It's been a long week. Lots and lots of snow, one snow day, one delay and lots of gas to plow the driveway that is getting smaller and smaller by the day. If it doesn't melt down a bit before much more there wont be any driveway at all left. Everyone has colds... except me, I am not sick for the first time in months. I don't have high hopes of it lasting, by the time they are over it- I'll have it back.
Rylan had his 18 month check up today, he is 22.8 pounds and 34 inches. He was, as usual awful, god forbid anyone look at him or touch him. It started out good but then the nurse talked to him and it was downhill from there all the way to a full blown fit. Usually this isn't to bad, I've found that anywhere other than the ped office (hey they are use to it) it gets us quicker service. No doubt because people want us to take him far far away so they don't have to hear him. I don't have that option so instead I choose to just enjoy the speed boost and dirty looks. She (his dr) said one if his tubes is already coming out, I thought that they would last a little longer than a month or two, at least until I got them paid for- I haven't even finish arguing with the insurabce company yet :(
Made it through January, I have done great on my resolution to work out more. It's been almost a year since I quit smoking, and during that year I got fat. I'm not sure when exactly but I put on a lot of weight, my goal for year two is to get it back off and fit in my clothes again. If only it were as easy as putting it on. My resolution to give up the diet Pepsi however has not been even slightly successful, better luck next month.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
bowling
Saige went bowling with all the pre-K kids this morning. I have to say I was so nervous the first time I went into the classroom and there were 18 short people, I got over it fast. It was a bit more intimidating to see 50 of them get off the bus this morning, lol. Luckily there were lots of parents and it worked out nicely. Saige got bored before her balls actually made it to the pins- we jammed the thing twice. Have you ever seen a ball going so slow it was stopped buy a pin? It was cute and a lot of fun.
Rylan has many new words, most with a w sound, lol. He likes to say hello to Lola, wello woowa. Sponge Bob is his newest, as far as I know he has never seen Spongebob other than his jammies and a toy of Saige's. He wears his boots a lot, he spends a lot of time hobbling around with one on, wearing his hat and trying to put on his mittens and other boot at the same time. It's fun to watch.
The happiest boy in the world
Thursday, January 15, 2009
My little bum and more Blue Cross Blue Shield headaches
Saige stayed home from school today. I went in this morning and she rolled around moaning that she didn't feel well, her throat and her belly hurt. I believe her throat hurt, she was coughing all night. It's been a couple days that she's had a nasty cough at night but during the day she is perfectly fine so I haven't called the doctor yet. I'm not sure if I should or not. Part of me says error on the side of caution, the other part says you are going to get a bill for hundreds of dollars for nothing that will require more phones that very well may be the death of me, one of these days I am convinced my head is really going to explode from these phone calls. Anyway, as soon as it was past the time that it would be worth it to take her school- she was amazingly healed and bouncing all over the place. This is the second time she has done this. I don't want to force her to go, I would feel absolutely awful to the a call from the nurse wondering why I sent her if she really was sick. On the other hand, I don't want her making a habit of it. She loves school, just seems she gets overtired and doesn't want to get out of bed. Gee I can't wait until she is a teenager.
Back to insurance... according to the hospital, the bill was one I had previously called on twice and was told it was taken care of. Still not sure why it came from somewhere else but whatever. They did tell me that there seems to have been a glitch from Blue Cross Blue Shield for the second year in a row. I know things happen, but they have never sent a letter or notified anyone in anyway what so ever. You would think that if there was a mistake and they KNOW that all there subscribers who had service in a certain time frame were getting screwed that they would at the very least post a notice somewhere. I asked why they didn't on my last phone call and all I got was a whole lot of umms and umm I don't think we were aware of the problem.
This is not the first time the doctors office (a different one) has told me it has happened to a whole mess of people. I think they are doing it on purpose in an effort not to pay out hoping that people who don't have hours of free time to try to get help over the phone, or just don't realize will pay. It's criminal, and they know EXACTLY what they are doing. I wish I could afford a lawyer, I am not a suing person but I would love to see them forced to stop taking advantage of hard working people. I would love to be reimbursed what I overpaid AND minimum wage for the HOURS I have spent on the phone trying to straighten out their mistakes. In many cases mistakes that they promised would be fixed but required more phone calls and many more hours to actually have it happen. I would also love it if they hired employees who were actually helpful, not paid to give you the run around.
