Does Someone Out There Hate Us?

So Darling Hubby got home from the dentist in a none to happy mood. He needs a lot of work aside from repairing the broken tooth, which we knew going in. Our insurance will only cover $2000 worth of work a year and if we have everything done the office said will need to be done, we'll still owe them nearly $3000. Sigh We can't afford that right now. I told him to only focus on getting the broken tooth repaired right now and we'll take it from there when we get the money. It looks like he'll need a root canal and a crown put in. I don't much know what it entails, but it sounds like it's gonna suck, hardcore! Oh, and they want to repair or replace wisdom teeth instead of pulling them...wtf? Why charge us $615 dollars per tooth to replace when you can yank the darn things for cheaper...No wonder people don't go to the dr or dentist when they should. Who can afford the darn prices they charge...and why does insurance only cover like 10% of commonly performed procedures? Can someone explain insurances to me...

Anyway, I'm talking with my friends who seem to know how to get some typing jobs for decent pay that will pull in some extra cash under the table (shhh!) and that I can do during naptime. Lets hope that pans out. Keep those fingers crossed!

Just When Things Were Looking Up

Ok, just when I thought things were starting to look a wee bit better today, the crap hit the fan. Around 2pm I get a call from Darling Hubby asking if he was still paying for his dental insurance on his pay stub. Apparently, he was eating pretzels at work and cracked a tooth that had a filling in it already. It wasn't super painful, but something that should be taken care of ASAP. So, I checked on the insurance website to find a dentist and he found one that he can get in with. Then, he decided to come home early. He walked in the house and said "If it wasn't him, it would be funny..." Apparently, a car in front of him on the way home kicked up a stone and cracked the windshield...Great! Just what we need! At least we have full glass on the insurance which will cover it. At least Darling Hubby has a dentist appointment tomorrow at 1:15 (they called and moved it up so he could get in quicker so it didn't become painful or anything. Fingers crossed that nothing else major goes wrong...At least the month is almost over. September can't come fast enough.

Something To Look Forward To

So despite my prior post about all the Assessment BS, Darling Hubby and I have something fun to look forward to this September. We are going on a mini VACATION! Woohoo! We haven't been on vacation since last June when we went to Chicago to meet up with some of my fellow January mommies and their babies. Right now, we just need to get away from everything and have some fun. Our 5th anniversary is the 7th and we will be leaving that afternoon on a nice drive through Vermont up to White River Junction and the Quechee Gorge Village. There are some nice things to see and do up there. There's a train ride and carousel and a Toy Museum, a Cabot Creamery, Danforth Pewter, Ottauquechee Valley Winery, a Glassblowing Studio, a blacksmith, Scotland By the Yard, even a Scrapbookers Workshoppe is in the area (Darling Hubby probably won't appreciate me going to a scrapbooking store on vacation, though. lol). I'm so excited to go. Bug is coming with us and I'm sure he'll love the train ride and carousel. We've already made our hotel reservations. Now the countdown begins! Yahoo!

More Assessment BS!

So July 1st was the deadline for when we'd hear something back about our assessment and if things were changed...well, that came and went and we still didn't receive anything in the mail. I just figured that since they had to go back over ours a second time we might have to wait a little longer. The weeks came and went and here I sit, July 30th and still don't have anything in my hands. So, I get on the phone and call the Assessors Office to find out what's going on. I spoke with a very nice man (damn that I didn't get his name!) who nicely told me they didn't have any paperwork for my address....Um...What? Did you really just say you didn't have my paperwork? Then why did Mike call me to set up a time to check the number of bathrooms if there was no paperwork. Did he just decide that he needed to check my house out? No, I don't think so. I also am looking at the Certified Mail Receipt from the post office which was accepted and signed for on April 16th at 11:01 am. I really think there's some paperwork somewhere, don't ya think?

So anyway, I'm no more ahead than I was before. The guy on the phone said he would look at Mike's paperwork (Mike's on vacation...of course!) and see what he changed and look into it more and get back to me next week...I really hope it doesn't take that long, but it's a start, I guess. He did tell me that they will reconvene the Board of Review one more time before everything is finally finalized to fix any mistakes they made. Makes me wonder how many mistakes they make if they usually reconvene again anyway...

