The Christmas Starr

Kristin and Ms. Pam


Kristin loved being on stage!




Last Thursday night Kristin's school put on their Christmas program, The Christmas Starr. It was so cute and I was so proud of Kristin. She stood up there, sang the songs and never goofed around like some of the other kids. Her teacher, Ms. Pam said she knows every word of all the songs from the performance and Kristin informed me that when she is a big kid, she is going to have one of the solo parts. I don't doubt it a bit!

We are getting ready for a possible ice storm. I talked to my in-laws in Joplin and it's really bad up there. We are under and ice storm warning for tonight and tomorrow morning. I think Siloam is probably far enough south to miss most of it, but I guess we will have to wait and see. I love snow, but do NOT like ice! I went to the grocery store earlier today to buy some of the essentials...bread, milk, cookie dough (yes, cookie dough). I laugh at people running to the grocery store when there is talk of bad weather and there I was, out there with all of them!

A New Do

Kristin has had her first official haircut! Up unitl now, I've always cut her hair, but the other day she decided she wanted it cut in a stacked bob. Well, there's no way I could do that, so I took her to one of the Mom's at work who is a stylist and had her do it. The next morning after getting it cut, Kristin immediately said "I don't have any tangles!" Here is a picture of her showing off her new do in front of the tree.



We are slowly getting ready for Christmas. Last Saturday my boss took us to a day spa in Fayetteville for our Christmas present. It was really nice. I had an aroma bath, massage and a paraffin hand and foot mask. I had a horrible headache when we got there and told my massuse. Well, she spent a long time massaging my head and doing some pressure point stuff on my sinuses...it was wonderful.

Thursday night is Kristin's Christmas program. She is really excited about it and has been singing around the house for days on end. Hopefully she won't flake out when she gets up there and sees all the people in the church. I don't think she will though, she is really coming out of her shyness. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Can you believe Thanksgiving is already over? Hope everyone had a good one. Kristin and I left Wednesday and went to Cabot. On Thursday we went to my Aunt and Uncle's house in Truman. Lynn and her family met us there, along with my Granny, my cousin and her family. We had a great time, especially the kids. That night Lynn, Brandon and Lindsay came back to Cabot with us and we had a birthday party for Kristin and Lindsay. On Friday we slept in...well, Mom went to Fred's for a quick trip...and that afternoon we went to Colton's for the girls birthday. Lynn and I took everyone back to Mom's house and we went to Wal-Mart. By that time everyone was done shopping and it was pretty nice just walking around. We found a few Christmas presents and other things that you always seem to find when walking around Wal-Mart! Yesterday Kristin and I headed home, driving through a wintry mix most of the way.

We've been putting up Christmas decorations today. When Kristin and I got home yesterday Chris was already putting the lights on the house. I've got the tree up and am just putting out some odds and ends now. Tonight we are going to watch A Christmas Story, one of my favorites. It's sleeting outside, so it will be a good night to cuddle up on the couch under some blankets!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Kristin's new bed

The birthday girl

Asleep after a long day

Next week is Thanksgiving...it is just unreal how fast this year is flying by. Kristin turned 5 on the 12th. We celebrated last weekend with a family party and on Monday Kristin had a party with her class at school. This weekend she's going to have a small party with a couple of friends. I cannot believe she is 5! I finally got her bed finished and all set up. She is so proud...and thanks to my friend Shawn, I didn't have to buy any bedding, window treatments, pillows, or rugs!

We made it through Halloween. Kristin was Hannah Montanna, although I think she looked more like Julia Roberts at the beginning of Pretty Woman. I didn't know whether to think it was funny or scary! Hopefully next year we will go back to princesses and fairies, but with her, who knows! Here she is all dressed and ready to go!

This month Kristin is taking swimming lessons. She really wants to do swim team next summer, but it will depend on how the lessons go. She was so mad after the first night of lessons because she still couldn't swim. I told her it would take more than one lesson to learn, but she was still mad...if she doesn't catch onto something right away, she gets so mad and frustrated! She has also started going to TeamKid on Wednesday nights at church. This Wednesday was the first night and she just loved it. She wants to start riding the bus to and from the church for TeamKid...that is huge for her. A few months ago, no way would she have ridden in a van with a bunch of kids she didn't know with a strange man driving...she's really having an easier time warming up to people. I'm thankful we have found a church we like and that has a good kids program.

Chris has moved to department manager of infants at Wal-Mart. He is loving his new hours and having weekends off. More than that he's liking just worrying about baby world (that's what he calls it) and not the rest of the store. I can tell he is much less stressed. I'm staying busy with my kids at school. They continue to amaze me on a daily basis. Next Tuesday is our Thanksgiving Feast...yum! Kristin is doing great at school. They have been practicing for the Christmas program and she comes home singing the cutest songs. OAS and her teacher have been such a blessing for us. Although we don't share all the beliefs of the Adventist Church, I'm glad she is in an enviroment where the Bible is the center of learning and everyone shares the same basic Christian beliefs.

