Walmart still sucks ass...

After our nice relaxing vacation we got back home at around 2 a.m. on Saturday morning. We all went to bed and got up and needed to go grocery shopping since I let most food items run out before the trip. First though, we needed gas, so I handed Jerry my seldom used one and only in case of emergency credit card, he swiped it and it would not authorize, so he went inside and it still wouldn't authorize so I gave him my debit card which worked. Crap. And on a 3 day weekend so I can't call the bank to see what is up. We go to Sam's club and I again tried my credit card just to see if it would work, nope, so I used the debit card again. When I got home I check my credit card account online and found a huge math problem, my balance was $16 (which I did spend), my limit is $1,000 and my available is only around $600, I'm no math wizard but even I know $600 + $16 does NOT equal $1,000! Today, Monday, at around 7 p.m. I get a phone call from the fraud department for my debit card showing activity in Charlotte North Carolina at a couple Walmarts, she confirms I'm still in Oklahoma and deactivates my card and told me to go to the bank tomorrow to fill out a report. She also said that the charges did go through on my account. Crap. So I check online to see how much has been debited from my account, no information on there so I checked my credit card, there is well over $300 charged and most of it in New York at 2 different Walmarts and a Macy's. I called and reported my number stolen so again I have to fill out a report tomorrow at the bank. So all my accounts are frozen and neither my debit card nor my credit card will be usable again until I am issued new cards. Oh, did I mention I'm leaving for Colorado in 2 weeks and these cards usually take at least that long to be mailed, especially when waiting for a PIN as well?!?!
Now my question is how the hell is someone in 2 different states using my information when I'm holding my credit card in my hand. I know they can swipe my card and steal the numbers but I haven't used either card at unfamiliar places where I didn't have the card(s) in my sight at all times. I didn't use both cards at any of the same places so how did someone get both of my numbers on the same day? All my statements are sent through e-mail so it's not a stolen mail issue. The numbers are not available online so even if someone hacked into my computer they wouldn't have the account numbers. And why the hell doesn't the shitty Walmart policy require employees to take 2 seconds to confirm identity before accepting a card? So yes, someone stole my numbers but still I blame Walmart for making it excessively easy for someone to use my numbers to make purchases then charged to ME. I will dance a gig of glee when Walmart fails!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

So we went to Ft. Worth, Texas for a mini vacation. Jerry was in training and had a whole big suite to himself paid for by BNSF so on his birthday, which was also Zac's last day of school we headed down there to spend some time relaxing. The boys and I had fun in the pool.

We also went further south to San Antonio to take the boys to Sea World which they enjoyed but man was it hot! I can't believe people go there in August, it was almost unbearable in May! But it was fun.

New Hair Style

So I got the boys' haircut last week. I usually bring them to the barber about once a month. Zachary gets a very short cut, nearly buzzed but he likes the very front just a tad longer so we can spike it if he feels like it. For Kaleb we just get a 'boys cut', well, for some reason for the last few months as soon as his hair dries the sides of Kaleb's hair stick straight out and bug the heck out of me. I had decided to get his regular cut this time and next time we'd shave it like Zac's. When we got out to the car, Kaleb's hair which usually lays pretty flat just after a cut, was sticking out and poofy so we walked back in and he got a cut just like Zac's.

Whose idea was this whole T-Ball thing anyway????

So through the YMCA, since we are members, the boys can play several sports for free, one of which is t-ball. So for some reason I signed up both boys, Kaleb for blast ball and Zac for t-ball. We had a parent's meeting last Tuesday and the day before that got a call from the Y saying that Zac's team didn't have a coach and would we be willing since they cannot play if they do not have one. We stalled hoping someone else would volunteer but the day of the meeting came and no one had so Jerry said he'd do it. We found out that game days were Tuesday and Thursday, Zac plays every Tuesday at either 5:30, 6:30 or 7:30 and Kaleb will play on either Tuesday or Thursday at 5:30 or 6:30. When Jerry signed up his team for practice I noticed that Kaleb's coach had not yet signed up for a practice time, we could not sign up for Tuesday since that is their game day and the only other times left were Wednesday at 7:30, Thursday at 7:30 or 2 Friday spots for 5:30 and 1 for 7:30. Not wanting to be out all night we chose a Friday 5:30 time, so we're already up to 3 days a week we have to be at the ball field. I cannot get a hold of Kaleb's coach and have a feeling he forgot he signed up or something so I still have no idea when he practices but since there were so few choices left I have a gut feeling he chose Wednesday which will mean we have to be at the ball field 4 days a week every week starting next week until the last week of July. Why did I do this??? I'm sort of hoping the boys decide they don't want to play after this season (even during this season!) so we can stop this madness!

Why is May always so busy?

It seems like the moment May begins my days get hectic, always has seemed that way. Maybe because the weather is warmer and nicer and we can do more outside so I plan more? I don't know but I'm tired and it's only May 12th!

We had the first severe storm/tornado in our area for the year on Monday and round two is supposed to come in this evening.

Zachary has 9 more days of PreK left. We went to his end of the year slide show today and I'm so glad he had Mrs. Rakett for a teacher, so much so that I will try to request her for Kaleb in 2011.




Next week I have a parent's meeting for incoming T-Ball players for the YMCA. I'm not really sure what to expect, I'm hoping they don't do snack at each practice/game. I'm also hoping they will be understanding of Zac and Kaleb missing one week for vacation, I mean really, they have a short season which doesn't start until the end of May and goes to mid July, school starts again in mid August; people have to take vacation sometime, don't they?

Jerry's birthday lands when he will be in Fort Worth, Tx for training, that day is also Zac's last day of school (and payday!) so we will be heading down to Texas to share Jerry's company paid for HOTEL SUITE until Thursday then we will take the boys to Sea World and be back some time Friday. It'll be fun but hectic.

Zac's birthday is coming up quickly. I've decided that he will have a small birthday party, he's inviting 8 boys from school and I would be ecstatic if 3 or 4 showed up. The day after that we are taking the boys to a Red hawks game and may take one of Zac's friends with us. Then a few days later the boys and I leave for Colorado for a week. About 2 weeks after we get back it's 4th of July (and my birthday!) and finally a break until school starts on August 19th.

Part of our seemingly busy life in the spring comes from me wanting to take the boys to the zoo as much as possible. How many people live within 15 minutes of a zoo and have the opportunity to go more than once a week? I think the boys should go a lot and enjoy it often. It's also nice now that we can invite Zac's friend and his mom so I can enjoy a little adult conversation.

Oh, and by the way, my new camera takes AWESOME pictures! Or should I say, I take AWESOME pictures with my new camera ;)

Early Mother's Day present...

I got a brand spanking new Nikon L110 camera. 12.1 megapixels, 15X zoom lens, 8GB HD memory card and HD video. I've been looking at this particular Nikon for months and the price always got in my way. My other camera is on it's last leg so I had to get something. We went to Best Buy to LOOK, I tested several different cameras that were on display, as I've done a couple times since last summer, and always come back to this Nikon. I came |_| close to settling for a Kodak camera that Best Buy was willing to price match Target for $99 (Best Buy's sale price was $129), I finally decided to go with what I really wanted and bought the Nikon and even though I really didn't like parting with the money, in the long run I'm happy and wouldn't change my choice.

Pictures of the 3 year old...

So a month after, well, almost a month after Kaleb turned 3 I've finally uploaded the pictures from his Scooby Doo birthday party...