Today in the Curtin Family...

Basketball Season

2008-12-13T22:22:00.007-06:00

Well...It is Basketball season. Nathan is thrilled to be part of a team once again and he couldn't wait to get his uniform. And of course my big buy is just looks so small in the smallest uniform they offered. Through the month of December he has practices on Tuesday nights and then the games start January 10th.

Here is Nathan's game schedule:
January 10th @ 10:00
January 17th @ 9:00
January 24th @ 10:00
January 31st @ 9:00
February 7th @ 9:00
February 14th @ 9:00
February 21st @ 10:00
February 28th @ 9:00

All games are in the gym behind Crossroads Church (2525 W Main, Jenks, OK).

Long Time No See

2008-12-04T21:03:00.003-06:00

I know it has been too long since my last post, not much to post here but the usual. Not enough time to get everything done and life is definitely crazy with a capital "Z". The boys are growing too fast and the the pharmacy is becoming more successful every month.

At this point we are waiting for our billboard to be put up off of Hwy 75 and we hope that will spread the word even further.

Christmas time is upon us and all of the traditions that come with. Hope all is well with everyone.

Nick has been Published

2008-04-03T13:42:00.002-05:00

In case any of you are interested, Nick is now a published Pharmacist. There is a local publication that is distributed to all Jenks residents as well as some south Tulsa residents (a circulation of about 8,000) that Nick is now writing a monthly column for. If you are interested in checking it out use the link below, and his article appears on page six.
http://www.jenksexpress.com/pdfs/April_2008.pdf

He is 5!

2008-04-03T12:11:00.005-05:00

It has happened. My baby has turned 5! (It doesn't help that he usually greats me everyday with "Can you believe I am 5 now mom?") Well, this was definitely an occasion to celebrate and we didn't let it pass. Over the weekend we had a birthday party for Nathan at the local bowling alley. We invited his classmates, some friends and the cousins of course for a grand total of 18 (19 if you count Will) excited kiddos. Nick and I were up into the wee hours of the night the making bowling shirts for everyone that were personalized with their names on the front and a graphic along with "Nathan's Pin Pals" on the back.So on Saturday we started out at Nathan's second t-ball game, then on to his party and in the evening we went out to a Mexican restaurant to celebrate Opa's birthday. What a whirl wind. And of course we couldn't let Monday (his actual birthday) go by without mention so he brought cupcakes to celebrate a school and we went out to Carrabba's with the adults for his birthday dinner. (Can you believe this boy loves calamari?) We all had a ball and are still in disbelief that Nathan has now turn 5!

The Games are On

2008-04-03T12:11:00.004-05:00

We have officially started our T-ball season. Nathan's first game was last week. His league in an instructional one, meaning that they don't keep score and their are lots of dads out there making sure the little ones know which way to run and what team they belong to. As an unfortunate coincidence the first team we played against had the exact same color scheme for their uniforms and the little guys were a little confused at times. However, everyone had fun and we are looking forward to more games.

Easter

2008-04-03T11:57:00.004-05:00

For Easter this year this year we did all of the traditional thing, we dyed eggs, went to Church, did the hunt and had a traditional Easter dinner of hot dogs. Well, I am not so sure about that last one but it was quick and easy, and after a full day as well as dying eggs the night before with two little ones it sounded like a good idea.
Both Nathan and William got into dying the eggs and we ended up with some pretty ones. For the most part it was a mess free experience. Go figure! Opa took both of the boys to Krispy Kreme after Church so the Easter bunny had time to do his work. Once they arrived they boys were both eager to get hunting. Nathan was all about finding everything the Easter Bunny had left for him, whereas Will was more interested in finding an egg full of candy eating it all and then moving on to another find. Just what a fat little boy needs, lots of candy.

T-Ball Season

2008-03-17T17:18:00.003-05:00

Nathan's T-ball season has started and he is very excited. At this point we are still practicing, but his games will start the week after spring break. Anyone is welcome to come and watch this little man in action his schedule is below.

