measures aren’t taken.

Parents should never leave a child alone in a car— not even for a minute. Always take children with you when you exit your vehicle. While it may sound simple, some sort of reminder is especially important for helping us prevent these situations. Parents should put something they know they’ll need at their next destination—a handbag, briefcase or cell phone for instance—in the back seat. This actually forces the parent to turn around and see the child. Another easy reminder would be to set an alarm on a smartphone or calendar that will alert families to check and make sure a child has been dropped off at daycare or the appropriate location. We also want parents to teach their children not to play in vehicles. It’s easier than we imagine for a child to become trapped in a car and not understand how to let themselves out. Also, be sure to keep keys and remotes out of children’s reach; we know from experience that little ones love to play with them. If you don’t have small children at home, you can still help protect them by being vigilant in parking lots this summer. If you see a child alone in a vehicle, call 911 immediately and if possible rescue the child after receiving emergency instructions. Wait by the car so that emergency medical services can find you quickly. It can also be helpful to know the symptoms of

heatstroke in children: dizziness, disorientation, agitation, confusion, sluggishness, seizures, hot skin that is flushed and not sweaty, loss of consciousness, rapid heartbeat and hallucinations. There will certainly be families who read this column and think, “I could never leave a child in a hot car. How could anyone do that?” It is easier than you may realize, and the majority of children that this happens to have loving, protective and attentive parents. It’s sad and terrifying that a simple change in routine can be a fatal mistake. Take action this summer to ensure the children you love—or even those of someone you’ve never met—are protected from vehicular heatstroke.

Another tip: The MyACH iPhone app available from the Apple iTunes store can help you keep all your children’s medical information in one safe place in the event of an emergency. Download it for free today. Sam Smith, MD, is Surgeon-in-Chief at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and a professor of surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

International Travel with Children

efore my husband and I had children, we enjoyed traveling and would try to take at least one vacation a year. When we decided to grow our fa mily and have children, we made it a goal of ours to continue this tradition of traveling. This past spring, we decided to take a fa mily vacation to the Beaches Resort in Ocho Rios, Ja maica with our three very young children. We started researching where we wanted to go in January and used a local travel agent to help determine which resort would be best for our fa mily. After booking the trip, we had to get a passport for our youngest child, who was only three

months at the time. The older two already had a passport from a previous vacation. I also started to make a list of what we would need while we were gone. The list grew longer and longer as the months passed by. Our excitement also grew as it got closer to travel time, and, before we knew it, we were Ja maica-bound!

Vacation Journal: Day 1

Our flight out of XNA was at 6:15 a.m. in the morning! It was rough getting a 4-year-old, 2-yearold and a 6-month-old up and ready for the airport at 3 a.m but we did it! The kids were so excited to go on vacation that they were pretty cooperative. We flew through ATL and did not have a lot of time between flightsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;so few minutes, in fact, that we had to run and only just made our flight. We arrived at our resort by late afternoon and had a quick swim before dinner. The resort had nightly entertainment geared towards young children. Our kids loved it!

Day 2

The kids were up early and ready to go! After breakfast, we went to the pool that had water slides and other water activities. The kids wore puddle jumper floaters that gave them some independence and allowed us some relaxation. Before we knew it, it was lunch time and nap time. After nap, we took the kids to the ocean and made sand castles. The resort had a very small, protected beach which was perfect for young children.

24 July 2014

Day 3

Ahh...some extra sleep! The kids even slept in a bit! We had to get ready quickly in order to eat and make the glass bottom boat excursion we had booked. The boat took us out for a quick ride to look at fish coral and other ocean life. The kids thought it was neat for a bit, but they were ready to get back to the pools and play with the friends they had made. For dinner, we decided to try one of the restaurants instead of the buffet. Bad idea! The service was slow and the food was mediocre. The kids were so tired, they fell asleep at the table waiting.

Tips:

1. Make sure your flights have enough time between them. Especially when returning to the United States and going through customs. 2. Pack gallon-size zip lock bags and trash bags to hold wet or dirty clothes. 3. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t try to stick to your schedule that you use at home. We just went with the flow and let the kids eat and nap when they were ready. 4. Bring several mess-free activities for your children to do while on the plane. Crayons and coloring books, stickers, iPads, and snacks helped us on the airplane. 5. Have one adult be in charge of all passports and travel documents so you know where they are located at all times. 6. Get firsthand advice from someone on where to stay with young children and make vacation plans months in advance. We had a few friends stay at the Beaches Resort and highly recommended it.

F inal thoughts:

The Beaches Resort is perfect for families with young children. The resort was just the right size and had water and land activities for all three of our little ones. Traveling internationally with young children is not impossibleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it just takes a lot of planning and

Day 4

We decided to send the older two kids to the child care/camp that was offered for kids of all ages. Although they enjoyed it while they were there, they preferred to be with us and to go swimming. It was a nice break for my husband and me, however. At the camp, they made crafts, played games, cooked, and many other activities. We picked the kids up late afternoon and got ready for the parade, which consisted of a local marching band, cheerleaders and Sesame Street characters. It was actually pretty entertaining and the kids loved seeing all of the characters.

Day 5

Time to go home... Boo! We hung out at the pool for a bit before we had to leave for the airport. I ran out of the sunscreen we had been using all week and used another bottle that I had brought along. Bad idea! My husband and kids had an allergic reaction to the sunscreen. Good thing it was on the last day of the trip! The kids were awesome on the plane. Between naps, watching movies on the iPad, and coloring, the flights home went quickly. Feature and photos by: Faye Meland

5 B

T hings I Learned

by Trysta Herzog

About Motherhood

the H ard Way

efore bringing my daughter into the world nearly two years ago, I felt I had a good base of knowledge about what it meant to be a mom. I mean, 29 years should be plenty of time to learn the ins and outs of parenthood, right? And, as if that wasn’t enough, I took that 9 months of pregnancy to cram, reading all the books typical of a first-time parent. I was prepared... Or so I thought. To put it mildly, it has not been easy. In fact, it’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, a sentiment that continues to ring true with every passing day. We admittedly have had more challenges than expected, with allergies, colic and very few restful nights in 21 months, but it seems we’ve learned most of our lessons the hard way. Here are a few that I have

just enough time to jot down and pass on.

I did not immediately love my daughter, and there were times I felt something more likened to hate than I care to admit. Call it postpartum depression, sleeplessness, delirium, whatever, but there were nights I looked at my daughter and could easily see how parents might shake their babies to death. If I were younger and had fewer years of experience in patience and fortitude, I might have joined their ranks after hours of listening to this girl cry, running on four hours of sleep over three days, and desperate, hopeless feelings washing over me. Of course, after a few minutes of sleep and a hot shower, I’d look at her beautiful face and wonder how those thoughts could ever cross my mind.

I hated every breastfeeding second, and yet I kept it up for 18 months. If the last entry made you fearful for my daughter’s life and happiness, this should prove my utter dedication to her. The first three months of breastfeeding tested my physical and mental strength like never before. Never mind the excruciating pain that lingered longer than I was told it would, the real challenge was the mental issues that came along with it—from feelings of resentment to post-traumatic stress disorder episodes resulting from a childhood of sexual abuse. The lack of control over my body threw my psyche into shock and those feelings I had carefully boxed away surfaced. I soldiered on, however, and nursed her for 18 months. Many moms say they miss it. I absolutely do not!

My heart breaks every single day. Until you have kids, you never understand what someone means when they say it’s like having your heart walking around outside your body. Every time I make a mistake that hurts her emotionally or physically, my heart shatters. Every drop of blood that escapes her body. Every tear that falls from her cheek. Every

bruise or rash that mars her delicate skin. All little pieces of my heart being ripped out. I’m better able to move on quickly from that pain now, but every once in a while, it hits me a little harder than I’d like it to. Have I mentioned how hard it is to be a mom yet?

Even though we built a solid foundation before our daughter came along, my relationship with my husband is forever changed. This surprised me the most, I think, about having a child. I had more faith in my marriage and husband than I had put in anything in a long time, but these last 21 months have tested that in so many ways. And, just when I think we’re in a better place, we’re tested again. We barely get two minutes to talk about anything other than poop—never in a million years would you guess how important poop is to a happy existence—and we each

have different priorities and means to the same end, which can be confusing and frustrating. Each time we attempt to take stock of things, interruptions abound and we end up right back to square one, where we’re seemingly on opposite corners. But all it takes is one look at him and his devotion to us to know we are both in this, weathering the storm as we learn how to love and support one another in this new and rocky terrain.

