The final Harry Potter book....and Dad wasn't going to let Bailey miss it. He reserved her copy of the book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows and took her and her friend, Julia to The Grand Hallows Ball at Borders Books. They were there until after Midnight and had lots of fun. What a lucky girl to have a Dad that would do that for her - without even asking!

Bailey's friend spent the night but we had to wake them up at 8 a.m. to get the friend home and clean for a house showing we scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Let's just say we have one VERY tired and cranky girl on our hands today. Dad's a little sleepy too....but over three hours on your feet with a couple of pre-teen girls will do it to you. Once again Mark takes home the Dad-of-the-Year prize.

You Are My Suh-Sine!

Hello Everybodeeeeeeee....it is I.....Grover!

Ok, honestly - HOW CUTE IS this shirt?! I have always loved Sesame Street - but now that I"m watching it as a parent - that show is HILARIOUS! I think I have to get this t-shirt.

Personalizing is all the rage. Personalized photos and text on your Kleenex box, customize your M&Ms, your baby's crib quilt, your photo on a pillow case, ...what's next? Choose your color of toilet paper - oh wait...been there/done that - was that the 70's or the 80's?

Today was a very high-fructose sort of day. It started with my glucose test. I was scheduled to take it last week, but the clinic called me the day before my appointment to reschedule (how annoying is that?!). So now instead of going to the much easier to get to West side location, I now had to go downtown to the hospital, park, walk, take elevators, etc. bluck. My appointment was at 9 a.m. I was to go to the lab first to drink the extremely sugary, barely drinkable "juice" and then travel 5 flights up to my OB appt.

Well, I quickly learned a new theme to this week and that is no one is holding up their end of the deal on appointments this week! (see yesterday's post on how THAT all started). Anyway, I get there and they don't have me down. They don't have my chart, they don't know how far along I am, they don't know if I"m there for a 1-hr. glucose test or the 4-hr. test. For goodness sakes! These are the people I'm relying on to help me deliver a healthy bouncing baby? G-R-E-A-T. Finally they get someone on the phone that has at least heard of me. They give me the juice and I begin my journey upstairs.

I've never been to this office. My OB group recently merged with another group (never works out to be a good thing for patients) and this was my first trip to the new office. And guess what? They didn't have my chart. They asked who I was seeing and I told them the Dr.'s name...nope...he's not down here today. Great! So when they rescheduled me they changed the Dr. I was seeing and didn't bother to tell me. That was especially nice. Finally they took me back and weighed me (hate that), took my blood pressure and the usual. My BP was a little elevated. (Ya think? I've just parked a mile away, walked downstairs to the lab where they didn't expect me, drank pure sugar, raced up 5 flights where I was greeted with more ignorance.) Finally I was seen by not a Dr.....oh no....but a nurse practitioner. I have nothing against an NP - but after all this - at least let me see a real live OB please.

The checkup was uneventful, and still waiting on the glucose results. The silver lining today? I'm far enough in the pregnancy that I start going every 2 weeks instead of every month. We're getting closer!!!

I hope a complete stranger doesn't deliver this baby. I want Osborn - you hear me, Perry? No strangers....I want the OB I've come to trust. Pencil it in.

I digress. Anyway - how is it a high fructose kind of day? Well, this afternoon the girls made chocolate chip cookies. I better eat them now...just in case my glucose test results are bad and they cut me off soon. =-)

Meet Dairy Potter at this year's Iowa State Fair, August 9-19, 2007

The Children's Place COUPONS/SALE!!!

Children’s Place on sale with 20% off
I'm so grateful to Thriftymommy.com for making me aware of Mommysavers! They pointed me to a 20% off coupon for Children’s place. Use the code BCMP77 to get an additional 20% off. Also, they have some great deals as low as $3.99 or less on some really cute clothes. I"m going to try to stock up a little for next summer with the combination of the sale and the 20% off. I appreciate this insider secret so I thought I'd share with all of you!

Pedicure Day

We LOVE pedicures! Bailey & I received spa pedicures for Mother's Day (yes, I"m the only Mother here...but her Dad is pretty nice and thought she'd enjoy one too). So today was the day we scheduled our special tootsie treatment at The Spa at West Glen. I arranged for Grandma & Grandpa to watch Lauren and off Bailey & I went. Unfortunately, their nail technician never showed up to work today, so they apologized and offered us a complimentery pedicure at our reschedule. Nice - but bummer! We were SO excited to get pedicures...TODAY!
So we found Solar Nails & Spa on 100th St. in Urbandale. They got us both right in and both Mother & Daughter enjoyed a side-by-side pedicure. GLORIOUS! But dangerous...I could SO get used to this on a monthly basis. The relaxation, the leg/foot massage, the pretty toesies. LOVE IT! Oh - and Lauren is wearing whatever color we had in the closet...courtesy of Big Sister.