Seriously, I don't know that we can afford the mortgage payment if the assessment isn't lowered. Still keeping my fingers crossed that something good will come of this.

Five Questions Meme

5 Questions Meme
This version of the meme goes:
1. Tell me a random fact about you, and
2. I will ask you five questions, and
3. You propagate the meme when you post your answers

Here are the 5 questions that my friend Shannon asked me.

1. Will you name another child after a comic book character?
I honestly want to. I've pretty much decided (and Darling Hubby seems to be onboard, too) that if we have another boy he will be named Alexander. It's a family name so we could say it was to honor our heritage, but we could call him Lex (as in Lex Luthor, who's full name is Alexander). I think Lex and Bug would be cute. I haven't come across any girl names from comic books that really pop out at me or that will work with our last name. We could always go with Jean (Jean Grey) and we'll have a good start on an X-Men clan. lol

2. What's your favorite character to roleplay?
I really have only ever played female rangers or scouts, preferably with a good bow skill. I'm a mean archer in our current game. I guess my characters have a tendency to reflect me because personally, I'd rather be out of the battle (the one firing from the sidelines) than right middle of the battle. I'm kind of a chicken. lol

3. Will you come out to the Berkshires to see us and meet Angela? :D
I'd love to. I just have to find the time (and since I don't drive, (that's a whole other story) Darling Hubby or someone has to come with me). We should plan a weekend or something. I'm sure Bug would love to have others to play with and I'd love to see you and Cassie again and meet Angela, Nate and Emma.

4. What's your favorite book to reread?
Since there are so many books out there left for me to read, I haven't really read many books over again. I have read the 6 Harry Potter books again (mainly just to refresh my memory for the 7th book) and I'd like to read the Clan of the Cave Bear series again.

5. What was your favorite cartoon as a child?
I didn't really have one particular TV series cartoon that I watched religiously. We didn't get many channels so I didn't have much of a variety. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Smurfs and Duck Tales. I mainly watched Disney movies on tape. I'd have to say that Beauty and the Beast is probably my favorite. It was actually the first movie I ever saw in a theater.

The Sound of Silence

It's music to my ears! What more could a stressed out mom ask for. It's dreary and rainy today and that has kept the construction crew doing the sidewalks at bay. No cement trucks sitting stationary in reverse! Woot! Baby Girl and Bug are napping, the dogs are sleeping quietly in their box and I'm sitting around listening to All My Children and playing on the net. I'm almost in heaven!

Bug has been amazingly good today. He's pretty much been glued to Sesame Street or watching the new online videos on playhousedisney.com. We've only had a few meltdowns over little things. I've decided that I'm going to start the "I'm going to count to 5" routine. I'll tell Bug I'm going to count to 5 and give him 2 options. A) he can do what I asked or B) we can do it the hard way (a timeout or he doesn't get something he wanted). So far today it has worked. He refused to go upstairs for his nap and hid under the dining room table and I counted and ended up carrying him to his room and putting him straight to bed without his favorite stories. I haven't heard a peep out of him...knock on wood.

Baby Girl, on the otherhand, has been a handful. She's screamed for much of the morning, esp when I put her in the playpen so I could leave the room without her getting hurt. It's for her own safety, but she just doesn't understand that. She was pretty tired and she went right to sleep, too. Fingers crossed they sleep for a good long time!

Off to curl up on the couch to drool over a magazine full of yummy scrapbook embelishments that I can't afford and watch AMC.

Slipping Slowly Into Madness

Today is just not my day. I feel like I should be laying in bed, staring at the ceiling and slipping slowly into madness. Oh, wait...I've already arrived in madness...I just need to be in bed staring at the ceiling...

Bug has been an awful, terrible, no good little brat most of the morning. I highly dislike saying that about my son, but lately he doesn't listen, he blatantly disobeys, and the tantrums are unbelievable. Yes, I know he's only 2.5, but come on. Cut Mommy a break for Pete's sake!

