Hodge Podge + $20 Starbucks Giveaway

• Sorry I left you hanging on the house update! Life has been nonstop for me since Friday, but here's the scoop: We looked at it again and I/we loved it again. Want, want, want. I would have loved to rush getting the offer in, but there truly hasn't been time because Husband had to take off for a business trip Saturday night after going to both Bella's recital in the afternoon and my friend's wedding in the evening. Toooooo busy. We are hoping to make an offer on Friday or Saturday this week. This feels like light years away and I'm panicky someone else will beat us to the punch, but I'm hoping it all works out. And maybe it's good that I'm forced to have a bit of restraint and think it over. Less slutty.

• I kinda forgot to share a major criteria for our house hunt: school districts! That was actually our #1 search criteria, followed by cost, 3+ bedrooms, 2+ bathrooms, garage, 0.25+ acres, etc. So I left all of the most important stuff off that list that I posted last week. 

• Here is a little sneak peak of the yard for the house. Look at that! A lake. It's not safe for swimming, but you can canoe and kayak and jet-ski and stuff on it. I say that all casual like I've ever jet-skied in my life. 

• Let's talk about Bella's recital some more.  She almost didn't get to go because she was sick with a fever for a few days last week (random) and had already missed the dress rehearsal. But by Saturday she seemed to be well and I was so relieved that she would get to participate. Now, had I realized the insanity of this recital weekend, I don't think I would have signed her up, but in the end it was pretty darn cute and Bella really enjoyed herself...for the most part. But can I just say that having to put a 3-year-old's short hair into a tight bun full of hairspray and bobby pins made me want to weep? Tantrum city. And then there was the fact that three of us moms had to keep 9 little ballerina's entertained and out of trouble backstage for TWO HOURS prior to their 2 minute performance. This included corralling them into a tiny hallway for most of the time, except when it was a snack or potty break. Lordy, this was exhausting. I can't imagine being a daycare provider. Granted, they don't have to keep the kids in a pristine state, but still. A lot of work! We won't sign up at this particular studio again next year, but for the most part it was a good experience for Bella. She learned a ton and also got to practice things like taking turns, patience, social cues (i.e. you cannot randomly attack your classmates in a bear hug whenever you feel like it). I'm pretty proud of my little pumpkin and am so bummed that I forgot my nice camera both days and missed the chance to videotape during the dress rehearsal.

• On the flip side, that girl can be sooooo exhausting sometimes. Bella has stayed very consistent with her pattern of adopting an entirely new and slightly demonic personality while Husband is out of town. Bizarro Bella is the most challenging Bella of them all. I can barely get us out of the house due to tantrum landmines hidden left and right. I try to give her so much extra attention and hugs and stuff to offset the behavior, because I know it's because she is having a tough time with her dad gone, but it's just not enough. Husband cannot get back soon enough. Travel will be minimal for the next couple months, THANK GOD.

• Right now Oliver is protesting his nap in a pack and play in my bedroom while Bella is protesting her nap in the kid's bedroom. I don't blame Oliver - pack and plays are the worst and he is not a tiny little baby :( Project Share a Bedroom has remained one big failure for our household. They constantly wake each other up. So I've been dealing by having Oliver do the pack and play in my bedroom for his afternoon nap and then Bella sleeps in our bed with us at night. And if Bella & Husband are snoring from illness, then I opt to sleep in the hallway. NEED TO MOVE NOW NOW NOW OMFG.

• Oh wait, I think they are both sleeping. I should do numbers 1-52 on my to-do list, but wouldn't a nap be lovely? I think so. Or maybe I'll read the biography of Steve Jobs that I treated myself to as a "you are surviving solo parenting" gift.  I'm not too far into it and so far he seems...um...unpleasant.

• Speaking of books, I bought Shades of Gray. Dullsville. I'm giving up after only a few chapters. The main male character seems pretty much the opposite of sexy to me. So instead of being like, "Ooh! This is kinky good fun!" I'm thinking more, "Yuck! Get out of there! He's creepy!" Not surprising since I have always been Team Jacob vs. Team Edward.

• I will be doing a sponsored post next week and that makes me feel mildly twitchy so I thought I'd give away a $20 Starbucks gift card to assuage my guilt and also just for some summer fun :) I want you all to know that I am quite picky about what sponsored posts I do because I want it to fit in very well with my blog. So that means I say no to most offers, including offers like a beer one recently (much to Husband's dismay when I mentioned it). The one that I will be doing next week was too fun to pass up, but still feels a wee bit pimpy. (Pimpy? Can that be a word?) Anyway, if you want a chance to win some moola for Starbucks, just leave a comment by Friday, June 8 at midnight CST. Feel free to say whatever you like in your comment, but if you want a prompt then how about you tell me what you would like to be drinking right now. Could be anything from anywhere, not just from good old 'Bucks. Me? An iced coffee would be divine. Especially if it was in the backyard of my shiny new-to-me house :)