While I am an A Personality, my life is primarily crisis management influenced. I respond to crises (or drama as it may be) first and foremost. I realize this isn't always the most effective use of my time and sometimes, responding quickly approves futile when time would prove the best solution; however, due to my job, it's the nature of the beast.
I would like to say that things are different in my personal life. They aren't.
I believe that I'm a good parent (I've never claimed to be right or perfect - clearly this is a personal blog and self-assessment); however, having said that, I know that I could be a better parent. If I choose to be. I choose not to be. Let me preface, there are just some things in life that I choose not to micromanage. Actually, most things I would choose not to micromanage.
My point?
I cannot tell you the names of my son's teachers. If I thought really hard, I might be able to come up with a couple, might. Yesterday a parent inquired as to what teachers my son was going to be having as he is entering 8th grade. Teachers she asked? Seriously? I know what school he is going to and I know what classes he is taking, isn't that sufficient? I finally registered for the "School Portal" to look at my son's grades and assignments and whoever knows whatelse online. Isn't that progress? My son has seldom ever had an issue with his academics. A few small issues with peer pressure and peer relationships and when necessary, communication occurred with the teacher(s).
Anyway, I digress (or giving back story as it may be).
Today I responded to a letter I received from my insurance company that my son's primary physician had changed. No big deal, right? Sure, except that it changed from a doctor that he never had! Or at least that I was never aware that he had. Here's how the conversation went with the gal on the other end of the phone at my insurance company:
Me: "I'm calling regarding a letter I received that my son's doctor changed from a doctor he has never had. I need to have the records changed to his current doctor he has had for a few years, Dr. Green."
Her: "Your son has never had a Dr. Green, Ma'am."
Me: "He has had Dr. Green for the past few years. He just went in for a physical and again last year for a physical with Dr. Green."
Her: "We show no record of a physical. His last appointment was with a Dr. Davis for a shoulder issue last September 2009."
Me: "He did go in for an appointment on his shoulder. Dr. Davis isn't his doctor. He just saw Dr. Green."
At this point she verifies that in fact we are talking about the same child. My only child. There is no record that the doctor's office has billed for his most recent physical. I can't seem to verify the date flipping through my calendar. From my cell phone I call home and have my son tell me the date, July 2, 2010.
She proceeds to go over the history of my son's doctors. From his primary doctor from infancy until he was 10, verified. In 2007 he was assigned a new doctor. In March 2007 he was assigned a different doctor. In August 2008 he was assigned another doctor and then in July 2010 he was assigned yet another doctor. Four doctors that he has NEVER had. I know in the past that I have contacted my insurance company about updating to his current doctor.
So the conversation continues after this information:
Her: "What is Dr. Green's first name?"
Me: "What? His first name? I don't know, he's Dr. Green. Maybe David? Or how about Brian?" Because really at this point all I can think of is 90210 and Brian Austin-Green, who is clearly NOT my son's doctor.
Her: "There are 275 Dr. Green's Ma'am. There is not a David or Brian Green." (I'm feeling more flabbergasted and clearly Brian Austin-Green exists and I can't get his person out of my mind to actually focus on what my son's doctor's first name is, irrelevant is what I think it is!)
Finally after she puts me on hold to call my son's primary doctor, which I was at least knowledgeable enough to know the doctor's office number by heart (although she had me repeat it three times - I think shocked I would KNOW that but not his doctor's first name!).
Long story short. I finally know, for today, my son's doctor's first name. I can sleep easy tonight feeling more informed as a parent; however, please don't ask me next week what his name is. Personally, I really don't care nor do I think I will need to know!
Do you know your children's physician's full names? Feel free to tell me what a negligent parent I truly am - I deserve it apparently!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Foto Friday: Smiles
Not that my blog has any direction, especially with my lack of posting, but today I decided to have a Foto Friday post. A post specifically posted on Friday of things/photos that make me smile! Per my usual though, most of them are just random!