Part of my madness stems from the fact that a long time ago, I promised my friend Shannon that I would be a bridesmaid in her wedding this October. Well, she's been super busy (and waited to the last possible minute to decide on the bridesmaid dresses) so she emailed me instead of calling me with the information about about ordering my dress. Well, either there was an aol issue or a yahoo issue and I never got the first email she sent. Then, Sunday the 15th I get an email that was dated the 11th saying that I had until Tuesday (today) to get my measurements and to call the dress shop in Poughkeepsie so my dress would be ready come October. Luckily, I have a friend who knows the proper way to take measurements so I had her do it last night. So while I was on the phone with the dress shop (a whole 5 mins max) Bug got a hold of Darling Hubby's hover craft, tore the rubber bottom off it, put a hole in it, and broke the styrofoam that was inside. In 5 mins!!! I could have strangled him! And when I put him in time out (he's been warned about messing with daddy's things), the tantrum just continued for nearly half an hour! He's at the "no" stage and tells me no when ever I tell him or ask him to do anything. I could just scream! I had to call Darling Hubby at work just to vent to someone or I thought I was going to explode!

And then to make things worse (I should say nicer), the city is installing new curbs and new sidewalks right in front of our house. This started last week. We haven't been able to pull into the driveway since the 7th and parking is horrible. We have to cross over precariously placed boards to get into our house. I'm just tired of that. Today they started pouring concrete for the sidewalks. (Yeah! I think they are getting close to being done...) For over an hour I heard the whirring of the cement mixer and it's back up beeper. Really, does it need to just sit there in reverse? Come on! To make things worse, Baby Girl hates the sound just as much as I do and has decided that the world revolves around her for her nap and she cried for much of the time. The truck finally left and she went to sleep. I'm praying that when (and if - it's state workers) they come back, she'll sleep through all the noise. Oh wait...they just came back...fingers crossed everyone! Thankfully, Bug went to sleep pretty well, despite all the noise.

I just hope that Bug is a good boy when he wakes up and when Daddy gets home. I really hate it when he acts this way. It makes me feel like I've failed him in some way as a Mommy...

Doctors Appointment

So yesterday was my drs appt. Things went well. My doctor (Dr. Rachelle Brilliant) was really nice. She's young and a new doctor, but she was very thorough and had a great bedside manner. I was comfortable with her. She did the whole exam and asked the Resident to come in and look in my eyes too. They got this weird scope thing that gives them a better look in my eyes without dilating them. The Resident saw a dark partial ring around my retina in both eyes. The one in the left eye seemed broken up. Since he only does a couple eye exams a day he felt it would be best for me to see a specialist since he'd never seen that before, even with the funny scope he had. So, they are referring me to an ophthalmologist. Hopefully I'll get some answers then...whenever that appt is. I'm waiting for that call.

Oh, so I finally know what my blood pressure is (112/72) and my resting pulse rate is 84. That's good at least. I'll go in again probably some time next week to have blood drawn to check my cholesterol. I'm a little scared about that as I am not the most health conscious person. I try to eat healthy, but I do eat my share of fatty and junky foods. Hopefully that will be ok.

Oh, and my new glasses came in. We picked them up after the drs appt. I'm still getting used to them, but really since I've gotten them, the spot has decreased in frequency. I'm starting to wonder if my eyes were just compensating to much for the fact that my prescription was too strong (since my eyes improved (no more astigmatism)) and it was causing weird things...Oh, and good old Aunty Flo paid her visit yesterday morning too...I wonder if it could also be a hormonal thing, too. I'll keep you all posted on how things are going. Thanks for all the concern. Oh, and I'll post a picture of me in my new glasses when I get the chance to take one.

Seeing Spots Update

Thanks for all your concern my friends. It makes my heart happy to know you all care. Anyway, I'm feeling better today. I'm no longer dizzy and just out of sorts like I was yesterday. I've been trying to drink more water today and eat, too. The spots in my eye are still there. I still only see them when I stand up or if I move my eyes really fast in one direction. I noticed last night that my left gland in my throat hurts a bit and my left ear was bothering me. Darling Hubby suggested that it may be a mild sinus infection or an ear infection that's putting pressure on my eye.