Monday:

Homemade Pizza Rolls with cottage cheese and peaches

Tuesday:

Cheeseburgers on grill, corn on the cob, tater tots

Wednesday:

Cheesy Ranch Chicken

Thursday:

Leftovers Buffet

Friday:

Frozen Pizza Friday

Saturday:

Hamburger/Rice Casserole, green beans, fruit

Sunday:

Pot Roast, potatoes, carrots

Hey! The baby NEEDS dairy!

Yup, it's OPEN HOUSE day. Today. 1-4 p.m. Come one - Come ALL interested buyers! If you know ANYONE looking for a home in a great neighborhood/school district - trust me - it is worth a look! Know a mechanic? Have a band? Know someone that just likes to tinker in the garage? We've got the dream garage for them! Visit urbandalehomeforsale.blogspot.com for the address, pictures and even more information. Thanks!

Did you know....that a pre-teen girl can watch an INFINITE number of episodes of Hanna Montana without her head exploding....this is very much unlike her mother.

They are installing a new water main across the street, which means Lauren was entertained for over an hour this morning! YEAH!

This one's for you, Leigha...just seeing if you're reading. =-) Download FREE ringtones of your favorite Iowa State Fair sounds! I don't see a rooster, but there is an auction, a cow moo, a lamb baa, a pig squeal and a midway scream...check it out along with all of the other things The Iowa State Fair has to offer!

Coming next Monday...

To help me stick to the whole meal-planning thing, I'm going to take part in the orgjunkie.blogspot.com Menu Plan Monday. On my blog you will see my meal planning for the week and then you can link to orgjunkie for her plan, as well as hundreds of other participating plans. No more excuses for not having ideas for dinner! Now - so glad I have almost a week to get geared up for this. I'll totally be stealing meal ideas the first week I'm sure. I encourage you to do the same. Also read orgjunkie's method of meal planning - seems to work for her - so I'm going to try it too. One trip to the store each week? Sounds great to me.

For all of the other Moms out there who think buying one more Rubbermaid or (insert other brand name here) container will organize your life...first of all...you are wrong - I have the stacks of Rubbermaids to prove that. Secondly, I think you'll enjoy this site. This one is ESPECIALLY for you, Stacy. So check out this "I'm an Organizing Junkie" blog - hopefully we'll all get some good tips.

If you know me...then you know I LOVE a good bargain. Well, thanks to thrifty mommy here are coupon codes for photo developing at Snapfish and Shutterfly. Now get those pics off your memory stick, get them ordered and put them in an album or scrapbook. Hurry!

Snapfish:
10 free prints with code AFF10PRINT07. Exp. 8/1.
10 free prints with code BBARAGINSPRNT. Exp. 8/2.
10 free prints with code CCRAZEPRNT. Exp. 8/1.
10% off your purchase with code AFF10COUPOFF. Exp. 8/1.
20% off your purchase with code AFFSNAP20. Exp. 7/15.
30 free prints for new members (no code nec.). Exp. 7/31.
Free Shipping with code JULY4SHIP. Exp. 7/15.

Shutterfly:Save 20% on your order with code 24AF-PRTS. Exp. 7/10.
15% off your order when you pay with VISA and use code 1510-VISA.

Don't make me clean for nothing...

OPEN HOUSE
Today!!! 1-4 p.m.
3429 68th St.
Urbandale

Here's the Web site with more info...http://urbandalehomeforsale.blogspot.com/

So many diapers - so many choices! I currently have the original Diaper Genie

It does a decent job of holding back odor, but the cutter has never actually made a clean cut all the way around - I always have to rip it free or grab a pair of scissors when taking out the old diapers. And as far as that goes - the minute you take it out, the dirty diaper sausage the machine creates comes free - and so does the stink!

So now I see they've come up with a Diaper Genie II. I read claims that it really blocks odor. Ok - but does it cut?!@#

And then there is the Diaper Champ that takes any kind of garbage bag (seems handy)...and it seems easy to use...but does it block the stink? Is it a good choice?

Ok Moms - weigh in on this for me. Should I buy a new and improved Diaper Genie or go with the Diaper Champ this time around?

