A Day in Eureka

Saturday we spent the day in Eureka Springs and had so much fun. We rode the train, went to Turpentine Creek, which is a large animal refuge and is just awesome, and of course we ate and just relaxed. I love that town...it's close and there is so much to do and see. Next time we will spend the night. Kristin loved seeing all the big cats, but her favorite thing was a monkey named Goober! Pretty much all the animals they have are recues from abusive families, circuses, etc. We also made the trek up to the "Big Jesus". Kristin was not to impressed with it, but I was impressed with the picture I took...the sky was so pretty.


The Eureka Springs Train Depot

Tickets Please! I think she smiled the entire train ride



All cats are lazy!




It was a beautiful day!
I don't know why these pictures are not centered!


Kristin watching Goober being fed

Completely Worn OUT!!




This summer has started off to be pretty busy. Kristin is going to Sunshine Montessori with me and is in the school-age program. Her favorite thing is that they spend three hours at the aquatic center three times a week. I've gotten our pool up and going, so many days she swims twice a day. I can't believe it is already the middle of June...summer is already flying by.

Hope Father's Day was good for everyone. As always, it is a little bittersweet for me, but Kristin and Chris kept me occupied. On the 12th Chris and I celebrated our anniversary..nine years...doesn't seem possible.

Well, I am off to bed...today was not a good day, so I am looking forward to having a much better tomorrow!

Mother's Day and Migraines

Hope everyone had a fantastic Mother's Day. I had a great one. We spent the day in Joplin and had a fun visit. Kristin made me a cute flower pot and flower at school, Chris bought me a new camera and took me to Carino's for lunch, and I treated myself to some shopping. Brandy and Hunter were in Joplin, so we got to visit with them some also. Kristin loves her little cousin.

Me and Kristin with the flower she made for me

Kristin and her cousin Hunter

Grandma, Grandpa and Kristin

Tired after a long day in Joplin

Last week Kristin had her med check-up at the doctor (she has to visit every 3 months for a Strattera refill). The doctor confirmed that she is having migraine headaches and with the family history, I'm not really surprised. She said that unless the headaches are frequent as 1 a week, we won't put her on a preventative medicine, since none are approved for children 8 and under. That's just great. She usually has 1-2 a month, hopefully she won't start having more than that. Other than that, she's doing well. When we visit the doctor, they always make sure to weigh and measure her since sometimes Strattera can cause kids to not eat...I think it has the opposite effect on her...she eats like crazy! She's 4 feet tall and 59 pounds! She has just one week left of school! Chris is on vacation next week and I am taking Friday off. She gets out of school at noon on Friday. I think we'll take her to lunch and go see the new Narnia movie or something fun. Next Tuesday night is Kindergarten graduation. All kids, pre-k and k get to take part in the program. Kristin is having a hard time understanding that she is not going to first grade next year with her friends, she will have another year with Ms. Pam and she will be a "Big-K Kid".

I am off to do some online training. It's great that more trainings are offered online, but not so great for people like me who like to put things off till the very end...plus I have a cold. Oh well. Have a great weekend!

Ramblings from the Month of April

Wow, I can't believe April is almost over. We are full swing into t-ball season and getting ready for summer. Kristin only has about 5 weeks of school left and will be spending her first summer at Sunshine Montessori as a "school-ager". That's a big deal for them. We are doing good. Kristin was sick last week and got her "official" asthma diagnosis. We knew for sometime that she was showing pre-asthma symptoms, but last week she was in full asthma mode. She's been doing breathing treatments (thank goodness I kept the nebulizer I used when I was pregnant!) and is slowly getting better. She's only had one treatment today, before her game. She only coughed a few times during the game and not at all after. So, that's a huge improvement from last week. This spring seems like it's been really rough for those of us will allergies and asthma.
Here are some pictures from Kristin's game tonight. They are doing so much better from the first game where they didn't have a clue what they were doing!


Up to Bat


Cheering From First Base


Playing First


Good Game!


Ready For A Bath!

Play Ball!!

Yesterday was opening day for the Siloam Springs Little League. They had all sorts of fun activities planned...opening ceremony, free hot dog lunch, pitch, hit and run contest, and of course, pictures. Mother Nature had other plans as cold air and strong winds blew in. When we arrived at the fields for the 9:oo ceremony, it was in the 40's, windy and COLD. Kristin was so excited about the day that she didn't care how cold it was, plus Grandma and Grandpa were there, so she was even more excited.


We soon took cover in one of the dugouts while we waited for the Razorbacks to be announced. The kids had fun goofing around, as you can see. After the opening ceremony, we skipped out on the free lunch and instead had brunch at Cathy's Corner. It was so good.


After a couple of hours we headed back to the field for team and individual pictures. By then it had warmed up to the 50's and wasn't quite as bad. Kristin saw a few friends, ran around for awhile, then had her picture taken.


The kids couldn't quite understand why we were at the ball field, but not playing. They had a good time though, and yes, that is my child acting like a goofball!