At any rate, I called a doctors office this morning and they've got me scheduled for a 2:45 appt on Friday. I was hoping for tomorrow, but they were booked solid and normally it takes a couple weeks to get new patients in and the lady on the line was very understanding so I took what I could get. Thankfully, the parents of the little girl I babysit for are very understanding and they are planning to pick her up early so I can go. Keep sending all the get better vibes. I think they are helping a bit as I am feeling better...just still really tired. I think when I get the kids down for their naps I may curl up on the couch to see if I can catch a few more zzzzz's.

Seeing Spots

So, unfortunately, I'm still seeing that weird spot in my left eye. I don't know what it is. Darling Hubby seems to think it really is an ocular migraine like the eye dr said, but I want to know why it started all of a sudden and why it's not going away. There are so many causes that at this point any one of them could be feasible.

I felt like complete crap this morning and even called out sick for babysitting. I didn't have the energy to watch Bug , much less a 2nd one that wasn't mine. Poor Bug watched so much tv today. Darling Hubby ended up coming home early to give me a break and let me catch a few more winks (which was a futile attempt at best).

And to top it off, since I'm such a bad person, I don't have a regular physician. I know...insert I told you so's here! Up to this point in life I've been really healthy and didn't really see the need I guess. Now I am in the process of finding one and I don't think I will get in with anyone until Thursday (the one I called this afternoon was closing up because they didn't have power (bad storms last night) and she said she though they could get me in Thursday)...So, basically now, this is just a wait and see. I hope that I'm feeling better by tomorrow so I can at least babysit and care for Bug . Fingers crossed that it's nothing serious and all will be better in a few days.

New Glasses

So I started seeing a weird spot in my field of vision in my left eye today. I'd never had it before and had no other symptoms of anything, but Darling Hubby was still concerned. We went to our eye place and they got in me pretty quickly. They checked me out from top to bottom (of my eyes, that is) and didn't find anything out of the ordinary. They even fully dilated my eyes (which sucks in bright sunlight!) to get a better look, but they found nothing. In fact, they said that my eyes have actually improved!!! I no longer have my astigmatism so they've lowered my prescription. Woot! I'm still seeing the weird spot in my vision occasionally this afternoon, but I'm beginning to think it's just because I'm super tired. Hopefully, it will just go away. Oh, the eye dr did have a theory. It could be an ocular migraine. Some people get weird vision followed by headaches, some people just get the headaches and some just get the vision thing. I have been getting headaches lately, but nothing an Excedrin won't fix. At any rate, I did need new glasses. I'm terrible about keeping up on my getting my eyes checked (it's been over 3 years since I got new glasses), mainly because we don't have an insurance that will cover it and for just me getting a compete eye exam, new everyday frames and lenses and new lenses in my old sunglass frames it cost me nearly $800.00. Darling Hubby was a wee bit annoyed, but not at me. He should get his done too, but since we just shelled out that amount on me, he'll probably wait.

So, in about 1-2 weeks, my new glasses should be ready. They only had one of my everyday lenses in stock so they had to order the other one. So, as soon as they are ready, I'll have a new picture to share with everyone. According to everyone, the new frames are an "odd shape," but they look nice on me. At least I think they do...My eyes were dilated and I was blind as a bat for the most part while choosing frames. Hopefully, they will look good later.

Wild, Weird & Wacky Wednesday - FRIDAY Edition

So I haven't had much in the way of my usual computer time recently since the holiday and Darling Hubby being home, but for today, I'm back. I missed out on my usual Weird, Wild and Wacky Wednesday post with pictures so I thought I'd post the good ones I got while visiting family this past weekend.

I only got 4 decent pics...hey, I should go with Corey's Four for Friday idea.

