Here are two cute things from Alysa:

As I've mentioned, Alysa's hair is quite thin (although the texture is improving as she is getting better). The other day, Kayla went to brush her hair with an actual brush. I had to stop her b/c her curls are so tight, it would get stuck and be hard to get out. So then Alysa brought the brush to me and asked me to brush her hair - she has always loved this. As I'm brushing, she said, "Kayla can't brush her lot of hair, just Alysa's little hair. Kayla has a lot of hair. I have little hair."

Today, she had feeding therapy after missing for two weeks in a row. When we went in, her therapist asked her what she has been doing the past 2 weeks. Alysa's response? "Eating!" Music to all of our ears.

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I have been forced to wonder what has happened to Customer Service in our modern day. Some companies have managed to hold onto a strong sense of that and still work hard at taking care of their customers while others have not.

I am a huge fan of Longaberger. In fact, I'm actually a consultant, although I started doing it to feed my habit and currently have a few steady customers. I gave up on buying years ago when the girls came along. This past January was the first time in almost 4 years that I bought a basket for myself. Of course a month ago, Alysa decided it would make a good step stool. Now they are strong baskets, but the way she stood on it, the basket didn't have a chance. She messed it up pretty good. I sent it back to them for repair and I called a couple weeks later to get the status. The woman I spoke to had to have the repair department call me. Within two hours they called back and told me it was about to ship back to me. It was repaired at no charge and was back in my hands a few days later. Now that's what I call customer service.

Kodak, on the other hand is the complete opposite. Remember when my camera was sent for repair back in January and again in March? Well it was still broken so I have since been fighting for the replacement I was told I would get if I had two failed repairs. Why do I have to wait for two in the first place? Only they know. I wouldn't think it would be cost-effective to fix the camera. So they took my camera over a week ago, sent it back to the "repair" shop and are now giving me the run-around for my replacement. I have since asked for a refund which they refuse to give me. Personally I don't want another Kodak camera at this point but I'm stuck with it - if I ever get it back. They say I get a replacement because two repairs failed, yet now they say they were waiting on the repair shop to approve the replacement after inspecting my camera. Originally I was told that once the camera left my hands, my new one would be sent out in 3-5 business days. Now I'm told it will be 7-10 days from TODAY. Um...the girls have their gymnastics show on May 11th. Needless to say I'm freaking out. Yes, I have my old digital camera (they do not know this). But...although it takes good pictures, it is super slow between pictures and will severely hinder the pictures I will be able to get at the show. I told them about the show and I was told they'd send me 2 one-time use cameras. Do they seriously think those are a suitable substitute for any digital camera, let alone a $300 model? I told them to keep them. Supposedly they left it today that they would contact the replacement department and try to get them to expedite it - but I think he may have just said that to get me off the phone. Needless to say I will NEVER buy Kodak again and will certainly not recommend them. It is not because of the defective camera, but because of how they have failed to stand behind their product and correct the problem.

And if you want my opinion on why they sent the camera back to the repair shop when I was promised a replacement? So they can have them "fix" it and sell it as a refurbished model. So, beware of Kodak's refurbished products!!!

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In lighter news. My parents will be taking the girls for the ENTIRE weekend - Friday to Sunday. I am quite excited. Friday night, J and I will be doing something - not sure what yet. Saturday during the day I will be doing some digital scrap booking with a girlfriend and Saturday night, her and I and another girlfriend will be doing dinner and a comedy club. Sometime in between I'm supposed to work on catching up with some household stuff - check book balancing, ebay auctions, etc. Any bets on how much productive work I get done?