Psychotomy

So, DK has been having more meltdowns recently.  Not coincidentally, he’s much more willing to go up for bedtime around 9pm.  No, wait.  He’s much more willing to go upstairs with me and Pi, to “help out a little.”  But since he knows what happens when he helps (he falls asleep), I’m counting it, because he is taking that on.

So, fairly sure he’s having a growth phase of some sort.  Mental or physical, I don’t know (although my guess would be mental).  And that has him all out of sorts, prone to, alternatively, tear or screaming fits.

He broke down at a birthday party recently, he had climbed up to a platform, but there was only one ladder to go up or down (poor planning IMO), and a bunch of other kids were coming up.  When it started to get full, he decided he wanted down.  But kids were coming up.  Then everyone decided it was crowded o everyone wanted down.  Meanwhile, DK had been shunted to the back of the crowd, and even though he wanted to get down before everyone was up, he ended up the last one on the platform.  By which point he’d sat down in the corner to have a breakdown.  I know how it feels, I’ve done it myself before.  It’s just so frustrating and it seems like the world is against you.  *sigh*

Of course, then we have the part where he’s demanding things and we’re telling him no.  We got Skylanders for Xmas and I opened it up early for him, and we bought him a bunch of extra characters.  Now every time we go out he demands a new one.  Or two.  ”or one hundred!”  Even at the grocery store the other night.

And then the far end of the spectrum.  Wherein last night I established myself as (a) a power to be considered, and (b) worse than satan.  We’ve threatened to take away a Skylander or two, before, but we’ve never needed to follow through.  Once over t-day, I told him I was taking them away because he was insisting on watching TV instead of going out for a walk with Nonnie.  Then he said something, and I realized it wasn’t so much the TV as he wanted ME to come on the walk, and his little brother.  He hadn’t articulated it before that point, but once I asked if that was what he wanted, he was happy enough to grab his shoes.  Although he did ask, before we left, if he was still losing his Skylanders (I said no, because I decided that the imminence of the threat had motivated him to at least tell me what he wanted)

But last night, Pi was ready for bed.  Kiir was taking up Kitty.  And I ‘needed his help” with Pi.  He didn’t want to go, he wanted to watch the movie (not that Robin Hood: Men in Tights isn’t a GREAT movie).  We discussed the point, we argued.  He screamed, I got pissy.  And then I told him I was going to take a Skylander if he didn’t start going, and I counted down.  And he kept telling me not to count, and he batted at my hand to make the numbers go away.  And when I reached 0 … I picked out a Skylander and told him it was gone for a week.

The screams reached a fever pitch at that point.  He begged me not to take it away. He shrieked bloody murder.  He started to go up the stairs, and asked if he could have it back since he was going now.

I said no.  No, you can’t have it back, because you weren’t listening and you weren’t following directions.  And once I made sure he was far enough up the stairs to not see where I was storing it, I put it away.  Because if he saw it, even “out of reach” he’d just climb on something (possibly dangerously) to get it.  So I made sure he couldn’t see where I was putting it.  I don’t think he could see it when he came down this morning.

We all went up, brushed teeth, and they were playing in the room before booktime, and I told them to get up on the bed so we could read.  They ignored me.  I said “Five”, and DK went barelling up onto the bed.  Because, after all, Il Bastardo has already proven he’s maniacally willing to take away my Skylanders, I am NOT risking another one!!!

I hate “ruling by fear,” but I’m always being told I’m not supposed to be their friend.  ”You’re their parent, first.  You’re NOT their friend.”  I just don’t really know how to be a parent without being a friend, too.  A slightly bipolar and sadistic friend, perhaps, but…

(Kiir gave him back his Skylander this afternoon; which is fine, I didn’t really necessarily MEAN to take it for a week, but that was the unit I said, and fundamentally I needed to not be seen backing down from it; I did make him go give her another hug and a kiss and say thank you after I got home, because “daddy said it was gone for how long?  And mommy gave him back already?  I hope you gave her a hug and a big thank you, because that was very nice of her”)

Posted in: DK by attriel /
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So, kitty was sitting on the floor in front me of , with Pi in my lap, and suddenly I hear

“Hi daddy!”

