Trick or Treat

Last night was trick-or-treat night. We were getting ready to leave and heard some sort of a scuffle on our front porch.

It was a raccoon!!!
It's Jack the Raccoon!!

I should have got a video of him shaking his tail.

It's Dexter, the cutest Dumbo you have ever seen.

We brought him a treat of Goldfish because we knew his mean Mommy

would not let him have any candy.

Jack and Dex

And then we were off to what is always my Halloween highlight,

Dennis and Nancy Allen's house.

Nancy goes ALL out, their house looked so cool

We arrived and saw this sitting on the front porch.......

What is it?

Who is it???

Anyone know these witchy sisters?

IT is revealed!!

It's Gabe!!!

Gabe got the honor of "working" at Dennis and Nancy's this Halloween.

Jack with Miss Kaitlin Diel and Shelby Matson.

They were out trick-or-treating for cans for the

NCHS Student Council.

Jack arrives at Mam and Bamp's

Jack sitting on the whoopee cushion Mam and Bamp gave him with his

Halloween treats

He thought it was just hilarious, Bamp thought it was really funny to.

The first thing Jack said when he woke up this morning was "where is my tooter?"

You Can Vote However You Like

I saw these kids on CNN the other day and was so impressed. They were so polite, respectful, and intelligent. Man, I love a school uniform.

Pumpkin Carving--the easy way

Everyone has been sharing pics of their family pumpkin carving and the finally products.

We finally got around to doing ours on Monday night.

Cliff and Jack begin the labor filled, intense process.

2 minutes later.......

We're finished!!!!

I know this was the easy way out, but I thought they were super cute.

The mess was NONE and it was really easy for Jack.

Jack thinks they look great along side the great big "Daddy" pumpkin.

It's the GREAT PUMPKIN

Sunday night our friends Norman and Cinda stopped by with a surprise for Jack. A 150 lb pumpkin!!! Can you believe it?? They grew it themselves. Norman and Cinda are great friends with Jack and they thought he would enjoy the pumpkin. They were right. He thinks it is super cool.

It really is a beautiful pumpkin. It almost does not look real. If Baby Chuck Chuck were already here Cliff would be hauling that thing to Amber's for some Anne Geddes type pictures.

Thanks Norman and Cinda!

Jack loves the pumpkin.

We are covering it at night to protect it just like you told us!

Champagne wishes and diaper bags dreams

31 days until my c-section date. So far feeling ok. I think the baby is pinching my bladder because it must be funny to him. It's not funny to me. It really hurts. My energy level is way down. I am amazed that after working around the house for 30 minutes or so I require a few minutes to set down and rest. If I get lucky Jack will take a nap in the afternoons and I try to take one with him.



I realized after we moved into the house that putting the baby upstairs would not work when we first bring him home. I won't be able to walk up and down the stairs multiple times a day after having my c-section, so we have to set stuff up downstairs for the baby. I hope to get that accomplished this weekend.



Sadly, after going through Jack's clothes and Michelle bringing me clothes from Dexter it looks like Baby Chuck Chuck is more than set in the clothing department. I was really hoping he would need more so I could do some shopping, but he really will not.



Holly Farley recommended diapers.com to me and I got my first shipment of diapers in the mail last week. It was pretty cool to have the man in brown drop off a big box filled with diapers (not to mention they were a great deal and I got free shipping).



I have been on the hunt for the perfect diaper bag for weeks now with no luck. I did not realize how expensive diaper bags were. This is my dream bag.....


It is $324.00

Even if I could afford it, that is just a CRAZY amount of money to spend on a diaper bag.



The baby remains without a name at this time. We have some ideas, but nothing set in stone. I am getting a little concerned.




Dr. appt tomorrow. I am hoping to make him happy by gaining a couple of pounds. Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, here I come.

Free chocolate

A free sample to good not to share (sharing when they arrive in the mail is up to you).

Go here http://www.haydeechocolatier.com/sample.php

to get a free 8 pack of chocolate truffles.

--by the way, my free samples have started to arrive, last week Jack got an entire pack of gum in the mail and a sheet of race car stickers! It was super exciting. Anyone else getting anything?

A new look

My blog got a makeover!

