Thursday Rambling

I have some cute pictures to go along with activities over the last couple of weeks but I'm too cozy on the couch to get up and get the camera and plug it into the computer (lazy, huh!). I'm disappointed in myself that there was no Travelin' Tuesday entry this week - it's not due to my lack of checking for travel deals as I'm always looking. I'll be sure and make it up to my 2 readers next Tuesday.

Tuesday night a little drama/trauma in the Calvert Abode when K1 tripped and fell in the basement and broke her front tooth. Thankfully there is a pediatric dental hygenist in the neighborhood - we went the following morning and the dentist fixed it right up and it looks great (just no apples or corn on the cob for the rest of her life). The good news is that she didn't break her nose and there was no blood on the scene.

Wednesday night was a make-up little league football game and, unfortunately, our undeafeted Rockets lost 33-25. It was a nail biter but I've really enjoyed watching the boys play this year (and the girls cheer).

Tomorrow night me and K1 are off to the Miley Cyrus concert - I'll let you know how that goes.

Today's gripe: Why does everything have to have some "super duper secret sensitive password user id secret question personal photo" method of access? I can't begin to tell you (you already know due to your own experiences I'm sure) how frustrating it is to honestly have to maintain a spreadsheet with all of your personal passwords. And, to make matters worse, there is absolutely no "super secret industry standard" - I mean why does each one have to be different? Some have to be 6 letters, others 8 characters that must have letters and numbers, yet others only 7 characters but must have letters, numbers, upper case, lower case, and a special character...for heaven's sake I'm hurting just thinking about it.

And, then, when the password expires (and it seems like one of them is constantly expiring) you are forbidden to select a new one that in any way resembles one that you have used in the past 16 years. To top it all off, after three unsuccessful attempts you become locked out (which is what happened to me tonight when I tried to pay a bill online) and you are forced to call customer service to have your account reset (which requires you choose yet another new password that you won't remember).

Forget national healthcare, we need a national standard for passwords - please, bring on some needed change!!

Our Fall Beginning...

Today the girls carved their 2009 Pumpkins. This is becoming a little tradition with their cousins. It is hosted by their Maw Maw and Nanny!





Their favorite part is 'cleaning the yuck out'!

What a Long Day!

Ya know how some days you feel like you've accomplished a ton and your energy level is still running strong at 9p. Then, there are those other days when you're not real sure why you got out of bed. The days when nothing seems to go right, you take one step forward and four steps backward. When you finally get home you are just absolutely exhausted and can't wait to retire for the evening. Apparently those days even come when you're only 9 months old. When I picked K3 up from daycare this afternoon I was greeted by the associate director who informed me there had been "the strangest incident" today - apparently another child's parent had stepped on K3's hand. So, you see, little ones can have an exhausting day, too. Check out K3 in her high chair at the dinner table tonight!





Here's to hoping we all have a great day tomorrow!

Travelin' Tuesday

Okay, I know its been twelve days since my last post but the good news is that I am alive and my computer has not experienced any difficulties. Heath was out of town last week and I go into a deep funk when I am "solo mom" - staying by myself is not something I enjoy, at all. Anyway, he's back and we've returned to some degree of normalcy at the humble Calvert Abode. With that out of the way, let's move on to much more important things - Travelin' Tuesday it is, yessireebob!!

I've decided we cheat ourselves if we limit our travel diaries to the Gulf Coast. I mean Panama City Beach has its place in life (mainly a spring break and graduation trip) and certainly provides opportunities for funny memories but at some point we must expand our horizons and commit that outside of Gulf Shores, Six Flags and Miracle Strip there are some beautiful getaways just calling our name.

So, if you've decided (or your spouse decided) that Bora Bora is not the place for your next getaway, possibly because you're afraid you wouldn't be able to sleep in an overwater bungalow knowing that salt water 'things' are constantly swimming in the water beneath you - have no fear, there are other options. Today, we'll highlight a much more northern option located in British Columbia. It's the Rockwater Secret Cove Resort and it looks out of this world -



Imagine yourself spending a few days in one of the Tenthouse Suites!


