Customer Service

This past Tuesday, I was on a mission to get the kids some shoes for Easter. I have already acquired their clothing, and thought it was time to get the shoes, being that Easter is only a few weeks away. Ciara needed brown dress shoes to go with her dress. I usually get their shoes at Nordstrom, but have been made fun on since that sounds a little extravagant. This time I decided to check out some of the cheaper stores. I first went to Payless. They do not have any brown dress shoes. Then I went to Khol's. Again, no brown dress shoes, but some cute brown sandals that might be good for summer. I looked at the price, and they are $25. But I couldn't find Ciara's size. I also looked for Caden, but again, nothing. Either they didn't have his size, or they didn't have what I was looking for. Then we went to Famous Footwear. I have to say, I was quite disappointed in their selection. Mostly, they had tennis shoes, which is not what my kids need right now. I finally decided to go and check out Nordstrom. The new kids shoe department has this great fish tank with a coloring table right in front of it. The kids were in heaven. And Ciara loves shoes. She kept picking out new ones to try on. I found some really cute patent brown ballet flats for Ciara, and some stylin' skater type shoes for Caden. Of course, they didn't have their sizes. But the great thing about Nordstrom is that if they don't have it, they will find it and ship it to your house for free. Ciara shoes showed up on Friday. I had to hide them because she keeps putting them on. Caden's will be here in the coming week. The ballet flats were so hard to fit. They need to be somewhat tight so that they stay on the feet, but I hate buying shoes that fit so well, since they won't fit for long. Plus, Ciara has a really slim foot. We had to buy her ballet and tap shoes in a slim size. And most kids shoes do not come in a slim size. I decided to go a half size up on the flats anyway, so she can (hopefully) wear them through next year. The sales lady gave me some things to put in Ciara's new shoes to keep them on her feet (think Petals). She gave me 2 different kinds free of charge. That is why I shop at Nordstrom. Yes, some of their shoes are a little ridiculous (no, my kids do not need designer brands), but they do have great deals, and they really take care of me. Caden's shoes were only $5 more that they Payless or Khol's brand, and I would rather pay the $5, and have a better quality shoe and great service. So for those of you that think I am frivolous in shopping at Nordstrom, I no longer care. I love Nordstrom! The following day, I took all 3 kids (my 2 plus my nephew) to Albertsons to do some grocery shopping. It wasn't so bad with all kids. They were quite well behaved. I was having some difficulty finding things on my list. I couldn't find thermometer covers (we have one of the ear thermometers, and it needs the covers to work). I first asked at the pharmacy, and they said to check the baby aisle. Nope, not there. I gave up. We were checking out, and the check-out lady asked, as always, "Did you find everything you need today?" They always ask this, and I have always replied, "Yes." This time, I told her that I could find the covers. I thought she would just direct me to a different aisle, and I would have to come back and check out later. But someone else was sent on the search for me. Unfortunately, they didn't' carry them, but she suggested some other stores close by that would most likely carry them. I was quite pleased with the help. When we got to the car, Caden decided he didn't want to get in. I still have a basket full of groceries, and am trying to get all 3 kids in, and he throws a fit. Great. But one of the bagger/can-i-help-you-to-your-car? guys comes to my rescue. He came over, introduced himself (Adam), tried to calm down Caden, and loaded all my groceries in the car. I wanted to hug him. Just when I start to think that customer service is a dead language, I have a good week.

Disney on Ice

Yes, we went to Disney on Ice. Just Ciara and I. We had front row seats, which was really fun. Ciara was just mesmerized by the whole thing. She had the biggest smile on her face the whole time. She was thrilled because Lilo waved at her, and Tinkerbell blew her a kiss. Also, Nana (the dog from Peter Pan) came right up to us. She thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Here is Ciara with my Aunt Rhonda. Her and her daughter came with us. We all had a blast!

Here is Captain Hook and the pirates. Ciara was worried that he was going to steal her snow cone, so we had to hide it under our seats.

Here is Nana, wanting some attention.

