final letter

i have been corresponding with a representative from HealthCheck Systems regarding a purchase i made through them. there was some slight damage and I was hoping to get a small refund. the gal offered to replace the pieces damaged. after about ten emails back and forth trying to explain to her the pieces that were damaged and sending what photos i could, i have given up. she kept saying she was confused as to the damaged "piece", even though i explained SEVERAL times that there was small damage to SEVERAL of the pieces. she finally said that i should contact the manufacturer directly and see if they can figure me out and help since she couldn't seem to understand which "piece" i needed replaced. this was my final email to her.

~

Jennifer,

Two pictures were of the same chip and two were of two additional parts with damage. And again, in the last picture, it was difficult to get the camera to focus at an angle close enough to show the dent in the wood. This appears to be a bit more complicated than I ever expected and it seems as though you are only offering to replace ONE of the damaged pieces. Therefore, that seems to be the source for your confusion since I have indicated that there are five separate pieces with damage. And I have listed each piece several times in my emails. I don't see how I can be much clearer on the matter. You have thus succeeded in wearing me down into submission. I no longer seem to care about having the items replaced, as it has been more frustrating than I ever imagined. So, well done. I will just think twice before ordering from your company again.

~

i am so sick of "customer service". blech.

at least the item is still fully functional and looks pretty. the damage really was minor. i was just annoyed at paying more than i would have liked for a slightly damaged product and wanted a little refund. that's it. all that fuss for that! for nothing apparently.

wasted

waste of money.

waste of gas.

waste of time.

waste of energy.

why didn't i just stay home?

*breathe*

why does it seem like the fit hits the shan every time steve leaves? the very day he leaves, the dogs decide it would be a good idea to dig a hole by our back fence and bust a post and escape. it seemed to happen while (or shortly after) i was taking steve back to work so his car would be left at home while he was gone. i had no clue the dogs were even gone till i happened to see a couple boys walking a boston and...hey, wait...a black pug right outside my front door at about 4pm. apparently they had been out since around one. :\ i guess i was just enjoying the quiet. i also bit my tongue and didn't tell the boys that maybe they wouldn't try to dig into their property if they stopped harassing my dogs and kicking balls at the fence and running along it taunting them. no, i did not say that. though i wanted to.

and then this morning i find that the dogs pissed in their crate. on the doggie bed that steve wanted to put into the crate. and the inner filling is partly ripped, so cedar crap came out all over the place as i was trying to get the cover off to wash it. and i don't even think i can wash the inner part given the cedar filling. so i'll probably have to toss it. fabulous. and that's not to mention the pee from their paws that's all over my carpet and kitchen floor from letting them out this morning before i saw that there was pee in the crate. *insert expletive*

so now i am counting down the minutes till the girls are down for their nap so i can finish cleaning stuff up. and i am just praying the vacuum doesn't wake emma, cuz it's just gotta happen.

and this is just the first official day without my husband. wonderful.

onto a lighter note....ashlan is on the verge of rolling over from her back to front! woo hoo! i am hoping it will be soon. i can't wait to see her accomplish it! heck, if she doesn't do it soon, i doubt she will at all....she's sitting up and i imagine will soon just want to sit and crawl and get-er-movin'!

and i've started her on formula after her nursing sessions. she's been increasingly fussier after feedings and seemingly not satisfied. though i would think 4 oz would be good for her, it just doesn't seem that way. and my supply goes down after the afternoon, so i imagine that doesn't help. while she was at the in-laws, they ended up feeding her both 4 oz packs i gave them for her in about one hour. so i figured maybe i would try and supplement. i opted for the formula before the cereal for some reason. so far so good. she seems to have adjusted to the awful smelling stuff pretty well, so that's a plus! :)

and on a oh-holy-crap-my-daughter-is-growing-up-too-fast note...emma just opened our child stair gate all by herself and then proclaimed, "yay, emma did it!" um...most adults can't seem to figure that thing out (it's a slide the thumb thing back and hold while lifting up and swinging gate open kind). great. lol

valentine's day gift

i decided to get crafty for this valentine's day gift for my husband. i saw an adorable craft idea at u create featuring a craft from naptimejournal. i just loved it and so decided to give it a go!

here's what turned out:







it has his favorite snacks in it. i told him to take it to work so he had some snacks on hand. he said it was his favorite valentine's gift ever. :) and i also scored points with his co-workers as being an amazing wife. double bonus!

aaaaand, i want one!!

oh, how i love giveaways. not that i've ever won one. but i love them nonetheless!

and now i am dying to winthis! over at mckmama's giveaway page!

ooooh....*crosses fingers*!

all about the giveaways!

i love giveaways! i hope to someday win. right now i am hoping for one of the lovely necklaces from kristen's custom creations featured on good, true, & beautiful! :) take a look!

"mommy obey"

well, emma wasn't following that mantra today, that's for sure. i went through such an aggravating battle with her about putting her toys away today. she was in time out three times and then "big" time out in her crib twice and STILL she wouldn't put her toys away. so i packed them all up in the basket and put them up on the counter. i am SO VERY TEMPTED to just throw them all away. i am soooo frustrated right now. i hate it when she knows what i want her to do and yet WILLFULLY defies me. it really pisses me off. but yes, i know she is just a toddler and that is part of her learning curve. but it still irks me to the bone. i would love to just get rid of all the toys at this point (especially the ones with many, many small parts) and just make her read or play make-believe all day long.

everything has been SO much better with her lately, but still these moments inevitably come. and they pass too. but in the moment i just want to kick and scream and throw my own little tantrum! now how productive would that be? not very.

so for now the toys are up on the counter top and at least i don't have to worry about them all over the floor. and i may just have to concede defeat on this one.