I am helping Kristin finish her shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. She chose to fill a shoebox for a little girl and picked some really cute things to go in it. Kristin keeps asking me where the little girl lives, what her phone number is and if she can come to her house! She doesn't quite understand it all, but I hope filling a shoebox is something she looks forward to for many more Christmases.

Pumpkin Patch and CabotFest

Why is the weekend already over? I finally had a weekend to just relax and now it's GONE!!! On Monday Kristin's school went to the corn maze and pumpkin patch in Southwest City, Missouri. They were there all day and from what I heard, had a great time! They went through the corn maze and pumpkin patch, watched a movie about corn, had a picnic, went on a hayride, and had fun on some cool slides. It was cloudy and cool all day, which to me is perfect pumpkin patch weather! Yesterday Chris and I took Kristin to a smaller pumpkin patch outside of town--it was really cute and she had fun. The weather was very un-fall like...sunny and warm. Everyone was out and about! Kristin decorated her pumpkin with drawings and stickers.


Kristin on a slide at Right Choices Corn Maze, Southwest City, MO

Ranalli Farms Pumpkin Patch

Last week I was able to see the proofs from Kristin's fall pictures. They turned out so well!!! I've only scanned one and had trouble with the others, I will try to do them later. Here is the one I was able to scan. She looks so grown up!

This past weekend Kristin and I went to Cabot. Lynn and Lindsay were there...Brandon was going to come, but went to a birthday sleepover at a friends house. We had a great time and the weekend went by so fast!! On Saturday we went to CabotFest, which was fun. Kristin and Lindsay would've ridden rides all day if we would've let them. After we ran out of tickets and convinced the girls we weren't buying more, we walked around and looked at all the booths. Lynn and I bought candles from a local company, the girls had their faces painted, and Lindsay climbed a rock wall--Kristin wanted to, but wasn't old enough. We decided not to eat at the fair since it would cost a fortune and instead had a good supper at Coltons. When we got home we had a belated birthday apple pie for me...it was yummy!! Lynn and I put the girls to bed and watched "Little Miss Sunshine." The pictures are of Kristin and Lindsay enjoying rides and then sound asleep after a long day.

Sunday Afternoon Project

Well, the above picture is the result of today's afternoon project. Kristin loves ballet and dancing even though she has no desire to take lessons. I bought the slippers and toe shoe from yesterday's garage sale (more on that later), added the ribbons, painted the letters pink and...VOILA! Hopefully the bookshelf I ordered for her room will be in this week and I can get the rest of her furniture painted...maybe!

Yesterday we had our Sunshine Montessori garage sale. We did pretty good considering Bikes, Blues and Barbaque was going on in Fayetteville and just about everyone in NW Arkansas was there. We had beautiful weather and as usual I was able to go through Maddie and Kenzies clothes that Shawn was ready to sale. Needless to say I racked up! I got about 5 swimming suits for Kristin to wear next summer. She wants to do swim team, so she will need them for practices. Anyway, we had a lot of mens and womens clothes left, so we took those to the Salvation Army. We kept the kids clothes for our next sale, since its kids clothes that usually sale the best. Chris and Kristin were in Joplin yesterday so when I came home I was able to take a shower and nap in peace and quiet!

Next weekend we will be in Cabot for Cabotfest. Last year Kristin and I went with Mom and Dad and Kristin had a blast. She definitely takes after me and Chris when it comes to the rides...she LOVES them. The bigger and faster the better!

Thank Goodness for Weekends!

What a monkey!
Kristin's class made "beach in a bottle"

Finally, it is Saturday and I have nowhere to go and nothing to do (other than laundry and a few usual things around the house). SO much has been going on lately and I am so ready to just enjoy this beautiful weekend. Next week will be busy again as we prepare for our school fundraiser garage sale next Saturday.