T & I returned from Arizona last Saturday evening! We had a fabulous time and so many wonderful experiences! We didn't even have any major mishaps (knock, knock)! I'm still smiling from the vacation, so most are from the week in Arizona!
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| Grand Canyon: August 2010 |
We went to the Worldlife Aquarium & Zoo and enjoyed finding animals that were smiling. Our two favorites:
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| Wildlife Aquarium: Smiling Turtle |
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| Worldlife Aquarium: Smiling Frog |
My ultimate chocolate craving and love that I can't seem to outgrow! Of course I eat them plain & cold:
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| Need I say more? |
My fifth and final picture, captures the beauty and serenity of Scottsdale, Arizona with my thirteen year old son, who for another moment, still thinks I'm cool and tolerable:
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| Scottsdale Arizona: August 2010 |
What photos on this fabulous Friday make you smile?
Back to School Misconceptions
LL emailed me the following that was just worthy of sharing in the light of Back to School. Of course, it isn't only for "Mom's" but "Dad's" too! Happy Friday!
Moms like to go school shopping. Are you freaking kidding me? Why do I pay taxes?…so I can rack up a 200 dollar bill at Staples for crap that we have laying around my house in junk drawers. Why does it have to be new pencils? What’s wrong with the chewed up, broken strawberry shortcake pencils sitting in the bottom of the toy box for the last 6 months? And how many subject books can you possibly need? What happened to reading, writing and arithmetic. If they added a couple of things for parents to that list I wouldn’t mind so much….why not pencils, erasers and vodka …..or some Nyquil.
Moms like back to school night. Why must we do this every year? I got it already. You’re the teacher…I’m the parent. My kid is either going to be smart or dumb. If he gets a certain number or colored dot on his discipline chart, he can’t get a prize from the prize box. Pretty simple stuff. Listen, I’m pretty old school. If he doesn’t listen to you…you can throw something at him. I don’t care. But I got a lot of work to do at home and I’m paying a babysitter right now. Plus, I’m pretty sure you are going to assign some project on wigwams made by some Indian tribe I’ve never heard of, so I need to get home and start my research. So, I got it. We’re all here for the betterment of the kids. Blah Blah Blah. Can I leave now?
Moms like school paperwork.How many trees are you planning on killing to tell me the same stuff I had to pay a babysitter to listen to the other night? You know our name, where we live and our emergency phone numbers. He doesn’t have a nickname….call him “stinkbutt” for all I care. We don’t have any “special circumstances” that you need to know about. He lives in a home with two parents who may or may not like each other at any given time and they will fight. If that qualifies as a reason he can’t get his homework done on time then he won’t be able to function as an adult and have a real job so you may want to “educate” him on that life lesson.
Moms like covering books in that annoying sticky paper.What exactly will you be doing with these books that I have to cover them in a plastic laminate? Do you often teach in the rain? Or while the children are drinking soda and eating soup? Do you know how long that takes? Has any parent in the history of education been able to do it without any air bubbles in it? From now on I’m covering it the old way…brown paper bags. That way I can cover the books and pack their lunches at that same time. Who says moms can’t multitask?
PS. Please tell my son if he can’t find his lunch to look in his science book.
Moms like helping you with your homework. What? I am scared out of my mind. I’m pretty sure that I forgot everything I learned in fifth grade by the time I was in sixth grade. I have no idea what you are talking about most days. I don’t really know my 12 times tables, I read the cliff notes to all your summer reading and I don’t know how to conjugate anything but I do know that song “conjuction junction what’s your function” if that helps at all. And please don’t even say the words “new math” to me. What the heck was wrong the old one?
Moms can’t wait to pack your lunch every day until we die.I hate doing laundry. Making dinner every night is the bane of my existence, so making your lunch every day for an entire year, in terms of “mom fun”, lies somewhere between brushing plaque off the dogs teeth and scheduling my annual pap smear. Listen, as a child I hated what my mom packed me for lunch. But, like every kid before me, and every generation to come you will find a kid to trade with…I’m sure someone likes sardines.