The first game is tomorrow night. It will be a chilly game, but it will be fun.



Last week we had more flooding rain. Lots of areas were flooded and I ran into very fast moving water while taking Kristin to school. Kristin was in the backseat singing "the rains came down and the floods came up..." Before I went to work, I took some pictures around the neighborhood. These were taken the morning after the storms and the water had already gone down some. I know God said he would never flood the earth again, but I sometimes wonder about Arkansas! The picture below was taken just down the road from us. The creek had overflowed and was covering part of the walking track.


These two pictures are further down the walking track that the creek was covering.




Here is part of the creek that I drive over every morning on my way to work. The creek was inching its way closer to the road. Luckily it didn't rain anymore.

Tagged!

Nikki tagged me, so here are 7 random things about me:

1. When I am stressed out I like to cook and clean. But I like to clean unusual things when I'm stressed, for example, I will scrub the baseboards, organize kitchen cabinets, or clean the garage.

2. I am addicted to lip balm...I almost always have some carmex or lip gloss of some sort on hand. I am almost as bad with lotion. Since I wash my hands so much at work, I use tons of lotion to keep them from drying out.

3. I am as ADD as my child!! I cannot focus on much for a long amout of time, unless it's something I'm REALLY into. And I have so many unfinished projects at home and work that I have started and then gotten bored with and not finished. One I have GOT to finish is painting Kristin's bedroom furniture.

4. I have major foot issues. Unless it's little kid or baby feet, I don't want them near me. Also I don't want anyone else touching me feet. So, no pedicures for me!

5. If you haven't guessed by the first 4 things about me, I'm pretty OCD! I come by it honestly, though, it runs in the family!

6. I'm am scared of heights. It's weird though, I can ride roller coasters and stuff like that, but climbing on a step ladder freaks me out. I guess I'm scared of falling more than anything.

7. I love taking pictures.

Let's see...I tag Cassie and Alison

Spring is Here!!!

Hope everyone had a good Easter. Kristin and I went to Cabot and had a good time. Lynn, Brandon and Lindsay were there too. The girls had fun dying eggs and hunting them. I forgot to take my camera, so I don't have any pictures....I will have to get some from Mom.

Kristin had her first t-ball practice on Monday. She had a great time and did really well...I was kind of surprised! The coach's daughter, Hadley, is just as hyper and loud as Kristin and they really hit it off.

Here are some of Kristin's proofs from her spring pictures. I was really happy with how they turned out.

I'm going to bed...have a great week!

Early Easter Fun

This afternoon I took Kristin to the Easter Eggstravaganza at the Assembly of God Church here in town. They have a huge party for all kids. This was the first year we have gone and I realized we have been missing out. There was so much to do...booths, games, face painting, pony rides, food, firetrucks, and of course an egg hunt and pictures with the Easter Bunny. We skipped that though, since a big bunny kind of freaks Kristin out (me too!). Here are some pictures from our day.

Picture Day!

This morning Kristin had spring pictures taken. We go twice a year to a studio here in town...they do a kids' spring special and then a fall special. Generally they are pricey, but the packages for the specials are a lot more reasonable. Kristin was very excited about going and had a blast. She really likes Mr. Luke, the photographer, who looks like he's no more than 20. The backgrounds this year were cute...one was an old fashioned laundry scene and the other was grass, a swing and picket fence. Here is a picture of her ready to go.


We got a letter today from Kristin's t-ball coach. Her team is the Razorbacks and there are two other girls on the team, so she's happy. Her practices are on Monday nights and Saturday mornings and games start in April. She cannot wait to get started.

And as for this picture.....



I don't even know what to say!!!!

Springs Is On The Way....I Hope!

Yuck, yuck, yuck. I have been sick the past few days with some sort of yuck. I have had all the flu symptoms and am pretty sure that's what it was. Chris bought me some over the counter medicine that is supposed to help with the flu, called oscilloccinum. After the third dose, I am feeling much much better and think it has really helped. Next year I am going to keep it in my medicine cabinet! Kristin is on spring break and has been home with me and has been great. I've never had to worry about her getting into things or trying to leave the house and she has always been very independent. She has been such a good help....she's more than happy to eat cereal all day long, she has been feeding the dogs and letting them out. She keeps herself entertained and will play all day. Such a sweetie! Tomorrow I'll be going back to work after I take Kristin to the dentist.

I think Spring may actually be on the way. We missed out on the last round of snow that pretty much everyone else in the state got. I am so ready for Spring to get here, which is unusual for me. I used to love winter, and I still do, but since teaching preschool, I dread the days that it is too cold to take the kids out. We go as crazy as the kids do. So, I am ready for warmer weather.

On Saturday Kristin will be getting Spring pictures taken. She is pretty excited about it, and I'm glad. I told her if she smiles and cooperates for the pictures, then I will buy a dress she has been wanting for Easter. What can I say? There comes when every parent will gladly bribe their child into something! On the 24th she starts t-ball and will practice on Monday's and Saturday's. The first game is April 14th...it should at least be entertaining!

