Happy Birthday, Bailey!!! Today is Bailey's 12th birthday. She had to be at school at 7 a.m. for show choir rehearsal, so that meant we all had to get up VERY early to do a mini celebration before school. Powdered "donettes" (you try to do better than that before 7 a.m.) with a candle in one and a couple presents to tide her over until this evening. It is now 8:50 and I'm ready for a nap...but there is a cake to bake, a take 'n bake pizza to pick up, presents to wrap....it's going to be a long day. Heartfelt sappy post reflecting on 12 years ago to follow...when I have more time. =-)

Late start today with the Menu Plan Monday. I was NOT in the mood to go to the grocery store today and won't have time tomorrow...so it was a plan my way through the pantry/freezer sort of day. Here's what I found in the cupboard so I only have to pick up a couple items from the store later this week. Shwew. Trust me, there are better ideas than this over at Laura's - check it out.

Monday: Chicken/Vegetable Stir-fry (A bag from Aldi...$4.99 - just add rice!)

Tuesday: Bailey's 12th b-day - picking up a take 'n bake pizza and making a cake

Wednesday: Tuna Casserole (hopefully I can think of something else before then)

Thursday: Hawaiian Chicken Packets

Friday: Tomato Soup/Grilled Cheese

Saturday: Burgers on the Grill, chips, fruit salad

Sunday: Hamburger/Rice Casserole, Corn, Peaches

You won't paint me "princess toes?" FINE...I'll just do it myself...

I have absolutely NO idea how it is possible that I have a daughter entering 7th grade! SEVENTH grade! TWELVE years old! I don't know if it is more depressing that I'm THAT old, or that time is going by so quickly and before I know it she'll be on her own.

Ok - I know which thought is more depressing - nevermind. She's a good sport for a 7th grader....she still let me take her 1st day of school picture this morning. I swear - she gets more beautiful each year - both inside and out.

SURPRISE! The surprise b-day party at the mall resulted in lots of fun for the girls. Bailey had NO idea! She wouldn't wear the tiara and feather boa, but she did wear the birthday ribbon. How embarrassing am I?! sheesh. The "cops" as the girls put it, told them scavenger hunts weren't allowed, even though they were not searching for items - they were just figuring out clues and taking a group picture OUTSIDE of the store. Give me a break. I probably wasn't a good and responsible parent, but I told the girls that they weren't real cops and they weren't doing ANYTHING illegal and to go ahead and have fun....just be more discreet. Nice role model, huh?

They figured out most of the clues, but I think they had most of their fun just hanging out, walking the mall without parents by them - very cool 7th graders. After the mall we headed over to Costco to develop the film and have pizza (I know, I'm a cheapskate - but 2 HUGE pizzas, 8 pops...and all for under $27!). Would you believe there was actually a lady shopping in there wearing a birthday tiara?! (Happy B-day Angela). We convinced Bailey to take her picture with her. Funny!

More pictures of the evening's events below...

Thank you to Down On The Farm for sharing this ADORABLE video! Now, sit back and enjoy...Psalm 23...Surely?

Hormones....or Good Etiquette?

A very nice friend of mine has offered to throw me a baby boy shower. This is such a nice gesture, and certainly appreciated, but I'm feeling torn about it. In the last 3 years, my friends have been to my bridal shower, wedding, baby shower....and now another baby shower? Aren't they going to get sick of buying yet another gift? My friend assures me that she had a boy shower despite it being her second child...and she REALLY appreciated the celebration as well as receiving boy-related items which she did not already have, since her first child was a girl. I know that my good friends would probably want to celebrate this new baby boy on the way - to share my joy...but I still wonder if it is better to politely decline and then if friends WANT to give me gifts - they can do that once he's born? So there isn't an implied obligation to do so?

Oh, I just can't decide if I'm being hormonally over-sensitive or not on this one. I mean - on one hand it would be really nice to gather with my girlfriends and see what sort of boy advice and items they think are must-haves....it would be nice to know before-hand what items I still need to pick up before he is born....but I don't in any way want to come off as a gimme-gimme.

I know there are people reading this blog - I can access the technology to tell me how many people read each day and how many of you are new to the site, etc. So please, PLEASE weigh in on this for me. I need your advice! If you've been a lurker - come forward now and help me. =-)

Thanks!

