iTracy

The only thing you have to do around my house to get a new gadget is barely breath the mention of how you saw a commercial, heard an announcement or witnessed someone else with a new gadget. You may not even know the name of it, or what it does or doesn't do, but you are all of the sudden seriously interested in becoming the proud owner of the new gadget and will not be satisfied with life until you get it (even though you really don't know what it is and it may have caught your interest just because the actor in the commercial was cute, the local drugstore did a bad job processing your last role of film, or your co-worker showed off some cool new pictures on a gadget she carried in her purse).

Ya see, my husband is always looking for an "excuse" to buy me (keyword "me") a new gadget. A couple of Christmas' ago I mentioned that we were a little behind as a family in not owning a small "go anywhere" digital camera. Santa came down my chimney and left "Mom" (ie "me") a brand new McDaddy camera complete with Tripod, carrying case, zoom lens, photo paper... (ya get the idea). Then the next Christmas Santa left a new printer that is supposed to print the best quality pictures, it was technically Husband's gift from Santa because Santa left "me" the latest and greatest digital picture frame complete with interchangeable frames and a remote control. My birthday was in April and I mentioned that I saw on Foxnews these neat little computers that were small enough to go into a purse and were lightweight and they were making them in all new "hot colors" for women. Low and behold, husband comes home on my birthday with a balloon and new MacBook. Just so you know, a MacBook is NOT one of the cool little "netbooks" that I saw on the news - it's not the same color, not the same size, and not intended for the same purpose - but, Happy Birthday to "me", it's what I got! (and it's the reason your reading this blog). When I waited a few days and worked up the courage to make mention of the differences in the "netbook" I had mentioned and the "MacBook" I received, Hubby indicated that he bought "me" what I needed because I didn't know what I really needed (hello? did ya get that?).

Fast forward to last Friday - ya know, my cell phone is really old and will not keep a charge. I heard all last week on the news about the new iPhone3GS (like I really know what any of that means) that was being released on Friday. I, in passing, mentioned to Hubby that I needed a new cell phone (mine is 5 years old) and heard on the radio that a new iPhone was coming out and was wondering if he could get a discount through his work (simple question since he works for the company that has the exclusive network agreement on that particular type of phone)- guess what? Friday I come home and Hubby is sitting on the back deck working on a new iPhone he bought for "me" - he was even working on it so much that he had to take it to work on Saturday to figure a "few more things out"!

I don't want to sound ungrateful - all the gadgets are pretty cool, if I do say so myself - but the truth of the matter is you have to be very careful around my house if you even yawn and something comes out that sounds like a reference to a new "gadget".

So, iTracy is signing off for the night from her iMacBook, which stores photos of her iFamily, taken with her iCamera and will soon be sharing images from her iPhone!!

Happy Father's Day

Today I have two very special people in my life that should be honored.  My dad and my husband.

To my Dad:

Thank you for the person that you are - for the fun memories of riding go-carts, "working" at your shop, learning more than I'll ever need to know about cars and how they work, and encouraging me to love our Lord and the family with which I have been blessed.

My Daddy - I love you!

To Heath, the father of my children:

What an amazing Daddy you are to our three precious girls.  They are sitting with me and helping with this post and I've asked them the top 5 reasons they love their Daddy (in no particular order):

1.  "Because he always tickles me";

2.  "Because he is special to me, he is my Daddy";

3.  "Because he always takes me to Jack's before school";

4.  "He plays our favorite music real loud on his MP3";  and

5.  "He always make us waffles with chocolate chips!"

We love you!

The following video is for you!

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both...

Name that tune? I am terrible at that game but I was reading and following along online tonight with some people playing it and couldn't help but start humming and singing along: "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and then you have the Facts of Life, the Facts of Life".  What a great show!  I'm not sure I fully understood it at my tender age and I wish I could watch it again now.  I just remember thinking that Blair was beautiful, Tootie was funny and, for some odd reason, I was always fascinated by Jo and wished I could be her.  I don't know why - she was just a tomboy and not feminine at all.  I even named one of my Cabbage Patch dolls "Samantha Josephine" and called her "Sammie Jo" - too funny!!

Speaking of reminiscing - I remember one time when I got mad at my family (who in the world knows what about) and told them for the upteenth time that I was "never speaking" to them again - I went in my room and locked the door.  Then I decided I was hungry.  So I got a chalkboard and wrote on it and placed it outside of my bedroom door as a method of communication - what in the world was I thinking?  Oh, how my Mom must have laughed really hard on the inside at me!! Hysterical!!

By the way, REO Speedwagon and Styx are playing tomorrow night at City Stages (Birmingham's Music Festival) - how fun would that be? I asked Hubby if he would take me and he said we could just sit around and listen to their music at home. Boring!!

Remember Ms. Garrett? She was the ultimate example of patience.

Trips to the Beach

As we look forward to our upcoming Summer vacation to the beach I can't help but reflect on our last voyage to the great Gulf of Mexico.  It was the week before my maternity leave ended and I decided to load up all three girls and head to the coast with my sister and her children.  Neither of our husbands were brave enough to endure the 5 days at the beach in March.  

The trip down was absolutely miserable - K3 (nine weeks old at the time) literally screamed the entire 6 hour trip.  She despised her car seat, my car, the radio, her noise maker and anyone trying to get her to be quiet.  For the love!!  

We began our journey onto I-65 South and, unfortunately, there was a major traffic jam.  So we quickly made a last minute change in plans and merged onto I-65 North (I know, I know, you're thinking to yourself that the beach is South).  We finally got turned around and headed on Hwy 31 South only to pass the Galleria Mall for the 3rd time in the first 45 minutes of our trip (it was like Chevy Chase's "Look kids, Big Ben!").