Today is absolutely beautiful as was last weekend, which we spent outside playing. Here are some pictures of Kristin having fun in the backyard swinging and playing soccer. I have found that when she is mad, the best thing for her is to kick the soccer ball around for awhile.





Last year for Christmas Uncle Kenny and Aunt Connie got Kristin a sun art kit and since it was a nice sunny day, we pulled it out. She loves it and it is pretty cool when the decorations are taken off to see what was made by the sun. Here are a couple of pictures of Kristin and her art project. Lots of fun on a fun day!

The Truth Shall Set You Free!

Yesterday Kristin was playing with her Barbies and brought a bunch of them into the den. She decided to use Austin's crate as a jail for the bad Barbies! When I asked her why they were in jail, she said that they had been bad. Chris whispered that they were probably in jail for prostitution since there is only one male in the Barbie house with a bunch of girls! Anyway, after she got them situated, she got her Bible and began reading the story of Moses to them and telling them they needed to always follow God! After she was finished she put the Bible in jail with the Barbies and said they were going to sleep. Just when I think I've seen it all, she comes up with something new!

We have enjoyed beautiful weather this weekend...sunny and in the low 70's. We spent the weekend playing t-ball and soccer. I cannot wait for it to get warm and stay that way so we can clean out the pool. I usually love winter, but I've had enough of this going back and forth. We are under and winter storm watch for tomorrow. Who knows what will happen...if it's going to be cold, it might as well snow!

Strep Throat and Shih Tzus

Just when I was getting excited that Kristin has made it almost completely through winter without an ear infection or getting sick....well, I never should have thought it! A few weeks ago she got the flu, but it wasn't too bad. She did stay home two days though. Then last Tuesday just as I walked in the door at work, I got a phone call from the school telling me Krsitin had a temp and needed to be picked up. Great. So, I brought her back to work with me. She laid on Shawn's couch all day and slept. We ended up at the Redi-Clinic that evening with a diagnosis of strep throat. Well, a couple of days later all seemed to be going ok. Kristin was still a little grumpy and not eating like usual, but I just thought it was the antibiotic. Then over the weekend she got the hacking cough again. And it got worse. This morning she refused to eat breakfast--first clue that something is wrong--then at school Ms. Pam said she got out her mat on her own, laid down and went to sleep--second clue..something wrong. Again I took her back to work, her temp went up, she had the same complaints...headache, stomachache, and sore throat. We were able to get into the doctor this afternoon (a new doctor who I LOVE). She did another strep test, it came back positive and the doctor said she probably has strep that is resistent to penicillin. Now she is taking Zithromax and I am praying she is feeling better tomorrow...

During the few days that Kristin was feeling better we adopted a new dog...Austin, a three year old Shih Tzu. He is just the sweetest thing. I think he looks like a cross between an Ewok and Gizmo from Gremlins!



Well, I am off to do some laundry and hopefully a good nights sleep!

Check out my Slide Show!

What Happened to January??

Grandpa and his girl



Kristin and Hunter


Brandon, Lindsay and Kristin


Ok, January is almost over and I haven't blogged since before Christmas! I kept waiting for things to slow down after the holidays, but that never happened! We made it through the holidays and had a good time. We had Christmas morning here, then went to Joplin and spent Christmas day with Chris' family. Then the next weekend we went to Cabot for Christmas there. Never a dull moment, I must say.

It's hard to believe that Spring is just around the corner. Kristin has registration next Saturday for T-ball. This will be here first time to play, so it could be interesting. I don't think she has the focus for it, since it's a slow paced game. I can just see her in the outfield picking flowers! Oh well, I'm glad she wants to try something new. And Chris (aka Mr. Baseball) is happy, I know! She is already planning which camps she wants to do this summer--art camp, gymnastics camp, and cheerleader camp. She is always on the go!

Chris and I are fine. Busy with work. Chris is much happier now working in one department. He is waiting for a Neighborhood Market to open in Springdale and then will move over there. At school we are getting ready to open our infant/toddler program. Open house is tomorrow night. My pre-k kids are keeping me busy and are really making some good progress...several will be reading by Spring. Kristin is doing great in school and I am thankful she loves to go. Her school was closed Friday (teachers had to do observations) so she went to school with me. Her teacher ended up coming to Sunshine Montessori to observe. Kristin was SO happy to see her. I'm glad she will be with Ms. Pam again next year.

We are trying to plan a summer vacation. We didn't really go anywhere last year and I told Chris we are going SOMEWHERE this year, I don't care where. So, we've gone from maybe going to Hershey, PA, or Disneyland (not Disneyworld--I'm staying away from Orlando in July!), or Las Vegas, but finally settling on Kansas City. There is so much to do there and Chris and I both like KC. Kristin has never been and there is a lot she would enjoy. We've also thought about going to Six Flags and then to St.Louis. We'll see.

I better go. Kristin is coughing again...hopefully it's just a cold. This is the first winter EVER to not have a single ear infection!!! Yipeee!!!!