Moms love after school activities.I don’t know who made up this idea of organized clubs and sports but they should be the ones in charge of carting your ass around. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against all after school programs. I just wish they would offer it during hours that would work best for me so that dinner wasn’t at 8:30 at night followed by 4 hours of homework. Why not do it on the weekends and call it “after-hours activities” so mommy and daddy could actually go out one night and pretend that we have a life of our own. Don’t worry about us though I’m sure that me and “what’s his name” will be married a very long time.
Moms don’t mind taking you to school if you miss the bus. Your bus comes at 7:10 am….which means that you should be standing by the door at 7:05 am. Not eating breakfast , chasing the dog around the house or in the bathroom, asking me to check your homework while I’m taking a shower. Get it together! I don’t like running down the street in my jammies at 7:12 screaming “Please wait” or “If you stop I’ll show you my boobies.”
Moms cry on your first day of school. We do cry but they are tears of joy. I have done my job. I have successfully kept a human child alive for at least 5 years without doing any major damage. Motherhood is the hardest job in the world!! Sure, doctors save lives and CEO’s run million dollar businesses but…you teach a kid not to poop their pants and then you can say you’ve made the world a better place.”
10 MISCONCEPTIONS OF MOM'S & BACK TO SCHOOL
Misconception Number 1:
"Moms miss their kids when they go back to school Seriously. I’ve had enough of you by now. Every morning with the “what are we going to do today, Mom?” is finally over. I’ve had looked at your face twenty-four seven for the last 77 days. It’s time to go learn something. No more asking me about the pool, when is the next snack or if you can stay up late and watch a movie. It’s over….You’re going back to Hogwarts and I get to have a life again. There is a Christmas morning for parents and it’s called “back to school”.
Misconception Number 2:
Moms like to go school shopping. Are you freaking kidding me? Why do I pay taxes?…so I can rack up a 200 dollar bill at Staples for crap that we have laying around my house in junk drawers. Why does it have to be new pencils? What’s wrong with the chewed up, broken strawberry shortcake pencils sitting in the bottom of the toy box for the last 6 months? And how many subject books can you possibly need? What happened to reading, writing and arithmetic. If they added a couple of things for parents to that list I wouldn’t mind so much….why not pencils, erasers and vodka …..or some Nyquil.
Misconception Number 3:
Moms like back to school night. Why must we do this every year? I got it already. You’re the teacher…I’m the parent. My kid is either going to be smart or dumb. If he gets a certain number or colored dot on his discipline chart, he can’t get a prize from the prize box. Pretty simple stuff. Listen, I’m pretty old school. If he doesn’t listen to you…you can throw something at him. I don’t care. But I got a lot of work to do at home and I’m paying a babysitter right now. Plus, I’m pretty sure you are going to assign some project on wigwams made by some Indian tribe I’ve never heard of, so I need to get home and start my research. So, I got it. We’re all here for the betterment of the kids. Blah Blah Blah. Can I leave now?
Misconception Number 4:
Moms like school paperwork.How many trees are you planning on killing to tell me the same stuff I had to pay a babysitter to listen to the other night? You know our name, where we live and our emergency phone numbers. He doesn’t have a nickname….call him “stinkbutt” for all I care. We don’t have any “special circumstances” that you need to know about. He lives in a home with two parents who may or may not like each other at any given time and they will fight. If that qualifies as a reason he can’t get his homework done on time then he won’t be able to function as an adult and have a real job so you may want to “educate” him on that life lesson.
Misconception Number 5:
Moms like covering books in that annoying sticky paper.What exactly will you be doing with these books that I have to cover them in a plastic laminate? Do you often teach in the rain? Or while the children are drinking soda and eating soup? Do you know how long that takes? Has any parent in the history of education been able to do it without any air bubbles in it? From now on I’m covering it the old way…brown paper bags. That way I can cover the books and pack their lunches at that same time. Who says moms can’t multitask?