And it’s not in Pi’s voice print …

I don’t know Kitty’s, since he’s still only 8mo, and laughing/crying/screeching doesn’t exactly reflect speaking print …

So, yeah, my 8mo old just said “hi daddy!” at me and waved a my little pony’s hairbrush that we as chewing on :o

he then crawled over again and shared the brush with me by screeching and shoving his whole fist into my maw :)

Posted in: Kitty by attriel /
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So, to continue our tale from Fun with Prescriptions …

When I  checked the mail from last week (we were out of town) … Note from CVS/Caremark.

After carefully reviewing the case, blah blah blah, according to our records, yadda yadda, we are DENYING your request for an exception for this medication because:

• After two months, you are expected to switch to a 90-day supply
• You can get a 90-day supply via the mail-order
• You can also get a 90-day supply at your local CVS/Pharmacy and pay the mail order price

Because this prescription does not fulfill these requirements (90-day prescription required for all maintenance medications), we cannot grant you an exception to the 90-day maintenance rule requirement.

I’m going to try to scan it and post it, because seriously?  I can’t make this stuff up.

They can’t give me an exception to the rule requiring a 90-day prescription, because I need a 90-day prescription, and I don’t have a 90-day presecription, and I should have a 90-day prescription, so we can’t let you not have a 90-day prescription because you don’t have a 90-day prescription.

REALLY?  Clearly they don’t employ actual people, just scripts that are, SOMEHOW, incapable of performing simple logic?

Posted in: Kitty by attriel / Tags: insurance yahoos

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I so love thanksgiving.

First I drive 12-16 hours, depending on traffic, to get to my inlaws (we stopped for the night this year, so it was two 6-hour chunks, not near as bad)

The first few days were OK, just us and her parents.  Just the usual screaming and yelling amongst them.

Tuesday night I got to take a 5 hour journey with dad and my eldest to pick up a table from the other house.  Not because we needed it, but because having the person that wanted it take the extra drive would have been rude.  We got home from that and boy was wide awake after a two hour nap and two hours of BOREDOM in the car.  shocking.

Wednesday I had all the kids asleep and in bed by 8pm and they mostly slept through.

Then Thursday everyone else came, as they are wont to do.  Loud, obnoxious.  They spent most of the day at the second sleeping house, because they didn’t want to be around the kids.  Sis commented on how rude it was that they were doing that.  Until she was preggers last year, she did the same thing to stay away from my kids.

When they all came over, in size 75 steel boots like a brigade storming normandy, they were loud and annoying.  One of them came over and rubbed baby’s head on my back and said “what are you up to baby?”

My response?  ”Sleeping until you guys got here all loud and shit.”

After dinner, sis’ baby went to sleep at 7 (“he sleeps from 7 to 7 without ever waking up or anything!”) and they all sat at the top of the stairs (admittedly where the tables were) and played cards .  LOUDLY.  I swear, these people could each help a three ring circus without a mic.  Because they were all trying to last night.

Since there was no way I was getting my kids to sleep with the racket, I let the elder pair watch cartoons until she wanted to sleep.  Got her down for ~20 minutes until there was another ROAR from upstairs, and she woke up.  So when the boy was ready, I changed him to his jammies and sent him upstairs to tell everyone to “BE QUIEEEEETTTTTT!!!!”

Twenty minutes later I asked dad to go tell them again.

They finally settled ~5 minutes before I was ready to open the bedroom door and shout up “Shut the fuck up!” Which would have been hilarious to me, since it would have woken up sis’ perfectd sleeper.

Who apparently woke up screaming when she tried to go to bed, so she left her husband to deal with it since he walked in in front of her.  She closed the door on him :o

I hate family time.