Anyway, Sunday we went down to Darling Hubby's sister's house in Deposit, NY. His brother Chris, wife Mindy and their 2 kids, Mikalla and CJ, were driving in from NM to pick up their new truck (in NC) and then getting their trailer that we helped pack in the middle of June. That was when Max had his Dumb Dog Moment. Apparently, the engine on the truck blew before Mindy left PA, hence the need for a new, more powerful, truck and another trip to NY. Anyway, we just had a little get together as a family and celebrated Darling Hubby's and his Step-father's birthday's.

Bug had a blast playing with his cousins William and Alice. He really enjoyed playing with William's dump trucks and bucket loaders in the sand box and spent a good amount of time playing there by himself when everyone else was running around going nuts. Here is a picture of Bug filling up the bucket on this ride-on toy with grass he was pulling up from the yard.

He also enjoyed sitting in Uncle Chris' new truck. He actually said he wanted to go home with Uncle Chris when we told him we were leaving, mainly because he didn't want to get out of the truck. He even tried to put his seat belt on. At least he was thinking of safety! Guess we've got him trained.

And finally, here is my favorite picture that I took that day. Grandma wanted to get a picture of Bug while he was swinging, but he wasn't being very cooperative (hiding his face, scowling, you know, the typical toddler I don't want my picture taken routine). Daddy decided it would be funny to make faces at him to try to get him to smile and the little mimic that Bug has become (watch what you say, he's a parrot, too) decided to make faces right back. Silly boy!


So, there you have a it. A little late, but still as good. I hope you've enjoyed the Friday edition of Wild, Weird & Wacky Wednesday!

New Theme and Some Other Stuff

I decided to change my theme today. I was getting a little tired of the yellow, red and green motif I had going. I decided on a nice pink and green theme. I'm not much of a "pink" girl. Purple is my favorite color, but I decided that the pink is good for a change.

I may or may not have time to post my usual Weird, Wild and Wacky Wednesday post tomorrow. It's Darling Hubby's birthday, yep, he's a 4th of July baby and with the holiday and stuff, I'm not sure how much computer time I'll have. We plan on having a bbq if the weather is nice. If not, we'll be cooking steak inside. The weather will determine if we go out to watch fireworks of just watch them on tv.

Oh, and Bug has started talking so much more this week. Just lately he's said words like "dragon" and has started stringing words together like "I watch it" (my tv junky) "I dance" and "I dancing." Today he told me his "sketti" was dancing at lunch and he's started asking for more (instead of using the sign) and telling me when he's stinky or when he needs his stool (brushing his teeth) He's also been singing a lot more. His current favorite songs are "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and the Wiggles "Fruit Salad." He also enjoys a good rendition of the Brushing song that I made up to the tune of the Badger song. I you aren't familiar with the Badger song...well...you don't know what you are missing out on...ok...I'm kidding...it's really annoying, but Bug loves it. He loves a lot of annoying things, but who am I to judge, I love him! lol

Oh, and I do have one annoyance going on this week. There is this company called Receivables Performance Management who keeps calling our house. Usually, I let the machine pick up, but lately I've taken to answer it just to stop the annoying ringing...they never leave a message anyway. The message starts by saying "please hold for an important call" and then I get some muzak. Most of the time the line disconnects, but this morning a woman answered asking for Agregi (no fist name was given, but I know it's Darling Hubby's name as they've called before with a recorded message asking for _____ Agregi)...who ever that is...anyway, I said to her that "you've called my number constantly and there is no one by the name Agregi living here." She got all defensive and said that "she's never called this number" and when I told her to stop calling and remove my number from her database she quickly hung up. Apparently, this is a 3rd party collection agency who harass people. I'm on the Do Not Call Registry and just filed 2 complaints with them against this company. I really wish they'd stop calling me. I don't know anyone named Agregi, but I wish he's pay his debt so they'd leave me the heck alone! Anyone else dealt with this companies harassment before? Anyway, they just called a little while ago...3rd time today....we'll see what happens with the Do Not Call thing. I may have to start getting nasty with them! lol

Well, its almost time for Bug's bedtime and he's pestering me to dance (in other words, watch Wiggles movies on YouTube) and to have some "Tockit" (chocolate milk).