Random Thoughts for Today

After Monday's debacle I had been hoping to post a more upbeat post about how the week turned out better than I thought it would. But Monday night my throat started hurting and by Tuesday morning I was in the grip of a really horrendous cold. Tuesday was spent with a majorly sore throat and drippy nose, and then yesterday I had to deal with clogged sinuses and ears. Plus a bit of a fever and general body aches. Today I'm finally feeling better, although my head is still pretty stuffed up. I hope it clears before I get on an airplane this Saturday.

I'm leaving on Saturday to spend a few days visiting with my sister in Oregon. Next week she is graduating with her bachelor's degree in nursing, and since she has come to so many of our graduations it is fun to finally get to go to hers.

This week has been the end of a busy month for my bank account and my budget was not doing so well. So I've been trying to just use what I have instead of going to the grocery store; I used to be really good at this, but I've gotten in the habit of shopping frequently instead. It's been a challenge this week to work with what I've got instead of running to the store for that 'one thing' (it always turns into ten things). But I'm proud to say that I did it and have saved some money. Tomorrow I'm going to Costco and get a pizza for Little Dude's birthday and I'm trying to decide if I should get a few things for Mr. Fob and the kids so they don't starve over the weekend. Or I might just let him do some grocery shopping if he decides he needs something. It's not like we don't have food in the house--it's just not as 'fun' as other food there is out there.

We did finally get an insurance plan that covers the whole family, but it's pretty basic and won't do us much good except in major cases. The copay for an office visit is 35 dollars, and after taking Little Dude last week for his ear and then both the baby and Little Dude in for checkups today I just want to die. I'll be glad when my kids are all a little bigger and the medical expenses can calm down a bit.Thankfully we don't have to pay to have any more babies.

I was surprised today at the doctor's office to find out that the baby only weighs twelve-and-a-half pounds; it's only one pound more than she did two months ago. Especially since she gained four pounds in the first two months. However, my pediatrician felt that it was a not unreasonable pattern for a breastfed baby, especially since she is sleeping all night now. She still has cute chubby cheeks and dimply elbows, plus she's bright eyed and happy, so I'll try not to worry too much about my milk supply or her health. Little Dude is also still 'little', weighing in at 33 pounds. When I went back and looked at my records it turns out that he is the exact same height and weight as S-Boogie when she was four. My kids are just small and slow growing.

Little Dude will be four tomorrow; it's fun when kids get old enough to be excited about their birthdays. I'm hoping we can all have a fun day together. He's had a hard year and I wish I could help him be a little less anxious about life. Tomorrow is also an exciting day for him because it is S-Boogie's last day of school, and he has been waiting for months for her to be free to play with him all day, every day. I can tell sometimes she just wants some alone time, but she's usually willing to play with him. I'm so glad my kids love each other so much right now.

For the last two days the kids have spent the afternoon making mud in the backyard. While I fully support creative childhood endeavors like this, I have to confess that the resulting mess does try my patience a bit. Their clothes and bodies are generally completely caked in dirt by the time they are done. I just remind myself that it's good, healthy fun and that none of their clothes are really that important. It would be nice to have a newer washing machine that could handle the mess better.

This has been a long post and I don't know how to end it. I think I will always spend the night before each of my kids' birthdays remembering when they were born. It's weird to be able to remember life 'before' and 'after'. Especially since Little Dude's birth was early and unexpected. I still can't believe it's been four years since then and I'm grateful to be able to look back and see growth in my emotional well-being and my abilities as a mother. Looking back also reminds me of what there is ahead and I look forward to the next years of his life as well.

Comments

Earth Sign Mama said…
Guess what? Your "kids" will never get to the age where you, the mom, don't spend the night before their birthdays remembering when they were born. Those memories are etched in vivid detail permanently in the brain. It is fun, however, and the marvel is that so many years can pass so quickly. Happy Birthday to Lil Dude on the morrow.
skyeJ said…
Yaaay!!! I'm so excited to see you guys! I wish I could see everyone, but that will have to wait.
Kristi said…
We have a $30 co-pay at the dr and we definitely think twice (or thrice) before making an appointment. If I can call in and get drugs, I totally do. Insurance is such a pain. So is money.

It's fun that your kids enjoy each other so much. It must be nice to have built-in playmates to entertain each other for at least some of the day. At least they only play in mud and not in something that really stains badly, like jello?
BurkeAndEmily said…
Okay, yes I'll be a little political, but I can't wait until 2014! I'm glad you were able to find an insurance plan that would cover your whole family. I remember our first bill for over $200,000. The numbers just seemed to go on and on! We've got pretty sparse coverage for regular things with our insurance, but when it comes to the catastrophic stuff, we're thrilled!

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