Diaper Bag Dilemma

I've been searching for the perfect diaper bag for this baby - one with plenty of compartments, one you can wipe clean in a jiffy, one that is stylishly cute, comfortable to carry over my shoulder and durable enough to hold-up to much abuse. I've found TONS I love that are priced over $100. I'm sorry - that is ridiculous. So, back to the search. Earlier this week I found one I thought was pretty cute, despite the small Classic Pooh on the front corner. It is lime green (despite the product description which says sage) and brown (love that combo!) - cute enough for Mom to carry but gender-neutral enough to haul around baby boy stuff in. I found it at Target and it was $30. Not bad! It has several compartments, several individual bags (insulated and not) that can go inside, its own coordinating changing pad and more. I decided to buy it - I can always return it if something better pops up, right? Keep in mind it is more lime green than the photo shows. mint green - not so much my thing.

I know I shouldn't be wishing summer away - but it is HOT! And I can't help but let my thoughts wander towards Fall. So, last night I fixed a Caramel Apple Cake, since I had Fall on the brain. I made it in my new bundt cake pan, which I scored from a garage sale this summer for 25 cents! (It was on my list I made in the Spring of things I wanted to find at garage sales - victory!). Anyway - we haven't eaten the cake yet - but it looks impressively like the photo in the magazine and online. MMMM. So here it is....Caramel Apple Cake from Kraft Foods. And here is the photo of my masterpiece.

Back to school time is bittersweet for me. My daughter, soon to be 12, is starting 7th grade this year. She is getting to an age where 90% of the time I really enjoy being with her. She is a fun, smart, comical, outgoing, caring, sensitive, compassionate young woman - and I'm so proud to be her Mom. I know a lot of Moms who can't wait for school to start - to get those kids out of their hair! But honestly, I'll miss Bailey when she goes back to her school routine. I think no matter how old our children get, we will always miss them when they are away from us. I found this fabulous prayer from "Rocks In My Dryer". It touched me. I will be praying it - every day. To those Moms out there sending their babies to school for the first time - an extra prayer for you....what a proud, happy, sad, emotional day! Watching our children spread their wings and grow is hard...it is right...but hard.

A Mom's Prayer On the First Day of School

Here we are again, Lord. Their backpacks are loaded and their faces are scrubbed and their lunch accounts are full.

And I know you'll walk with them, Lord. You always do. But a mom still has to ask.

Will You walk with them? Will You whisper to them what they need to hear, when I'm not there to whisper it?

Will You please, oh please, cover their school with the protection only You can give, and will You keep harm far away?

Will You make their minds strong and ready to learn? Will You help them understand that hard work honors the One who created them?

Will You guide their teachers, giving them patience and wisdom and creativity and more patience? Will You bless them for their efforts?

Will You love all those children there, the ones whose lunch accounts aren't full, the ones who feel alone? Will You teach my children to be kind and unselfish and to love those who are different from them?

Will You point them back toward home just as soon as you can?

Lord, I give them to You today and everyday, trusting them to Your care.

Amen.

Who doesn't love HOT FUDGE CAKE? Here's a yummy-looking recipe for it from the preacher's wife. Enjoy!

FREE SAMPLE ALERT! I just learned (thank you thriftymommy) that Walmart.com offers free samples of loads of products every Mommy could use. F-R-E-E samples - who doesn't love that? Free cereal, free teeth whitening strips and more. I'm guessing (hoping) they change up the freebies from time to time. Worth a couple of clicks for the satisfaction of receiving something FREE in the mail. Now go get your free stuff!

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle."~~~Albert Einstein~~~~

Halloween is around the corner...do you know what your little baby will be? http://www.babytoupee.com/index.php and don't forget the tux to go with it

5 days until school starts...and already I'm dreading the paper clutter that comes with that. A flyer regarding volleyball camp, a half-sheet reminder about show choir practices, PTO meeting announcements - stop the paper! Every year I vow to come up with an organization system that will work! The disorganization needs to stop! Well, I'm not naturally organized in this way, so I turn to the experts. Here's some advice on the subject from the expert(s) over at Clutter Control Freak.

It is back-to-school time and you know what that means....let the popularity games begin! Ugh - it is truly disheartening - and if you have girls - you know this starts in KINDERGARTEN...if not preschool. Here are some good tips on clever parents for helping our kids cope with "mean girls."

You can read the WHOLE article here.

As a parent careful thought is needed because it is easy to say the wrong thing and anger your child, or render them feeling more helpless. Here are some wrong ways to handle it. The following are comments that DO NOT work.