Just when I think I have the hang of this parenting thing, I get a good kick in the teeth to remind me I’m still as ignorant as ever. Kids are forever in a state of change and adaptation. They are growing so quickly and learning so many new things that it just has to be this way. As adults, though, we forget this and get too comfortable with the current stage. Our little family is in constant roller-coaster mode where the highs are really high and lows really low. But that is the trade off, right? You go from having an uneventful, even-keel life that is freeing and awesome in its own right, to living a chaotic and never-alone-for-one-second existence, complete with high risks and high rewards to keep you on the edge of your seat. Whenever I get a taste of the former, say, the first day I took my daughter to daycare and sat alone in my house for the first time in more than a year, I terribly miss her and the bedlam she brings to my world. It is in those moments that I realize I will never have any of this figured out!

Smartto spend ways the summer

B r a i n - B o o s t i n g A c t i v i t i e s t o Av o i d the ‘Summer Slide’ With summer here, many parents are concerned about how to keep their children’s brains occupied with something other than TV, video games and tablets. It’s a legitimate concern, for kids lose 25% of their reading skills and an average of two months of grade-level equivalency in math computation skills over the summer. Is it any wonder teachers typically spend four to six weeks re-teaching materials when kids return to school? Brain training company Learning Rx has put together a list of ideas to help you keep your kids’ brains involved—and evolved!—this summer. Why let hours of mindless TV take them sliding back to “caveman brain” when they can have fun with these smarter ways to spend the summer? 1. Enroll your child in a summer reading program through your local library, or create your own with a series of rewards for meeting goals. According to Scholastic, it only takes six books over the summer to keep a struggling reader from falling behind during the break. 2. Sign your child up for music lessons. There’s strong evidence that learning to play a musical instrument can significantly boost cognitive skills. In fact, learning to play an instrument during childhood can actually boost cognitive skills in adulthood—even if you don’t continue playing as an adult.

3. Teach them a second language. Studies show that foreign language learning increases creativity, critical thinking skills and flexibility of the mind. 4. Enroll them in personal brain training. Also known as “cognitive skills training,” one-to-one brain training not only helps children and teens maintain what they’re learning, but also strengthens their cognitive skills to better prepare them for their return to school. 5. Create a “Smart Mom’s Toy Box” for days just too hot to be out. These don’t have to be expensive; even the simplest things, like a deck of playing cards for memory matching, can work. Choose toys that develop complex learning skills, like memory, logic & reasoning, processing speed, attention, and auditory and visual processing. Puzzles, games that build rhyming math, and memory skills, strategy-

by Suzanne Miltich, Ph.D. Center Director LearningRx Bentonville 1401 S.E. Walton Blvd., Ste. 109 479-715-6870 focused games (like Battleship) and those that require planning, like checkers or chess, can usually be found for under $15. You can download a free chart of Games for Skills at www.UnlocktheEinsteinInside.com. 6. Keep your kids physically active. Physical exercise not only decreases obesity, which has been linked to brain-based disorders, but it also increases oxygen to the brain. “Greentime,” i.e. outdoor play with lots of grass and trees, specifically has been found to reduce the severity of ADHD symptoms. 7. Keep kids on a regular sleep schedule. Both the quantity and quality of sleep are important to children’s and teens’ brains. Sleep is when our brains “clean house” and recharge to prepare us for the next day. In young children, sleep is used to strengthen the connections between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. 8. Feed your children nutritious food. “You are what you eat” is as true for the brain as any other organ. Eat healthy foods and your brain stays healthy! 9. Teach them to juggle. Research shows that juggling improves eye-hand coordination, increases attention span, and reduces stress levels. Studies also indicate that students who incorporate juggling into their day improve reading and math skills. 10. Encourage regular “free play” (unstructured play without technology or adult directions). In animal studies, play improved memory and stimulated the growth of the cerebral cortex. After rats experienced “rough-and-tumble” play or were allowed to explore, they had an increased level of BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factor), which is essential for the growth and upkeep of brain cells. 11. Provide opportunities for children to use all of their senses—look, listen, touch, smell, feel. For example, take a “listening walk” without talking. You’ll be surprised what children hear for the first time—birds singing, wind in the trees. Make a bag of familiar objects to identify by touch only. Activities such as these are fun way to develop attention and help children learn to uses their senses. Visit your local nature center; it’s a perfect place to experience the senses and the wonder of the natural world in which we live. It’s awesome!

Not So

Dad ’s View

Sterling

Remarks

ast fall, the pastor at our church introduced us to what we think is a really cool tool to begin family dinner-table conversations. It’s called Table Topics. Each night when we sit down for dinner, we select the next Table Topic (imagine a Trivial Pursuit-like card) and use it to transition everyone’s eyeballs from their iThingys to each other. The questions are usually pretty softball: What do you like best about your school? How do you think your parents met? How did you get your name? However, tonight the “topic at the table” will not be so easy. If you are reading this magazine, you probably know that magazines take time to be put together, printed and distributed. Therefore, there are a few weeks of lag time between when articles are written and when they are made available to you fine folks. Well, this article began on April 29: the day the NBA (National Basketball Association) banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life due to racist comments. Things may have changed a bit since that day, but the initial message and lesson remain the same. Our own “table topic” isn’t on racism or his racist comments, which are very valid topics in their own right. Today’s topic is on freedom of speech. Don’t worry, I’m not a political science expert or an attorney (although, oddly enough, I have several good friends who are attorneys... hope that isn’t a sign of things to come) so stay with me! The kiddo questions start, especially from the 11-year old NBA wannabe: “If there is freedom of speech, how can they ban him from the NBA? Can’t he say whatever he wants?” Yes, for the most part, you are allowed by law to say whatever you would like. However, the flip side of that coin is everybody else can form their own opinion ABOUT YOU, take their own (within the boundaries of the law) action AGAINST YOU and Say/Comment/Post/Tweet/Instagram what they want ABOUT YOU. As Mr. Sterling has found out, our freedoms aren’t always “free.”

34 July 2014

with Ben Lacy

These days a forwarded text could turn out to be quite the pest. However, today you can’t steal the note back, erase it, scribble out words, or set it on fire.

Two of the three Lacy kids are members of the Social Media Universe via Texting (where you can say something stupid) and Instagram (...and provide visual verification). I’ve told them a thousand times and constantly remind them, “Don’t put anything in a text that you wouldn’t want on the front page of the New York Times.” That saying doesn’t work so well with today’s youth, since I doubt very many of them know what the New York Times is, and a shockingly low percentage have ever read a newspaper. These days, the warning should be like, “Don’t say anything in a text that you wouldn’t want posted on your mom’s Facebook wall.” That sounds more 2014-ish... and far more terrifying. I often say and hear others comment that we can’t relate to kids these days. “They are so different,” they said, and, “The technology they have makes their lives so unlike the way things used to be.” I’m not so sure. First, their lives aren’t all that different. As children, your “honor” or “rep” or “name” is important. Always has been, always will be. Kids are constantly judged by other kids, and that judgment is extremely important to them. Back in the day, you could get “crushed” if someone found a note you passed to your “crush.” These days a forwarded text could turn out to be quite the pest. However, today you can’t steal the note back, erase it, scribble out words, or set it on fire. Today, your news can be everyone’s news in an instant. Example: Did anyone watch the Oscars? Host Ellen DeGeneres’ “selfie” with a host of A-listers was re-tweeted over 100,000 times… within the first two minutes it was posted. But back to our original topic: freedom of speech. I do not applaud Mr. Sterling’s comments, but I guess I have to thank him for providing a perfect case on how “saying-what-you-want-when-you-want-and-howyou-want” isn’t such a good idea—and can basically ruin your life. My kids, at least for now and hopefully forever, understand that, like all of the freedoms we enjoy, there is a price to pay. Be safe, be smart and have a very happy 4th of July.

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life H

ave you ever thought about your thoughts? Most people don’t, because they are so automatic—so involuntary—that we don’t even notice them... Especially the ones that are ingrained and habitual. They come and go without our having much awareness of them. But, our thoughts are what control both our emotions and, subsequently, our actions, according to Cognitive Behavioral Theory.

No one had ever taught me to “think about my thinking” until I was in training to become a therapist. What an eye-opening concept it was! My thoughts affect how I feel? I have these automatic thoughts that shape my perception of the world, how I react, and my overall moods? We all do, and for those who struggle with anxiety, depression, unrealistic expectations, the list goes on… many of these beliefs are irrational and negative.

Let’s briefly talk about 5 of the most common thinking errors:

Overgeneralizing—To draw a conclusion or make a statement about something that is more general than is justified by the available evidence. In other words, when we make a mistake, we might say to ourselves, “Gosh, what an idiot I am; I’ll never be able to understand this.” This is automatically selfdefeating and irrational. Instead, think “I am human and I make mistakes. I’ll do better next time.”

Mind-Reading—Assuming that you know what another person is thinking or feeling, making judgments, and choosing actions based on these assumptions. We often do this as a self-defense mechanism, but any actions that follow are based on information we can’t possibly know is true. Instead, give the other person the opportunity to really say what’s on their mind.

