since my last post. Trying to keep it all together has taken every once of enegry lately. Work is crazy and so are the boys. We started swimming lessons last weekend. Owen was set to start soccer too but it was a rainout due to Hurrican Hanna.
Owen went to soccer today and it was a disaster. Apparently his listening ears weren't functioning today. Bradley was at the end of his rope by the time they got home. Owen wouldn't listen and was distracting the other kids. Maybe he's just too young. We stared talking to him about how he would need to listen the night before, but clearly it didn't help. He's been having some listening issues at school this week too. Were going to try one more time next weekend and see. Otherwise, we'll have to just wait and try again next season.
We finally decided to take the boys to Disney. I can't believe how stressful it was just to make a reservation. We are going in February. I'm afraid Bradley and I will need a vacation after the vacation, but I think it will be a trip we'll never forget.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
One Kids Bike and One Horrible Experience
So, we decided it was time to get Owen his first "big boy" bike. He had been talking about getting a green big boy bike for awhile.
Bradley and I wanted to scout out the bike shops before unleashing a bike crazy three year old on them. The first shop was a bust. We were ignored for 5 minutes and when we finally got service, we found out they didn't have any 16" bikes in stock and none of the ones they could order were green. Stop two had several bikes in stock but they only came in red or blue, but the sales guy was nice and helpful. We decided to try Shop 3 in hopes of a green bike since a quick phone call indicated they carried a different brand than the others. They had a red one in stock and would be getting in a green one in the next week or so..
So, we decided to bring Owen back to let him try out the red bike. If he still wanted green, we would wait until the next shipment came in next week. So we picked up the boys from daycare and headed to the store..Performance Bikes in Reston. Owen loved the red one, so we decided to get it since he was whizzing around the store like an expert. We needed a new helmet for Gabe since he would be graduating to the kettler trike that Owen had been using, but the store didn't have any that were small enough. Instead, we decided to give Owen's helmet to Gabe and purchase a new one too. The guy helping us gave us the helmet and Bradley started to try to fit it properly...this is when things started going downhill. Bradley was having trouble getting it adjusted and asked for help. Our salesperson told Bradley how to do it. At this point, Gabe was done with being in the store, so I took him outside for a walk while Bradley finished. 10 minutes later I stopped in to see what was taking so long (we'd already bee working on the helmet for 15 minutes). He still couldn't get it right and was getting frustrated and the salesperson was no help and had now moved on to ringing up other customers while Bradley was trying to adjust the helmet on a now very antsy 3 yo that just wanted to ride his new bike. Bradley basically looked at the salesperson and said, "I need help with this now or we are leaving the store." So, I headed out with Gabe again because he was screaming. I came back 5min later and Bradley was paying....no helmet. The salesperson was clueless and unwilling to actually physically help adjust the helmet; he just kept 'instructing' Bradley. When Bradley had enough and said he couldn't get it right, the salespersons answer was that Owen would "grow into it." COME ON are you kidding me. A properly fitting helmet is the only think between my kid's head and the pavement. I can't believe he would say that.
At this point, we were totally stuck. We couldn't just leave because Owen loved the new red bike. So, we bought it sans helmet and were all in horrible moods when we left. Luckily after a little dinner we took the boys to the park and Owen rode his new red big boy bike and was happily as a clam. Of course Bradley and I are still steaming over our experience with Performance bikes.
Thanks a lot Performance Bikes in Reston VA...we'll never be back and ruined what should have been a cherished memory of buying Owen his first big boy bike. I am going to tell everyone I know about my experience.
Bradley and I wanted to scout out the bike shops before unleashing a bike crazy three year old on them. The first shop was a bust. We were ignored for 5 minutes and when we finally got service, we found out they didn't have any 16" bikes in stock and none of the ones they could order were green. Stop two had several bikes in stock but they only came in red or blue, but the sales guy was nice and helpful. We decided to try Shop 3 in hopes of a green bike since a quick phone call indicated they carried a different brand than the others. They had a red one in stock and would be getting in a green one in the next week or so..
So, we decided to bring Owen back to let him try out the red bike. If he still wanted green, we would wait until the next shipment came in next week. So we picked up the boys from daycare and headed to the store..Performance Bikes in Reston. Owen loved the red one, so we decided to get it since he was whizzing around the store like an expert. We needed a new helmet for Gabe since he would be graduating to the kettler trike that Owen had been using, but the store didn't have any that were small enough. Instead, we decided to give Owen's helmet to Gabe and purchase a new one too. The guy helping us gave us the helmet and Bradley started to try to fit it properly...this is when things started going downhill. Bradley was having trouble getting it adjusted and asked for help. Our salesperson told Bradley how to do it. At this point, Gabe was done with being in the store, so I took him outside for a walk while Bradley finished. 10 minutes later I stopped in to see what was taking so long (we'd already bee working on the helmet for 15 minutes). He still couldn't get it right and was getting frustrated and the salesperson was no help and had now moved on to ringing up other customers while Bradley was trying to adjust the helmet on a now very antsy 3 yo that just wanted to ride his new bike. Bradley basically looked at the salesperson and said, "I need help with this now or we are leaving the store." So, I headed out with Gabe again because he was screaming. I came back 5min later and Bradley was paying....no helmet. The salesperson was clueless and unwilling to actually physically help adjust the helmet; he just kept 'instructing' Bradley. When Bradley had enough and said he couldn't get it right, the salespersons answer was that Owen would "grow into it." COME ON are you kidding me. A properly fitting helmet is the only think between my kid's head and the pavement. I can't believe he would say that.