PS. Please tell my son if he can’t find his lunch to look in his science book.
Misconception Number 6:
Moms like helping you with your homework. What? I am scared out of my mind. I’m pretty sure that I forgot everything I learned in fifth grade by the time I was in sixth grade. I have no idea what you are talking about most days. I don’t really know my 12 times tables, I read the cliff notes to all your summer reading and I don’t know how to conjugate anything but I do know that song “conjuction junction what’s your function” if that helps at all. And please don’t even say the words “new math” to me. What the heck was wrong the old one?
Misconception Number 7:
Moms can’t wait to pack your lunch every day until we die.I hate doing laundry. Making dinner every night is the bane of my existence, so making your lunch every day for an entire year, in terms of “mom fun”, lies somewhere between brushing plaque off the dogs teeth and scheduling my annual pap smear. Listen, as a child I hated what my mom packed me for lunch. But, like every kid before me, and every generation to come you will find a kid to trade with…I’m sure someone likes sardines.
Misconception Number 8:
Moms love after school activities.I don’t know who made up this idea of organized clubs and sports but they should be the ones in charge of carting your ass around. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against all after school programs. I just wish they would offer it during hours that would work best for me so that dinner wasn’t at 8:30 at night followed by 4 hours of homework. Why not do it on the weekends and call it “after-hours activities” so mommy and daddy could actually go out one night and pretend that we have a life of our own. Don’t worry about us though I’m sure that me and “what’s his name” will be married a very long time.
Misconception Number 9:
Moms don’t mind taking you to school if you miss the bus. Your bus comes at 7:10 am….which means that you should be standing by the door at 7:05 am. Not eating breakfast , chasing the dog around the house or in the bathroom, asking me to check your homework while I’m taking a shower. Get it together! I don’t like running down the street in my jammies at 7:12 screaming “Please wait” or “If you stop I’ll show you my boobies.”
Misconception Number 10:
Moms cry on your first day of school. We do cry but they are tears of joy. I have done my job. I have successfully kept a human child alive for at least 5 years without doing any major damage. Motherhood is the hardest job in the world!! Sure, doctors save lives and CEO’s run million dollar businesses but…you teach a kid not to poop their pants and then you can say you’ve made the world a better place.”
Monday, August 9, 2010
Small Surprises
My son and I have a very good relationship. I don't expect or anticipate our relationship will be the same forever. Our relationship will change and evolve and decompensate and evolve and well who knows exactly what will happen, since afterall my crystal ball is quite cloudy.
But today, I had to smile when I looked at his Facebook profile (disregarding the spelling and minimization of his actual intelligence to be "cool"): Born and raised as a Michigan boy. I am and was active in about every sport i could be in. Chose football over soccer when i couldn't play both. Then I got sick of losing all the time and switched to soccer. I have played baseball since I was 6, and i love it. Made the all stars every year I played at xxxxxxxxx. (6) I love playing basketball night and day since I was in 5th grade. I have loved taking vacations with my mom since I was a little kid. Good times
Yes, definitely good times. Good times indeed. Can't wait for our Arizona Adventure...
But today, I had to smile when I looked at his Facebook profile (disregarding the spelling and minimization of his actual intelligence to be "cool"): Born and raised as a Michigan boy. I am and was active in about every sport i could be in. Chose football over soccer when i couldn't play both. Then I got sick of losing all the time and switched to soccer. I have played baseball since I was 6, and i love it. Made the all stars every year I played at xxxxxxxxx. (6) I love playing basketball night and day since I was in 5th grade. I have loved taking vacations with my mom since I was a little kid. Good times
Yes, definitely good times. Good times indeed. Can't wait for our Arizona Adventure...
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Online Travel Headaches
I feel like I'm going through menopause, the lack of air conditioning definitely has something to do with it! I'm perspiring just breathing which is clearly exacerbated by making and securing decisions that involve credit card purchases and "done deals" that aren't easily changed.