Here are some of the highlights of the craziness around here:

* I got infant, child and adult CPR certified and
* Pediatric first aid certified
* Finished 30 hours of early childhood teacher training
* Painted doorways in the front rooms of the school yellow
* Moved all the stuff from my old room at school to my new room (my old room will become the toddler room)
* Rearranged my room at school
* Finished evaluations on my kids for parent/teacher conferences in October
* Took Kristin to the doctor--she has a urinary tract infection
* Lost 9 pounds
* Finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns
* Began reading The Glass Castle and The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
* Put together an outfit for Kristin’s pictures next Thursday (one we both agreed on!)
* Tried to get Hannah Montanna tickets (I didn’t)
* Began cleaning out the garage (haven’t finished)
* Checked on my health insurance coverage to see what the co-pay is for surgery (I don’t think my appendix will make it much longer)
* Ordered a bookshelf for Kristin’s room (no, I still haven’t finished painting her furniture)
* Drove by the new movie theatre to see what’s playing--Siloam has a movie theatre now!!! (Kristin and I are going to see The Game Plan--we wanted to see Hairspray, but it’s not on)
* Bought a new battery for my car--last night when I tried to leave school, my car was dead--so now Chris is putting in a new one with Kristin’s help!

Kristin is having a blast at school. Next week she will have her first test--an oral test over a memory verse. She is so excited about it...tests are fun when you are in Kindergarten!!! Last night she asked me if she was going to go to Ozark forever and I said she would as long as we could afford it. She smiled and said "Yay, I love it there!!!" Nothing could make me happier.

Chris is getting ready to start working overnights for five weeks while he helps with the remodel of the store. I am excited because I know what all they are going to be doing to the Wal-Mart and it will be awesome! He had to go to a jewlery meeting about a month ago covering new jewlery they have coming out...I can't wait to see it. After the remodel Chris is stepping down as assistant manager and is going back to a department manager. He was getting so stressed out and to the point he was working non-stop. He'll be manager of the infant/toddler department, will work 7-4 and have weekends off. We are all excited about it and can't wait to have him home on the weekends. After doing that for awhiel he'd like to move to a Neighborhood Market store.

I'm staying busy at school too. Next weekend is our fundraiser garage sale...hopefully the weather will be nice. We are getting into a good routine with the kids and they are keeping us very busy.

I hope everyone has a nice, relaxing weekend!

Fun In the Arft House

Here are a few pictures I took over the weekend of my goofy daughter. The first ones were on Friday night. Kristin had been in her room watching a movie and playing. After awhile I realized I didn't hear her. I went to her room and there she was, sound asleep. She'd managed to get her pj top on, but had on pants that went to a totally different outfit. For all of you who don't know, Kristin has struggled with sleep since birth and I don't mean the normal fighting sleep...it has been awful. She did not sleep through the night until she started her medicine in January and now going to sleep is no big deal. The medicine helps her to slow down enough so that she can actually sleep. Anyway, I was so happy, I had to take a picture! Oh, speaking of sleep and not sleeping, Kristin has started sleepwalking--ALOT. She's always talked in her sleep and done some sleepwalking and she had night terrrors for a long time, but now she's up walking around every night. Most of the time I don't realize it until I wake up because all the lights in the house are on...sometimes I'll find her wandering around, sometimes asleep on the couch and sometimes back in her bed. It's just too weird.

The next two pictures are of Kristin "fixing" her daddy's hair. This is something she LOVES to do and Chris is good to let her do it...unless he's going to work! I walked by her room and found her hard at work trying to make his hair look its best. Sometimes she will wrap a blanket around him like she's about to give him a haircut. It is just too funny!

Oh, and in case you are wondering, yes Kristin is STILL in her toddler bed. Luckily it is a big toddler bed! I've finished painting her headboard and mom has a twin mattress, foundation and bedframe at her house....I just have to get it from there to here. We will eventually. At least with the toddler bed she can't roll off it!

Happy Labor Day!

Hope everyone is having a relaxing Labor Day weekend. We are enjoying the beautiful weather--another gorgeous day before the storms move in next week. Grandma and Grandpa spent the day with us today. They took me out for a birthday lunch and we all had a fun day together. Kristin made Grandma beautiful by trying out her makeup artist skills. (the picture above is of Kristin "decorating" Grandma) Needless to say, I don't think it will be a future profession for her!

I am on day 2 of my Weight Watchers diet. I am allowed 35 points a day and boy do they go fast!!! I do like though that I can eat the same things, I just have to pay more attention to portions, which was the problem to begin with! A good friend of mine did weight watchers after her second baby was born and is back on it now after her third baby...so it's nice to have someone else who's done it before and is encouraging.

Kristin is still loving her school. She's doing better with listening, not talking when the teacher is, etc. and is mostly bringing home good reports. The afternoons and evenings are going so much smoother for us...she's worn out by the end of the day and is actually glad to see me when she gets out of school. She informed me that she does not miss me, though! I guess after being with me for two years, I understand! My pre-k class is great. They are a handfull and I'm having to get my bluff in on them, but they are a good group and we are having fun. Hopefully by October we will have our toddler program going. Here is another picture of Kristin on the first day of school ready to go!

Have a great Labor Day!!!!!!

