I may have moved a little too quickly for my baby in the last couple of weeks. I moved her to a new daycare, I am trying to start weaning her from her bottle and she has been moved to her crib in her own room. She is handling the changes pretty well so far but she fusses more than usual. I am not sure if that is because she is about to be a toddler or just because she likes things the way they were.
I am in the process of sending out invitations to Xyla's 1st birthday party. I decided to give Walmart one last shot. I decided to try out their online photo lab. I mean I have a photo business and it would be nice to be able to send stuff there to have it printed. Of course I am not going to do that unless I have tried it out first.
I know I shouldn't hold previous grievances against anyone but this store keeps singing it's own praises and I get sucked into the current a little. Then when I think things are going well I get my hopes dashed on the rocks. The more you get hit the harder it is to forgive. Thankfully with businesses you can go somewhere else for the same thing. I have all the formula I need to get Xyla through the end of the month, I have to buy her diapers somewhere else now because even though they carry the right brand they don't carry the right style. You would think that Huggies are Huggies no matter what fit you buy but that is so not the case. As it turns out a case of the Huggies I need for Xyla are cheaper at Target. Who'da thunk it? What I am saying is I don't buy diapers there anymore either.
I am not bashing my head at the pharmacy wall anymore so I thought the photo department might actually be the last depot on this crazy train ride that is Wal Mart that would be the redeeming factor. Sadly the following is the case:
I was very proud of the invitation I put together for Xyla's birthday. I got to fool around with digi scrapbooking with my photoshop program, I even included her daddy by using a picture he took of her. I just needed a place to print them up. Most of the print shops locally are pretty expensive so I thought. Why not try Wal Mart.com. They have templates so you can make cards, postcards etc. I got through the online process, grudgingly gave them my card information (I hate buying online but for orders of the size of mine you can only buy them online - a fact they don't tell you until you have already gone through all the effort. Which is fantastic strategy really because after you go through all that you are reluctant to have to do it all again somewhere else. Even for someone who is fairly savvy at this, it was still a pain in my left foot. But I digress . . .) that is when they tell you it will take two weeks for delivery. Are they kidding? It is a good thing I ordered them early because right now I am still within a courteous amount of time to get the invites out the door even if they come on the late side of the window.
They also tell you that they will email you and let you know when your order is finished and when you can come get them from the store. They so don't. I called them yesterday to find out they had had my order since Thursday of last week. I told them I would be in to get them as soon as possible. It was 11:30 by the time I finally made it over there. (PIck up tapes, send off tapes, deliver tapes to local shows, get other work done and oh, did I mention pick up my daughter from her daycare because she had some unusual poo issues?)
I get there with the resolve of doing nothing but picking up the pictures so to begin my boycott of the store. The guy behind the counter looks for them for 15 minutes (I soon regretted my decision not to put Xyla in a cart even though we weren't actually shopping - it only takes her five minutes to decide she needs to unstock the shelves closest to the floor then try to wiggle her way down there. After 10 minutes I set her down so she could touch stuff.) The guy behind the counter I feel sorry for because this doesn't seem to be his department. He informs me the lab techs are at lunch and he can't find them. He goes through various drawers that hold different types of photo orders at least 4 times. I understand his pain but he has to understand that I am not interested in dragging my kid through the store twice for something that was absolutely there this morning.
Finally he goes through the bag of stuff that just came in and finds an envelope that says it contains my order. I should know better than to walk off without inspecting the order first. I opened the packet somewhere around half way out the store and realize only half of my order is there. I go back to the counter and the poor guy looks terrified that I am back. I tell him I only have half of my order. He gives me a number to call. I didn't say anything horrible to him though it was in my mind to do so. I know it wasn't his fault. Then again how am I supposed to know when the Wal Mart employees take their lunch breaks? I would think you would pass on information like, "This person called to confirm her order and said she'd be in today to pick it up. In case she comes in while we are at lunch, I put it here."
Customer service is not what it used to be.
