Swim & Gym

Calleigh's big activity for this week (and Thursdays for the next five weeks) was going to the RDV Sportsplex on Thursdays morning from 9:30 - 11:30 for something called "Swim & Gym."  Essentially you get to spend an hour swimming and then an hour doing activities in the gym (but then, you were probably smart enough to figure that out from the name).  Kind of reminds me of how we would go to the YMCA when we were kids.  I vividly remember that for some reason.  Anyway, the usual Swim & Gym time is in the late afternoons but that just didn't work for us nor did it work for the Bergherms and Zbaraschuks so we got them to do a special one just for us.  So Blake, Zachary, and Calleigh are the only kids who go to this one.  I really have to get my giddy-up on to get out the door by 9 (considering that the kids often don't get out of bed until just about 8) but we did manage to make it.  As it would turn out, Calleigh decided she didn't want to be left there.  I figured she would need a few minutes to just get comfortable and then she would be fine.  That entailed my getting a special visitor's pass and then lugging the car seat (you couldn't bring a stroller) and Aubree through a bunch of hallways and stairways.  During this whole time, Aubree was chatting up a storm to the teacher.  Aubree somehow had it in her head that she was part of the Swim & Gym and she kept telling the teacher "I'm just going to put my feet in."  This is definitely Aubree's favorite phrase when anyone mentions swimming to her.  As I expected, Calleigh quickly became comfortable with the situation and we were able to leave without incident.  Aubree's spirits were slightly crushed when she realized she wasn't going to be able to put her feet in but I quickly distracted her with a snack.  

Since we're about a 20 minute drive from the RDV, I didn't want to go home and then have to come back so I decided to just get my groceries at the Publix near by.  Lately I've been doing my grocery shopping on Fridays since there is a $5 off coupon that can be used only on the weekend but sometimes it's good for Thursdays too and such was the case this week.  Boy, is it ever easier shopping without Calleigh.  I'm sure I could say the same if it was just Calleigh without Aubree.  It's so nice not having to break up fights between the two every few minutes or so. Aubree sat in "front seat" for most of the time and then the remainder of the time she just walked right beside me, perfectly behaved.  Brady was in the Bjorn and we didn't hear a peep out of him.  

After we picked Calleigh up, Jennifer wanted to go get some information about ice skating lessons so we traipsed over to the rink area.  On one of the rinks there was a man and woman practicing their figure skating and the kids were all intrigued by this.  They all just sat on the bench in silence (well, except Aubree who insisted I hold her because her bum was cold) and stared.  Jennifer and I muttered to ourselves that this is where we should be coming from now on for entertainment.  It's nice and cool in there and free to watch.  

This morning it was another rush to get out of the house because I had at least one good yard sale lined up.  You want to get there early before someone else takes the good stuff!  There wasn't a whole lot out there besides that one.  Our journey ended over near Trotwood Park in Winter Springs so we decided to head over there as it wasn't quite time to head home.  Of course, there's the splash fountains there but since I hadn't planned on the outing there, I hadn't brought bathing suits.  Calleigh was especially disappointed but I told them they could just go to the regular playground.  But then, as I was getting the stroller out of the back, I saw the bathing suits still in there that they had worn on Monday in Sanford.  Jackpot.  Calleigh was so excited and Aubree was very matter of fact when she told me "Thank, Mom.  Good job."  The only thing I was missing was sunblock but they were in a good deal of shade most of the time so it was fine.  We only stayed about an hour because we had to get home to be there for when the DirecTV repair man hopefully came.  Emphasis on the hopefully.