Kristin's Kindergarten Class

Here's a picture of Kristin and her class on the first day of school. She is enjoying her new school, although she keeps getting in trouble for talking when the teacher is talking!! I was her teacher for two years and I'm glad someone else is dealing with it now!!! She really is having fun and absoultely LOVES Ms. Pam. Kristin's new best friend, Addie (she's the one in the picture with her arms crossed--she was mad) lives across the street from us. We are carpooling and the girls are so excited!

Tomorrow starts the new school year at Sunshine Montessori. I finally got my room finished (for now anyway). I'll have 10 kids on my line. Two have moved up from the younger class and the rest are new. Should be an interesting first few weeks. We are in the process also of starting an infant/toddler program. There are several preschools in town, but not anywhere for infants and toddlers, especially infants. So, it will be good if we can get that going. All I know is that I don't have the patience for infants or toddlers!!

Tomorrow's The Day

Tomorrow Kristin will start her first year of Kindergarten at Ozark. She is so excited and SO AM I!!!!! This is a big deal for us since she's always been with me throughout preschool and I never had to really take her anywhere. She's got her uniform and shoes laid out, all her supplies ready...she is set!!!

I took a couple of vacation days off work...I was off Friday and am off tomorrow. I had big plans to do some good cleaning and finish painting Kristin's bedroom furniture. But yesterday I was so sick--in bed all day. Luckily Chris was off so he took care of Kristin. I feel better today, but don't feel like doing any cleaning or painting. On Friday before I got sick I did manage to clean out all the kitchen cabinets and get the kitchen halfway decent. And I cleaned the pool. Now I don't want to do anything but be a bum! Hopefully I'll be back to normal tomorrow and can get some stuff done while Kristin is at school.

Oh, here's a funny story: Kristin likes to lay in the bed with Chris before she goes to bed...she used to fall asleep, but now she and Chris just play and act silly. Well, one morning when I woke her up, she was grumpy and mean. I told her that she wasn't going to lay in bed with daddy anymore because she wouldn't go to sleep--they just lay there and play. She got mad, but didn't say anything. Well, on the way home that night, Kristin said "Mama, you know what?" and I said what...she said "When you die, I'm going to lay in the bed with daddy!!"

Suumer's Gone....

Well, almost gone. We have begun the last few weeks of our summer program at school and are getting things ready for the new school year. We'll say goodbye to 10 kids going to kindergarten and will say hello to a whole new crew of wild ones. We have lots of boys coming in this fall, so that will keep things interesting! I'm trying to get my room in order and trying to decide how to re-arrange it. I'm going to have to come up here one night while there are no kids and I can concentrate!!!

Kristin starts school in a week and a half. I'm going to register her today and then on Monday we'll get her uniforms and take care of any paperwork that needs to be finished. She is so excited about school, but is getting a little nervous. I know she will have fun, though. I, on the other hand, will be like a brand new teacher!! I can concentrate on teaching my kids and not have to worry about what Krisitn is doing.

Kristin is going to Vacation Bible School and is loving it. It's sad to say that we have been here 4 years and have not found a church home. There are a TON of churches in this town and we have visited several and like them all, but I guess when you've gone to one church for so long, it's hard to find a new one. Anyway, this church where she is going to VBS is a small Baptist church and from the moment we walked in, I had that "at home" feeling. The people are wonderful--very nice and friendly. I asked Kristin last night if she wanted to go to church there she said "of course!" So, on Sunday we will go for a visit.

My camera finally bit the dust. I have requested a new one for my birthday. I HAVE to have a camera. I'm as bad as my mom.

I hope everyone is having a great week!!!

Summertime Fun!

Well, summer is finally here in Northwest Arkansas. We've been spoiled the past month--lots of rain and low temps. Not anymore--this week has been miserable in true Arkansas form. Hot, humid and just yucky. So, we are spending lots of time in the pool. Kristin can touch the bottom of the pool now but is still kind of uneasy without her floaties or ring. She will go under and hold her breath. Next summer we'll definitely be doing swimming lessons.

Tonight I made my first attempt at decorating a cake. It's a sad looking cake and I almost didn't post a picture of it! The cake stuck to my pan, which made me mad, so it didn't have a good start. But it was fun. Maybe by November I can make a halfway decent birthday cake for Kristin. She made me feel good and told me the cake was beautiful! Chris didn't have much to say about it, but I'm sure the looks won't stop him from eating it!

I finally got my summer haircut. I let my hair grow over the fall and winter then cut it all off for the summer. She took off 10-11 inches...there was a ton of hair on the floor when she finished. It used to drive Chris crazy that I do this, but I think he's finally gotten used to it. Kristin was devestated that I cut my hair---she's all into long hair. The other night as she was inspecting my hair she wanted to know why some of my hairs are SILVER!!! It's time to go in for some highlights!!!!