I don't know if this is a Blue Cross Blue Shield problem in general or strictly a BCBS of Mass. problem but if you have them and you are reading, I would strongly urge you to take a second look at your medical charges. I'm called hubbys work to ask them to notify the other employees of this non existent glitch. I got a corporate number to call. Wish me luck.
Back to insurance... according to the hospital, the bill was one I had previously called on twice and was told it was taken care of. Still not sure why it came from somewhere else but whatever. They did tell me that there seems to have been a glitch from Blue Cross Blue Shield for the second year in a row. I know things happen, but they have never sent a letter or notified anyone in anyway what so ever. You would think that if there was a mistake and they KNOW that all there subscribers who had service in a certain time frame were getting screwed that they would at the very least post a notice somewhere. I asked why they didn't on my last phone call and all I got was a whole lot of umms and umm I don't think we were aware of the problem.
This is not the first time the doctors office (a different one) has told me it has happened to a whole mess of people. I think they are doing it on purpose in an effort not to pay out hoping that people who don't have hours of free time to try to get help over the phone, or just don't realize will pay. It's criminal, and they know EXACTLY what they are doing. I wish I could afford a lawyer, I am not a suing person but I would love to see them forced to stop taking advantage of hard working people. I would love to be reimbursed what I overpaid AND minimum wage for the HOURS I have spent on the phone trying to straighten out their mistakes. In many cases mistakes that they promised would be fixed but required more phone calls and many more hours to actually have it happen. I would also love it if they hired employees who were actually helpful, not paid to give you the run around.
I don't know if this is a Blue Cross Blue Shield problem in general or strictly a BCBS of Mass. problem but if you have them and you are reading, I would strongly urge you to take a second look at your medical charges. I'm called hubbys work to ask them to notify the other employees of this non existent glitch. I got a corporate number to call. Wish me luck.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
some pictures
We went ice skating today, it was Saige's first time, and the first for us since we were kids. I didn't last too long, it was fun but my poor ankle is going to make me regret it. Why is it that I am not even 30 yet have aches and pains like an 80 year old? Saige loved it and didn't want to stop. Big change from the kid who all week whined that she didn't want to go in fear of falling. I finally told her she had to fall to see it didn't hurt and to learn. So she fell a few times all proud of here self that it didn't hurt. Then she fell and it did hurt. She wanted to quit but I went and sat with her and pointed out all the little kids her size and smaller that were falling all over the place and getting right back up without any tears and she finally admitted she was more scared than hurt and went back to it. I tried to take pictures but mostly got glares from the glass. I had to include this one. If you look closely that is Robby trying to get back up, his sister and Vin standing in front of him laughing at him, and the boys behind him laughing at him. Saige, I think is underneath him somewhere or maybe trying to climb his right leg.
What a ham. This must be the booger man's I'm too sexy for my pants pose. Seriously his nose has been running nonstop since.... forever. I will clean it and five minutes later it looks like no one has wiped his face in days. I break out the baby wipes before we go in a store and by the time we are checking out he's giving dirty looks ( he does not smile when people talk to him- he shoots death rays with his eyes) with nasty crusty boogers. I swear there is a conspiracy to make me look like a worse mom than I am.
This one is Saige after school Friday. Look closely at her butt. Notice the zipper and snaps, notice the flowers on the back of her left leg, the flowers that should be on the front of her right leg. Now she is four, and she wears these backwards every time she wears them because when they were designed someone, somewhere said "hey, moms everywhere teach their kids that the tag goes in the back, so lets screw with them and put the tag in the front". I remind her when I set them out the night before but she doesn't remember by morning and puts the tag in the back. I don't do mornings, Rob gets her on the bus. I know men (at least my man) can be completely clueless but how can he miss the fact that she has a zipper on her butt EVERY time she wears these which is quite often seeing as she only had a few that fit right. Most of the 4T's fall off of her. The 3Ts are perfect around the waist but look more like capris than pants. No doubt her teacher wonders what the heck is wrong with us.
What a ham. This must be the booger man's I'm too sexy for my pants pose. Seriously his nose has been running nonstop since.... forever. I will clean it and five minutes later it looks like no one has wiped his face in days. I break out the baby wipes before we go in a store and by the time we are checking out he's giving dirty looks ( he does not smile when people talk to him- he shoots death rays with his eyes) with nasty crusty boogers. I swear there is a conspiracy to make me look like a worse mom than I am.