Nathan's Game Schedule
3/26 @ 6:00 Field #1
3/29 @ 10:00 Field #2
3/31 @ 6:00 Field #1
4/3 @ 6:00 Field #2
4/10 @ 6:00 Field #1
4/12 @ 11:30 Field #1
4/17 @ 6:00 Field #1
4/19 @ 11:30 Field #1
4/21 @ 6:00 Field #2
4/24 @ 6:00 Field #2
4/30 @ 6:00 Field #2
5/6 @ 6:00 Field #2
5/8 @ 6:00 Field #1
5/10 @11:30 Field #2
5/12 @ 6:00 Field #1
5/20 @ 6:00 Field #2

All of Nathan's games are in Jenks. The JYB Baseball Complex is located at Park West in Jenks, Oklahoma. The address is 201 South Koa (this is not a mailing address). The complex is located just south of Main Street on Koa between Elm Street and Elwood Street. Access is also available by going west on 101st Street from Elm Street. 101st Street runs along side the Creek Turnpike (HWY 169). For a map of the parks location see this link: http://eteamz.active.com/jenksyouthbaseball/news/index.cfm?cat=238195

Publicity

2008-03-07T13:02:00.004-06:00

Hey they say any kind of publicity is good publicity, so we are going to roll with that. The News on 6 did a story about the robberies last night during the late broadcast and the story ran again during the morning news.
Here is the link:
http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=7978959

Beginers Luck!

2008-02-22T16:58:00.004-06:00

Okay, so we have now been open for just barely six weeks and I think it is safe to say that we have been initiated. So far in our endeavor we have had one hot check, two separate shoplifting events and two break ins. (Both break ins were this week.) Needless to say, we are in the process of adding security measures, not that there weren't some in place before. Thankfully the suspects have been arrested on multiple felony charges each. We can only hope that they stay in jail longer than just a few days.
All in all the store looks fine, and our emotions have recovered. (All except for Nick, who was devastated to read in the police report that he has grey hair now not black as he had previously thought.) What can I say, it has been a rough week.
There is a silver lining here, they say there is no bad publicity and we are certainly going to get our fair share from this. Both the Jenks and Glenpool papers are doing a story on the break ins as well as a local news station. Not to mention the fact that it is a hot topic of discussion around town. All of this exposure should help us recoup our losses and continue to grow our business.
Here is the link to the story on the news:
http://www.kjrh.com/content/news/2viewgc/story.aspx?content_id=5a99b20b-a853-4aa7-ac5e-681996e6f1f6

How is it going?

2008-02-16T14:41:00.004-06:00

Understandably everyone is asking how things are going with the business. And the business is growing. Each week is better than the last. We are seeing more new faces everyday. However, we are still working hard to get the news out there that there is a new pharmacy in town.
As you can imagine it has been an adjustment for the whole family. The boys are finding themselves right at home and they have been dubbed the official greeters of Curtin Drug. (And for the most part we have convinced Will to quit batting products off of the shelves;) Nick is adjusting to a different pace at work as well as getting to know the new patients that walk through our doors. As for me, I am adjusting not only to going back to work, but rather going back to work with my children. This has truly been a group effort.
Nathan makes a point to give everyone who comes in the store one of "his business cards". He says "That way they can find their way back." As you can see by the picture William finds interesting ways to keep himself (and us) entertained.
While some of our hours at the store seem long we have faith that we are doing what we are meant to do. And our customer feedback has been very positive. (At the very least they are amused the the "hola!" given by Will every time he hears the door open.)
Thank you for all of the prayers for our success.

Transformation

2008-01-03T23:35:00.000-06:00

Today Curtin Drug took on a transformation today. Our humble store now has its shelves filled with all of the necessary OTC and RX items. It was amazing to see the progress throughout the day. And as a special treat we were able to see our sing light up the night.

Christmas Time!!

2008-01-03T23:10:00.000-06:00

The Curtin family had an incredible Christmas. We have truly been blessed. Life as been more tan a little hectic lately and it was nice to have some much needed family time and enjoy each others company. William kept himself busy snacking all day and all night. While Nathan was in high grear for at least forty eight hours.
Merry Christmas to all!!

Magic Drip

2007-11-28T14:36:00.000-06:00

Nathan says "Look guys I have a new freckle!" while inspecting his finger closely. "I felt a drip and then I looked and now I have a freckle. It was a magic drip, see."