Fun at Nene's House

Over the weekend Kristin and I visited Mom. Kristin had quite an adventure--she has become "nature girl"--she's all about bugs, worms, anything wiggly or gross. Well, Mom lives out in the country so Kristin spent Saturday hunting for bugs and she found some pretty neat stuff. First she found a turtle that hangs out around the house. Kristin wanted to keep it, but I talked her out of it by telling her the turtle wanted to go home to be with its family. Then she found a frog and an assortment of bugs. Sunday morning while we were sitting on the back porch we found a really strange big green bug. Kristin loved it, of course and had to play with it. I'm not squemish around bugs so I have to admit that I had fun too. Kristin brought home some "treasures" to share with her friends today at school--a hawk feather, a blue jay feather and some pine cones. There's nothing like exploring in your big backyard!!!!

We had a good 4th of July. Chris had to work noon-5 so Kristin and I spent pretty much the entire day in the pool. We were both worn out by the time Chris got home. Later that night we went to sonic for slushes and ice cream then went to watch the fireworks. We discovered that the Lowe's parking lot is the perfect place to see the fireworks....close to the airport with a good view but without all the traffic to fight on the way home.

Only 4 weeks until Kristin starts school. I can't believe how fast this summer is going by. We are so busy at school with the summer preschool and school-age programs. We do have fewer kids in the summer so it's a nice break even though money is a little tighter. However we will be back to full enrollment come August.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

The Angels

Yesterday we finally got to take Kristin to the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage. She's wanted to go for a long time and every time we tried to go, it rained. It did rain some yesterday but we just grabbed the umbrella and off we went. Kristin was so happy to see all the Precious Moments kids or Angels as she calls them. Of course she loved the gift shop but we managed to leave with a few bath fizzies and some lip gloss. I loved the year round Christmas store (Kristin loved the decorated trees and wanted her picture taken by all of them!). I could've spent a fortune in there but only bought two ornaments.

After the Precious Moments Chapel we went on to Joplin for a visit with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa is having a cardiac cath done Monday and they will put stints in where there is blockage. So, he was having to take it easy. Brandy and Hunter were there too. I can't believe Hunter is already a year old. He is a cutie and reminds me of Kristin at that age--always on the go! Kristin visited with Grandma and Grandpa while Chris and I did some shopping. Penny's had a huge sale so I got Kristin a couple of dresses that she can wear to school and church. She will NOT wear shorts--only pants, capris, skirts or dresses. I am so glad that she will be in uniforms this fall--it will make buying clothes and getting her dressed everyday much less complicated!

I'm having trouble downloading the pictures, but I will be putting all of them on Flickr, so you will be able to look at them there. Hope everyone is having a good weekend and has a great 4th of July. Kristin has a cold and can barely talk, but of course it hasn't stopped her from trying! Chris has to work a half a day on the fourth, but I'm off work. Kristin and I plan to spend the day in the pool!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!

Happy Father's Day Chris!!! You are a great dad and no doubt about it, Kristin is "Daddy's girl!!!" We love you and are so glad to have you around!!!!

Love,

Laura and Kristin

I can't believe June is almost halfway over!!! This summer is flying by. Chris had to go back to work today...on Father's Day!!! But he had a good vacation and spent lots of time with Kristin. Hope all you dad's had a wonderful day.

Summer is in full swing at the Arft house. Kristin has been playing in the water almost every afternoon (we're STILL working on the pool) and she gets more water time during water play at school. The preschoolers are also taking turns going to the aquatic center with the school-agers. Kristin's first time to go was last Thursday. She was there from 1:30-4:00 and was absolutely worn out when they got back. In fact she laid down on Shawn's couch and slept until we had to leave at 5:30. About an hour later she was back up, roaring and ready to go!!

Slip-n-Slide

Yesterday Kristin had a blast on her new slip-n-slide. At first she would not lay on it because little grass spiders and other bugs were crawling on it, so she freaked out. Then everytime she would get on the grass, it would stick to her wet feet, which made her mad, but she finally got over it. She wore herself out, which is always a good thing!!!!

Eureka Springs Pictures

I've downloaded some more Eureka Springs pictures of the flickr site. Just click on it too see them. I think using flickr is easier than downloading onto the blog site...sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Anyway...that's our picture status. I'll be adding more so check it often!

Eureka!!