Predicting the future—Again, another ability we just don’t have, and yet we put ourselves in this position all the time. We use past experiences

So take some time to “think about your thoughts” and make some observations. Are your thoughts often illogical and negative? Do they place your happiness in the

to predict what’s going to happen next, often with a negative spin in an attempt to protect ourselves. This prevents us from being open-minded and receptive to new experiences.

Mental filtering—Ignoring the good and focusing on the bad. So many things happen to us on a daily basis. Have you ever noticed how you spend way more energy on the things that went wrong and barely even notice what went right? Instead, try to acknowledge and appreciate those things that felt good and worked out okay. You’ll begin to realize that good things happen more than you think!

Shoulds and musts—The belief that ourselves or others “should” or “must” behave in a certain way. “They should know better than to cut me off,” or that you “must” be in a certain place in your life in order to feel happy. This kind of allor-nothing thinking is both limiting and irrational.

hands of others whom you can’t control? Try replacing them with healthy, positive and empowering thoughts and see what happens next!

Kristen Speer is a Licensed Professional Counselor and is accepting new patients. Please contact 479-444-1400 or visit her website at kristenspeerlpc.com.

(479) 444.1400 see ad next page..

Sun

Tues

Mon

We Wednesday Family Day at Pigtails & Crewcuts. in Fayetteville 1 Haircut at full price, 2 Haircuts at $2 off, 3rd gets $4 off, etc.

Fayetteville on College and 6th St. Bentonville on Walton Rogers on Walnut and Pleasant Grove

Sidewalk Sundays Walmart Museum - Downtown Bentonville Music Day! What’s the best way to learn music? Play music! We’re providing the materials you need to create your own instruments to jam with School of Rock.

Storytime at Panera Bread 9:30 a.m. Join Bentonville Public Library in Panera Bread’s Cozy Corner for great stories and songs. All children take home a fresh Panera Bread Cookie and the adults that bring them will be treated to a fresh baguette with a recipe.

Sidewalk Sundays Walmart Museum - Downtown Bentonville Come play with Trike! Trike Theater is back and ready to bring you another extraordinary experience!

Drop in anytime between 2-5 p.m. It’s free! Questions? Call us at (479) 273-1329 ext. 2 or visit us on our Facebook page.

Sidewalk Sundays Walmart Museum Downtown Bentonville Play-Doh Palooza! It’s Sundae Day at The Walmart Museum! Pretend to be a Soda Jerk and create imaginary ice-cream treats out of Play-Doh. We’ll provide the hats, you provide the creativity. Drop in anytime between 2-5 p.m. It’s free! Questions? Call us at (479) 273-1329 ext. 2 or visit us on our Facebook page.

Two Punch Tuesday at Pigtails & Crewcuts in Fayetteville Double punch on loyalty card for every haircut every Tuesday!

Family Night Events - Every Tuesday at Chick-fil-A in Rogers and at Bentonville location from 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

15 Two Punch Tuesday at Pigtails & Crewcuts in Fayetteville Double punch on loyalty card for every haircut every Tuesday!

Family Night Events - Every Tuesday at Chick-fil-A in Rogers and at Bentonville location from 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Drop in anytime between 2-5 p.m. It’s free! Questions? Call us at (479) 273-1329 ext. 2 or visit us on our Facebook page.

Kinder-Ready Program (ages 5-6) Monday, 5:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Children’s Auditorium - Springdale Public Library Children entering Kindergarten and their caregivers are invited to practice Kindergarten skills in a fun, interactive environment. Instructions for a take-home art project will be provided. Today’s Theme: Make a Splash

22 Two Punch Tuesday at Pigtails & Crewcuts in Fayetteville Double punch on loyalty card for every haircut every Tuesday!

Family Night Events - Every Tuesday at Chick-fil-A in Rogers and at Bentonville location from 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Laugh & Learn Library Lab Springdale Public Library (Ages 6-9) Tuesday 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. July 1/2 – Artsy Sciencey July 8/9 – RRRRRRobots July 15/16 – Wacky Weather July 22/23 – Grossology July 29/30 – Can We Engineer It?

Wednesday Family Day at Pigtails & Crewcuts. in Fayetteville 1 Haircut at full price, 2 Haircuts at $2 off, 3rd gets $4 off, etc.

Thurs

ed 2

An Evening at Orchards Park 7 - 10 p.m. NE J Street & John DeShields Blvd Bentonville -- bentonvillear.com

Rodeo of the Ozarks Parade 3:00 p.m. 1423 E. Emma Springdale Beginning at the rodeo grounds and proceeding west through downtown Springdale.

Rodeo of the Ozarks Parsons Stadium, Springdale www.rodeooftheozarks.com July 2-5 Recently honored again by the PRCA as one of the top five Large Outdoor Rodeos in 2013, the Rodeo of the Ozarks brings the best cowboys and the best stock together for four nights of rodeo action. Admission: $12-$35

Tommy Terrific: Wacky Magic Bentonville Public Library 10:00 a.m. AND 2:00 p.m. Families are invited to a show with a unique blend of laugh-out-loud comedy and wacky magic all while having fun with books. Sugar Free Allstars Springdale Public Library -10 a.m. You’ll want to clap your hands and dance around with Boom and Dr. Rock as they play some fun and funky music.

Sat

Fri

Rogers Historical Museum Summer Storytime Every Friday, 10 a.m., at Education Annex Youngsters age 4 through 8 can enjoy a story, hands-on history objects, and a craft with this series of free programs. 3rd Friday 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Downtown Rogers MainStreetRogers.com A celebration of America including live music. Admission: Free

24 Back to Nature with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission 10 a.m. Springdale Public Library Mobile Fish Aquarium and Program Take a look at the mobile fish aquarium set up outside the library entrance, then head inside to enjoy a lively presentation by Steve Dunlap, Regional Education Coordinator. (All Ages)

5 Prairie Creek Marina and Cabela’s Firework Display 9 p.m. 1 Prairie Creek Marina Dr, Rogers Prairie Creek Marina and Cabela’s Firework Display prairiecreekmarina.com

Mother Nature Reads at Hobbs State Park 10:30 a.m. Mother Nature Reveals Her Story Reading Times at Hobbs State Park. Children of all ages are welcome, however most stories will target children 3-6 years of age. Meet Mother Nature in the lobby of the Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area visitor center at 10:30 a.m. Cost: FREE

Firefly Fling Botanical Garden of the Ozarks www.bgozarks.org

The summer festival for families is a community event focused on getting adults and children outdoors and playing together. The festival features activity stations manned by community partners, music, dance and nighttime drama. Admission: $6-$8; under 3 free

26 Pinnacle Hills Promenade and the NWA Mall

JuLY

x our

Baby

Kate

ur story began in the summer of 2011, when Kara and I found out we were pregnant with our first child. Things seemed to be like any other normal pregnancy, until we went to the doctor for Kara’s 18-week ultrasound. That’s when our whole world was turned upside down. It was a nice November day shortly before Thanksgiving. We both went to work that morning and waited for the appointment later in the afternoon. The ultrasound started like every ultrasound I had ever seen on television. I’m not an expert when looking at ultrasounds, but I did notice a head, two arms, two legs, fingers, toes, brain and heart... All good news. She then asked us if we wanted to know the sex. Of course we did! After a little bit of searching, she took a picture and asked us if we knew what we were looking at. I’m fairly certain I was the last one to figure it out, and that was only after the ultrasound tech told us… a girl! This was the most exciting news we had received thus far. That ended the ultrasound and we went back to the waiting room until we could see the doctor. We had no idea what was coming next.

As soon as the doctor entered the room, she let us know that during the ultrasound, a small calcium deposit was noticed in the heart, which is a soft marker for Down syndrome. We were both shocked

by Chad Harvey

by the news because we had just seen the ultrasound and everything looked normal to us. The doctor then told us that 99 percent of the time, this spot doesn’t mean anything, but that she wanted us to go to a specialist in Joplin who could look at the heart with a better ultrasound and make sure our baby was healthy. We were scheduled to go to Joplin in early January of 2012, so we did our best to enjoy the holidays, which proved easier said than done. During those weeks, we had plenty of time to think about normal baby stuff and the unexpected news. Kara and I both work with children with disabilities, and we were completely accepting of a Down syndrome diagnosis. Kara called the doctor to ask if we even needed to go to Joplin because we didn’t care if she had Down syndrome or not. The doctor told us that we should at least go for the appointment to make sure her heart was fine and that she was otherwise healthy.

On Tuesday, January 3, 2012, we went to the doctor in Joplin and received news we did not expect. Our daughter’s heart appeared normal, but they noticed a large amount of fluid compressing her right lung. The doctor had intentions of draining the fluid right then but was unable to because the baby was not in a good spot to reach the right lung. We were told to come back in two weeks and see if the fluid could be drained at that point. The doctor was not sure what was wrong with the baby.