Today the boys all went to play golf (with a disgusted “no way” from dad when I asked if he was taking boy; I know it’s a real game on the full course, but he’s been wanting to take boy all week), the girls all went to see twilight at the theatre.

My baby girl is sick, so mommy is laying with her, and baby boy is sleeping on my back.  I’m unclear why people were telling me what time the Muppet movie was playing.  Sis already left Mom in charge of her baby when she left, I’m fairly sure if I tried to go now, too, mom will kill me :o

Posted in: general, trips by attriel /
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So, Kitty (our third) is on medication for reflux.  It’s a compounded admixture.  So it has a shelf life of 12 days.  Can stretch to double when refrigerated.

Insurance demands a 90-day scrip for any “maintenance medication”, which is anything you need more than one refill of :o  Since it’s only good for so short a period it hit “maintenance” within a month.

After arguing the point with the insurance, we kinda were giving up but had the doc submit the justification (uh, she prescribed it?  how’s that for a justification, bitches?) and, I don’t know if it had an effect or not, since we still can’t get a one-month supply.  BUT!  After three months of paying for it out of pocket, the pharmacy suddenly said “hey!  What if we filed it as a 90-day prescription, but we’ll give it to you one month at a time?  eh? eh? clever, right?”

OK.  Point the first.

1. How is 90 days, in 3 30-day segments, noticeably different from 30-days with 2 refills?  seriously?
2. How can you insist on a 90-day scrip when it’s not good for 90-days?
3. While we’re on the subject, those of you good at math might have figured out … 30 days > 12*2, yah?
4. Dude when I was calling to argue was flabbergasted it was compounded and not in pill form, “Is that really necessary?”  Kitty was 5 months old at the time of this conversation!
5. Seriously, when did the insurance companies become the final arbiters of medication???
6. Oh, yeah, and didn’t 90-day start out as a convenience and money-saving thing for people?  How has it become the mandated standard?

So, last month we filled the 90-day scrip (yay, less than half the price we were paying for 30-days previously!), and they said they had the other two months of it set aside here and it would be ready each month for me to pick it up.

Well, today I went to pick up month 2.  Lady at the pharmacy asked “when did you drop off the prescription?” “Last month”  ”I’m sorry, it sounded like you said last month, haha” “I did”

Well, she looks in the computer and says “It looks like it was sent back” Uh, no. “We only keep them on the shelf for 15 days” Uh, no.  I explain.  ”Oh, did you get a partial?” Seriously, like it’s my problem to know?  And didn’t you just say the computer said it was filled and returned a couple weeks ago?  Where did that come from?  Oh, right, NOT the computer!

So she looks some more, asks someone else, and comes back. “I think they put it back in the general supply, I don’t see anything waiting” Again, no.  Explain.  ”I don’t see anything here made, I can put in for it to be filled” Fine

“When do you want to pick it up?” “Other than now?” “I can check with my pharmacist, but I don’t know if she can fill it tonight”  Fine, tomorrow.  I wasn’t coming back tonight anyway.

Moral of this story?  If you’re going to quote the computer, try not to have to change your story.  And if you’re not going to keep it set aside in a folder like you claim, perhaps you shouldn’t claim it.  Just say that you’ll pull it at time.

Seriously people.  Can you at least TRY to act like professionals and not the keystone cops?

Posted in: Kitty by attriel / Tags: insurance yahoos

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Bored.

Depressed.

Lonely

Tired

Nothing to see here.

Posted in: general by attriel /
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So, I have time on my computer right now.  I could play a game.  I could surf the web.

Well, actually, since DK and Pi didn’t want to do anything for the long weekend but sit upstairs and play in the bedroom, I’ve already gone through my google reader.  it’s been ages since it was clear!  And I’ve caught up all my sites to read.  So really, surfing the web has nothing available right now unless I trawl wikipedia or something.