1. Do not tell your child that she is prettier than that girl that thinks she is all that, and the girl is just jealous. This isn’t believable to your child and isn’t the point, therefore doesn’t offer a tool to solve the problem. The child will have a come back for you about how not helpful you are.

2. Do not tell your child not to let it bother them, and that they are fine the way they are. The child will tell you how you don’t get it, and that this is their life. How dare you make light of a huge problem, and tell them they are fine the way they are, when clearly they aren’t or the others would like them more.

3. Do not tell your child how much smarter and interesting they are than the others. Don’t criticize the others for their emphasis on Abercrombie and other trendy stores, saying that you find them stupid and unnecessary. Children want to fit in. They don’t have that level of reasoning capacity.

Kids need to know what to do when they are in this situation. Here are examples of what to do to actually help your child.

The first thing to do is:

1. Listen to your child’s story of what is going on for them without making judgment. Hear them out. Empathize with their difficulty without overreacting, or under reacting. They need someone they can trust and talk to.

2. After they tell their story, ask them non judgmental questions, trying to understand what they would like to see happen in their situation. For example, I had a child who was upset because 12 kids in her class planned on going to the park together. She and her 4 friends were not invited. She felt unpopular, hurt and left out. I asked her what she wanted, and she said to be able to go with them. She felt she couldn’t just invite herself, she’d look too desperate. I asked her why she thought she might be left out. Without judgment, this question helped her to think at a higher level than she had been.

3. Explain kids behavior to your kids. Sometimes kids leave people out because they don’t see you all the time, or feel if they ask you, they have to ask all your friends. Sometimes they need to know you better. Sometimes it may not be deliberate. In the case of the girl above, I gave her an example of how she might ask to go without being intrusive or too needy. Sometimes asking is a good thing. Sometimes you have to be assertive to be included. Take your child’s lead and ask what they think about this. What would be hard about this for them, or not so hard about asking to join in? Listen again without judgment. Gather facts and work with them.

4. Try to help your child make more choices and expand their thinking by widening the idea of, “They don’t like me; I’m not cool”, to “maybe they overlooked it”, or “they couldn’t have more kids and had to pick their closest friends”. Teach them how they might be noticed more or become a closer friend.

5. Let them know that believing in themselves and creating what they want for themselves is possible and necessary. Let them know how fortunate they are to have the close friends that they have and how to even meet more friends if their group is getting thinner.

6. Help them to get involved in activities that connect them to new friends and new ideas and options in their lives. Go for the take action strategy to change the things you don’t like in your life, and waste less energy feeling bad about things. This is a lesson everyone must learn to get ahead in their lives.

7. Share examples with them about you and overcoming those painful social school experiences.

Here's hoping the agent is as good as the yard sign! Pretty impressive signage, don't ya think?

MONDAY:

Breakfast - Waffles

Lunch - Mac & Cheese & Dino Nuggets

Dinner - Baked Potato Soup

TUESDAY:

Breakfast - Cereal/Toast/Banana

Lunch - Pinwheel Bites/carrots/grapes

Dinner - Seafood Pasta Salad with Bread & Oil, Melon

WEDNESDAY:

Breakfast - Breakfast Burritos

Lunch - Pizza-dillas

Dinner - Italian Beef Sandwiches/Steak Fries; Dessert - Caramel Apple Cake

THURSDAY:

Breakfast - Fruit & muffin

Lunch - Tortellini or Ravioli

Dinner - Cheesy Ranch Chicken

FRIDAY:

Breakfast - PopTarts (hey - it's Friday)

Lunch - PB&J, fruit

Dinner - Pizza - evening out

View our house for sale on realtor.com

http://homes.realtor.com/prop/1087094809

Ok, now let's work it, Century 21.

Some more cousin shots from last weekend's Illinois visit.

The For Sale By Owner sign is down. No, we didn't sell...but we listed with a real estate agent last night. This after ALMOST listing with another one and then deciding not to when we felt like the agent was too busy for us, too important for us and not too into us or our house - and all this while she looked down her nose at us lowly non-agents who couldn't possibly know anything about anything. Yeah - we weren't too excited about locking into a time commitment there.

So, after some searching of the THOUSANDS of agents in town, we settled on one. He seems honest, nice - a little in a hurry always - but overall a guy we think we can trust. He's been fair with our discussions and hasn't treated us like lowly non-agent homeowners. Our listing should be LIVE by Monday. Here's praying he can bring someone in for us.

Reading up on newborns...