Lauren's new Chucky T's. Rock On, Baby!

Two sisters, two straws, TOOOOO YUMMY!!!!

Finally we made it to Fireworks. They begin around 10 p.m.....but you have to leave at 8 p.m. to try to find a parking spot and then you STILL have to walk to get a good viewing spot. Really the city should relocate this event to somewhere with open spaces and parking! Go figure. Anyway - that left us with about 1.5 hours of down time....trying to keep awake/entertain an almost-2-yr-old and keep track of a very social middle schooler.....in the completely stagnant HUMID and HOT summer heat while breathing in the leftover toxins from sparkler fumes. FUN TIMES!

Mark & I decided of all the holidays - this one sucks the most. =-) But fun for the kids...so that makes it almost worth it all.

Lauren was one tuckered-out little girl by the end of the fireworks shows though. She was so tired by the time the show began, that she wasn't even really paying attention. She was in a constant state of motion...I THINK to stay awake! But she wasn't afraid at all....not one bit. (That's Lauren for ya). Here are a few pics from last night.

Happy 4th of July!!! And what a busy 4th it has been so far! Bailey was in the parade with her softball team (Tournament Champs - Go Gators!), driven by her Dad (who rocks);

Lauren had her first memorable 4th of July parade (fireworks to come this evening - stay tuned); Bailey attended her first carnival/street dance without parental supervision - eek!; and it was hotter than Haiti outside for all of the above!Lauren quickly learned how to wave and stick your hand out for candy, but she wasn't very good at scrambling to retrieve it. Luckily we were near some really good kids who shared with her. She also was anxious to eat each piece of candy she got...none of this putting it in the bag business.

There was definitely evidence of a presidential election next year, as MANY of the candidates were represented in today's parade.

Obama was IN Des Moines, but not in the parade, but Joe Biden actually showed up and walked - sweat equity (literally) in his campaign!

All in all it was a GREAT day, despite the heat (why, WHY would I do another 3rd trimester in the dead of summer?!@# ugh.). Lauren was tired and disappointed when the parade ended, and here's the proof:

The ONLY thing good about the heat? Watching the girls have so much fun in the water. Ice cold water, I might add....but they didn't seem to mind.

Parade prep for tomorrow's 4th of July festivities. We have one of the best parades around - HUGE - lasts forever - we're talking bag after bag of candy!
Anyway, Mark volunteered to drive Bailey's softball team in the parade. She's been making signs for days now and can't WAIT to decorate the truck! Several members of her team will be walking behind the truck throwing candy and having a great time representing the TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS - GATORS! I snapped a picture of the sign-making this morning...complete with Bailey's little helper. ha.

Quote of the day...

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.
— Doug Larson

COUPON ALERT! Here’s the coupon code for July! Happy shopping!

Potty training your little one? Well check this out - it's GOLDEN to the pregnant or potty-trainer parent. (hee hee - get it? Golden?). Anyway, Check it out: Mizpee tells you where to find the closest public restroom. You can either go to Mizpee.com or text your city and state to (415)350-2290 and get a list of potties in your parts. Even better, Mizpee will tell you how clean the bathroom is, and whether or not you have to make a purchase first. Now how cool is that?!

I, Jodi....am a control freak. I didn't THINK I was...but this being the 2nd Open House Sunday where I'm sitting here, peering out the window awaiting potential buyers for our home, I realize I am TOTALLY a control freak! If there ever was a scenario where you have absolutely no control - it is during the hours of your Open House. I can advertise in every known media outlet, I can handout flyers to everyone I know and post them everywhere I go....but whether or not you'll have zero, one or 25 potential buyers through your home during your Open House is completely and totally not up to you! And....as a newly self-proclaimed control freak...I HATE THAT!

I know we have a great house. I know we have it priced very fairly. I know I've done everything I can do....and I know it has only been "for sale" for a couple weeks. But the self-doubt settles in when you are waiting for Open House guests. Too bad there isn't anything to clean to pass the time. Maybe that's making me mad too....because my family and I have spent HOURS cleaning and tidying and doing it all over again the following week.

So, now is the time to put faith first. Of course I know that this is in God's hands. And we have prayed that His will be done in ALL of this. But ok if I pray that God's will is to get a buyer here TODAY with an offer in-hand so I can get moved and settled well before this baby comes? =-)

Control freak....signing off.

FOR SALE BY OWNER - OPEN HOUSE!!! TODAY!
Sunday, July 1 - 1-4 p.m.
http://urbandalehomeforsale.blogspot.com/