Courtesy of Shauna at SEE MY DESIGNS BY SHAUNA

I think she did a fabulous job!!

Thanks so much Shauna :)

Happy Birthday Kelley!

Happy Birthday Kelley Leffler!

Family Fun Night

Jack's preschool sponsored a family fun night earlier this week. Jack was very excited about attending. He was most excited about going as a family. When we got out of the car and headed to the gym he instructed us to all hold hands as a family.

Family Fun Night was filled with lots of little kids visiting different tables with activities set up for them to do. Mainly they revolved around Fall and Halloween.

The large amount of kids in attendance being loud and running around made my stomach hurt from nerves.

God Bless those preschool teachers, I don't know how they do it.

First stop...

The large container of spaghetti

and Jack's friend from school, Cory Dhom.

It took Jack a little while, but he really got into it.

I was regretting putting him in a brand new shirt.

Lily Bierman was also in attendance.

She had a fancy new hairdo complements of Pam Kerner.

She also had chosen to accessorise the outfit with an armful of bracelets.

I thought she looked just smashing!

Jack making a ghost out of a tootsie pop

the finished ghost

Jack and Daddy decorating a cookie

Enjoying the finished product

Jack is 5 pumpkins tall

Making a pumpkin out of construction paper

The finished pumpkin.

(the star is its beauty mark)

Playing some pumpkin bean bag toss with Dad

Jack had a great time at the Family Fun Night. He kept telling us how much fun it was with his family. I am so grateful that he enjoys doing stuff like that with us, I am sure it won't be that many more years before his Mom and Dad are not cool enough to hang out with!

Taking the high road

A lot of crappy things have happened to me and my family lately. Personal attacks have been made, and harsh, cruel, untrue words have been spoken. I have not shared them on my blog because to be quite honest with you, some things are just to personal to share.

I LOVE my blog. I love blogging. When I first had Jack and made the decision to stay home with him, as rewarding as it was, I lost a lot socially, and I require a lot of social contact.

This may sound crazy, but my blog kind of lifted me out of a funk that I had no idea that I was in. It gave me that feeling of connection with others that I was missing and even though from time to time controversy has struck because of words that I have written, the regrets I have are very few.

People have asked why I have not used this platform as a means to defend myself or my family members. They see others trying to do so and wonder if I can talk about pretty much everything else, why am I keeping my mouth shut?

PLEASE know that I would fight to my death to defend ANY member of my family, but I realize that perhaps this time, this is not the place that those words need to be spoken. The few who need to know do know and the support that they have shown me and my family members have shown us how true friends and adults behave.

So, on this issue I will continue to take the high road. I will just keep blogging about the things that I normally blog about-my son, the upcoming birth of my child, OBAMA, Newton Eagles, pop culture, and other random bits and pieces that strike my fancy.

Until then....

Sarah "takin' the high road" Diel Kinkade

It's getting hot in here...

Saturday morning I got up and it was HOT in our house. Very hot. So hot that I needed to step outside to cool off during my process of getting ready.

I looked at the thermostat and Cliff had it set on 75 degrees. I explained to him that many energy efficiency experts recommended that a thermostat be set on a much lower setting to keep heating bills down. I also explained to him that his very pregnant wife recommended that for her (and thus his) personal sanity and comfort the thermostat needed to be set on a much lower setting.

Cliff responded by telling me that I had more body insulation than he did and so he needed it to be warmer in the house. (not a good response)

What temperature do you keep the thermostat set on during the colder months in your house?

Vote in my latest poll. Perhaps Cliff will go with what the majority of readers say.

TAG---I'm it

Mindy from the Browningblog tagged me. Normally, I don't take part in stuff like this, but for her I will.

The rules go like this:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write 6 random things about yourself.
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post(or as many as you want)
4. If you are tagged, do it and pass the tag along.
5. Enjoy

Here are some random facts about me.........