My oldest daughter is in Chicago for the week spending some quality (aka SPOILED) time with her aunts. I miss her terribly but am so happy to hear all of the exciting things she is doing and how much fun she is having. She'll be turning 12 on the 21st of this month and I'm busy trying to think of b-day ideas for her while she's gone. It is a hard age - all she really wants is clothes and iTunes money. ha. She usually has a slumber party to celebrate with her friends before school starts, but this year I just don't think I can do it. Between being 8 months pregnant and trying to keep the house clean for potential buyers coming through - I just get a migraine even thinking about a half-dozen pre-teens whooping it up in the house.

SO...I was thinking about a SURPRISE party sometime next week (depending on availability of her friends)...maybe a scavenger hunt-theme at the mall? They would work as a group - be given one list of clues and have to take pictures along the way? Things like Go to the theater and find out what movie is playing at the 7'oclock showing in theater 4? And then they have to take a picture or have someone take their picture in front of the marquee? Go to Chik-Fil-A and get a paper hat? Maybe give them some money and put a few shopping items on there - like Go to a store beginning with the letter "A" and find something you wear that sparkles for under $5? I don't know - still hashing out details. Any ideas? Please weigh-in! I need all the help I can get!

And once that is over - time to plan a 2 yr old party of some sort - her b-day is on the 30th of this month. Again - family planning people - if you learn nothing from me - learn this...having kids with b-days so close together is a pain! And it is HOT - and back-to-school chaos in the mix. ugh.

Ok - now brainstorm scavenger hunt ideas for 12/13 yr olds and leave me comments! Please!

We had a wonderful time last weekend traveling to Illinois for my cousin Michele's wedding. Bailey, Lauren and their cousin Wyatt had a BLAST on the dance floor at the reception. Lauren mostly ran around - but absolute JOY on her face the entire time. Here's a short clip of Mark dancing with his smallest "Brown-eyed Girl." The video is too dark - darn it. Hopefully you can make it out. More wedding pics/video to follow - stay tuned.

GREEN BEAN RECALL

August 5th, 2007

Green Bean Recall

Lakeside Foods has just voluntarily recalled 15,000 cases of 14.5 oz French Style green beans after learning of a potential problem during routine internal monitoring. The Food and Drug Administration says the product may contain the toxin that causes botulism, although no illnesses have been reported and no botulism has been found so far.

The product was distributed in the following 20 states: AL, AZ, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MO, MS, NC, NY, OH, OK, TN, TX, VA, WI, and Canada.

Twenty-one different brands are affected. The affected beans were sold under the following brands: Albertson’s, Happy Harvest, Best Choice, Food Club, Bogopa, Valu Time, Hill Country Fare, Heb, Laura Lynn, Kroger, No Name, North Pride, Shop N Save, Shoppers Valu, Schnucks, Cub Foods, Dierbergs, Flavorite, IGA, Best Choice, and Thrifty Maid.

The recalled product has one of the following codes on the lid: EAA5247, EAA5257, EAA5267, EAA5277, EAB5247, EAB5257, ECA5207, ECA5217, ECA5227, ECA5297, ECB5207, ECB5217, ECB5227 and ECB5307.

If you have any of these cans, you can return the product to the store where it was purchased.

I want my home to be a home where GRACE lives. Here's what Angela Thomas Guffey says about grace in her book Tender Mercy for a Mother's Soul: How to Know Where Grace Lives. Thank you to Joy for calling my attention to this.

* All the neighborhood kids want to hang out at the house where grace lives.

* There is always enough for one more where grace lives....one more for dinner....one more to sleep over....one more hug....one more kiss.

* You can see people dancing where grace lives.

* You can hear things like, "Please forgive me, I was wrong....You are my treasure..."

* The eyes of the children where grace lives shine with joy andanticipation. They have not been wounded by impossible expectations. They have not been distanced by rejection. They have been embraced and accepted and loved.

* The moms at the house where grace lives are just regular, everyday moms, but God lives inside them. By His power, they are becoming holy and righteous and good. They stumble but recover quickly. They make mistakes but say, "I'm sorry." They get blown by the winds of heartache and adversity, but their hearts remain tender toward God.

The LAZY days of summer...

Fisher-Price Toys with Lead Paint Hazard Recall


Fisher-Price, in cooperation with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is voluntarily recalling a limited number of Nickelodeon and Sesame Street painted toys produced by one specific contract manufacturer during a narrow timeframe. The recalled products were sold in retail stores nationwide since May 1, 2007. Paint on some of these products COULD contain lead in excess of permissible levels. Lead is toxic if ingested and can cause adverse health effects. A limited date range of the following products are affected by this announcement. For photos of the toys affected, please visit the Mattel Web site.