Thanksgiving Weekend

2007-11-25T23:07:00.000-06:00

What a wonderful holiday weekend. We spent the weekend over at the Martinez household and it seemed like a mini vacation. We had plenty of turkey and all of the fixings to last us for several days. Not much got accomplished except for the fact that most of the Christmas decorations have been put in place for the season, a few more rows of knitting got accomplished and lots of Mario games were played.
We did take the opportunity to go see a movie as a family. We saw A Bee Movie, and it was Will’s first theater experience. All he could say for the first five minutes we were there was “Wow!”
The popcorn, pop and candy were a big hit with both of the boys. William was able to sit through almost the entire movie; he just needed a brief intermission about an hour and twenty minutes into the movie. Once we got back to the house Geesie asked Nathan about the movie and he simply said it was “good.” The a few minutes later he came back to her and said:
N: Geesie.
G: Yes.
N: That bee, he talks. (With a neck crank to emphasize his point)

Kisses

2007-11-15T20:59:00.000-06:00

What a wonderful thing. Today William learned how to give kisses. These are the best kisses in the world. Albeit they are slightly moist, but they have got plenty of pucker power. These are the type of kisses that put a smile on your face from ear to ear and a giggle in your heart. Life is moving a million miles an hour and yet everything stops when he comes over to put his lips to my cheek.

HALLOWEEN!

2007-11-01T14:29:00.000-05:00

We had a day full of excitement. Nathan's class party was in the morning and it was so cute to see him with all of his school friends. They sang some songs and had plenty of cupcakes. William spent his time taking it all in and trying to be one of the big kids.

Naptime at our house was abbreviated as we headed out to Chouteau for dinner and the Original Chouteau Trick or Treat Hayride. The boys had a blast, both of them were eager to run at every stop. We tried to get Will to say trick-or-treat, but he was not interested in that he thought boo was the appropriate word for the event. However, he made sure to thank everyone once he got his treat. Everyone had a great time and we were happy that Geesie was able to enjoy our evening out again this year. We were out way to late, but that is what you do on Halloween, right?

Pumpkin Carving

2007-11-01T14:05:00.000-05:00

Tuesday William had is first Halloween party at mother's day out. He went in costume and he made a very cute candy corn.

In the evening we had a family pumpkin carving party. We all had fun picking out patterns and carving our pumpkins and Will was content helping everyone scoop out the pumpkin guts as long as he didn't have to touch them too much. Nathan had the opportunity to carve his first pumpkin (with plenty of daddy supervision of course), and he did a fabulous job.

Nathan Quotes

2007-10-23T11:48:00.000-05:00

Nathan has had some doosies lately. It is just proof positive that his little mind is always working and trying to make sense of the world around him. Nonetheless you can’t help but smile at his logic.

N: How did you sleep last night mom?
M: I slept good, how about you?
N: Well…I could not breath so well. One hole wasn’t working.
D: And what is that called Nathan? (There was a long conversation earlier explaining this to Nathan.)
N: My diarrhea? (Which was a conversation earlier in the week.)
D: No, Nathan, nostril.

We were hanging out a couple of days ago watching Monsters Inc. Towards the end of the movie the main characters are running through doors into different places and one of the scenes happened to be a beach scene.
N: Look they are in hallelujah!
D: I think you mean Honolulu Nathan.

Just a few days after that Nathan and dad has another profound conversation.
N: Dad do you ever feel bad that you don’t have a tail?
D: You know Nathan I really haven’t thought about that. Do you ever feel bad that you don’t have a tail?
N: Yes! I want a tail so that I can hit the bad guys with it.

Getting Lost

2007-10-23T11:30:00.000-05:00

Saturday afternoon we went to the corn maze in Broken Arrow. The family had tons of fun wandering through the maze. Nathan’s has been begging to "get lost again" all year long and this year he added to his fun by trying to scare everyone as they rounded corners. William had more fun wandering thought the corn rather than staying on the trails. Once we made our way out of the maze we used the campfire to roast our hotdog dinner and then followed them up with s’mores for dessert.
After dinner (and during) we enjoyed the hay jumps, corn pit, rubber duck race, sand box and Nick’s favorite the paint ball range.
By the time we left we were all a wind beaten, exhausted and smelling like the campfire.