Two weeks later, the doctor was able to drain the majority of the fluid from around the lung, and as we watched on the ultrasound, we immediately saw the lung expand to the size it should have been. We were told to come back in two weeks to see if the fluid had reappeared or not, while the doctor sent samples of the fluid to be tested. Due to the color of the fluid, he thought our daughter was suffering from a rare condition called a congenital chylothorax, where the lymphatic system has not developed properly and her lymphatic fluid was leaking into her pleural space. This condition affects only 1 in 10,000 births and is fatal in many cases.

Our precious daughter, Kate Ryann, was born at 12:30 pm on February 19, 2012, at 32 weeks gestation.

We nervously waited for our next appointment, and at 29 weeks, Jan. 31, we made our way back to Joplin. As soon as the doctor looked at the ultrasound, he said the fluid was back, worse than the time before, and our daughter was going to die no matter what we did. He suggested we deliver her at the hospital in Joplin right away. After some discussion, we decided to drive to Little Rock, instead, to seek the best care for our baby at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. The doctor in Joplin called UAMS and Dr. Wendel accepted our case. We immediately got in my truck and drove literally 100 mph from Joplin to Little Rock, stopping only for gas. We passed three or four state troopers on the way, but, thankfully, we were never pulled over. Upon arrival at UAMS, Kara was immediately admitted and hooked up to monitors to listen to our baby’s heartbeat. After waiting for the doctors to handle an emergency C-section, a doctor we grew to love—Dr. Wendel— entered our room and told us that everything seemed all right at the moment and that we were not delivering that day. Instead, an ultrasound would be completed the following morning to assess the situation further. There was so much fluid that her right lung was compressed and her heart and left lung were being pushed further to the left than they should. Fluid was also beginning to accumulate in her abdomen, hydrops fetalis, which is usually when things go from bad to worse. After reviewing the ultrasound, the doctor sent us to Arkansas Children’s Hospital for an echocardiogram to see if the baby was beginning to go

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into heart failure, which would mean that there was nothing they could do and we would be discharged. Thankfully, the echo indicated her heart was strong, so Kara would be followed by the high-risk doctors and she would need to stay close to Little Rock. On the first high-risk visit, the fluid was compressing our babyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lung so much that Kara was admitted to the hospital and the fluid was drained for the second time. After recovering, she was released from the hospital, but one week later, the fluid had returned, even worse than the time before. We were given the option of draining again or shunt placement. There were pros and cons to both procedures, but if we wanted a shunt placement then we would be transferred to Houston or Cincinnati. We decided to drain again and hope for the best, but this time, after numerous attempts at draining the fluid, the doctors were only able to drain half of it. After an hour of recovering at the hospital, we were ready to leave when Kara sat up and her water broke! We were both terrified because she was only 31 weeks into the pregnancy. The doctors told us that Kara

46 July 2014

would now be on bed rest until 36 weeks gestation. On the night of February 18, 2012, Kara began having contractions that became too strong and the doctors were unable to stop them. A C-section was performed to limit the stress on our baby and so the doctors could begin working on her immediately. Our precious daughter, Kate Ryann, was born at 12:30 p.m. on February 19, 2012, at 32 weeks gestation. I was able to give her a quick glance and she made one small whimper before the doctors took her to a different room. While in recovery, a doctor would give us updates on Kate, and we were told she was too sick to be transferred to ACH. We were scared that Kate would not live. After three hours, she was wheeled into the room so we could see her and then was taken to a private room in the NICU at UAMS, where at least 10 doctors and nurses continued to work, setting up monitors and giving medications. Kate was heavily sedated and attached to an oscillator that provided 150 breaths per minute, while also receiving oxygen and nitric oxide. She also had a chest tube placed to continuously drain the fluid from her chest cavity,

along with numerous IV’s and other lines. Our long day finally ended with the doctors telling us that the next 24-48 hours would be crucial to her survival.

By March 31, all IV’s were removed and Kate remained only on supplemental oxygen.

Over the next eight weeks in the NICU, Kate had many good days and some bad days where we thought she wouldn’t survive. On Friday, March 2, I received a message from Kara saying the doctors thought Kate was septic and probably wasn’t going to survive. I drove as fast as I could from Rogers to Little Rock, thinking I was going to see my daughter one last time. By the time I got there, Kate was alive and resting. The doctor explained that Kate’s right lung became sick from being switched to a conventional ventilator too soon and was unable to keep up. She was placed back on the oscillator and given the time she needed to recover. For the remainder of Kate’s time in the NICU, we continued our roller coaster ride with ups and downs and numerous “special dates.”

On Saturday, April 14, all three of us were able to leave UAMS and come home.

The chest tube was no longer draining fluid and was permanently removed on March 11. Kate was switched to a conventional ventilator and Kara got to hold her for the first time on March 13. I was able to hold Kate for the first time on March 17. Kate was taken off the ventilator on March 21.

Kate was discharged from the hospital on her actual due date and, for the next month, was gradually weaned from supplemental oxygen. By the middle of May 2012, she was able to breathe on her own without any help. Kate is now two years old and the light of our lives. She will become a big sister to her new brother this month. We are so blessed and happy to have her and couldn’t imagine our lives without her. We are so thankful to have wonderful family, friends, neighbors and co-workers who helped us through a very difficult time. Of course, we will always be indebted to every doctor, nurse, respiratory therapist, and all other support staff who worked tirelessly to give our baby Kate the chance to survive. We would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Wendel and Dr. Sandlin, UAMS fetal maternal medicine specialists, Dr. Hall, Dr. Thomas, and the other neonatologists from UAMS/ACH, along with our special nurses Debbie, Alex, Lorrie and Karla. These people went above and beyond their call as professionals for our sweet girl. We thank God every day for our miracle girl.

I’ve Been Here Before ...I’ve decided to lose some weight

by Sp e

ncer P

res ley

It was the juice fast that brought me where I am today. Not because it was a great experience or lasted that long, but because it only lasted a day, and that day ranks among one of the worst of my life. Maybe I’ll start there. I stopped by my parents house a couple of weeks ago to kill some time and let my son, Jack, romp around in the backyard with his grandpa. While I was there, my parents were gushing over their newly found entertainment freedom since subscribing to Netflix. They were primarily talking about a documentary they watched the night before called, “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead,” about this Australian guy who healed himself from multiple ailments and lost tons of weight by going on a juice fast. Now, when I say “juice fast,” I’m not talking about the sweet, delicious juice made from oranges, grapes or cranberries... this juice is green. Bright, neon green. It’s made by juicing apples, celery, lemons, cucumbers, a chunk of ginger root and a crap ton of kale together in a juicer, a device that removes all insoluble fiber from fruits and vegetables and leaves you with 99 percent of the nutrient-rich liquid inside. In theory, juicing vegetables allows your digestive system to instantly absorb the maximum amount of nutrients quickly, with little effort. In reality, juicing vegetables allows you to produce some of the most foul liquid substances the world has ever known. Think apple juice infused with swamp scum. I’m talking about the swamp in The Lord of the Rings, the one with all the dead people floating in it. Don’t look at the lights, Frodo! Anyway, I’ve always been prone to gravitate toward extreme weight loss fads, especially when they have rigid rules, prompt results, and no exercise requirements. Ten minutes into this show and I’m powerless against it. I’ve gotta have this thing. The same one this Aussie is using. I’m willing to pay Amazon the extra $3 to get it here tomorrow.

This is not new territory for me. I’ve done it before, lots of times, and I’ve lost literally hundreds of cumulative pounds. I could teach a class on the matter of dropping weight quickly with very little discomfort. I’ve tried several methods: Weight Watchers, calorie-counting apps, meal replacement shakes, low carb (my favorite) and most recently (and most regrettably) a juice fast. 50 July 2014

I stopped by the grocery store on the way home that night for all the produce I would need for my new awesome lifestyle. I bought every ounce of kale they had. The cashier asked me what it was and what I was going to do with it all. I told her I was going to make juice out of it. She said it smelled bad. Whatever, lady, I’m about to make a major life change here. You better get used to selling all this kale because I’m going to be buying it—by the stinking truckload. The next day was like Christmas Eve! I was beside myself with excitement. I had a new thing, and I love new things. I told some of my coworkers about it and they rolled their eyes, assuming that this was just another fad I was going through. “Whatever, y’all didn’t watch the documentary,” I thought. “This is the real deal.” The next day I would be there with my thermos full of life-giving juice and pretty soon

they would all be jumping on the bandwagon. When I got home that night, my wife, Jacqueline, had already unpacked the box and set it up in the kitchen. This is roughly the equivalent of opening my birthday presents while I’m busy blowing out my candles, but I overlooked it due to the level of excitement that was going on in that moment. I unpacked the greenery from the fridge and got down to the business of juicing. I went straight for the kale first. The device works similarly to a wood chipper: roughage in, juice out. There’s a spout sticking out of the side of the thing that pours into a clear plastic pitcher. It takes about five minutes to juice all the kale and now the pitcher is about an inch and a half deep. I run the rest of the ingredients through the chute and the pitcher is full. Now we have about half of what we need to make it through a full day of juicing. I cleaned out the first store I went to so I make a quick run to another and buy all they have. By this point we have just about enough for one day. It cost me $42. I drank a glass of it for dinner and hardly even cringed. While it didn’t taste “good,” it wasn’t completely unpalatable, which I was worried about. I could rest easy that night knowing I could do this, after I spent about 30 minutes cleaning all the crud out of it. The next morning we made fruit juices for breakfast. In order to juice enough for both of us to have some, I had to use five mangos, five peaches and three very

large carrots; 20 more minutes of scraping the pulp out of this thing and then I’m off to work with a thermos full of green juice, an optimistic outlook and small, far away voice alerting me that something was missing.