This one is Saige after school Friday. Look closely at her butt. Notice the zipper and snaps, notice the flowers on the back of her left leg, the flowers that should be on the front of her right leg. Now she is four, and she wears these backwards every time she wears them because when they were designed someone, somewhere said "hey, moms everywhere teach their kids that the tag goes in the back, so lets screw with them and put the tag in the front". I remind her when I set them out the night before but she doesn't remember by morning and puts the tag in the back. I don't do mornings, Rob gets her on the bus. I know men (at least my man) can be completely clueless but how can he miss the fact that she has a zipper on her butt EVERY time she wears these which is quite often seeing as she only had a few that fit right. Most of the 4T's fall off of her. The 3Ts are perfect around the waist but look more like capris than pants. No doubt her teacher wonders what the heck is wrong with us.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
I am really starting to hate hospitals
Yesterday I got the bill for Rylan's anesthesia. He was out for 5 minutes, maybe 5.5 minutes. The day he had his surgery there were 16 other kids getting the same thing. They did 5-6 an hour, at least while we were there. This guy gets $400 a kid (insurance covered most but still....). I need to go back to school. 2400 an hour???? This sahm stuff has really crappy pay.
Today I got a bill from Rome Memorial Hospital for Saige. The bill has no indication what it is for, just simply says cycle $163.57. Cycle what? The thing is we have never been to Rome Memorial Hospital, we almost went once for a lead test when Saige was 2 but the parking lot was such a freaking joke we drove 35 minutes to a different hospital to have it done. Maybe they caught the license plate and now want to charge us for wasting our time driving through their lot? Do they just randomly send out bills in hopes people will pay them? I swear it's criminal. I called and left a message but the woman only works Mon-Thurs.
So my Monday will yet again get to be spent on the phone with people who have no idea what they are talking about. I need to start drinking or something, I suppose it's good thing it's over the phone because I swear I could kill these people with my bare hands without a second thought. The date of service matches the day she had her chest x-ray in Oct but that was done at her dr.s office, across town and we have already been billed by them for it. In fact it was the one where I had to call because they were yet again charging us a double deductible, we paid the co-insurance and we were done with that. Why would I be getting a bill from Oct now? I am so confused.
Today I got a bill from Rome Memorial Hospital for Saige. The bill has no indication what it is for, just simply says cycle $163.57. Cycle what? The thing is we have never been to Rome Memorial Hospital, we almost went once for a lead test when Saige was 2 but the parking lot was such a freaking joke we drove 35 minutes to a different hospital to have it done. Maybe they caught the license plate and now want to charge us for wasting our time driving through their lot? Do they just randomly send out bills in hopes people will pay them? I swear it's criminal. I called and left a message but the woman only works Mon-Thurs.
So my Monday will yet again get to be spent on the phone with people who have no idea what they are talking about. I need to start drinking or something, I suppose it's good thing it's over the phone because I swear I could kill these people with my bare hands without a second thought. The date of service matches the day she had her chest x-ray in Oct but that was done at her dr.s office, across town and we have already been billed by them for it. In fact it was the one where I had to call because they were yet again charging us a double deductible, we paid the co-insurance and we were done with that. Why would I be getting a bill from Oct now? I am so confused.
Friday, January 9, 2009
OMG I WON SOMETHING
The UPS man dropped a box on the porch, I almost left it there thinking it had to be for RJ because I wasn't expecting anything and I tend to get cranky when I go out in the cold to fetch packages that aren't for me, I LOVE getting packages. So anyway, I went and it was for me, the return address was no help but when I opened it there was a toy and letter saying congratulations you were a winner of our raffle. I'm not sure I am allowed to say who it's from but I participate in weekly discussions for a certain toy company and get occasional Amazon gift cards in return.
I am so excited, I was practically jumping up and down. I know, you're probably think big whoop but I never win anything. I have never won anything before, it is a first. Turned out to be a toy we already have, even though they both love it, we really have no need for two. That is okay though it will make a nice gift or donation for toys for tots.
I am so excited, I was practically jumping up and down. I know, you're probably think big whoop but I never win anything. I have never won anything before, it is a first. Turned out to be a toy we already have, even though they both love it, we really have no need for two. That is okay though it will make a nice gift or donation for toys for tots.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
For sale
One whiny destructive boy. Today has been one of those days that I can almost understand why people beat their kids. He was NOT being the delightful little boy that has been showing himself more and more lately. If Robby had not taken the car there is a strong possibility Rylan would be sitting on the steps of CPS or I would have run away. If these teeth do not come soon, I still might run away. I should know better than to say he is getting better in writing and call him delightful. It's almost like he knows and needs to prove me wrong.
