Best NoteEver..

So the other day T1 was mad at me because I made her do her writing assignment. She really didn't want to do it, especially after she and her brother had put it off until the afternoon. This is what I got:

The letters are a little faint. It says: Dear Mama, Thank you fore everything. But will you remind me to do it in the mornings. Sincerely, your child Abby.

She wrote that all proud like, then came in and slapped it down in my lap like I should be offended that she wrote it. I'm not sure what part is "offending" in her mind, but it got the assignment done. It also got her to realize that she NEEDS to get her school done in the mornings and not wait until the afternoons. She can't focus - AT ALL - in the afternoons. It's like trying to wrestle wet alligators while ice skating to get her to get lessons done in the afternoon. In the mornings, she just does them with no problems.

Dogs...

So as of late, I've been the worst doggie mom you really could imagine. Neither dog has been in to get played with, petted, loved on. They've been fed, and put out an in, and given fresh water daily but that's about it. Compared with a couple of  months ago when we had them both in nearly constantly, that's a big change.  This is due partially to the kittens - and Timmy's fear of them and Minnie's desire to eat them - but mostly sheer laziness on my part. They both got a bit excitable after the kittens and I simply didn't put the effort in to fix the behavior.

As you read this you might be thinking: "Go fix it then, if you feel guilty you fool! Don't just write "Ohhh poor meeeee!"  Well, gee thanks!  I am! The goal for this week is dog reform school. Yesterday was baths. That was not pretty, but it got done. Today, both dogs are currently on their pinch collars and leashes at my feet (hence the 1 handed typing). I don't know what's after that, but by golly naughty dogs will be reformed!!

Happy Meals..

We've had the Stomach Death Virus Plague of Doom.  It's an ugly little fella that lingers.. and lingers.. Just to linger around some more. (And yes, just like the Death Flu a few months ago.. *I* brought it home somehow.. I'm gonna get blamed for everything anyhow, so I may as well claim it..) I could go on in extensive detail about urgent care, IVs, the current rice and Sprite diet, middle of the night yarking..

But.. Instead lets talk about Happy Meals. Because apparently to 2 kids who haven't eaten in 4 days, those darn little nasty things are the "Best Thing EVER".  Today is the first day both/either have been able to eat without stomach cramps and we were out at OT anyhow and I told them as soon as they could hold food in, I'd get them something "yummy".  And EVER BETTER?!???! (According to a very puny, but excited 5 year old) They give you fries AND apples automatically!! He said it best as "Sweeeeeeet, I get 2 unhealthy fried things in my lunch now!!!!!"  *Shudder* Yes, dear. Today, you do. Please, please don't throw them up.

Oddly, McDonald's got the food AND toy correct which was an added bonus (and a rare occurrence) and those 2 puny kids sat - very happy, with a Happy Meal. 

And now?? We shall see, but they are both laying around like beached whales watching VeggieTales (which is another subject ALL together). But considering neither have eaten in several days and they both just ate most of their food and some chocolate milk, rather them beach themselves than twirl and bounce and shake that all up..

The Demon Insurance..

We rely on health insurance, like most people, to pay for doctors visits, therapy, prescriptions and everything else "Health" related. C's insurance got sold to from Atlas to Chevron with no notice or consent. The previous insurance was great! It covered all of T1's therapies, meds, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, EVERYTHING as long as we processed everything the way they wanted. Whatever, I'll resubmit a few claims to make you happy.

This new "Insurance" even with the added PAID FOR mental health rider doesn't cover any of T1's current providers "In-Network". At all. Well. That in itself isn't all that big of a deal or surprise. Most reputable places would submit the charges, get them back as "out-of-network" and get them to pay the whatever % and charge us the rest. But No, it gets even better. Morton, one of the ONLY places in town that has a pediatric psych (and the one she's gone to for 2-3 years now and that has gotten her nice and stable) and where she goes to behavioral refuses to. They won't even acknowledge she HAS insurance because "it's too much work and they COULD submit the claims but well, they don't want to." THEY DON'T WANT TO.  So, to continue to go to that facility it's $112 per visit and it won't even go towards the out-of-network deductible - because "they don't want to".