I had left two messages for my son's father in regard to the ability to change weekends so my son and I could go to the Grand Canyon. No response. Finally, slightly more than an hour ago, I received an email from him that said that we could go, if his mom could have him the previous weekend at a time TBD AND I would get my son on Saturday instead of Sunday, the day we leave. Details...
Then I realized that in fact my son's father wasn't responding to my email or my telephone messages, he was responding to my son's email, with the subject "vaction" and the entire email, "Can I go to Arizona pleeeeeaaaasssssseeeee". Sometimes I'm baffled that my son is thirteen, really.
I had looked this morning and the flight had gone up an extra $50 per person. With the last minute timeshare, there were a few new availabilities that opened up for Saturday - Saturday which meant we didn't miss out on a day and require an additional night somewhere else! So sometimes things work out. When I finally booked the condo, I then booked the airfare and it was only $25 more additional! Bonus.
I decided not to opt for the "flight-car" combo thinking I could get a better deal through Priceline.com. My price was approved and I ended up saving $27 with a mid-size car instead of the economy equivalent.
Until...I realized that the airport I was flying into was NOT the same as where the car rental was. Both in Phoenix, but different airport codes. I contacted Priceline and they agreed to cancel my car rental if I rebooked. I talked with two people and asked how could I rebook a car in a location they didn't have? They canceled the reservation and I hope they won't charge me again as I can't rebook.
I then went back into my itinerary for my flight and added a car rental. For $27 more, it was well worth the piece of mind. Granted the confirmation doesn't show the airport location or any other details, but since it's connected to the reservation and booking, it must be the same (Fingers crossed!)!
Now it's just a matter of logistics of figuring out the details of the day changes with my son's father and getting my son in time to prepare to leave. I'm guessing I will be doing last minute laundry for sure!
I can't believe it - I will be visiting the Grand Canyon in August 2010! Isn't life Grand?
What are you happy about? What has made your day, month, year?
I had left two messages for my son's father in regard to the ability to change weekends so my son and I could go to the Grand Canyon. No response. Finally, slightly more than an hour ago, I received an email from him that said that we could go, if his mom could have him the previous weekend at a time TBD AND I would get my son on Saturday instead of Sunday, the day we leave. Details...
Then I realized that in fact my son's father wasn't responding to my email or my telephone messages, he was responding to my son's email, with the subject "vaction" and the entire email, "Can I go to Arizona pleeeeeaaaasssssseeeee". Sometimes I'm baffled that my son is thirteen, really.
I had looked this morning and the flight had gone up an extra $50 per person. With the last minute timeshare, there were a few new availabilities that opened up for Saturday - Saturday which meant we didn't miss out on a day and require an additional night somewhere else! So sometimes things work out. When I finally booked the condo, I then booked the airfare and it was only $25 more additional! Bonus.
I decided not to opt for the "flight-car" combo thinking I could get a better deal through Priceline.com. My price was approved and I ended up saving $27 with a mid-size car instead of the economy equivalent.
Until...I realized that the airport I was flying into was NOT the same as where the car rental was. Both in Phoenix, but different airport codes. I contacted Priceline and they agreed to cancel my car rental if I rebooked. I talked with two people and asked how could I rebook a car in a location they didn't have? They canceled the reservation and I hope they won't charge me again as I can't rebook.
I then went back into my itinerary for my flight and added a car rental. For $27 more, it was well worth the piece of mind. Granted the confirmation doesn't show the airport location or any other details, but since it's connected to the reservation and booking, it must be the same (Fingers crossed!)!
Now it's just a matter of logistics of figuring out the details of the day changes with my son's father and getting my son in time to prepare to leave. I'm guessing I will be doing last minute laundry for sure!
I can't believe it - I will be visiting the Grand Canyon in August 2010! Isn't life Grand?
What are you happy about? What has made your day, month, year?
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