I drank a glass of it for dinner and hardly even cringed. While it didn’t taste “good” it wasn’t completely unpalatable, which I was worried about. I should mention that one of the things you abstain from during a juice fast is caffeine. I should also mention that the day before, I drank two pots of coffee and at least four diet Cokes, just like ever other day. I consider this caffeine deprivation to be the catalyst for what took place during the remainder of that day, which I can only describe as a nightmare hell ride. Since I drank my lunch in about 30 seconds, I decided to spend the remainder of my hour walking around

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Best Buy. By this point I was very hungry and had a slight headache, but Crocodile Dundee on the show couldn’t even get out of bed the first three days, so I figured I was doing pretty well. It wasn’t until I was driving back to work when I noticed I might be having some problems. Aside from the hunger, which was now much more noticeable, and the growing headache, I started to realize I couldn’t see very well. By the time I made it back to the office, I literally couldn’t see anything in front of my face. Whatever I tried to focus on would become a grey blob and everything surrounding that blob would pulse with my pounding head. I needed to sit down and rethink my strategy.

A juicer removes all insoluble fiber from fruits and vegetables and leaves you with 99% of the nutrient-rich liquid inside.

It came to me that my problem was probably due to insufficient calorie intake. What I needed was more juice. I stumble past my coworkers in slow motion on my way to the break room. They all had something to say to me about my condition and I don’t remember a word of it. I unscrew the lid of the thermos and pour a tall glass of green juice. Wasting no time, I also take a swig straight from the jug. Now, what was borderline palatable before this instant was no longer the case, for what I tasted at that moment was both disgusting and horrifying. I’ve got 30 seconds tops to get to a safe location for the inevitable vomit. What happened next was a chain reaction—the juice is much worse coming up than going down, which makes me feel more sick, which makes me hurl again, which makes me more sick… I emerge 15 minutes later, blurry eyed and drenched with sweat. People are staring at me. I sit down and coworkers are begging me to eat and asking me to go home. I can’t remember if it was a funny deal or a serious one. Someone brought me peanut butter crackers and a Coke. I eat it slowly and barf if up quickly. I call my mother. She comes to my work and takes me home and I go straight to bed. Before I slip off to sleep, I remember telling myself this would be the last extreme scheme I would ever attempt in my efforts to lose weight. Now, the juicer is back in its box at the foot of our bed. Amazon has been alerted and is expecting it back in their warehouse next week.

Kandi dthesir Pets dog on the The name of the is Bingo. Cracker Jack box (futurevet.net)

54 July 2014

Studies show that people with pets live longer, have less stress, and fewer health problems.

(Source: American Pet Product Manufacturers Association)

In total there is said to be around 400 million dogs in the world. (sciencekidz.co.nz)

Walt Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family dog was named Lady. She was a poodle.

A cat has 230 bones in its body. A human only has 206.

(futurevet.net)

History of Kim and the CRV Disease The 6th Annual Cure CRV Golf Tournament will be held Friday, July 18th at the Lost Springs Golf Course in Rogers, Arkansas. For more information on playing or donating, visit www.curecrv.com or e-mail curecrv@yahoo.com.

im Morey was born in Arkansas and raised in Northwest Arkansas. She is married to Kevin and they have 3 children; Ashton, Tyrus, and Nathan, as well as a grandson, Tracen. Kim has worked in the vendor community for over 14 years. Prior to working in the vendor community she was a nail technician and also owned a tanning salon here in Bentonville. Kim was diagnosed with Autosomal DominantRetinal Vasculopathy with Cerebral Leukodystrophy (AD-RVCL), also known as CRV (Cerebroretinal Vasculopathy), in February of 2008. AD-RVCL is a disease which she inherited from her father, who passed away at age 49 after contracting the disease

JULY 18th Lost Springs Golf Course

56 July 2014

July 18th Tournament

from his mother who died at age 56. The symptoms usually begin in the fourth decade of life, and the disease process affects the small blood vessels, particularly those supplying the retina as well as other parts of the brain. Over a five- to 10-year period, there is a progressive loss of vision as well as loss of multiple cells in the brain leading to brain damage and eventually death. There is as yet no treatment. Dr. Atkinson and his group at the Washington University School of Medicine have been working for several decades to increase our understanding of this disease. Through collaborations with physicians/scientists at the University of California at Los Angeles and Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, less than 20 families across the world have been identified with this disease. In 2001, the mutated gene was localized to a region on Chromosome 3, and in 2007, the specific genetic defect in all of these families was discovered in a single gene, called TREX-1, which makes a protein that plays an important role in repair of DNA. The function of normal and mutated TREX-1 is being investigated in order to understand how it causes the disease. Because of these develop-ments, a definitive means to establish the diagnosis is available; however, the condition is often misdiagnosed as a brain tumor, stroke, or multiple sclerosis. The goal now is to find a treatment to replace, bypass, correct or negate the effects of the defective protein. Since there are less than 20 families that have been diagnosed with this disease, there are insufficient funds available to continue on with research. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we are asking for your help. All money raised will go directly to St. Louis University to fund research for curing CRV.

Perfection and punctuality seem to elude me, and, at long last, I have decided to embrace the life of â&#x20AC;&#x153;-ishâ&#x20AC;?! Let me explain. Before I became a wife and mama, you could count on me to be on time. Not early. Not late, but on time. I used to pride myself on being on time. I remember driving down my parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; driveway with a prideful grin on my face knowing I was going to be at their door step at 9:00AM as promised. Not 8:59 or

By Trysta Herzog

Four-Legged

Daycare Hours Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Phenom-A-Dog treats your fur family like one of their own! It started with a passion for furry frie nds and a dream born out of tragedy that fueled Freda King’s desire to get busy living the life she wanted for herself and her family.

Friends Welcome Phenom-A-Dog

200 S. 24th Street Rogers, AR 72758 phenomadog@cox.net

479-202-5303 Boarding Offered 7 days a week Training Classes Puppy Classes (6 weeks) Beginning Home Manners (6 weeks) Canine Good Citizen (6 weeks) Certified Pet Therapy (8 weeks)

www.phenomadog.com One word sums that up for her: Phenom-A-Dog— the newest dog training, boarding and daycare facility in Rogers. A lifelong Joplin resident and retired Mercy healthcare worker, Freda attributes the move to Northwest Arkansas to three things: the death of a very close friend, the devastation from the Joplin tornado, and an aspiration to be closer to her daughter, Deonne.

“It was a wake-up call,” she said. “Life’s too short not to do what you want to do!” Once the dream of opening Phenom-A-Dog began to take root, she said she realized this was the perfect location for it, and with the help of her daughter— now her business manager—and Deonne’s motherin-law, Carolyn Underhill, the dream became a reality in March 2014, each of them bringing their own talents and skills to the table, but, most importantly, each of them bringing love to the dogs they care for every day.

“We treat your dogs the way we treat our own, the way we treat our family,” Freda said. “We just hold them and love them.”

58 July 2014

A pack leader herself with seven rescue dogs, Freda also has 12 years experience as a professional dog trainer and is a former veterinary technician. She

is an AKC-certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, as well as the TriState Kennel Club, and an active Delta Certified Pet Therapy volunteer. Carolyn, Phenom-A-Dog’s retail manager with many years of customer service and business experience, grew up on a farm in Riverton, Kansas, with many animals and has two rescue dogs. Deonne has three dogs in her fur-family, which also includes her husband, a military veteran, and a daughter who hopes to join the family-owned business one day, too.

“We have a lot of fun,” Carolyn said, emphasizing the importance of family in the venture. “We all have the support of one another.” Their goal, other than to give them as much love, attention and socialization that each dog can handle, is to send them home tired and happy. Cleanliness is also of the utmost importance, as is transparency.