At this point, we were totally stuck. We couldn't just leave because Owen loved the new red bike. So, we bought it sans helmet and were all in horrible moods when we left. Luckily after a little dinner we took the boys to the park and Owen rode his new red big boy bike and was happily as a clam. Of course Bradley and I are still steaming over our experience with Performance bikes.
Thanks a lot Performance Bikes in Reston VA...we'll never be back and ruined what should have been a cherished memory of buying Owen his first big boy bike. I am going to tell everyone I know about my experience.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Rants on Plastic
So, besides recycling I've been endeavoring to be more careful about the amount of plastic we use and types we bring in the house given all the recent news about BPA.
A couple weeks ago I looked at the bottom of one of the Mott's applesauce cups and of course its code was a 7...ugh. I took it to work with me, so I could call Motts to find out exacty what kind of plastic was in it. I was hopeful that maybe the 7 was because of some of the good environmentally friendly plastics that are 7s but knew I was deluding my self. I finally got through after several attempts. The great people at Motts printed the wrong phone number on the applesause containers. It was one digit off from their actual care number that I found on there website where I also found NO information on the plastic they use to make the containers!
So, I called and got to talk to Priscilla. I launched into my question to which Priscillas first response was ask if I was calling from the US or Canada. I'm assuming that is because several days before this Canada announced they were passing laws to ban BPA from products. I told her I was in the US and after several minutes she had a response. Motts chose the type of plastic it uses for the single serve contains because it provides the longest shelf life to keep the product fresh. My response: "Great but that didn't answer my question." Priscilla put me on hold to do a little more research. When she came back, she had nothing. She found a corporate letter referencing the recent studies related to the use of BPA in baby products, but it didn't have any mention about the containers or Motts' future plans. Prisicalla needed to do more research, so she took my contact info and promised to get back to me. Well....it has been a month and NOTHING. My mental To Do list has included a line for going on Mott's site and resubmitting my question for weeks, but I just haven't had time. Maybe tonight will be the night.
On a related note, we decided to get some deli meat for sandwiches last Sunday and I wanted some honey mustard for my turkey. I bought a squeeze bottle of the Inglehoffer brand and of course didn't even think to look at the type of plastic used to make the bottle. I guess I just take for granted that most bottles for food are 1s, 2s, or 5s. Well of course I looked as I was putting it away, after I'd already eaten it on my sandwich. I was shocked. It was a 3!!!! It was a vinyl container...the poison plastic. I couldn't believe they would use vinyl given how dangerous it is and that it is being banned all over the place. It immediately went in the trash (I don't even think I can recycle it). I guess giving the Inglehoffer company a piece of my mind just got added to my mental To Do list too.
Well time to go...I can hear Gabe tossing and turning through the monitor. I hope he sleeps through the night tonight. This latest virus has been a nasty one.
A couple weeks ago I looked at the bottom of one of the Mott's applesauce cups and of course its code was a 7...ugh. I took it to work with me, so I could call Motts to find out exacty what kind of plastic was in it. I was hopeful that maybe the 7 was because of some of the good environmentally friendly plastics that are 7s but knew I was deluding my self. I finally got through after several attempts. The great people at Motts printed the wrong phone number on the applesause containers. It was one digit off from their actual care number that I found on there website where I also found NO information on the plastic they use to make the containers!
So, I called and got to talk to Priscilla. I launched into my question to which Priscillas first response was ask if I was calling from the US or Canada. I'm assuming that is because several days before this Canada announced they were passing laws to ban BPA from products. I told her I was in the US and after several minutes she had a response. Motts chose the type of plastic it uses for the single serve contains because it provides the longest shelf life to keep the product fresh. My response: "Great but that didn't answer my question." Priscilla put me on hold to do a little more research. When she came back, she had nothing. She found a corporate letter referencing the recent studies related to the use of BPA in baby products, but it didn't have any mention about the containers or Motts' future plans. Prisicalla needed to do more research, so she took my contact info and promised to get back to me. Well....it has been a month and NOTHING. My mental To Do list has included a line for going on Mott's site and resubmitting my question for weeks, but I just haven't had time. Maybe tonight will be the night.
On a related note, we decided to get some deli meat for sandwiches last Sunday and I wanted some honey mustard for my turkey. I bought a squeeze bottle of the Inglehoffer brand and of course didn't even think to look at the type of plastic used to make the bottle. I guess I just take for granted that most bottles for food are 1s, 2s, or 5s. Well of course I looked as I was putting it away, after I'd already eaten it on my sandwich. I was shocked. It was a 3!!!! It was a vinyl container...the poison plastic. I couldn't believe they would use vinyl given how dangerous it is and that it is being banned all over the place. It immediately went in the trash (I don't even think I can recycle it). I guess giving the Inglehoffer company a piece of my mind just got added to my mental To Do list too.
Well time to go...I can hear Gabe tossing and turning through the monitor. I hope he sleeps through the night tonight. This latest virus has been a nasty one.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
My first post
Well, I've finally done it. With two kids and a full time job, I need an outlet for random thoughts. I've been having serious guilt about the amount of trash we generate as a family, so I've been trying to be greener. Last week I embarked on increasing the amount we recycle. I actually read Fairfax Counties list of what we can and can't recycle and it was utterly depressing.
So it is almost two months later, and I'm just getting around to posting this. I'm utterly exhausted after a full day of work and dealing with Owen and Gabe...but here goes...I'm going to publish this.
So it is almost two months later, and I'm just getting around to posting this. I'm utterly exhausted after a full day of work and dealing with Owen and Gabe...but here goes...I'm going to publish this.
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