But I don’t even feel like playing a game.  It’s depressing is what it is.  I might try watching some TV show on hulu or such, but can’t do that when Kiir and Pi are awake and in the living room anyway.

Maybe I’ll go to bed early tonight and see if getting more sleep helps me.  blew out a bunch of phlegm blocking up my nose earlier, i can breathe again, so that seems promising.  I figure I’ll take the sudafed shortly, it’s been almost 5 hours since my last dose, and that should hold me the night.

Managed to slice up my hand earlier.  No idea how that happened.  Annoying, really.  I’ll need to put something on that with a bandaid for bed, so it doesn’t catch or pull and keep waking me up :o

Posted in: general by attriel /
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OK, so.  It’s been months.  Again.

I’m going to give it another go here, but I’m thinking I may be shuttering both this blog and deadbeef.  I need to remember to look up if anyone besides spambots comes anyway.

My weight backslid further.  240 according to the lsightly defective scale.  I think it’s probably about right though.  Blegh.  Seriously need to start getting to the gym (maybe Pi and DK will be willing to play at child center now?  just in time for Newb.)

Oh, yeah.  We’re having a third one!  And somehow I let that convince me to let my MiL come and clean the house in January.  Don’t get me wrong, I am completely incapable of actually getting it cleaned myself, clearly.  Did fairly well with the living/dining, kitchen and master bedroom for xmas.

Car broke in October.  TV broke beginning of December.  Yay.

I don’t even have the energy to rant and rave anymore.  I barely have the energy to care about things.

Crap, I need to make a psych appt before I run out of pills .. NTS: make psych appt …

I’m not even sure what i’ll focus on here.  But I’m going to try to post semi-regularly.  I talk to myself all the time, might as well write to myself too.

Posted in: general by attriel /
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Well, THATS working poorly.

Partially we keep ending up picking up pasta or red robin burgers (although i do get them lettuce wrapped, but still, fries!) or such.  Partially we’re not really exercising.

So far in the 5 (?) weeks since my last post, I’ve lost up to 10 lbs.  I go back and forth between down 5 and down 10.  Currently I think it’s 7.  We’re moving on to phase 2, to at least expand the options some.

Some of my issue is that I keep getting snacks.  If I forget my eggs in the morning, or if I’m running late, I’ll grab a chocolate croissant and chocolate milk at the Au Bon Pain at the train station.  If I’m hungry leaving the office, I’ll get a pretzel.  Actually, this is more because I keep craving the salt I think, more than necessarily “hungry,” but I’m not sure really it’s hard to tell.

But for the first 3 weeks I was pretty good, with scrambled eggs w/ cheese for breakfast.  Salad for lunch.  And some form of SB Phase 1 fish dish at dinner.  And even though it’s basically what I eat ANWAY, I was soooo sick of fish and salads.  So the last two weeks have been all over the map :/

Aside from curbing my snacks (which are expensive, frankly, anyway), I think what I really need is to pick one or two days a week for DK and Pi o go to the day care at the gym, and I work out & exercise for an hour or two.  Possibly take some form of class.

Of course, I also need to go to the chiropractor, b/c my neck is freakin’ killing me, which would probably dampen my workout enthusiasm a bit :!

Posted in: fitness by attriel /
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The other night I pulled out the scale and weighed myself.

The following day I decided to go on a Diet.

As of Sunday we’ve started South Beach again.  This Friday is Kiir’s birthday, Saturday is a gaming session at a friend’s.  So that’s two days off the reservation.

Next weekend is DK’s birthday party/Easter.  Skidding away again.

The FOLLOWing saturday is probably our DnD session.

But, what I’m figuring is trying the phase 1 (2 week) portion for 4-6 weeks.  Especially since I’ll be hitting all these drop points to make up for.

Oh, and becaues I was 237 lbs, and that is waaaaaay too much!

Posted in: fitness by attriel /
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