Relaxing on our patio
Christ of the Ozarks
Inspiration Point--just outside Eureka Springs


Well, our relaxing and fun weekend is over. Chris and I spent the weekend in Eureka Springs while Kristin stayed with friends. I can't believe it's already Monday night. On Friday Kristin went home with her buddy Ethan and spent the night with his family. Ethan's mom had told him that boys and girls don't have sleepovers, but we discussed it and figured since they are only 4 and 5, it's no big deal. They had fun playing in the creek and just being typical kids. On Saturday Ethan's mom took Kristin to Shawn's house and she spent the night with Shawn and her girls. Kristin considers Maddie and Kenzie her big sisters and they are pretty much Kristin's second family. I picked up Kristin Sunday afternoon and she was NOT ready to go home, but once she got there, saw her surprises from Eureka Springs, then laid on the couch...she was out for the count! Completely worn out!!!

While Kristin was having fun with her friends, Chris and I enjoyed some peace and quiet for a short vacation/anniversary trip. I started getting sick throughout the week and by Friday was ready to just stay home (or either go by myself and sleep the weekend away in the cottage). But I loaded up on TheraFlu and Dramamine and was ready to go! We got to Eureka Springs around 7:30 Friday night and almost got lost looking for our cottage. When they said it was "secluded and on a much hidden road" they weren't kidding!!! But the cottage was great--in the woods, but close to town and very cute and cozy. It was so nice to open the windows and not hear anything!!!! While sitting on our patio I did see some deer and a family of armadillos. We spent Saturday walking all over town and shopping. If you've never been to Eureka before, the roads are very hilly and curvy, and needless to say, we got our exercise. After a long day of shopping we had to edure a climb of 104 steps then a hill to get back to our cottage. It was no problem when we left, but boy was it tough that night!! But we made it and it was worth it to walk instead of fighting traffic in the car. We left Sunday morning, stopped in Rogers for lunch, then came home. I was off work today and our plans were to take Kristin to the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, MO. But we awoke to rain...and lots of it. When we got to Joplin it had quit raining, but some of the highways were closed due to flooding. So, we spent the day in Joplin. Now we are back home. Chris is on vacation and I think Kristin is going to stay home with him tomorrow.

I will load more pictures soon...the computer is being very slow. I'm trying to figure out how to get my pictures on Flickr put on my blog. Oh well, that will have to wait until tomorrow!!!

YUM-O!

a perfect pizza!!!!

On Saturday Kristin made a pizza for lunch. She loves to cook and will watch "Emeril Live" or just about any cooking show over kids shows. Sometimes while "cooking" in her room I'll hear her yell "BAM" or "YUM-O" like Emeril and Rachel Ray.

Today was her first day of art camp. Ms Shawn took her and picked her up so I could rearrange my room at school (it's still a disaster). She said Kristin was a little nervous at first, but after a few minutes she was fine. Kristin said that she cut and glued some wood pieces and did some coloring. She also made a new friend, Rachel. Tomorrow they are going to paint and on Friday they will have an art display showing off all their work.

The pool water is almost completely clear!!! I should've taken a "before" picture. It was pretty nasty. I guess enough chlorine will kill anything!

New Glasses!!!

Kristin's glasses came in this afternoon and she is so proud! She's having a little trouble getting used to wearing them all the time, but all in all is very excited about them. Probably because she can see now! It's a whole new world!!!

I'm still working on the pool. Last year was easy getting it set up (once we got the ground completely level), but this year it's harder since the pool has been sitting since last summer. So, I'm adding chemicals and vacuuming until it's ready...which hopefully will be soon!

I Can't See!!!!!

Kistin has inherited so many characteristics from me--stubborn, no attention span, artsy, loves to read, and now we've discovered that she is lucky enough to have bad vision--like me!!

I'd planned to take Kristin to the eye doctor since I'd noticed her getting REALLY close to papers when drawing, reading, etc. I waited untilthey did a vision exam at the pediatirican's office for her school physical. Well, lo and behold, she had lots of trouble. So, I made an appointment for Thursday to go to the eye doctor. Chris said he'd heard good things about the doctor at the Wal-Mart vision center, so that's where we went. It was an interesting visit, to say the least. Kristin has issues with strangers, especially men, but by the end of the exam, she'd warmed up to Dr. Brewer (who was wonderful!). He said she is definitley nearsighted and has an astigmatism. He said that is rare to see it this early and the good news is that we found it early. The bad news is that her eyes will continue to get worse, as mine have done. When the doctor held up some lenses in front of her eyes and asked if she could see better, her eyes lit up, she grinned and said "YES"! So, we picked out some frames...the vision center was having a 20% discount for associates and their family, and we found a cute pair of frames on clearance for 10 bucks--thank goodness for Wally World! We are anxiously waiting for the glasses to come in...maybe today, if not then on Monday. I will post pictures of Kristin in her glasses.