It has been four days since Sadie left for her most-likely new home near Iowa City. We aren't as sad as we were on Saturday, but the void is noticeable. From the new quiet calm of the kitchen where Sadie hung out most of the time, to the clean back yard, the furless tile flooring and the absence of dry food hitting the metal bowl in the mornings. We do miss her...but it is getting easier.

We have received a couple updates from her new owners (still a trial week though). They report that Sadie is adjusting well, showing her tricks, running and rolling around in the yard with their other dog, Shadow, and staying in the yard without a leash. It sounds like she is doing great and enjoying all of the attention she didn't get enough of here. Here are a few pics of her new digs/friends. (cue theme song from The Jefferson's - ha).

Unwinding with Daddy

Monday

Breakfast: Mini pancakes, juice

Lunch: Dino-Nuggets, applesauce, leftover mac&cheese

Dinner: Leftover Sweet & Sour Pork Chops, rice, pineapple/cottage cheese (I made this yesterday in the crock pot and we didn't get around to eating it - we weren't hungry - yeah - no cooking tonight!)

Tuesday

Breakfast: Cereal, banana

Lunch: Grilled PB&J (Something my husband introduced me to - like grilled cheese but w/PB&J inside instead - yum!)

Dinner: Paninis (any kind of cold meat & the fixings grilled on the Panini grill), chips, melon Dessert: Chocolate shakes

Wednesday

Breakfast: Toast, juice

Lunch: Frozen pizza

Dinner: Beef Enchiladas, spanish rice

Thursday

Breakfast: Fried Egg Sandwiches

Lunch: cold meat sandwiches, apple slices

Dinner: Taco Turkey Burgers (didn't get to this one last week), Seasoned tator tots

Friday - Sunday

Off to Illinois for a family wedding - no meal planning!

Check out more meal plans at Laura's Web site!

What a weekend! We didn't DO anything pe se, but a lot of mundane that leads to stress. First of all, Sadie has been delivered to her potential new home in Iowa City. We all bawled - but she seems to be transitioning fine. They are so sweet to keep sending us e-mail updates on her progress. Yesterday she ran outside without a leash all day and played with her new friend "Shadow," an older golden lab mix. They said she was tumbling and rolling around with Shadow having a good ole time. It is still VERY sad for us, but hearing that sort of thing confirms that we did the right thing for Sadie.

A big thanks to Grandma for taking Bailey to the mall that morning to take her mind off of things. Probably bad that I'm promoting retail therapy, but better than emotional eating, right? =-)

Yesterday was another Open House. We did are usual cleaning routine that morning, but with a little less oomph. I think we've decided to throw in the towel and list with a realtor. We are coming down to the wire now on both the offer we have on the house we want AND our due date...so it is really starting to weigh on me. Not knowing if we are coming or going - but really all of us hoping and praying that we are going (we love the new house and it meets almost everything on our checklist of ideal features). We'll see if listing with a realtor helps or not. If you are reading this and are the praying type - please pray for us on this!

After the Open House we went to pick the girls up at Grandma & Grandpa's and stayed to watch a movie. Then we stopped by our neighbor's house to wish him a happy 80th birthday! They are the absolute sweetest couple and we will miss them TERRIBLY if/when we move.

That pretty much sums up the weekend. I will spare you the 3rd trimester can't sleep at all at night for more than 1-2 hours whining (sort of)...I guess it is nature's way of gearing you up for when it'll get even worse. ha.

Hope you all had a great weekend, too.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Out deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our own light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God! Your playing small doesn't serve the world! There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us! And it's not just in some of us; it's in everyone! And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others!" - Nelson Mandela

I'm so excited to be carrying a SON. I mean - I have two wonderful girls already - and a son is going to be so exciting - a new adventure. I am full of anticipation for his arrival and can't wait to meet him....but then I see something like this and there is a TINY bit of sad that there will be no more baby girl clothes in this family. Show me the equally adorable baby boy-wear...I just haven't found it yet.

Win a new 37-inch flat-panel LCD HDTV at 5 Minutes for Mom! The prize is valued at $799.99 and is courtesy of Best Buy. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment here and link to the contest on your blog. Good luck!