Rylan, I think, has been on a mission to giving me breakdown today. He spent most of the day begging for food, pushing his highchair all over the house. Everything I fed him- he immediately threw on the floor to the dogs. Food that I KNOW he likes, food that he eats any other time. I have little, no, I have ZERO tolerance for this. I can not afford to feed the dogs 6 human meals a day. I take him down and dinner time is over when he throws his food. This results in him throwing a world class temper tantrum and pushing his highchair around again until I fees him again and the viscous cycle continues. Now I am not mean, well not too mean. I wont starve him but I make him wait at least an hour before I feed him again because if he really was starving he would not feed his dinner to the dog. This went on ALL day long. I don't think he ate more than a few bites of applesauce and half a sandwich all day. I was NOT playing that game anymore. I finally put the dogs outside and made him a sandwich. He threw it. I picked it up put it in a baggie and got him down, he got the same sandwich 4 times and still has half for tomorrow. We are not poor but not rich enough to be wasting food like that.
He dumped the dog food all over the kitchen (so much for getting rid of the mice- I didn't pull out the stove to get what scattered under there). This wouldn't have been a big deal, pick it up and put it back in the bowl, they are dogs and have no qualms about eating food that has been on the floor. Except he then dumped their full water bowl all over the floor and the food. He managed to throw a couple of his sisters books in the puddle while I was cleaning the mess.
While I was in the bathroom he climbed my chair scattered all the bills and insurance paperwork and ruined a few pages that I needed including 10 dollars worth of register rewards. AND he pryed the R and F keys off my laptop. They are broken. They work but they are crooked and hanging by a thread. I probably had steam coming out of my ears. Before I even figured out what he had done Saige was hysterical screaming at me not to sell her brother, that she loves him sometimes and wants to keep him even if he is a big jerk ( I did not yell at her for calling him a jerk, he WAS being a jerk). I have joked many times that if they mess with my laptop and break it I will be selling them to replace it. He is damn lucky they work or he may very well have been on Craigslist at that point. Being named Tara and having tara as my username for just about everything I need my R key, it is not one I can function without.
I think I said no about 12 trillion times today and he had about 14 million tantrums over the stupidest things. The dog was not interested in taking the book he kept poking her with- tantrum. Meanest mommy in the whole world wouldn't let him play with a steak knife- tantrum. Nor the scissors- tantrum. Wouldn't let him play in the garbage- tantrum. He played with power button on the tv and shut it off- tantrum, he turned it back on- tantrum. Removed him at least 25 times from my computer chair (before and after he broke my computer) that he not only likes to climb but likes to try and balance standing on the arms of- 25 tantrums. Wouldn't let him leave the front door open (in fairness I told him if he got a job and paid for the fuel we could revisit the subject, he was too busy having a fit to care) we are in the midst of a snow storm- tantrum. Him opening the door and letting the snow in results in wet laminate floors which are pretty slippery to start with, he slipped while trying to slap me for shutting the door and I laughed, it WAS funny. He did not think so. He wasn't interested in being comforted so I stepped over him and walked away. That really set him off.
The worst of it came when I let him fall down the stairs. That sounds worse than it is. He has been really good about being cautious but lately he's getting cocky and fooling around. We are always right there with him. He was only on the bottom step and screwing around. He fell, I could have grabbed him but instead I just put my hand under his head so he wouldn't slam it. He wasn't injured in the slightest but it did scare him (which is what I was hoping for). He was much better about not screwing around after that but cried and cried the entire way every time he went up and down afterward, he still wanted to go up and down just seemed to think he needed sound effects to do so. Man was he mad at me. Maybe that was wrong and mean but I guess I figure he wouldn't have learned a thing if I had grabbed him and he would still be screwing around.
By the end of the night I had enough. I grabbed my MP3 player ( I can't believe I waited this long to get one of these) and hit the treadmill. My only regret is it doesn't go loud enough to tune him out. He was still in rare form torturing Saige. She was trying to put a puzzle together and he was stealing her pieces, pulling her hair, throwing things and just being rotten. Saige like her dad has the patience of a saint because I am thinking any other 4 year old would have had enough and hit him back. Finally he realized I wasn't paying him the slightest attention anymore and in a snap he was fine, happy and laughing. He discovered that if he puts his toys on the treadmill they will go flying so he spent an hour doing that. I was afraid to stop walking in fear it would set him off again but nope he was okay. Hopefully what ever has possessed him for the last 36 hours is gone for good. Mommy needs break, or a drink, or a vacation.