So yeah, DirecTV.  They are SO lucky that I have no other way to watch football games or else they would have been fired many moons ago.  To be fair, I don't think we've had any problems in years.  In fact, I think the last time we did was the time they sent someone to install or repair the dish up on our roof and the guy was afraid of heights.  I kid you not.  Anywho, Duncan had cut those branches on the tree and we thought all was well but then suddenly you could only do one thing at a time.  In other words, you couldn't be recording one thing and then watching a different channel at the same time.  Definitely a big problem.  So we called and scheduled a service call on Tuesday between 4 - 8.  He called earlier in the day and said he would be there during that time.  Finally around 7, he calls again and says he won't be able to make it because he has a lot to do on his current call.  Okay, fine.  He says he'll be on Wednesday between 4 - 8.  Wednesday afternoon rolls around and he calls to say, no, he can't make it that day but he can schedule a call for Thursday between 4 - 8.  Thursday comes and I don't hear a peep from anyone.  Finally around 6, I call the main number and they say they'll email the local branch who does the repairs and let know I'm asking when the repair person will be there.  No call other than from an intermediary of some sort who says the same thing.  The local office will call me in 15 minutes.  Nope, no call.  By now it's 7 and I'm figuring it's not going to happen.  So I call the main number, again,  and we go through the whole process yet again (keep in mind that each time someone talks to you, they ask to verify your name, your address, you phone number, your alternate phone number, what you ate for breakfast, yada, yada, yada.  It's not a two minute call).  I ask the guy, I just want to know if the guy is coming or not.  Can't you call the local office (this coming after I ask for the local phone number but apparently that is super classified information)?  And he says, I'll send an email.  Hmm, that sounds like the same line they used on me an hour ago and it got us nowhere.  So I ask again, sir, is there any way you could, you know, just pick up the phone and call them to find out.  It's like he didn't even hear me.  I'm sending an email right now he says.  I say to him, so you're telling me you have absolutely no way of calling the local branch?  Ma'am, I'll send them an email and let them know you're trying to reach them he says.  I come back with don't you think it would be SO much easier if you could just have a two minute conversation wherein you ask them hey, are you going to get over to the Grodacks tonight and then they say no, we aren't going to make it.  I kid you not, this guy goes into yet again, I'm just going to send them an email.  That's our process.  I'm the biggest fan of email over a phone call but this was just taking it to the extreme.  Meanwhile, during this whole conversation, Aubree is trying to grab the phone out of my hand and keeps saying "Let me talk to him, let me talk to him."  I have no clue who she thought I was actually talking to but I should have put her on to give him a piece of her mind.  After that whole pointless call, the intermediary person calls again a few minutes later to say that the local company would call me in 15 minutes.  Before she can give me that nugget of useless information she asks me "Can you confirm your address?"  I did all I could to stop myself from yelling "YES, I STILL LIVE ON 1492 RAVIOLI STREET.  I HAVE NOT MOVED IN THE 10 MINUTES SINCE SOMEONE LAST VERIFIED IT."  And then, you guessed it, they never called me.  

This morning Duncan ended up getting a call and he said he would be here between 12 - 4 (didn't want to get in a Sabbath conflict with the 4 - 8 window) and I'm happy to say, he came at 2:30.  He was here for almost four hours if you can believe it.  He said he had never been to a house with so many problems but he finally got it all fixed.  How it was working at all if there were so many problems, I do not know.  I hope this ends the saga for at least the next few years or at least until DirecTV loses their contract with the NFL and I can seek other options.  The one good thing I will say is that yesterday amidst all my frustrations, they did give me a $50 credit on my account without my asking.  

Okay, enough about that.  Let's switch to something else.  I wonder if Calleigh sensed my frustrations with things because late this afternoon (while the repair guy was still here), Calleigh talked about Daddy taking her and Aubree over to Grandma and Grandpa's to go swimming that way, she says "you can have some alone time."  Then, when we were doing prayers tonight, she prayed "Help Mommy to not have to do so many things that she has to do because she has three children."  And then there is Aubs.  Honestly, I end up having to tune her prayers out because she prays like the elderly man at church who goes on and on for like 10 minutes while your knees are killing you on the hard floor ("Bless the poor children in Africa, etc, etc").  After she's gone on for a minute or two I try to wrap things up by saying "In Jesus name, amen."  But she'll cut me off and say she's not done and on and on she goes.  It's either that or it's the super quick prayer that goes "Dear Jesus, thank you for the food. Amen."  Even though we're getting ready for bed.  

Last but not least, Brady is still hanging around even though he's barely been mentioned here.  The last few days I've noticed that his little tiny hand is reaching out to try and grab at things on the bar over his little rocker.  At least, I'm pretty sure that's what he's doing.  Sometimes it's hard to tell if he's just waving his arms and hands around and accidentally comes into contact with it.  But I'm pretty sure it's intentional. 

Okay, I'm tired and I need to get to bed.  Have a Happy Sabbath!

The girls dressed up pretending it was winter.  Hey, it practically was today.  It was only 86!