Saturday we take Sadie to Iowa City to spend a week with a potential adoptive family. =-( We are so sad to "re-home" her, but know it is truly best for her if we can find her a home where she can run, play, run...and did I say run? We just don't have the time and energy she requires. She's a Border Collie to a "T" when it comes to energy. To make it even more difficult, we had her groomed today and when we picked her up they had placed ADORABLE baby blue bows on her ears. ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE! NOW how are we supposed to give her up? But if we truly think of her...and what's best for her...it is a family with a great big yard and lots of time and energy.

The family we are test-running her with lives on 5 acres of land and the mom and two teenage daughters are avid runners. PERFECT! But I think we will all shed some tears when she's gone. Here are a few post-grooming photos of Sadie. We'll miss you!

YEAH, Target!!! Target has teamed up with online photo processor/store, Shutterfly!
Now you can order 4x6 glossy prints online and pick them up at your local Target(R) store - they even offer one-hour service! Yahoo!!!

A decision I"m sure I'll live to regret...but I decided to make Play-Dough this afternoon while Lauren napped. It SOUNDS like a fun idea - but even before I've made it, I'm having thoughts of that dreadful stuff stuck in the carpeting, in her hair, etc. But hey - what's childhood without homemade Play-Dough, right? Here's the recipe:

Traditional Play Dough
1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 cup salt
food coloring
Mix all ingredients, adding food coloring last. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from pan and knead until blended smooth. Place in plastic bag or airtight container when cooled. Will last for a long time.

We went for our 3D/4D ultrasound tonight at Prenatal Visions. It was so amazing to see our baby in 3D/4D...to see him yawn, smile and stretch. To see his chubby cheeks and pouty lips...we even saw hair on his head! Oh, now the wait becomes even harder because I absolutely can't wait to hold him. I'm including a few photos, but the LIVE experience was so much better than these photos can ever convey. I feel I should explain though - if you see lumpy areas on the pictures...that happens when a) the baby was moving when the picture was caught or b) he is pushed against tissue. The latter is usually what caused a mild distortion. I assure you that he is not lumpy and his nose is smaller than some of the photos show.

He appears to be absolutely perfect and big for his gestational age. He should be coming close to 3 lbs now....and based on measurements, the computer assessed a weight of 3 lbs, 11 oz. BIG strong boy. This is the ONLY time I've wished I were Suri Cruise's Mom...wouldn't it be cool to peak in at your baby whenever you wanted? That's where the Katie envy ends though...ok...maybe the porcelain skin and Jackie O build would be nice...but then THAT is where the envy ends. =-)
Here's our BOY!
A little smile...
Big ole paws!
Big yawn!
Snuggling up...

This trade 'em & swap 'em book exchange seems like a great idea...although I'd like to see a TOTALLY FREE local version of it - Craig's List-style perhaps? Anyone game?

According to one of my favorite magazines, more women have babies in August than in any other month (359,000 births), according to the latest U.S. Census date, from 2002; July is close, with 358,000 births. Looks like with daughter 1 and daughter 2 both born in August...and 3rd and final child due at the end of Sept.(ish)....at least I'm not the only nutjob out there 3rd trimestering in the dead of summer. Lunatics unite!

Monday
Breakfast: Cold Cereal
Lunch: Tortellini, peas, grapes/strawberries
Dinner: Taco Salad using leftover beef from last night's pot roast

Tuesday
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: Grilled Cheese, diced peaches
Dinner: Chicken Salad, fresh fruit

Wednesday
Breakfast: Toast/peanut butter
Lunch: Nuggets, tater tots, applesauce
Dinner: Chicken & Sausage with Bowties, melon

Thursday
Breakfast: Mini pancakes, bananas
Lunch: Mac & Cheese, fruit
Dinner: Sweet & Sour Pork Chops (Crock Pot), rice, veggie TBD

Friday
Breakfast: Cereal bars
Lunch: TBD - friends in town - may eat out
Dinner: Pizza

Saturday
Breakfast: Fried Egg Sandwiches
Lunch: Chicken Patties, chips, fruit
Dinner: Leftovers

Sunday
Breakfast: Cinnamon rolls
Lunch: Taco Turkey Burgers
Dinner: Spaghetti, garlic cheese bread

If you are interested in joining the effort to reduce your grocery budget, pre-meal stress and actually enjoy the process and your family more...then play along and join in! You can also check out what hundreds of others are cooking for the week - a great idea generator! Visit "I'm an Organizing Junkie" and get organized!

Lauren, 23 months....acting...Brrrrr...and practicing her Spanish, por favor. =-)

Video: Lauren & The Lemon

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!