Well. A few things happened with this visit.

1. We saw the pediatric psych. Even for $112, I'm not willing to screw with my kid's meds and to get the meds, we have to see him. Plus there really IS no one else in town I'm willing to take her to. He really IS one of the best in town and we don't have to see him but every several months for a quick check.

2. We may be really screwed when it comes to T1's occupational therapy. I'll probably find that out tomorrow or next week, whenever I talk to the gal over there about it. The good one about that is that lady is more competent that THOSE people at Morton and actually CARE if people get treatment and don't try to dissuade you from being seen. I loved the "Yeah, this visit isn't going to be covered, should I call them and tell them you aren't going?" Umm No, you really shouldn't.. "But, it's gonna cost like $120." So.... It's mood stabilizing drugs for an autistic 7 year old.. I kinda need those. But thanks.

3. My idea of a "detailed receipt" to submit independently and THEIR idea of a "detailed receipt" are NOT the same. I envisioned one with DETAILS. So I can SUBMIT it. So even if They refuse to submit the claims, we can go and submit them for out-of-network credit. There is more than one way to skin a cat, you know.  Apparently, THEIR idea of a "detailed" receipt shows "vscow" (which is oddly the person who took the payments' name) and the dollar amount. Umm.. Not helpful. I need codes, dates, items, etc.. You know the details you use to FILE INSURANCE that you are refusing to do "because you don't want to".

4. We may be in the market for a new behavioral therapist, AGAIN. Or just going once a month until we end up changing insurance again - which will be in 6 months or less. Have I mentioned I am LOVING insurance today?? Which is just killing me. T1 really likes her behavioralist and seems to be making some real progress, but at the same time, is it worth $112 per visit? Because, well. Ehh.. Not as much really. I mean there are some really GREAT things out there but she's just not THAT great. She's worth like.. $25-$30 an hour, but but really over $110 to do stuff I realistically can and DO at home..?

5. Best part ever, this entire thing took 2 hours. 2 hours to be told useless information. Even better? It made us 45 minutes late for another appointment that we had to reschedule. Thankfully, that was done easily, but RRGGG.

Sinuses.

Nope.. still right up there with the Worst Sinus Infection EVER. The Mothera of Sinus Infections if you will. Apparently you should NOT wait until blood drips from your face regularly to go to the doctor even IF it is inconvenient to wait. Lesson learned. Not only does it take forever for the antibiotics to work, it also irritates the underlying autoimmune disorder that makes it so easy for said person to get sinus infections, thus making it even more snotty, congested, pus-y and bloody. Good to know. Good to know..

Yuck!

So, I've decided I'm done. With blood coming out of my sinuses. It's not pouring out, just.. Coming out. But it hurts. And it kinda makes me feel like I'm drowning in.. well.. blood in my sinuses. After 3 calls and 2 more visits over 2 days I FINALLY got the prescription issue at Target solved, but it also means it took an extra day to get antibiotics started. I guess I just have to wait for them to work at this point, but I don't *like* it.


HOUSEWIFE

The word "Housewife" has become a 4-letter word in our house. Especially when spat out by T2 as of late. The charming little chap has decided (and Oh SO happily shared in public, repeatedly) that "Momma is a Plain Ol' Housewife. She doesn't have a job and doesn't DO anything." The first time he decided to share this new wisdom of his, C took him and explained what a "Plain Ol' Housewife" was and that HE didn't think that's what *I* was - nor should T2 - and that it was rude, etc. Great. An appropriate response. We hadn't heard anything else from The Land of the Housewife until Tuesday at the Allergist (you know right  before The Target Incident ). I'm talking with the nurse about the dripping bloody sinuses and how I probably really should have some medication for that. He climbs in my lap and says to her "My momma is just a Plain 'Ol Housewife and can't even have a job. I don't think she even wants one."  Now, I loved the response from the nurse - who apparently gets odd comments from kids all the time- who silently giggled and did nothing but type. I looked down at my now not-so- precious child who go dumped on the floor and closed his mouth for him. No, I didn't smack the child (not that he didn't deserve it) but I did put my hand over his mouth and tell that boy to hush.