Don't overlook the two person tub surrounded by 'windows' with a panoramic view



Can you just imagine a massage on this deck?



So, in conclusion, if an overwater bungalow is not your style perhaps you'd entertain a tenthouse suite - whatever the case, you're not likely to find either of those in a 200 mile radius of the Magic City (Birmingham)!

And the New Color Is.....

Yesterday was a great day for K2 as she said goodbye to her "hot pink" cast. Mark the "Cast Man" was awesome and did a great job entertaining K2 as he sawed away at that cast.



The saw was cool but a little too close for her comfort - it was a little nerve racking but she did great and only teared up when Cast Man brought out a huge pair of scissors and started cutting away.



And then came the moment of truth when K2 had to select the color for her next cast. After all, there are not many decisions to be made by a 5 year old that are more major than what color to select for a cast. I think I completely underestimated the complexity of such a decision despite the fact that we had been casually discussing it for three weeks. The color choice for her first cast was a "no brainer". As a matter of fact, on the way to the Emergency Room she proclaimed that she wanted a pink cast but didn't want to have to ride in an ambulance. But, for cast #2, do you stick with the ever-so-faithful pink or venture into another color scheme that you may not like....after moments of suspense she asked the Cast Man if he could do a rainbow...or...polka-dots?!? Those were a no-go but he agreed to do two colors if she wanted to keep a cast above the elbow - that's when my motherly instinct suddenly kicked in and I exclaimed, "No, we'll take a solid color and a 'short cast'". Ya see, she can't close her car door, buckle her seat belt or get herself dressed or undressed with the cast above the elbow and after three weeks of assistance I was ready for a little more freedom; after all, she is 5 years old now. So, at last, she elected for purple (it made the decision somewhat easier when Cast Man told her that a silver Sharpie looks really good on a purple cast). And, Mom had to agree to leave the physician's office and drive straight to a store to buy a new silver Sharpie which was not much of a trade off for a 'short cast'.



Have a blessed night!

Travelin' Tuesday

Okay, so your spouse is really struggling to find ways to show their undying affection and appreciation for you, right? They have been racking their brain to think of a romantic place to whisk you away for a few days of nothing but the two of you, time and the ocean blue.

Ahhh, look no farther -


An overwater bungalow at the Four Seasons Resort in Bora Bora!




Or, if you have some aversion to the Four Seasons, you could always visit the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort for your overwater bungalow adventure



Oh, to dream on this Travelin' Tuesday!

Have a great night!

How's Your Cup - Half Full?

Occasionally I slip into my "negative Nelly" mood when I become easily agitated (more so than normal) and the act of tongue-biting (aka resisting to speak my mind) is non-existent. My tolerance level hits a -2 and patience becomes a thing of the distant past. Either you are, or you aren't; you did it, or you didn't do it; you said it, or you didn't say it. Expectations are at an all-time high and the margin of error is 0. So, you get the picture (hence no blog updates in the last three days as they would not have been nice or enjoyable for a reader!) You've probably experienced similar "negative Nelly" moments (unfortunately my negative Nelly mood comes in spurts and can last for several days).

I began to think this morning about the need to reverse my "negative Nelly" attitude and the old adage - 'is your cup half full or half empty' - came to mind (of course, that assumes you have a cup which may soon become a thing of the past since we all must live so consciously consumed by thoughts of how we can change our behavior and habits to save our dying environment - it's taboo to use plastic, or paper or styrofoam, or aluminum or glass).

Anyway, if you have a cup, it should be half full and that's the way I'd want mine to be, honestly.

I said all that to tell you this - this time of year when I take the young ones to school I have to drive over 3 miles due East right when the sun is rising - historically, on 'negative Nelly' days, it has been a huge irritant and only served to start my mornings off on a bad note due to the glaring sun shining in the car window (ya know, it's too low for the visor to have any effect and your sun glasses just don't do the trick).

But, this morning, in my effort to have a cup half full - I took great wonder and amazement in the beautiful sunrise that God gave us -



Here's to a cup that should always be half full!! Have a blessed night!