We have been busy busy busy. Chris is back working nights for a couple of weeks and things at school have been hectic. Last night was graduation--it went well and it seemed to rain all over Siloam except for where we were. Now we have to get ready for our summer program. Next week Kristin will be going to art camp for a couple of hours in the morning. She is excited about it and I can't wait to see the creations she will come up with. Next Friday Chris and I are going to Eureka Springs for the weekend. Hopefully it won't rain on us.

I'm off to try to get our pool clean and running well...anyone want to come visit and help??hehehe!

Girls Day Out

Yesterday Kristin and I had a fun girls day together. Chris spends lots of time with her on his days off and they do things together and on the weekends we all three are doing stuff together, but rarely do Kristin and I have just a girls day. This is something we both needed, so yesterday we took off for a day of fun. We ate lunch at Chili's, did some shopping, then saw Shrek the Third. I knew Kristin was worn out by the time we left the theatre because when I asked her if she wanted to go to the mall, she immediately said no, which is unusual for her. About 10 minutes down the road, she was sound asleep. We are going to have to have a girls day out more often.

Hope everyone has a good Memorial Day. It's supposed to rain here. I was hoping to have the pool up and running, but so far it's just up. It's filled, but needs lots more chemicals to get the water nice and clean. I guess we could get in it now, we could just imagine we are swimming at the lake!!

I'm having camera problems, but I will post pictures soon. Kristin had her last Jitterbugs recital last weekend. If I can figure out how to download the movies to the computer I will post them. She was quite comical!!

WE DID IT!!!!!

We got our accreditation!!!! This is the small article that was in the paper yesterday.


Local Montessori school earns Arkansas accreditation
Staff Reports
Posted on Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Siloam Springs’ Sunshine Montessori, operated by Shawn Lawrence-Reed, has earned Arkansas Quality Approval Accreditation.
The school met the higher child care and early childhood programming standards needed to complete the accreditation as of April 25.
Sunshine Montessori is one of 40 programs in Benton County to receive the designation.
The approval accreditation is a state accreditation for programs that have met standards above those of basic health and safety standards set by child care licensing. The Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education assesses child care programs that have demonstrated quality educational programming in their facilities and recommends approval.
Sunshine Montessori is at 720 Walnut; phone 549-3644.

What a Week!!!

Whew...I'm glad this week is over!!! It seemed like it went on forever. Monday morning I finally made a visit to the dentist. At first the hygenist thought I would need root canals on both teeth, but the dentist was able to do a "build up" on them and fill them both. I made an appointment in May for a cleaning and whole mouth exam. I know there are other cavities that need to be filled. So, if you haven't gone to the dentist.....GO!!!!

Last week was National Week of the Young Child. We had various activites going on throught the week at school. On Friday we had a trike/bike-a-thon for St. Jude Children's Hospital. The kids had so much fun and we raised a good amount of money. Kristin managed to have only one minor crash! Also the Quality Approval lady made her visit on Wednesday. She arrived a little after 8:30 and stayed until 4:00. She watched us all day, took lots of notes, and we will find out in 3-4 weeks how we did. I think we did great, even when the toilets backed up while we were brushing teeth and getting kids ready for nap. Luckily the plumber was right down the road and made it to the school in about 5 mintues!!! It ended up being a great day. It was supposed to storm all day, but God was smiling down on us and sent us sunny weather!

Kristin at the trike-a-thon (going the wrong way!)



On Thursday evening Kristin and I went out to Ozark Adventist School to meet her teacher. She fell in love with Ms. Pam immediately and cannot wait to go to "big school." While Ms. Pam was talking to the kids, she told them that she really wants them to come to Kindergarten there in the fall. Kristin told her, "But I'm not 5, I can't go to Kindergarten yet!" Ms. Pam told her that she can come to kindergarten there even though she's 4. (They combine the pre-k and kindergarten kids; they are called Kinders). Kristin looked at me with wide eyes and said, "Mom, is this KINDERGARTEN?" I told her yes and she said "WOW!" She really is excited and so am I! The first day of school in August 13th--the countdown has begun!!!!

Ozark Adventist School Gentry, Arkansas

STRESS

Ok, anyone who knows me knows that I have huge issues with the dentist and will avoid going even though I know I should. I have not been to the dentist in years and now I'm paying for it. I've had a back tooth that has been bothering me for quite awhile. My insurance kicked in at the beginning of the year and I actually did call the dentist about the tooth, but since I was a new patient, it was going to be a month wait before I could get in. Well, the tooth quit hurting and I forgot about it. Thursday on my lunch break I was eating a fortune cookie and apparently the tooth that was hurting, part of the filling came out. I didn't know it and was chewing and bit down on the part of filling that came out. I felt like I'd bitten a rock--it hurt so bad and I have a high tolerance for pain. I spit everything out of my mouth, saw the filling and .....part of a tooth!! I think I kind of screamed at that point....I have recurring nightmares about my teeth falling out, so I was freaked out. I ran to the bathroom looked in the mirror and discovered part of my top tooth had broken off when I'd bitten the filling piece. The tooth that the filling came out of was on the bottom. So now I have two teeth that need work. I did a lot of calling to several dentists and found one who could squeeze me in Monday morning. So, I'm off to the denitst. Luckily we have great dental insurance, but I'm still dreading it like I've dreaded nothing before. I absolutely HATE going to the dentist!!!!