Now, I must point out that the boy received the LONGEST time out EVER when we got home based on general attitude and tone. Oddly, his mood and words have been surprisingly kind since then, but I do wonder if it's just some who is offended by the word "Housewife" let alone the idea what the boy considers what I do being a "Plain Ol' Housewife".  I guess I AM technically a housewife.

The definition is:

house·wife

 [hous-wahyf or, usually, huhz-if for 2] Show IPA noun, plural -wives  [-wahyvz] Show IPA, verb, -wifed, -wif·ing.

noun

1.

a married woman who manages her own household, especially as her principal occupation.

 

But then this as well:

 Usage note
1. Housewife  is offensive to some, perhaps because of an implied contrast with career woman  ( just a housewife ) and perhaps because it defines an occupation in terms of a woman's relation to a man. Homemaker  is a common substitute.

 

 

Now. Not to be confusing, C has never (if rarely) made me feel "less than" him because I stay home with T1 and T2. Economically, he IS capable of earning more and he just isn't suited to the daily ins and outs of the house .. crap.. He needs the routine of being AT work with people. I don't like people. I'm ok with that. But I have just as much education, skill training, etc as HIM.. But the kids don't SEE that because I use those skills to homeschool THEM, pay the bills, do his accounting stuff, and all the stuff here vs putting them in school and daycare to get paid to do it for someone else THEN come home and do it here too. 

 

 I guess the long and short of it, I suppose, is I shouldn't get too tied into what a 5 year old boy says about what I do. He also currently swears he's going to have kids, but NEVER EVER change diapers and never have a Jack-in-the-box toy in his house, ever. I've tried to convince him that perhaps his future spouse may not be so happy about his decrees, but he's really sure both those things are sooooo happening. 

When the Sieve Goes..

It goes. Everything can be moving along.. Ok.. and then Not. Don't you love how everything breaks at once?? And in reality, it's probably NOT that everything broke all at once, just the perception that it broke all at once and that you suddenly want to leap over the counter at Target and bludgeon the bleach blond bitch who works there. And you are QUITE certain it's because it's "the other Target" not the one you normally go to, but the one that happened to be closer to the doctor's office.  The snide tone when she can't figure out which CHILD you are. Well, Darling, last time *I* checked *I* wasn't a CHILD on my insurance so I shouldn't be LISTED as one. But.. whatever. Or 3 hours it takes to get 3 prescriptions ready. I didn't realize slapping a label on something was so damned hard OR take 4 people.  This is after going to the doctor to be told I have a pussing sinus infection and will be on antibiotics for 3 weeks again. But before spraying Afrin in my eye, which tingles BTW.  Now, to be fair, I don't KNOW it's going to take the pharmacy 3 hours to get the prescriptions ready. I'm already back at home and they still had no idea where they were in their system. They are still essentially lost. So it could be MUCH longer than 3 hours. I gave up when I looked at the girl and gave her the "pity" speech. I do really like to do that. Be mean, come back, then give them the pity speech. It's really a fine art. You get the joy of being slightly mean to the Hoeboken Hoebag that deserves it, but then the sympathy and AWWWW of poor thing and your problems all solved. It also helped I happened to be getting a new Epi-Pen and steroids with the antibiotics. You shout "But I really NEED my Epi-Pen and Steroids.. What am I supposed to do..?????" and then look sad.. It works almost every time. Now, if only I could get those darned meds.

So really, it's probably just irritation at Target pharmacy and the incompetent cow who works there, but.. It stings even more when you get grouchy at the kids when they start imitating the way Hoeboken Hoebag is talking because they think it's funny, not really knowing how rude the clerk had been. And you have to actually explain politely to them why it's not right. Unfortunately, sometimes telling them to shut it comes first. As does threatening to send them back to New Jersey in a sealed box.