1. I think Sean "P.Diddy, Puff Daddy" Combs is about the most handsome man in the world. I am fairly certain that if heaven has a smell, he wears it.
2. I can't wait to vote on election day. Early voting is a great thing, but nothing (for me) compares to the feeling of voting on that Tuesday.
3. I doubt if Angelique from VH1's Charm School is really French.
4. I have gained around 4lbs so far this pregnancy. My Dr was not happy with me at my last visit (a problem that I know I will NEVER have the rest of my life) and told me to gain some weight. I have upped my daily intake of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups to try and combat the problem.
5. I let Jack have pizza for breakfast this morning. Yesterday he had pizza rolls because we had no cold pizza. Don't worry, they both had sausage so I think that should count as a breakfast food.
6. I am not going to the football game tonight :( It's to far away, the weather is crappy, and I am to pregnant. The amount of guilt I am feeling about it is probably a little much. I have not missed a game in 3 years. If they lose I am fairly certain it will be my fault.

And there you have it. Some random facts about Sarah D.

And now to pass on the tag.

Chad at The Farley Family

Christina at Sugar Sweet Thoughts

Samee Jo at Samee Jo's Small Talk

Tracie at Coffee With the Crain's

Amber at My So Called Wonderful Life

TAG---YOU ARE ALL IT

Have fun!!!

Northern Exposure---the teacher version

Check out Ashley Groves's blog Alaska or Bust

Ashley is my friend Lisa Turner's sister and is in Alaska for a Northern Exposure type program, except instead of being a DR, she is a teacher.

I e-mailed her some pics of her nephew Aaron today and in an e-mail back she informed me that there is no cable TV where she is at. Even without it, she seems to love what she is doing and being in Alaska. I am enjoying her blog immensely.

I know Ashley enjoys hearing from people from home, please take the time to visit her blog and be sure to leave her a comment.

Hard questions, even harder answers

A couple weeks ago I picked Jack up at school and he informed me that they say the Pledge of Allegiance at school. Jack already knew the pledge. He says the pledge at church on Sunday mornings to the American Flag, Christian Flag, and to the Bible.

Jack wanted to know why they did not say the pledge to the Christian Flag along with the Amercian flag at school.

I never thought I would have to try to explain the separation between church and state to a three year old. I tried, I am not sure if he got it.

Yesterday on the way home from school Jack noticed the signs attached to the electric poles along the street with the names of the Jasper County residents in the Armed Services. He also noticed the yellow ribbons on the poles and asked what they were for.

He was not satisfied with me singing a version of Tony Orlando and Dawn's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" so, I had to talk to him about soldiers fighting in wars. I tried to relate it to his first cousin David who is in the Army and just went back to Iraq.

Jack was pretty sure that I did not know what I was talking about.

At least he did not ask me where baby's come from.

~~

I gotta add this one...

This afternoon Jack woke up from his nap crawled up in my lap and said in his sleepy little voice "Mom, what would happen if you rolled over a bullet?"

Still playing the name game

Just a little over a month to go and still no name has been chosen. The only thing I do know for sure is that he WILL NOT be named Chuck Chuck.

When I had Jack, we were not for sure of his name until right after he was born and it seems like at this point that is going to happen again. My c-section is scheduled for 7:30 am on 11*28 and my goal is for him to be named by noon that day.

Cliff says he will love him no matter what his name is, but still seems to shoot down a good portion of the names I suggest.

I have offered to let my sister Michelle and Kelley Leffler name him if the name is presented to me on a decorated cake. So far I remain cakeless. I was not kidding and a nice cake sounds REALLY good.

Each name I come up with has to be examined for bad nickname potential. Michelle threw out some of her suggestions to Gabe and he gave her his thoughts on each with some name suggestions of his own. She e-mailed their conversation to me and it was to good not to share.....

Gabe and I talked about names for chuck chuck tonight. I will give the name I suggested, then Gabe's input.

Sullivan "Sounds old. Too old"
Lincoln "Is it a baby or a president"
Gibson (Gib. Gib Kinkade. I love it) "Sounds like dried vomit"
Fletcher "Toilet flusher"
And my personal favorite (of Gabe's replies that it, I like all these names)......
Harrison "Harrison? Who Caresison"

Gabe's suggestions
Justin
Stan
Alex (per Gabe, still good if it "accidentally turns into a girl like last time")

Maybe Gabe is onto something and we should just go with Stan.

Here's Jack

JACK & TYMAY

(they match! Not planned)
Jack and Gabe

Jack messing around at the new house