I get home and call the number. The lady who answers the labs phone (which is in Texas by the way) tells me I need to call the store and see if the one hour will print the order. I told her I didn't even know if they did those at this store. She said she would make a call and find out and get things worked out. Seems so helpful right? When I ask her name (which when you call back someone always asks who you talked to and you tell them and they say we don't have anyone who works here with that name.) she says, "Celia" then I asked for a last name, she says, "I am the only one here with that name." Come on it's not like I am going to google you and find out where you live. I am not upset at Celia, i am upset at the process. So I say, "Celia, I would really like to have your last name please." She obliges and I get her extension as well. The worst thing when you are trying to get kinks worked out is dealing with a new person every time you call, the second worst is having to explain the same situation 15 times until someone finally admits they can help you.
I call the stores photo lab and low and behold they have found the rest of my order. What a surprise. So I trek into the store for what will now definitely be the last time pick up my order and say good bye to any further Wal Mart Frustrations. Yea, I am free.
If you have stuck it out this far I am proud of you. For the good news portion of this show I present to you that Xyla has been saying thank you for the last two days and understands it is something you say after an item has been transfered from her to another person or from another person to her. Now I just need to get her to say please when she wants something. I think we are off to a good start.
She just talks and talks and talks. She talks with her hands too. She was telling some story to her uncle Grelan and with emphasis she raises one hand high in the air and with the appropriate swoon of inflection bends her knees and swoops her hands real low to the ground. I can't imagine what she thought she was communicating but I can't wait to hear her stories when her words go from vocabulary mush to actual stories. I envision many "She Said" posts.
On the first of May Xyla will get the last shots she will need for a while. We were at the doctor yesterday to get a take on her poo issue and she was a little afraid of the guy with the doctor mask on his face. After the first she probably won't like him when he takes it off either. Maybe I could get him to wear it when he gives the shot so that she will think the mean man that stabs her with needles is different from the doctor who makes her feel better. It's worth a shot . . . I mean a try.
So far trying to get her to sleep in her own crib is challenging but it was worth the months that she slept right next to me. I am excited to see what our future holds. My life wouldn't be the same without her.
I am in the process of sending out invitations to Xyla's 1st birthday party. I decided to give Walmart one last shot. I decided to try out their online photo lab. I mean I have a photo business and it would be nice to be able to send stuff there to have it printed. Of course I am not going to do that unless I have tried it out first.
I know I shouldn't hold previous grievances against anyone but this store keeps singing it's own praises and I get sucked into the current a little. Then when I think things are going well I get my hopes dashed on the rocks. The more you get hit the harder it is to forgive. Thankfully with businesses you can go somewhere else for the same thing. I have all the formula I need to get Xyla through the end of the month, I have to buy her diapers somewhere else now because even though they carry the right brand they don't carry the right style. You would think that Huggies are Huggies no matter what fit you buy but that is so not the case. As it turns out a case of the Huggies I need for Xyla are cheaper at Target. Who'da thunk it? What I am saying is I don't buy diapers there anymore either.
I am not bashing my head at the pharmacy wall anymore so I thought the photo department might actually be the last depot on this crazy train ride that is Wal Mart that would be the redeeming factor. Sadly the following is the case:
I was very proud of the invitation I put together for Xyla's birthday. I got to fool around with digi scrapbooking with my photoshop program, I even included her daddy by using a picture he took of her. I just needed a place to print them up. Most of the print shops locally are pretty expensive so I thought. Why not try Wal Mart.com. They have templates so you can make cards, postcards etc. I got through the online process, grudgingly gave them my card information (I hate buying online but for orders of the size of mine you can only buy them online - a fact they don't tell you until you have already gone through all the effort. Which is fantastic strategy really because after you go through all that you are reluctant to have to do it all again somewhere else. Even for someone who is fairly savvy at this, it was still a pain in my left foot. But I digress . . .) that is when they tell you it will take two weeks for delivery. Are they kidding? It is a good thing I ordered them early because right now I am still within a courteous amount of time to get the invites out the door even if they come on the late side of the window.