Fall Break

2007-10-23T10:38:00.000-05:00

As kids get older they love school breaks, but Nathan is at that point that he is willing to go to school everyday. He understands the concept of weekends, but he would still rather go to school. I knew going into it that the idea of fall break was going to be rough on the little guy.
We eased him into the concept by letting him spend the night with Geesie. Then on Thursday we headed to the mall and met up with a friend and the two guys came back to our house and ran around like crazy. After that, we had a quick dinner at Chik-Fil-A and on we went to Arlene's house. On Friday we went bowling with several of our "old school" friends. While things were wild at the bowling alley I know that the patrons at Wendy's didn't know what hit them. Can you imagine four four year-olds and siblings with frazzled moms and a very patient dad who had bathroom duty with all of these guys? As if that was not enough activity for one day we went to Oktoberfest in the evening with Uncle Randy and baby Lucus. Nathan had on his dancing shoes and enjoyed the freedom of being able to just run around.

First Hair Cut

2007-10-15T21:31:00.000-05:00

Today was William’s first hair cut. Nick finally won out and we cut William’s hair, but only the top and sides. So my baby still has his curls in the back. Will did such a great job, he just loves to have his hair brushed and this was not that much removed. He sat still the whole time, I don't think he was ready for it to be done. So in the end we all win, he no longer looks quite so unruly and those cute little curls remain.

Good Day

2007-10-11T22:49:00.000-05:00

Today was Nathan’s first parent teacher conference. We learned everything that we already knew about our little boy. He is doing great academically with his numbers, letters, sounds, shapes, gross and fine motor skills he is ahead of the curve. Socially, he is an active little boy who is still learning the manners and rules of the classroom. It was exciting to go and watch him in his environment and see him focus on projects with patients and diligents.

In the evening the family met up with Eric and Jen at Whispering Vines Winery for some cheese, crackers, fruit, wine, fun and of course chasing after children. The weather was beautiful and the sunset was gorgeous!

To round out our day we headed out to the QT in Glenpool for a bedtime snack. I know, I know, don’t call the nutrition police on me but two out of three meals isn’t bad, right? We kicked back, opened the windows, cranked up the High School Musical Two soundtrack and enjoyed the ride. The only thing the boys were interested in was getting a slushy. We couldn’t pass up the photo op of the two boys sharing their treat. And as a bonus we even got them to help us vacuum out the van.

Now that’s a good day!

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-10T20:51:00.000-05:00

We made the anual trip to the pumpkin patch today. Nathan and William got to see donkeys, horeses, pigs, geese, goats and even a camel and buffalo too before picking out the perfect pumpkin to bring home.

Enjoy these good days!

2007-10-09T22:12:00.001-05:00

We all know that everyday has its challenges, but it seems that Nathan's days have been a little more challenging lately. I am still trying to figure out how to convince a four-year-old that listening is a necessity. Well, today we had our silver lining and days like today deserve a reflection. Nathan was a joy to have around in almost every instance today, he was happy just to be together. After picking Nathan up from Adventure Club he requested that we walk on the Riverwalk, so east we went to the river. The boys had a great time playing in the fountain, getting wet and running up and down the walkway. (Although, Will is now sporting a new bruise on his forhead.) We even ran into Uncle Eric while we were there! And on the way home, well....you know how Nathan is....this boy can't stay dirty (or wet as the case may be). You can't help but smile at the boy standing in his underwear while wringing out his socks before he can buckle up for the ride home.

Then later on in the evening after we dropped Geesie off at home he wanted to call Oma on her cell phone because he forgot to tell her something. Such a simple request could not be denied. I dialed the phone and handed it over and the poor guy wasn't sure who answered the phone and called Oma Geesie. That was all that was needed to start the confusion at the other end. Once Oma was put back on the phone the little guy did the same thing, it is amazing that he remember what he set out to say in the first place. All of his efforts were put forth to make sure that Oma knew that we saw Uncle Eric today at Riverwalk. Once he hung the phone up he took a few moments to digest the situation.

Then he said "Mom I accidentally called Oma Geesie. I called her Geesie twice. I am sorry mom."

I replied "That is okay, sometimes these things happen."

Nathan replied "Yeah, it was funny."

Life is good! I am truly blessed. I thank God for all of my riches.

ear plugs????

2007-09-30T20:25:00.000-05:00

A conversation with a four year old is always interesting and today was no exception.

In the car Nathan was being reminded by Oma that he needs to use his listening ears.
Oma: Nathan you have two good ears and you need to use your listening ears to hear what your parents have to say and do what you are told.
Nathan: I do, but I don’t have a plug.
Oma: What kind of plug?
Nathan: You know the kind of plug that is in the wall with the holes. My listening ears don’t have a plug.