Karma

So the funeral is over.  It was considerably sad, but I hope that the healing process can now begin.  I titled this Karma, because I have a small update.  After my FIL was so rude, he had a small incident.  He was having his lunch in his car in a Home Depot parking lot (this sounds strange, but he does this quite regularly) when he started to fall asleep (also quite normal for him).  He says he felt some one hop in the back of his truck, so he woke up and ran out to see what was going on.  There were 2 guys stealing one of his saws.  He chased them, and caught up with them but they threw him to the ground.  He was hurt, not seriously, but enough that he has been sore for a while.  I feel bad that this happened.  But my first thought was that karma will get you every time.  He has since let the dogs sleep at their house with my SIL, but they have to stay somewhere else during the day.  

On another note, I went to the new Nordstrom yesterday.  It is beautiful.  It is large, and pretty, and they have so much stuff.  I could spend hours in there.  But I didn't have time.  I found an Easter outfit for Caden.  This sounds easy, but since Rocky has banned all sweater vests, this is harder than it sounds.  I had to find something that did not require a vest, and most Easter outfits for boys are all about the sweater vest.  I found one, and Rocky has approved, so mission accomplished.  

One other interesting thing happened.  On Wednesday at the gym there was an incident.  For those of you not in Utah, we had some pretty serious wind on Wednesday.  As I went out to get in the car to leave, I noticed a car parked at a weird angle to mine, blocking me.  I went back inside to find out what was going on, and it turns out that the wind had blown a car out of it's parking place and across the lot into the car next to me, just brushing mine.  The worst part was they couldn't find the owner, so no one could move the car.  And I had to pick Ciara up from school.  I talked to the manager of the gym, and was very disappointed in him.  He basically said, "Well, there isn't anything we can do.  Sorry."  And then left.  That was it.  I was really upset by that.  I called the police, and they came out.  I felt really bad for the people parked next to me, and they got almost all of the damage.  I had a small scrape on my bumper, but as soon as I was able to leave, I took off so I could get Ciara.  I still have no idea whose car it was.  Ciara's school was great, they just let her play until I was able to get there, but I still felt so bad.  I wonder what this says about my karma . . .

More Than Sadness

I have been thinking about this for the last few days. There have been just too many thoughts bouncing around in my head, and I need to get them all out. I don't have a journal, so this suffices. If you do not want to read about depressing things, then do not read this. Also, many of you know my in-laws, and if you don't want to know more about them, then stop reading. I am not trying to judge anyone, but I am angry and confused. Wednesday evening, my sister-in-law's boyfriend committed suicide. Even typing this now makes me feel like ice is running through my veins. They had been together for a really long time (about 6 or 7 years, on and off for the past 2 years, but on for the last couple of months). There are just so many questions left after this. I don't want to post any details of it, because it is just too morbid. I will just talk about what happened after. My sis-in-law (SIL from here on out) is destroyed. I think that is the only way to describe her. I don't know how she will get through this, but I know she can. He did leave a note, and from what I have heard, he blames his dad. I know his dad was really hard on him, and expected a lot. But I feel so awful for both his parents. Being a parent myself, I can't imagine going through this, and feeling responsible. No one deserves this. I know I didn't know him well, but he was so nice. He was always polite, and played with the kids and always seemed to smile. He had so many friends, and his facebook page has been flooded with condolences. I just hope he is happier where he is now. During this, I have lost respect for my father-in-law (FIL now). The night it happened, my SIL showed up to stay at their house with the dogs (her and her boyfriend had 2 dogs together, which he was keeping). My FIL doesn't say anything nice, no "I'm sorry." Instead, he decided to throw a little fit because she has the dogs. My mother-in-law did put her foot down and let the dogs stay there. But my FIL was so angry, he didn't talk to his own daughter in the midst of her desperation. He didn't talk to her for over a day. Not until my mother-in-law made him, and even then all he could mutter was, "I'm sorry." Even when she was sitting on the couch sobbing, he couldn't get off his own chair to comfort her. I know he has these angry moods, where he is just mad at everyone, but to not be able to see past yourself to you own child who has been destroyed is beyond my comprehension. I have always tried to make excuses for him in the past, but I am beyond excuses now. My mother-in-law and I have had our differences, and I know she will always say things that make me cringe inside, but I have to respect her for trying to get her husband to be the dad. She is doing what she can with what she knows. It may not be the right thing, but she is trying, which is more than I can say for my FIL. I saw my SIL today, and she seems to be getting by. She does look empty, and just said, "I still don't believe it, it doesn't seem real." I can't even imagine what the next few weeks, months and years will look like for her. She has been very involved with his mom planning the funeral, and I think that has helped. She was able to see him yesterday and said he looks peaceful. I hope his spirit is also peaceful now. And I hope that she will also find peace one day. The obituary will be in the paper tomorrow, and I will post a link when I am able to.

