Deciding between the Spider-Man, Batman or the Incredible Hulk lunchbox was a chore. But figur­ing out what snacks to put in that lunchbox can be a trial. Will they eat what you pack?

Heading off to pre­school can be a fright­ening experience for a toddler. It means leaving the familiar and step­ping into the unknown.

A brand-new kitchen overflowing with high-end Viking appliances is something a lot of cooks dream about. Debbie Dance Uhrig is getting to live the dream.
The kitchen isn’t located in her new home in Branson, Mo. The former Platte City, Mo., resident will be cooking up a storm in the Viking kitchen at Silver Dollar City.
You read that correctly — Silver Dollar City, the well-known turn-of-century theme park just outside of Branson. That high-end kitchen is located in the theme park’s new Silver Dollar City Culinary and Craft School, which will open to the public in September.

Jaws isn’t ready for his close-up. No matter how much fish food Charlene Loyd tosses in her backyard pond, the king koi doesn’t want to surface.
“He’s got an attitude,” Mrs. Loyd says. The coy Jaws isn’t the only one with attitude. St. Joseph homeowners Rodney and Charlene Loyd’s attitude when it comes to their backyard is pretty, practical and peaceful. And the pond meets all those requirements. Featuring four levels (the deepest is 5 feet deep), the pond juts out along one side of the backyard fence. Rocks that Mr. Loyd dug up from the yard form a decorative border.

Barack, you’re the man. At least according to the “voters” who visit the St. Joseph Museum’s “Buttons, Banners and Flags: Electioneering in America” exhibit.

Hillcrest Village Apartments resident Cookie Rock can’t resist a stray kitten or cat. But she would like to. “I don’t want to do this,” she said, “but I can’t just walk away.” So, she brings the three kittens hiding in a bush in front of her apartment building into her home, hoping that she will be able to find them homes. The kittens are only a few of the strays roaming the St. Joseph apartment complex, Ms. Rock said, adding that in the year-and-a-half that she has resided there, she has taken in about 40 strays.

Driving through Sharon and Tom Rachow’s St. Joseph neighborhood, one townhouse blends into another. That is, until you reach the Rachow residence. The townhouse resembles the rest, but it’s the flowers, greenery and the statuary that make the Rachow house stand out, that gives it a “look-at-that” appeal.

Look through a child’s eyes and you may be surprised at what you see. Or don’t see.
An estimated 10 million children suffer vision problems, according to the National Parent Teacher Association. And Prevent Blindness America reports that one in 20 preschoolers and one in four school-age children have vision problems.
But even if little Johnny or Jenny can’t see, they’re unlikely to say so.

Sylvia Pettit rests a bag of Oreos next to a glass of peach tea. The familiar blue-and-pink packaging proclaims the cookies’ double-stuffed goodness.
It’s the perfect compliment to a hot summer day at her home just north of St. Joseph.
Too bad there are no cookies.
This Oreo bag is actually a purse, complete with a fabric liner featuring a variety of pockets and two blue handles. And while it might not be food for the stomach, it has fed Sylvia’s creativity.

Jason Follmer had a hunch that his wife’s salsa would satisfy the judges in the recent News-Press Salsa Recipe Contest. “The first time I had it, it was the best I ever had,” he says. But Laurie Follmer wasn’t so sure her salsa would sway the judges. When told she was the winner of the contest, the St. Joseph resident was skeptical, “You’re kidding... seriously?” Yes, Laurie, you’re the winner.