Disguise

2007-09-28T21:53:00.000-05:00

We took the time to discuss Halloween costumes today and Nathan made his final decision. William was not to be left out and needed to try on something too. Ironically this costume did not make Nathan's final cut.

Brotherly Love

2007-09-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

Everyone is okay

2007-09-22T21:15:00.000-05:00

The day started off great. We were off to an early start and out of the house before eight. There were a couple of quick errands to be done before we dropped the boys off at Oma Blythe and Papa’s house for the morning. We made to the building in a timely fashion and got things unloaded and got things started. The guys were working on the drywall and I was working on finishing the trim while the other ladies were picking up some more supplies at the hardware store. Everything was moving along fine, everyone found their grove, the girls made it to the building and progress was being made. Then…it happened…Dad got a screw driven into his thumb. OUCH!!! A difficult task you might say, but there were two involved. Everything stopped, except for the fact that the screw had to be backed back out. Mom took Dad to the minor emergency center right away, and everything got quite in the building. Progress was much slower while we waited for news on Dad. Needless to say that many prayers were said. After a couple of long hours the x-ray showed that the bone was hit but everything should heal alright. Dad was given a tetanus shot, sterilizing soak, antibiotics and pain meds.

After that, lets just say that the lunch conversation was lively. Dad was more than a trooper. Progress at the building picked back up, and it can even be said that it was quite a productive day.

We have walls….

2007-09-19T21:18:00.000-05:00

….well, almost. The framing is up, but the drywall and insulation will be installed later this week. Progress is being made and we continue to work towards our goal. Hopefully by the end of the weekend we will have a room where we can send the children to keep themselves entertained. Hey, a mom can dream, can’t she?

Will’s Words

2007-09-18T21:34:00.000-05:00

It seems that daily William is surprising me with a new word. Here is a list of his current favorites:
Mama
Dada
Duck
Dog
Cat

Fish

Bubbles
Pleeeeeeeease! (Always said with his natural smirk)
Baby
Hello
Bye bye
Uh-oh
And of course his favorite dis (this), which encompasses anything that he wants and is almost always accompanied with a pointed finger.

He is continuing to adjust well to his time away from mom at mother’s day out. He insists on walking in and carrying his bag all by himself. It is quit the site. (As you can see in the picture above.) And if he sees his lunch box he insists on carrying that too, even though it knocks him over when he carries it. All is good until we get to the hallway where his classroom is and then he wants to be in mama’s arms. After that the transition goes fairly smoothly. Once he is in the room he motors around and enjoys playing with all of the new toys around them.

Achievements

2007-09-17T21:51:00.000-05:00

Everyday progress is made, most days we just forget to reflect upon the day's events. Today Nathan came home from school with a paper and only his name was on it. But he had written it all by himself. Our little man makes great achievements everyday!

Will's First Krispy Kream

2007-09-14T21:33:00.001-05:00

After school on Tuesday Will and I headed over to Krispy Kream for an afternoon pick me up. He seemed to aprove of the snack and dove right into the one with chocolate icing and sprikles.

Morning Routine

2007-09-14T21:24:00.000-05:00

Open House

2007-09-04T21:23:00.000-05:00

The central focus of our day today was Nathan's open house. Now since he is our first child, this is an exciting event. Little did we know the twist our day would take...

It was our usual hurried morning around here and somehow we ended up behind a tractor on the way to school, which is never a good thing. So Nathan was tardy to class for the first time. This meant that I had to walk Nathan into Grace and to his classroom. We unloaded out of the van, Nathan, William and I (and did I mention that we volunteered to bring a watermelon to class this week). I juggled my way in through security doors and all the while Nathan was fiercely complaining that he did not want me to go into his school.

Then in the afternoon Nick and I took the van to the shop with ample time to pick Nathan up from Adventure Club, grab a bite to eat and drop the kids by Oma's so that Nick and I can go to open house. Well...best laid plans...just after dropping off the van, Nick's car got a flat on the highway. To make maters worse, in the process of changing the tire two of the bolts broke. Thanks to some creative planning and route changes we were able to make it to pick up Nathan in time. (Thank you Geesie and Oma.)

We made it open house, but it was not the center of our day.