OK, here is the obituary:  Zac

Work, and Birthdays

I know that I said I was going to blog about the octuplet lady, but I just can't.  I am so sick of hearing about her, that I don't want to add to it.  I will say she seems a little crazy, and I feel bad for all those kids.

I have been thinking a lot lately about going back to work.  Yes, I kind of work now, but I work maybe 10 hours per week.  I just like to imagine all the monetary benefits of me working.  Plus, it would keep me busy so I wouldn't be tempted to spend money.  (When I get bored I tend to buy things).  But I worry about the kids.  My current job allows me to bring the kids with me, which is great for the amount of hours I work.  However, it might get more difficult trying to bring them with me more.  I don't think they would like being there for 5 or 6 hours straight.  Ciara is starting kindergarten in the fall, which means she will be gone every day.  (I can't believe she is that old).  I just wish I had picked a better major.  Why didn't I do nursing when I had the chance?  

I am also trying to find a fun place to have the kids' birthday party.  I am not having it at home, so I have been looking at different places.  I think my top 2 are Young Chefs Academy, or Bouncin' off the Walls.  If anyone has any other suggestions, let me know!  

Too Busy

What is going on? I thought things were meant to slow down in January, but I am still so busy and February just started. I am gone every night this week, which I HATE. I haven't been very good at keeping this blog updated. I do have a topic I am working on right now, but I want to get all my facts straight before I start to rant (this has to do with octuplet woman). Meanwhile, I have been reading like a mad woman. In the past month, I have read the Harry Potter series, the Twilight series (twice), 19 Minutes, Revolutionary Road, Wicked, and am now on to Left to Tell. This last book is a must read for EVERYONE. It tells the story of a survivor of the Rwanda Holocaust. It is a true story of how she survived by hiding in a tiny bathroom with 6 other women for 91 days. They never left the room. It is such an incredible story, and I encourage everyone to read it.

25 Random Things

Whenever I am away from my computer, I have so many things that I think about blogging. As soon as the computer goes on, I forget all of them. So why am I writing? I think I will just repost something from my facebook page. For those of you that read it, sorry. This is a repeat. But for the rest of you, enjoy! 1. I was in 5th grade twice, but graduated High School when I was 17 (blame in on going to school in 3 different countries). 2. I get a little obsessive when reading. I can't put a book down, and I don't rest until I am finished. 3. My feet grew 1/2 size after having 2 kids (6 1/2 to 7). 4. I don't run, but am interested in training for a marathon. 5. I recieved the calculus and physics award in High School. 6. I didn't learn to drive until I was almost 17, and didn't drive regularly until after High School. 7. I danced classical ballet until I was 18. 8. I HATE tomatoes, but love its products (salsa, spaghetti sauce, ketchup). 9. For about 5 years of my life, I had a British accent. 10. I have a great memory for random facts. 11. I have had 6 or 7 friends get divorced in the past year. 12. My first major was Biology (I was PreMed). 13. My last major was Spanish, and I did finish it. 14. I am constantly thinking of going back to school to be a nurse (if I had the time and money to do it). 15. I played piano until my 2nd year of college. 16. I also played the flute and french horn (but not for that long). 17. I love to sing. I am not very good, but I like to imagine that I am on Broadway. Musicals are my favorite to sing to. 18. I have honestly never tried any drugs. Not even pot. Not sure why, all my friends did. But I didn't. 19. I streaked once in college across campus. It was about 3 in the morning, and there were about 8 of us in just our shoes. 20. I went to Mardi Gras when I was in college. That is all you need to know about that. 21. I have travelled all over the world, to random places like Kenya, Singapore, Tahiti, and Dubai. 22. I actually like math. 23. I hate to ski. 24. I worry about raising my kids in Utah. 25. I want to loose 20 more lbs, but I love food too much to do it.