On top of all that...at school we are going through the process of getting our Arkansas Quality Approval. If you don't know what that is, it's a set of standards for preschools by the state of Arkansas. To get Quality Approved the school has to meet certain professional, educational and health standards. Also someone will come observe us all day to make sure we are meeting these standards. It's very stressful and a pain in the rear!!! Anyway, we are due to be observed this month, but we aren't told what day, so we just have to be prepared. With our luck she'll come on Monday---I'll be gone for the morning to the dentist, I'll come back in pain...next week is national Week of the Young Child and we've got all kinds of activities planned and it will be a hectic week. But if she waits until the last day of April to come...that's just mean. Oh, the stress!!!!!!

Holy Moses!!!

We have a new family member--Moses, a 4 year old Basset/Beagle mix we adopted from a family in Joplin. He is pretty funny and just fits right in. The poor dog has been called Charlie Brown all his life, but Kristin insists on calling him Moses. So, I guess he figures we are complete idiots and will keep calling him the wrong name! He really is a good dog--housetrained, doesn't get on the furniture, and is great with Kristin. Kristin wanted a baby or a dog, so we went with dog!!!

Not much else is going on, which is a good thing. We've about decided to let Kristin finish preschool at Ozark Adventist Academy, a small private school in Gentry (about 5 miles from Siloam). I'm thankful I've been able to have her going to work with me, but having her in my class is just too much. It's hard being her mom and teacher--there's jealousy issues for her and it's just really stressful. Anyway, Ozark has a great elementary school. The pre-k and kindergarten class is combined and the teach Montessori style through third grade. When I asked Kristin if she wanted to go to a new school in the fall and went on to tell her that I would not be there, her eyes lit up and she said "YES"!!! Freedom for both of us!!!

Just an Update

Well, once again things have gotten crazy. My Granny B (dad's Mom) passed away yesterday afternoon. She'd been sick off and on last month and then this past Tuesday my Uncle had to take her to the ER. A chest X-Ray showed a large mass around her lungs, numerous spots in the lungs and enlarged lymph nodes. They were pretty sure it was cancer and considering she smoked a long time, I'm sure it was. Anyway, they tried to do a biopsy Wednesday, but before they could do it, her oxygen went way down and they almost lost her. Mom, Lynn, and I went to Dallas Thursday and she was doing better. She was still on oxygen, but was talking, eating, joking and laughing. We left Friday and I got home Saturday and I found out when I got home that she'd died. But I'm very thankful we got to see her, that she was able to talk to us and knew who we were--there was NOTHING wrong with her mind, even at the end. And I'm glad that she wasn't really sick for long and wasn't in any pain. So, that's been my crazy past few days. I'll be going to Oklahoma later this week for the funeral. They will have a short service at the retirement home in Dallas and then she'll be buried in Oklahoma.

On a lighter note, the drive to and from Dallas was quite an adventure. Lynn drove, I read maps and mom was in the back. We never got lost and had a good time. I really like Dallas and want to go back.

Kristin is doing fine. Better than ever, actually. Chris kept her while I was gone and then she spent the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa. I was informed that she was PERFECT at school while I wasn't there---that figures! She's a mess when I'm there and an angel when I'm not! Oh well, a year and a half and she'll be going to kindergarten!

No computer

Well, our computer finally bit the dust. That's why I haven't posted anything in forever! My boss is nice enough to let me use hers when I need too, but we are going to have to get a new one...SOON! I never realized how many bills and stuff we pay online...it's crazy. Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions concerning computers, I would appreciate any!

We are doing good. Kristin has been sick this week with strep and another ear infection, but is feeling better now. Actually the whole time she was sick she never acted like she felt bad, but that's normal for her. She stayed home Monday and Tuesday and we were both glad to be back at school on Wednesday!

Chris is back working days now. He likes the day shift better, but misses being off every weekend and having a somewhat slower pace overnight. Although he's told me some crazy things that happened in the middle of the night at the store! Nothing overly exciting has been going on with us. Just looking forward to spring and some nice weather. Hopefully we'll have a new computer soon and I can post some pictures!