Finally I got around to getting the pumpkins out of the back of the van from last weekend. Bailey, her friend Miranda, Lauren and I all had fun creating our jack-o-lanterns. I will post the pictures below - but additional explanations will have to wait, because I have literally fallen asleep TWICE while typing this...deleting nonsense sentences and catching my head from falling forward suddenly. Ugh - sleep deprivation is NOT pretty.

Beggar's Night

In Iowa - or at least in Central Iowa, they have something they call "Beggar's Night." This is when the kids dress up in costume and go trick-or-treating. The strange part? Well, there are many - but unlike the rest of the country, the kids trick-or-treat on Oct. 30...not the actual date of Halloween. Also, people expect kids to tell jokes when they trick-or-treat. I have no idea how this originated. It is wierd.

This year Bailey decided to hand out candy - but she DID dress up. She found a formal-type dress at Goodwill ofr $11, put on a tiara and voila - princess Bailey was born. She invited a friend over to hand out candy. Mark watched Grant and Lauren...I mean Goodnight Bear and I set out for candy.

Lauren LOVED the experience. The first couple houses we rang, Lauren would wait for the owners to open the door, then she'd say "Trick-or-Treat" and then a big "Thank You." She continued to say thank you several more times as we walked away from each house - and then she'd stop and say "More House?" Yes, my child is into the candy collecting thing. I'm definitely going to have to hide her big pile of candy and ration it out...but then if I hide it...I'LL still know where it is...and that's probably even more dangerous.

SHWEW! Turns out the repair guy's initial guess was wrong - it was NOT the compressor, but the thermostat - $75. THANK YOU!!! But, did you know that on NEW appliances, the warranty is 1-year now and not 5? What a crock.

How can it be that a 5-yr-old AMANA refrigerator can break down just 4 months after its warranty expires? hmmmm...suspicious! And it looks like it isn't an easy fix - looks like a $500-$600 repair job that only comes with a 90-day warranty. Unacceptable! However, the alternative is a new fridge - which will most likely be over $1,000. So, if it were YOU....do you go for the cheaper option - the repair with the lame-o warranty and pray it doesn't break down again in many years? Or do you suck it up and get a new fridge? What happened to the days when appliances lasted for decades? Gone. I've read many a post and talked to many a friend who have had nice, new, name-brand appliances break after 5-7 years. Not cool. (which is currently our fridge problem - ha).

"Wook, Mommy! I Meh-ih-sin!"

So....any suggestions how to get Creamy Desitin off of the couch? ugh.

Yesterday after church we loaded the kids up in the van for another Sunday of Halloween fun. This time we took a trip to the ZOO for "Night Eyes" a Halloween-themed fundraising event for the zoo geared for younger kids. So with our Winnie The Pooh and Carebear in tow we walked through the zoo, collecting candy and viewing a few zoo animals along the way. Lauren was SO excited to wear her costume and Grant slept almost the entire time (yeah!). Bailey enjoyed holding Lauren's hand and showing her all of the animals - what a great big sister. The highlight of the day? Lauren got to hug Curious George! They had lots of inflatables there too - but since we went during nap time - Lauren was practically comatose by the time we reached those attractions.

Here are a few pictures from our afternoon.

Yesterday (10-27-07) marked ONE MONTH since Grant was born. How is that possible?! Here he is (picture taken yesterday) - should be posing with a DRAKE sweatshirt, but here's the cute giraffe from cousin Krista - the Central alum.

Report Cards Are In....

Bailey's 6th grade year was a nightmare - for all of us. She struggled with her relationship with her teacher - we all did...and as a result, her grades did not reflect her knowledge. She has always gotten fairly good grades, always understood the materials being taught - and so last year, when she struggled with grades we were all stumped. I'm happy to report that this year, 7th grade, she has AWESOME teachers, has regained her self-esteem and her grades are once again reflective of her knowledge of the materials being taught. So, report cards are in this week....and...HONOR ROLL! Woo-Hoo! Way to go, Bailey! Grades are as follows:

World Cultures..... B+
Social Studies....A
Science....A
PE....A
Math....A-
Language Arts....A
Industrial Technology...C+
Chorus...A
Band....A-

Overall GPA for Quarter 1....3.807

I'm so proud of you, Bailey! Keep up the great work!

So much for going in for the FREE 8 x 10....but how could I NOT buy this?!

The Better Homes & Garden Website offers a FREE tool that allows you to design and print your own jack-o'-lantern patterns. How cool is that?! You can choose from thousands of faces, or the site will create one for you. Thanks to thrifty mommy for alerting me to this cool site!

Finally, I get to watch this season of The Bachelor. Mark would never watch it with me - but now that we have the dual-receiver DVR, I can record it each and every week and watch it during those middle-of-the-night baby feedings. Yeah! So here are my favorites - I'd be happy if he ends up with any of these women. He is THE BEST bachelor in rose ceremony history!

Just kidding...I'm happily married and completely kidding, Mark. =-) (wink) But seriously - Jenni is my FAVORITE. I really think they make a genuinely happy couple - and did you see how caring she was toward chemical imbalanced Hillary last episode? I really feel like she is a truly nice person - and I think since I can't have him - she should.

But if Jenni doesn't win him over, my second pick is Sheena. She's a little young and a little ditzy - but I think they work nicely together and I think she really likes him.

Halloween Decorating Idea from Birds and Blooms Gardening Newsletter

Grab a few round, white balloons, cheesecloth cut to lengths of about a yard, and glow sticks. 4-inch glow sticks will probably work best and you can find them at party supply stores or probably at your local discount store this time of year.

Activate a glow stick and insert it into a balloon. Then inflate and knot the balloon.
Position the knot at the top of the balloon, and use a permanent black marker to draw eyes and a mouth.

Drape the cheesecloth over the balloon, cut a small hole and push the knot through the fabric. Secure with string and hang in the breeze.

Grant - 26 days old and cuter than ever

Potty Training Update:

Yeah....we have a way to go yet...that's a Dora Pull-Up on her head.

What a big day we had yesterday! Not only did we get everyone packed and ready for 9:30 church, but then we rushed home, changed clothes, grabbed a quick snack and loaded back up in the van and headed to the pumpkin patch! What a great day of fun - but EXHAUSTING! (started out in that state by the way). Lauren had an absolutely wonderful time, depsite it cutting into her nap big-time. Even Bailey enjoyed herself - I think Lauren gives her an excuse to enjoy the things that she'd otherwise be too old and too cool to enjoy. And Grant? He napped almost the entire time - SHWEW! It was a beautiful day weather-wise and a beautiful day family-wise. These are the things I hope the kids remember someday - not the things - but the moments like this one. A really good day. TONS of pictures from our outing:

Lauren Reading To Her Brother...

It's GAME DAY in the Bluegrass - and my nephew, Wyatt, is ready for a UK Victory! C-A-T-S, Cats, Cats, Cats!

Handsome Little Guy....and I Think He Knows It!