They also tell you that they will email you and let you know when your order is finished and when you can come get them from the store. They so don't. I called them yesterday to find out they had had my order since Thursday of last week. I told them I would be in to get them as soon as possible. It was 11:30 by the time I finally made it over there. (PIck up tapes, send off tapes, deliver tapes to local shows, get other work done and oh, did I mention pick up my daughter from her daycare because she had some unusual poo issues?)
I get there with the resolve of doing nothing but picking up the pictures so to begin my boycott of the store. The guy behind the counter looks for them for 15 minutes (I soon regretted my decision not to put Xyla in a cart even though we weren't actually shopping - it only takes her five minutes to decide she needs to unstock the shelves closest to the floor then try to wiggle her way down there. After 10 minutes I set her down so she could touch stuff.) The guy behind the counter I feel sorry for because this doesn't seem to be his department. He informs me the lab techs are at lunch and he can't find them. He goes through various drawers that hold different types of photo orders at least 4 times. I understand his pain but he has to understand that I am not interested in dragging my kid through the store twice for something that was absolutely there this morning.
Finally he goes through the bag of stuff that just came in and finds an envelope that says it contains my order. I should know better than to walk off without inspecting the order first. I opened the packet somewhere around half way out the store and realize only half of my order is there. I go back to the counter and the poor guy looks terrified that I am back. I tell him I only have half of my order. He gives me a number to call. I didn't say anything horrible to him though it was in my mind to do so. I know it wasn't his fault. Then again how am I supposed to know when the Wal Mart employees take their lunch breaks? I would think you would pass on information like, "This person called to confirm her order and said she'd be in today to pick it up. In case she comes in while we are at lunch, I put it here."
Customer service is not what it used to be.
I get home and call the number. The lady who answers the labs phone (which is in Texas by the way) tells me I need to call the store and see if the one hour will print the order. I told her I didn't even know if they did those at this store. She said she would make a call and find out and get things worked out. Seems so helpful right? When I ask her name (which when you call back someone always asks who you talked to and you tell them and they say we don't have anyone who works here with that name.) she says, "Celia" then I asked for a last name, she says, "I am the only one here with that name." Come on it's not like I am going to google you and find out where you live. I am not upset at Celia, i am upset at the process. So I say, "Celia, I would really like to have your last name please." She obliges and I get her extension as well. The worst thing when you are trying to get kinks worked out is dealing with a new person every time you call, the second worst is having to explain the same situation 15 times until someone finally admits they can help you.
I call the stores photo lab and low and behold they have found the rest of my order. What a surprise. So I trek into the store for what will now definitely be the last time pick up my order and say good bye to any further Wal Mart Frustrations. Yea, I am free.
If you have stuck it out this far I am proud of you. For the good news portion of this show I present to you that Xyla has been saying thank you for the last two days and understands it is something you say after an item has been transfered from her to another person or from another person to her. Now I just need to get her to say please when she wants something. I think we are off to a good start.
She just talks and talks and talks. She talks with her hands too. She was telling some story to her uncle Grelan and with emphasis she raises one hand high in the air and with the appropriate swoon of inflection bends her knees and swoops her hands real low to the ground. I can't imagine what she thought she was communicating but I can't wait to hear her stories when her words go from vocabulary mush to actual stories. I envision many "She Said" posts.
On the first of May Xyla will get the last shots she will need for a while. We were at the doctor yesterday to get a take on her poo issue and she was a little afraid of the guy with the doctor mask on his face. After the first she probably won't like him when he takes it off either. Maybe I could get him to wear it when he gives the shot so that she will think the mean man that stabs her with needles is different from the doctor who makes her feel better. It's worth a shot . . . I mean a try.
So far trying to get her to sleep in her own crib is challenging but it was worth the months that she slept right next to me. I am excited to see what our future holds. My life wouldn't be the same without her.
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