She cries, she cries and she cries.

We finally arrive at almost 11p and everyone retires for the evening.  For the most part, our time at the beach was good (a few terrible "stinkies" that would send everyone running) but the big girls had a blast and loved the pool and running from the waves in the ocean.

Then we begin our journey home.  Actually, this trip was more about journeys than anything.  About 30 minutes north of the beach my car (2008 model) fails to thrive and quickly let's me know that it no longer wants to carry our crew (I think it was tired of the baby crying, ha!).  Literally, no joke, it just quits!!  It's hot outside, I'm two days away from having to return to work following leave, my 9.5 week old will not stop screaming and my car decides to break down 4 hours away from home.

I call dear Hubby who says "Just drive it home" - Hello!!  Did you hear what I said? It won't go over 10 mph - at that rate, it would take us 3 days to get home.  I contact On Star who has a terrible time directing me to the nearest dealership because, in their words, not mine "Ms. Calvert, someone is very unhappy in your car".  No joke, I'm a "single mom" on this journey, four hours from home with three small children under the age of 7,  (one of which will not stop screaming) and On Star decides to be revolutionary and inform me that I have an unhappy camper in my presence!

So, we drive 10 mph to the nearest dealership which was 14 miles away.  We wait 3 hours for them to install a new computer and, finally, we head toward home.

It was a journey - and for our next trip my expectations are low. I will not take for granted an hour of quiet in the car, or just a car that will get us there (and back) safely and without stops for maintenance!!

Love the clear blue water of Orange Beach!

After all of the screaming she was tired!


Fun in the sun, Spring Break 2009.

Wally World and MDx3

So, do I take them or do I not? Do I take 1 of them, 2 of them or load up all 3 and head to the doctor?  K1 was complaining of an earache, K2's eye was swollen with some type of infection and K3 has a cold and screams at night.  I decided yesterday to load up all 3 and haul off the Calvert Crew to the pediatrician.  We came out with the youngest two each an antiobiotic and K1 was the only one that received a clean bill of health.  It's times like this when I appreciate the health care system in America!!  Called the day of and made an appointment for all three, was running 15 minutes behind (as usual) and called the MD office - "no problem, come on in and be careful getting here".  Waiting time was all of 3 minutes max and the doctor came right in.  It was a successful trip and the parking deck only costs us $2.  

So, next on the agenda was "where do I get their prescriptions filled?".  Hubby despises WalMart and attribtues the worlds economic and moral decline to the 'ol Wally World so I'm forbidden to go there if he is with me; however, K3 was out of diapers at school and what better way to wait on Rx's to be filled then to drop them off, shop at Wally World and pick them up all in the same visit - multi tasking Queen!!

Called the Prescription insurance company from my cell phone and verified Wally World was on the program and off we go - again, amazed that all is going so well.  Decent parking place, no line for "drop offs" at the pharmacy.  K3 is behaving - this is unbelievable.  Then, as our trip is coming to an end reality begins to set in.  K3 has a "stinky" and became very irritable (as would I if I had to sit in that mess).  I quickly get our drugs and move to check out.  We make our way to the car, K3 screaming and K1 and K2 were instructed to get in the car while I unloaded the buggy.  A sibling rivalry breaks out over who should get in the car first and WWIII begins - "she pushed me! - she almost broke my arm" - all the while K3 is screaming and simply wants her stinky diaper changed.  I load K3 in the car while the other two continue crying and yelling over who pushed who first.  I close up the car (it's running w/ the air conditioner on) and I proceed to take my buggy to its designated spot in Wally World's parking lot.  When I get there, I can still hear the girls screaming at each other and crying from within the car.  To my dismay, the buggies were all out-of-whack and it was impossible to get another buggy in the designated spot.  So, I proceed to pull all of the buggies out and align them properly, making sure each one is appropriately placed into the other one.  I think to myself, what Mom would leave all three of her children in the car and feel compelled to arrange buggies in Wally World's parking lot?  Why am I doing this?  Am I really this anal?  And, then, the answer fell out of the sky - I am organizing buggies because I have three girls screaming and crying in my car.  I found myself escaping the real world and becoming a Wal-Mart employee for a brief moment.  Then, I laughed - it was the real world and my girls needed some discipline (and a clean diaper) so I returned to the car and home we went!!

I don't like posts without pictures so I'll close with this one (still learning how to insert pictures on this blogging thing, ha!)  Picture ended up at the top.  Jill, help?  How do you get images where you want them?

My New Adventure

Okay, I have no idea what I'm doing and hope I'm not exposing my soul to the world wide web in some reckless manner! If I suddenly disappear please be aware that a hacker may be the culprit (or, that Heath hit the lottery, ha!)  

It's been a crazy few weeks with trips to Illinois and Georgia for family funerals (3 in one weekend) so we are glad to be home.  One great thing about the last several days was the opportunity to see family members that we don't see very often.  The circumstances were not good that brought us together but the fellowship was great fun (it's a shame we don't get together more often).   The picture is all of my first cousins on my paternal side of the family (with the exception of our cousin Brian who we buried last Friday and who will be dearly missed and always remembered for his laugh and smile).

On a happier note, it's a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Birmingham and Summer is definitely upon us.  The kids are out of school and looking forward to VBS next week.  The baby just woke up after only a 20-minute nap so this "blogging" thing may not go well after all.  I will have to catch back up during the next nap - they are few and far between.

The first picture is our new little slugger who just wrapped up her first season of softball - I haven't figured out yet how to input pictures where I want them but hopefully that will improve over time!  If not, just know that I'm trying!