“When we have new families come to visit, we welcome them with open arms,” Deonne said. “I’ve been to other facilities where I was not allowed to go into the back areas. That’s not how it is here. We want it to be open and let people see where their dogs will be staying.”

Four-legged friends aren’t the only ones who get specialized treatment, the trio hope to provide a positive experience for everyone in the family, especially those who can’t always be there for their dogs.

“We have a military family where the fiancé is overseas and she travels a lot, so their dog stays with us,” Deonne said. “He has a tablet that he can use to access videos on our Facebook page of his dog playing and we try to post as much as we can for him.” Deonne said they are honored to maintain that connection and show that the pet is being cared for in the owners’ absences. It lets the Phenom-A-Dog team know this journey is worth the long hours and hard work put into the business. Phenom-A-Dog encourages visitors to come in for a tour and schedule the first day of daycare, which is free in order for the family to familiarize themselves with the facility and to reassure the dog his owner will come back. For a more detailed account of prices and services, visit the website at www.phenomadog.com.

“Each week we’re growing and it’s a lot of hard work, but we get a lot of kisses in return,” Freda said. “I just feel very blessed and hope we can continue to grow.”

Kitty ‘Litter’-acy: FPL Launches New Kid (And Pet) Friendly Program

Cat Tales: the Kitty Litteracy Project is a partnership between FPL and Fayetteville Animal Services that will bring together kids, cats and books for the purpose of improving children’s reading skills and boosting the adoptability of shelter cats through socialization. Kids in K-5th Grade are eligible to participate. Each child in the program will read to a cat at the shelter during one 30-minute session a week for a total of six sessions.

ayetteville Public Library has long been an advocate of innovative learning, putting on programs that bring the community together while fostering positive thinking and self-improvement. From bluegrass to toddler storytime, from LEGO camp to birdwatching, from open mic nights to didgeridoo performances, this library has been a creative, connective force for Northwest Arkansas. Their latest endeavor, Cat Tales, is no different. It’s a simple concept — kids reading to local shelter cats—but the positive effects are surprisingly farreaching. Peekaboo sat down with Alyson Low, Youth Service Librarian for FPL, to get the scoop (no pun intended). Where did the inspiration come from to create this program, and when were you able to get it started? A coworker saw an article on the web about this kind of program at a shelter in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and sent it to me because she thought I’d enjoy reading about it. (She and I are both pet moms and swap stories

62 July 2014

by Frances Wilson

Do the kids go to the shelter, or do the shelter cats come to the library? The kids go to the shelter. They must register for the program at the library and once they are in the program, they must schedule their sessions through the library, as well. (I try to keep tasks associated with the program at a minimum for the shelter staff.)

about our four-legged kids.) I was already the coordinator for our reading program that utilizes therapy dogs (“Sit, Stay, Read”), and I thought it would be so much fun to involve cats in something similar. I proposed the idea to my manager, Lolly Greenwood, and she said, “Absolutely!” I had been volunteering at the Fayetteville city shelter for more than a year and knew Justine Lentz, the director, and she, too, was really enthusiastic about it. It was very easy to implement, so we were able to start right away. The first session took place in the beginning of April.

Is it free to sign your kids up? Yes! There is paperwork involved, so registration must be done in person at the Children’s Desk. Is it a specific commitment of time/days? Yes. As the shelter staff stays very busy throughout the day, I wanted to make sure any demands of the

What’s the benefit to cats of being read to? They definitely respond to the one-on-one attention; some will sit in the kids’ laps or right next to them; some will perch nearby. And there is some suggestion that the rhythmic sound of someone reading is very soothing to cats. Do the kids bring their own books, or does the shelter or library provide books?

program would be very minimal for them, so Justine suggested afternoons, Monday through Thursday, as the best stretch of time. There are three 30-minute slots: 2, 3 and 4 p.m. They are spaced 30 minutes apart to give the staff time to go into the cat room and perform any needed tasks such as administering medication, etc., without interruption. I’ve heard of kids reading to dogs, and how it builds confidence, so much so that these dogs are often considered emotional service dogs. What’s the benefit of reading to cats for kids? We believe both cats and dogs provide the kids with a nonjudgmental audience and a positive presence; their funny, affectionate nature relaxes the kiddos and makes reading a real treat.

The kids bring their own books since space is at a premium at the shelter. I also didn’t want the staff to have to worry about keeping up with books. How old do the kids have to be to participate?

What’s your goal for this program? Are you hoping to expand it at all? Cat Tales shares the same goal as our Sit, Stay, Read program: to provide emerging and reluctant readers with a supportive environment for practicing their reading skills. There is the wonderful added benefit of the cats receiving socialization which can boost their chances of being adopted. The kids get to reap the rewards of reading and volunteering simultaneously, which is so awesome! We’re going to maintain our current number of slots for now, but we’re open to expansion in the future if possible. Spots continually become available as kids complete their six weeks and graduate!

It’s for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. Have you had any feedback from the shelter or the kids? Yes! All positive! The kids love it, and the parents do, too! The first little boy to graduate enjoyed being with the shelter cats so much that he was going to begin volunteering once he finished our program (young kids are allowed to volunteer by helping to socialize the cats). I can’t sing the praises of the shelter staff loudly enough. They’re a great group of people, and we’re very proud to partner with them in making this special program possible.

To sign up for the program, visit the Children’s desk at Fayetteville Public Library. For other questions, call Alyson Lowe at (479) 856-7121 or e-mail at alow@faylib.org.

hat can parents do when they realize that their 4-year-old child might not be ready for school? Lead Kindergarten teacher Marin Hamilton at R.E. Baker Elementary in Bentonville gives some great advice. “Let them be kids. Kindergarten is so academically focused that parents need to make learning fun.” Parents who are not teachers don’t always know how to make learning fun. So, what activities should busy parents include to help their child be prepared?

Be Brave and Go Play

Help!

My Child May Not en t r a rg e d in K r o f y d a e R e B Read, read, read and love those books! There are amazing children’s stories out there full of adventures and fun. Many adults don’t like to read, but if parents want their child to enjoy reading, finding well-written books with entertaining pictures helps. Take trips to the bookstore frequently or search online. If money is an issue, the local library is free. I found my four-year-old granddaughter’s favorite book at the local Helping Hands thrift shop.

Children need to play with other children. Socialization is a big part of success in both school and life. Playing with Mom and Dad is wonderful, but it just isn’t the same as playing tag with another child. Watch children on a playground the next time you visit a park or school. Some are running, swinging and sliding together; others are playing alone or walking around appearing lost. If preschool is not affordable, parents need to find another way for their child to interact with peers.

Some Reach for Literacy by Dr. Rena Walker www.reachforliteracy.com Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle

Blow your Nose and Zip Up Every time a child at Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center in Bentonville is out of the classroom for any reason, they must wash their hands carefully before they re-enter. The children know how to put on their shoes and are expected to cover their mouths when they cough. These children know how to zip-up their jackets before going outside to play.

64 July 2014

By Jun e To wnz en

Talk to Me Phones may be necessary, but it is sad to see children trying to get Mom’s or Dad’s attention while they are playing a game or checking their e-mail. How can anyone express the wonders of learning when they don’t share conversations with their child? A child needs to know how to communicate with others.

Local

Friendly Bookstore www.friendlybookstore.org Once Upon a Time Books www.onceuponatimebooks.com Nightbird Books www.nightbirdbooks.com

Bring Me the Scissors The Arkansas Department of Human Services has indicators to help parents prepare a child for Kindergarten (www.arkansas.gov/childcare). They include language development, solving problems, physical skills, self-awareness and independence, and book skills with letters, words and sounds. Dr. Rena Walker, author of Reach for Literacy, developed a “five step tutoring program that also increases a child’s ability to listen, focus and participate at a high level of sustained instruction for 30 minutes.” The children love the program because it’s fun. Both the Helen Walton and In His Image preschools in Bentonville offer the extracurricular program. It is also available online. The University of Arkansas has a summer reading program as well. Teach your child how to color, cut with scissors, use glue, or make little stapled books for word creations and pictures. Use Play-Doh to shape letters and dry erase boards for letter formation and name writing. Most teachers won’t want your child to write their name in capital letters, but instead just capitalize the first letter. Ms. Hamilton’s advice to “let them be kids” will hopefully keep children from burning out in all-day Kindergarten. Adopt the laid-back approach, find some good resources, or spend the 30 minutes twice a week that Dr. Walker recommends.

t u o s u Checkonline!

OnlyInArk com

by Annette King

re you planning a staycation this summer or just looking for offthe-beaten-path activities for the whole family? Take a look at OnlyinArk.com for fresh ideas!

Each story is about Arkansas and written by Arkansans who have a real love for the state. And it is packed full of local flavor! You’ll find stories about the attractions we visit, the food we crave, the festivals we attend, the mountains we hike, the rivers we float, the stories we tell and the company we keep.

