Once again, I had to contact a doctor’s office to ask them to handle a situation in which (1) I’d obtained the correct referral, (2) I’d verified that they had received it, (3) I got a “billing explanation” letter from my insurance company saying no referral was submitted and therefore they deeply regretted the bill would be entirely my responsibility, (4) I got a bill from the doctor’s office for the full amount, and (5) when I called, the doctor’s office said “Huh, looks like we didn’t attach the referral when we submitted the claim.” I ask you: is there someone besides the patient who could be handling these administrative matters? It seems more fair to have this taken care of by someone who (1) made the mistake and (2) is literally PAID to handle this.
I mentioned in my last post (BEST COMMENTS SECTION) that Paul was going on a business trip. I will say this: it has been a peaceful, relaxed week. It’s been fun. The kids are older now and it is no longer a huge burdensome thing to be the only parent on duty—and in fact, I enjoy the change in routine. I have been letting them stay up late to watch Avengers movies (they’re trying to get caught up before seeing the new one), and there are few things in this world I like better than hearing the kids in the other room bonding and having fun together and making jokes to each other and stuff. I just love it. It is one of the reasons I wanted a lot of kids. I have thought more than once, “I LIKE these kids.” I’m not saying that’s amazing, to like one’s own children, but you know how there are so many times where of course you love the little idiots but you wouldn’t want to hang with them socially, and it’s pleasing to see the potential there for change.
And I know that if I were ALWAYS the only parent, things would not be like this. It’s the “things are different this week” aspect that makes things how they are. It makes it seem right to let them stay up late and eat from actual buckets of leftover Easter candy, and it makes the less-strict dinnertimes/bedtimes feel like Vacation Mode, and I’ve been showing them episodes of Sports Night while we eat dinner (Paul hates Aaron Sorkin shows), and I’ve been drinking gin and staying up late myself (Paul always wants to go to bed earlier than I do). These sorts of fun things don’t persist if it’s allllll the time. But, it’s been a fun week. I’ve enjoyed it.
I got some cute plastic Easter eggs at Target at 50% off:
(image from Target.com)
Then I saw them today at 70% off. I am not at all upset about this. Not at all. It is a matter of a mere dollar, and I am a grown woman who has a sense of proportion and therefore I am perfectly fine with that.
Tomorrow I’m going to the OTHER Target, because the Target I went to today didn’t have any Junior Mints Eggs, but the Target where I bought the cute plastic Easter eggs at 50% off had TONS of Junior Mints Eggs at 30% off, so I’m hoping now they have tons of them at 50% off (today the candy was at 50% off, the non-candy at 70% off). I know it’s a matter of 20 cents, but I am a grown woman who likes to save a couple of dimes. And if you haven’t tried the Junior Mints Eggs, and you like Junior Mints, I recommend them. I can eat a whole box in one sitting, easy, and I’d like to eat a whole box for 50 cents rather than 70 cents.
(image from Target.com)
How did I not know that Junior Egg Mints were a thing?
Also? Totally awesome when your kid(s) grow up and you want to hang with them socially! I look at mine and marvel at the adult he has become.
I can relate to this. I am the queen of ignoring bed times- especially 1. Now that the kids are not tiny and 2. If I am watching a movie with them and I want to finish it. Coach works late a few nights a week. He also goes out of town to teach physical therapy stuff, so I get into relax mode regarding bedtime. He sometimes comes in from work on his late night and groans ‘don’t you know what time it is?’ I always insist the movie is almost over.
I too love the joking, goofing, sometimes teasing that the kids do as a little Shenanigan gang. I enjoy making food and having them pull up a chair in the kitchen and talk about their days or something going on at school or asking me about my day, etc.
I knew NOTHING about junior mint eggs. I now limit myself to one day a week of grocery shopping, maybe that’s how I missed it. Trying not to hang out in the grocery as much anymore.
I am very recently divorced ( he moved out in June), divorce final in February. Yes, I mourn the “family” that we were and feel a sense of failure and shame, especially since my parents just celebrated their 50th anniversary. But……the freedom that I feel is awesome. I can do what I want, sleep blissfully alone, clean as I want. I decided to make our spare room into the cat room ( it has a cat tree, food and water and a litter box), so I ordered cat pictures, a cat puzzle…basically geeking out making a cat themed room. Really, the only drawback is having my son gone every other weekend. That still makes me tear up every time. But I still have him 95% of the time, so I feel great about that. Not that I recommend divorce but……..
There the Junior Mint EGGS???? That is magical
My husband recently changed jobs. In the old job, there were regularly scheduled periods of time when he would travel out of town — for several days in the summer and then for 1-2 nights at a time over weekends during the school year. In the new job, there will be no travel.
He announced this to me as a selling point for the new job — “I won’t have to be out of town any more! And you won’t have to manage all the kids by yourself so much!” — which, is TRUE. So, I chose not to say the first thought that came into my head, which was, “But, I’m going to miss those days/nights with the kids when you’re out of town and we do stuff that you don’t enjoy.”
NOT LIKE SORKIN SHOWS!?!
Love me some Sports Night. I’ve been listening to West Wing Weekly podcast and that led me to West Wing (how did I not watch that show at the time?).
I remember when my dad was out of town when I was a kid and how my mom and I (and maybe my sibs? don’t remember) would cut loose, generally by watching TV after dinner. And dinner was often something my dad didn’t like. Way to cut loose, right?
My spouse took the middle child on a college tour recently, and the remaining child and I mostly went our separate ways, but we also did a fair amount of hanging out or going out to restaurants that one or the other of the tour-ers doesn’t like, and it was really nice.
Hanging out is my favorite part of parenting. Or maybe seeing my kids hang out, such as going up to bed while they’re all playing a board game.
Junior Mint eggs are AMAZING. Much more substantial than regular old junior mints. Heading to the store now…
My husband was out of town all this week and I totally agree: it’s nice for a change. I cooked different meals for the kids because he would never have eaten them and we went out for ice cream and I let them go to friends’ houses during the week!
My husband is out of town RIGHT NOW and since he won’t eat anything that swims (not as philosophical objection – he just doesn’t like seafood or fish of any kind) I’m trying to think of where I can take the kids for fish that won’t have any egg contamination (my son has an allergy). Afterwards we’ll come home and watch a movie on Netflix that he’d be bored by.
Also, am I the only one who plans to clean when my spouse is away? I like it when he cleans, and he does join in when I clean stuff, but it puts him in a foul mood so I’d rather we each clean when the other isn’t there. This way, I can move serenely through my cleaning projects, and I don’t have to be there when he’s grumpily tackling cleaning tasks. Now if only I could get him to put things where I can find them when he cleans in my absence…
“Now if only I could get him to put things where I can find them when he cleans in my absence…” This is my life! When my husband cleans he consistently “hides” things. I went to Texas for a week recently and didn’t bother to take my “house” reading glasses because I had my “purse” reading glasses with me. After I got back, it took me a week and a half to find the “house” glasses!
Wasn’t there A Thing a few years ago, Secret Sine
behavior? And people would post about the fun things they did when their spouse/partner went on a trip? Perhaps I am making it up but this reminds me of that. Secret Family Behavior. Sounds like a fun and semi vacation-y kind of week!
The insurance story made me heave a great audible long suffering sigh. Whyyyyyyyy.
Just when I think all the possible Easter candy variations have been invented, something like Easter Junior Mints comes along and blows my mind,