Rylan, I think, has been on a mission to giving me breakdown today. He spent most of the day begging for food, pushing his highchair all over the house. Everything I fed him- he immediately threw on the floor to the dogs. Food that I KNOW he likes, food that he eats any other time. I have little, no, I have ZERO tolerance for this. I can not afford to feed the dogs 6 human meals a day. I take him down and dinner time is over when he throws his food. This results in him throwing a world class temper tantrum and pushing his highchair around again until I fees him again and the viscous cycle continues. Now I am not mean, well not too mean. I wont starve him but I make him wait at least an hour before I feed him again because if he really was starving he would not feed his dinner to the dog. This went on ALL day long. I don't think he ate more than a few bites of applesauce and half a sandwich all day. I was NOT playing that game anymore. I finally put the dogs outside and made him a sandwich. He threw it. I picked it up put it in a baggie and got him down, he got the same sandwich 4 times and still has half for tomorrow. We are not poor but not rich enough to be wasting food like that.
He dumped the dog food all over the kitchen (so much for getting rid of the mice- I didn't pull out the stove to get what scattered under there). This wouldn't have been a big deal, pick it up and put it back in the bowl, they are dogs and have no qualms about eating food that has been on the floor. Except he then dumped their full water bowl all over the floor and the food. He managed to throw a couple of his sisters books in the puddle while I was cleaning the mess.
While I was in the bathroom he climbed my chair scattered all the bills and insurance paperwork and ruined a few pages that I needed including 10 dollars worth of register rewards. AND he pryed the R and F keys off my laptop. They are broken. They work but they are crooked and hanging by a thread. I probably had steam coming out of my ears. Before I even figured out what he had done Saige was hysterical screaming at me not to sell her brother, that she loves him sometimes and wants to keep him even if he is a big jerk ( I did not yell at her for calling him a jerk, he WAS being a jerk). I have joked many times that if they mess with my laptop and break it I will be selling them to replace it. He is damn lucky they work or he may very well have been on Craigslist at that point. Being named Tara and having tara as my username for just about everything I need my R key, it is not one I can function without.
I think I said no about 12 trillion times today and he had about 14 million tantrums over the stupidest things. The dog was not interested in taking the book he kept poking her with- tantrum. Meanest mommy in the whole world wouldn't let him play with a steak knife- tantrum. Nor the scissors- tantrum. Wouldn't let him play in the garbage- tantrum. He played with power button on the tv and shut it off- tantrum, he turned it back on- tantrum. Removed him at least 25 times from my computer chair (before and after he broke my computer) that he not only likes to climb but likes to try and balance standing on the arms of- 25 tantrums. Wouldn't let him leave the front door open (in fairness I told him if he got a job and paid for the fuel we could revisit the subject, he was too busy having a fit to care) we are in the midst of a snow storm- tantrum. Him opening the door and letting the snow in results in wet laminate floors which are pretty slippery to start with, he slipped while trying to slap me for shutting the door and I laughed, it WAS funny. He did not think so. He wasn't interested in being comforted so I stepped over him and walked away. That really set him off.
The worst of it came when I let him fall down the stairs. That sounds worse than it is. He has been really good about being cautious but lately he's getting cocky and fooling around. We are always right there with him. He was only on the bottom step and screwing around. He fell, I could have grabbed him but instead I just put my hand under his head so he wouldn't slam it. He wasn't injured in the slightest but it did scare him (which is what I was hoping for). He was much better about not screwing around after that but cried and cried the entire way every time he went up and down afterward, he still wanted to go up and down just seemed to think he needed sound effects to do so. Man was he mad at me. Maybe that was wrong and mean but I guess I figure he wouldn't have learned a thing if I had grabbed him and he would still be screwing around.
By the end of the night I had enough. I grabbed my MP3 player ( I can't believe I waited this long to get one of these) and hit the treadmill. My only regret is it doesn't go loud enough to tune him out. He was still in rare form torturing Saige. She was trying to put a puzzle together and he was stealing her pieces, pulling her hair, throwing things and just being rotten. Saige like her dad has the patience of a saint because I am thinking any other 4 year old would have had enough and hit him back. Finally he realized I wasn't paying him the slightest attention anymore and in a snap he was fine, happy and laughing. He discovered that if he puts his toys on the treadmill they will go flying so he spent an hour doing that. I was afraid to stop walking in fear it would set him off again but nope he was okay. Hopefully what ever has possessed him for the last 36 hours is gone for good. Mommy needs break, or a drink, or a vacation.
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