This great new website celebrates Arkansas—every nook, cranny, cave and corner. It shares happenings and unique places across the Natural State, making it an ideal place to begin research for fun family outings.

New stories are added to the site nearly every weekday, with topics including Arkansas travel, Arkansas food, Arkansas festivals, and Arkansas sports. Recent stories include features on exploring the USS Razorback Submarine, canoeing the Mississippi River and ziplining through the treetops on a ropes course in Mountain View. The site also features in-depth stories about Arkansas homegrown businesses—newer companies that started out in Arkansas and have become popular brands nationwide, such as Fayettechill, Slim Chickens, and Acumen Brands (including Country Outfitter). These stories are written by our good friends at Fayetteville Flyer. I was born and raised in Arkansas. I take great pride in my home state and in being an employee of a bank that is Only In Arkansas. Because First Security is invested in communities all across the state, we get to hear wonderful stories you won’t find anywhere else. Now, we get to share them with you on OnlyInArk.com. All the stories add up to one beautiful state. And it looks like home to me. Ya’ll come on.

66 July 2014

Daisies & Olives

Top

Flea Markets in

No r t h w es t A r k a n sas by Laurie Marshall

orthwest Arkansas has long been a destination for folks who are searching for highquality arts and crafts. The venerable War Eagle Craft show is considered to be the “granddaddy” of shows in the region, and is still going strong as it gears up for its 60th year in 2014. For those of us who love a good treasure hunt, the increasing number of flea markets and vintage & antique malls makes us do a happy dance. To the uninitiated, it may seem that once you’ve seen one flea market, you’ve seen them all, but that is definitely not the case. Here’s a run-down of the top eight flea markets and vintage & antique malls in Northwest Arkansas.

68 July 2014

129-135 East Buchanan Street Prairie Grove Prairie Grove has become a mecca for those of us who love old, repurposed, or unique items for our homes. Even if you just want to window shop, there is a lot to look at. D&O has recently expanded and fills a city block with home décor, handmade items, vintage items small and large, and rustic garden décor. If you are a collector or a designer and are looking for something with a little history, you can probably find it here. Take a break for lunch at Gaby’s – their salsa and chips will haunt your dreams!

Cottage at the Barn 121 E. Poplar Rogers The building this business is in has been many things over the decades, from general store to several kinds of flea market. The current owners pride themselves on frequently updated vignettes that help shoppers picture the items for sale in their vendor booths in their own homes. You’ll find new home décor, vintage and antiques, and handmade items here. They also offer design services and custom silk floral design. It’s right off the main drag of Rogers, which is a great place to spend an afternoon. Try The Rail Pizza Co. when your shopping works up an appetite. Bring the kids and visit the Daisy Airgun Museum just down the street.

Cellar Door Antiques

Fayetteville’s Funky Yard Sale

Christopher & Co.

132 W Emma Ave Springdale

693 W. North St. Ste. 1 Fayetteville

101 W Emma Ave Springdale

The building the Yard Sale is in was once a storage facility for the train line that came through town. They have transformed the interior to house dozens of booths that truly exemplify the “flea market” title. You can find some vintage items here, but true to their name, there is a lot of “funky” within its walls as well. It’s hard to describe, but definitely worth a look

They’ve only been open a few months, but the owners of this shop have years of experience as vendors at other vintage malls and flea markets. You won’t find as many fine antiques here as you might at some of the other places on the list, but if you are looking for items with a backstory, this is the place. Industrial, chippy, rustic, retro and vintage all get along here, and the owners also refurbish furniture with a great eye for a vintage, distressed painted look. Don’t hesitate to help yourself to a piece of chocolate from the enormous antique jar on the counter either – they won’t mind.

410 Vintage

Summit Hill Cottage Shoppe

410 N College Ave Fayetteville

124 East Buchanan Prairie Grove

410 is THE PLACE to go if you’re looking for Mid-Century Modern style. Lamps, chairs, sectionals, patio furniture – just about anything from that era that you need, they either have or can source for you. In addition to their MCM selection, they also house a number of vendors who sell everything from vintage clothing to painted furniture and lampshades recovered with modern fabric. Their music selection on the P.A. system is always fun, and you never know what you’ll find here. It’s close to the University of Arkansas campus and historic downtown square. Stop by Little Bread Company on Block Street to recharge your battery with a freshly-baked pastry or one of their amazing sandwiches.

As a relatively new shop in Prairie Grove, Summit Hill has an impressive following, thanks in large part to the owner’s commitment to focusing on everything “cottage”. She is a decorator in her own right, and keeps the shop fresh, changing around the display and booths often so that every time you visit, you see something new and inspiring. Painted furniture, handmade décor and touches of rusty metal make this shop a must-see. They are right across the street from Daisies & Olives, and there are a few other shops along the street to make it worth a day-trip.

Although she calls it an antique store, there are so many small, unique items at Cellar Door, it’s worth including on a list of top flea markets and vintage malls. You can find a wide selection of antiques and vintage here, from lovely large pieces of furniture, to vintage road maps and vinyl record albums. They are located in Springdale, a town that is seeing a renaissance downtown led by a grass-roots movement spurring businesses to locate there as a way to show their commitment to their hometown’s economy. There is a fantastic walk-up taqueria down the street where you can drink a cane sugar Coca-Cola as you watch cars pass, or you can dine in at La Fonda just next door.

Somewhere in Time Antique Mall 719 W Walnut St Rogers There is so much awesome here that it spills out onto the sidewalks outside. If you’re looking for rusty, chippy, and fresh-from-the-barn items, this is a great source. If you’d rather not do any refurbishing, they also have booths full of fine antiques and vintage items. Just down the street is Lucy’s Diner – a 24-hour restaurant that serves a mean omelet anytime you ask.

the story behind the bentonville project Bentonville Project is a virtual love letter dedicated to the stories of the people who live here. Monica Kumar spends her days learning and sharing the tales of the interesting people who call this place home. Peekaboo decided to turn the tables on her and find out about the amazingly interesting person behind the Bentonville Project. I have always been passionate about positive psychology and habits that lead to happiness. Increasingly, I have found that that any time we focus our attention on family and community we increase our joy for life. This is what motivated our family to move to Bentonville from Silicon Valley and ultimately, what made me decide to start the site. When we got here I was overwhelmed by how welcoming people are and how easily they let you into their lives. It felt like I knew people I had just met 20 minutes ago, for many years. I somehow wanted to capture that human spirit which really is the best of us and so we came up with the idea for the Bentonville Project.

Monica Kumar was born and raised in London, England, and practiced corporate litigation & human rights / family law in London and the Turks & Caicos Islands. She has also worked in strategy and fundraising for various nonprofit organizations in London and the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2009, Monica was one of a small team that organized a TEDx on Health & Habits. Prior to moving to Bentonville she was one of the first employees at a Silicon Valley startup, with a focus on using technology to positively impact human behavior, health and habits.

www.bentonvilleproject.com 70 July 2014

I wanted to convey that every person is a story, but also the unique way this area has of making what is important, what really counts—things like family, time together, being in nature, community—the central purpose of life. I don’t know how Bentonville does it, but I have gone from a person who made long, family happiness “todo” lists, to a person who just does what makes her family happy. And I attribute that to living here. Since moving here, we have had many opportunities to engage locally; I started this project which has been the ultimate excuse to meet amazing people, my husband Kabir gets to experience every day the difference we can make through his work with the Walmart Foundation and I just started my term as President of the Parent Association at my son’s school. For us, these are all opportunities to build community and ultimately increase our happiness. So really living here in Bentonville and starting this project has been a selfish act of self love! And we are beyond grateful for this unique, awesome opportunity.

WATER SAFETY

By Jeffrey Savage, MD, FFAP Harvey Pediatrics

t’s now well after Memorial Day, and this means that the season for swimming is here. Community pools are now open, and families are headed to area lakes and rivers for fun on the water. It’s a great time of the year, and swimming is not only fun, but it’s great exercise. However, with thoughts of fun also come thoughts about water safety. Although drowning rates have fallen steadily over the last 20 years, it is still the second leading cause of death in children ages 1 to 19. Toddlers and teenage boys are at greatest risk

have soft sides, they make it quite easy for a child to lean over the side and fall headfirst into the water. It may be easy to forget the dangers with backyard pools, but parents should be just as vigilant supervising children in these pools as with larger in-ground pools. Lastly, although life vests can be very important in the overall water safety plan, they are not a substitute for supervision. Also remember that inflatable arm floats should never be used in place of a life vest. They do not correctly position a child’s head and chest and can deflate. Proper supervision is essential.

The lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations to parents regarding water safety and drowning prevention has stated that “to protect children, parents need to think about layers of protection.” One of the first lines of defense that we think about is the actual ability to swim. However, although swim lessons can be important, and are recommended for older children, they have not been universally recommended by the AAP for children ages 1-4 years. The reason for this is concern that parents may become less vigilant about supervising children that have undergone some type of swim training. It is important to remember that swimming skills do not “drown-proof ” children. It is therefore strongly recommended that parents closely supervise children and know how to perform basic life-saving procedures (CPR), even if there is a lifeguard present.

Although prevention is key with water safety, knowing what to do in the event of an emergency is also important. If you notice a child who appears to be drowning (head low in the water with mouth at water level, hair over face or eyes, gasping, head tilted back with mouth open, appearance of climbing an invisible ladder), get them out of the water immediately. Assess whether they are breathing on their own, and if not, begin CPR. If others are present, send them to call for emergency medical help. Vomiting of swallowed water is very likely to occur during this process. Only when the child is breathing should you stop and seek help. Remember that any child that has come close to drowning should be assessed by a medical professional and in most cases, be watched for 24 hours to assess for lung problems that can occur from inhalation of water.

The AAP has several recommendations regarding pool safety. First, it is recommended that a fence, 4 feet tall with self-closing and self-latching gate with lock, surround the entire pool and isolate it from the house. Pool alarms and rigid pool covers are also recommended. Even shallow, inflatable back-yard pools can be quite large and be plenty deep enough for a drowning to occur. From 2004 to 2006, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 47 deaths related to inflatable pools. Because these pools

Swimming is fun, it’s great exercise, and it can be a safe summertime activity if the right steps are taken to keep it that way. Remember that life vests, pool gates, pool alarms, and swimming lessons are just tools to keep children safe. They must be used, and used properly, for them to work to their greatest potential. There is no substitution for supervision. Be safe!

72 July 2014

Dr. Savage practices at Harvey Pediatrics. The office is located at 2900 Medical Center Parkway # 300 in Bentonville. For more information or to make an appointment, please call 479-254-1100

479.659.0999 1117 N. Dixieland, Lowell

At a Glance At a Glance

ARTS and MUSIC

Abrakadoodle (Pg. 13) (479) 856-6651 abrakadoodle.com Crystal Bridges (Pg. 33) (479) 418-5700 crystalbridges.org Imagine Studios (Pg. 46) (479) 619-6085 imagine-studios.com

CHILDCARE/NANNY SERVICES

ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 73) (479) 621-6126 www.abchappykids.com Better Beginnings (Pg. 49) 1-800-445-3316 arbetterbeginnings.com The Kid’s Studio (Pg. 25) (479) 268-6675 www.thekidsstudio.com Larson’s Language Center (Pg. 64) (479) 633-9900 www.larsonslanguagecenter.com Mary’s Little Lambs (Pg. 35) (479) 273-1011 Seeking Sitters (Pg. 30) (501) 203-3097 www.seekingsitters.com

CHURCH

Unitarian Universalist (Pg. 77) www.uubcar.com

CLOTHING / FURNITURE

2nd Look Consignment (Pg. 20) (479) 790-1536 NWA2ndLook.com Bassett (Pg. 15) (479) 571-0200 bassettfurniture.com Belle Boutique (Pg. 61) www.belleboutiquenwa.com June Bugs Reruns (Pg. 57) www.junebugsreruns.com Little Darlings (Pg. 71) (479) 464-8492

DANCE/CHEER/TUMBLE/STRETCH

iNFiNiTi (Pg. 26) (479) 715-6840 www.infinitiathletics.com The Little Gym (Pg. 31) (479) 636-5566 tlgrogersar.com

DENTIST / ORTHODONTIST

Dr. Brown - Orthodontics Exclusively (Pg. 18) www.drbrownbraces.com Smile Shoppe Pediatric Dentistry (Pg. 43) (479) 631-6377

DERMATOLOGY

Hull Dermatology and Aesthetics (Pg. 35) (479) 254-9662 hullderm.com NWA Center for Plastic Surgery (Pg. 2) (479) 571-3100 nwacenterforplasticsurgery.com

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Shiloh Christian School (Pg. 8) (479) 756-1140 Walnut Farm Montessori School (Pg. 78) (479) 271-9424 walnutfarmmontessori.com

FAMILY FUN / ENTERTAINMENT

All About Mickey Vacation Planning (Pg. 63) (479) 461-6519 Fast Lane Entertainment (Pg. 75) (479) 659-0999 www.fastlanebowl.com Mad Science (Pg. 11) (479) 444-0303 www.madscience.org/nwa The Party Place (Pg. 79) thepartyplacear.com (479) 230-9494 Rogers Activity Center (Pg. 53) (479) 631-0336 Rogers Aquatics Center (Pg. 45) (479) 936-5482 Rogers Historical Museum (Pg. 29) (479) 621-1154 Starlight Skatium (Pg. 51) (479) 444-STAR The Walmart Museum (Pg. 13) (479) 273-1329 walmartstores.com

FOOD / DRINK

Cherry Berry (Pg. 39) (479) 876-8085 Sam’s Club (Pg. 80) www.samsclub.com TCBY (Pg. 3) (479) 636-8229 (TCBY)

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

A. R. Chiropractic (Pg. 25) (479) 236-3606 ARchiropractic.com Dr. Jim Elkins (Pg. 67, 71) (479) 636-0300 Ginn Foot and Ankle (Pg. 58) (479) 254-1975 www.nwafoot.com Morter Health Corner (Pg. 65) (479)636-1324 morterhealthcorner.com Skinny Fiber (Pg. 28) 4isall.com Tate HealthCare (Pg. 52) (479) 271-6511 www.tatehealthcare.com

HOME and YARD

Carpet Smart (Pg. 42) (479) 750-0117 / (866) 795-8520

JEWELRY AND GIFTS

David Adams (Pg. 59) davidadams.com

LEARNING CENTER

ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 73) (479) 621-6126 www.abchappykids.com Bricks 4 Kidz (Pg. 53) (479) 268-4345 www.bricks4kidz.com Larson’s Language Center (Pg. 64) (479) 633-9900 www.larsonslanguagecenter.com LearningRx (Pg. 73) (479) 715-6870 www.learningrx.com/bentonville

MARTIAL ARTS ATA (Pg. 4)

Bentonville: (479) 273-1212 / Fay: (479) 443-5425

OPTOMETRIST

Pediatric Vision Development Center (Pg. 65) nwavisiontherapy.com (479) 795-1411

PEDIATRICIAN

PETS

Best Start Pediatric Clinic (Pg. 17) (479) 575-9359 Bentonville Pediatric Clinic (Pg. 9) (479) 273-5437 The Children’s Clinic at Springdale (Pg. 21) (479) 751-2522 Harvey Pediatrics (Pg. 11, 66) (479) 254-1100 harveypediatrics.com MANA NWA Pediatric Clinic (Pg. 60) Wellness: (479) 443-3471 Urgent: (479) 442-7322

THERAPY

ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 73) (479) 621-6126 www.abchappykids.com PlayStrong Pediatric Therapy (Pg. 16) (479) 246-0101 Dr. Thomas Terry Lawson (Pg. 37) (479) 444-1400 www.terrylawson.com Katherine Rogers Counseling (Pg. 55) (479) 802-5758 Tate HealthCare (Pg. 52) (479) 271-6511

WOMEN’S HEALTH

Enjoy Birth (Pg. 22) enjoybirthclasses.com

Life Spring Women’s Health (Pg. 19) (479) 271-0005 lifespringhealthcare.com Northwest Women’s Heatlh Center (Pg. 7) (479) 503-2525 Northwest Willow Creek Women’s Hospital (Pg. 5) (479) 684-3000 Parkhill Clinic for Women (Pg. 47) (479) 521-4433 Siloam Springs Women’s Center (Pg. 32) (479) 524-9312 siloamwomenscenter.com Springwoods Behavioral Health (Pg. 27) (479) 973-6000 Washington Regional Her Health (Pg.38) (479) 463-5500 wregional.com

Phenom-A-Dog (Pg. 55) (479) 202-5303 phenomadog.com

PLASTIC SURGEON

NWA Center for Plastic Surgery (Pg. 2) (479) 571-3100 www.nwacenterforplasticsurgery.com

ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 73) (479) 621-6126 www.abchappykids.com The Kid’s Studio (Pg 25) (479) 268-6675 www.thekidsstudio.com Larson’s Language Center (Pg. 64) (479) 633-9900 www.larsonslanguagecenter.com Mary’s Little Lambs (Pg. 35) (479) 273-1011 Walnut Farm Montessori School (Pg. 78) (479) 271-9424 walnutfarmmontessori.com

PRESCHOOL/ PRE-K

SALON - HAIR AND NAILS

TALENT

Pigtails&Crewcuts (Pg. 22) (479) 935-4121 pigtailsandcrewcuts.com N.C.K. Talent Academy (Pg. 48) (479) 445-6000 thenck.com

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