Phone Calls and Children

My insurance company has this fabulous feature right now, which I assume is to try to reduce the cost of paying for medications.  After refilling a script so many times, it rejects it, and tells the pharmacy to tell you to order it through the mail.
There are several annoying facets to this.
1.)  You find out it is rejected when you are at the pharmacy attempting to pick it up and have like one pill left.
2.)  You usually have a kid or two with you.
3.)  You have to call and override the rejection and tell them you don't want it through mail order.
4.)  The mail order might be cheaper but it takes three weeks to process (by when you may not need the meds anymore) and also, they send you three months at a time and insurance will cover one or two of those months.  Or you have to call the doctor to rewrite the script.
5.)  You have to have the prescription number on hand when overriding which often means calling the pharmacy back again.

Of course I realized all this when I got down to my last birth control pill and remembered vaguely paying out-of-pocket last time and putting the "override" phone call on my to-do list.

So today I made the phone call and remembered why I hadn't done it before.  This time I remembered to get the prescription number ahead of time, when I called the pharmacy to ask again for the number of who I had to call.

I finally get the number and call.
Sam appears, "mama."  I wag my finger at him and shake my head.  It's an automated line.
"Mama."
"Sam, no.  I'm on the phone."
Viv starts whimpering on the rug.
I pick her up and respond to the voice activated prompt.
"Mama."
"Sam, NOT NOW."
"We did not understand your response.  Please listen to your options again."
"Mama.  Am I going to the doctor?"
Viv screeches.
"We did not understand your response.  Please listen to your options again."

I hang up and lecture Sam and try again.

This time Viv continuously does her happy screech which continuously sets off the voice automated machine.  I hang up and stick the binky in her mouth and put her back down.  Sam is still quiet in the corner.

I call back get through the entire menu which of course turns out has no options for wanting to override their stupid system so I end up asking for an operator and getting transferred (five minutes later).  Then I get put on hold while the override is being performed for another 3 minutes.  When the representative returns, I ask her who to call to stop this process from starting.  She doesn't know.  Viv starts screeching which causes Sam to realize he's not making any noise, so he starts playing his instruments, because of course that is not actually talking to me, so it's acceptable behavior.  I attempt to tell the representative how annoying it is to have to go through this process.  She doesn't care or possibly understand.  I hang up, it's been about 25 minutes since I started the phone call and it's now only 9:30 am and I have to take both the kids to the grocery store, plus still don't have my prescription.  Honestly it would probably be easier to get it in the mail, if we received all of our mail and it was covered by insurance.






This is one of her quieter squeaks and is actually her distress call.  She's discovered that her binky is missing.

A Short Run

Going to write a warning here to stop reading if you don't want to know about bodies after giving birth, fluids, etc.  It's not that graphic, but it does involve post pregnancy details.  I spent a long time not writing about all the fun things that occur post pregnancy and refrained from sharing birth stories, but as this is all real, I'll lay it out there.

I'm not a runner and have tried for years to build some endurance running.  Yoga and Pilates are much more my thing, but I do enjoy, or did, running 5k races for a few years, more the camaraderie and enthusiasm of the events and that they typically raise money for a good cause.  After having Sam though, high impact activities and I did not get along. To be blunt, I'd pee a little when running, which made it even more of a not-very-fun activity.  My OB suggested surgery after I'd finished having kids- not currently helpful.  After having another close to 9 lb baby, the situation has not gotten better.

Tonight, it was beautiful out and reminded me of all the nights I would run in college and in years past, and instead of going to the gym, I decided to enjoy the evening and go for a run.  Running used to involve my iPod, a chip in my shoe that tracked my time and could be downloaded, an armband, good running shoes, and water, etc.  Tonight, I was lucky to find a sports bra for this adventure and quickly downloaded a pedometer app to my iPhone (for which I obviously did not have a armband case to strap it safely to my body).  In addition, I threw on a pair of Depends (yes, adult underwear left from all the afterbirth fun), and had my trusty nursing pads since I am breastfeeding.  All in all, it was sexy.  I told Chris I'd probably get hit by a car wearing Depends and nipple pads and would be mortified as well as injured.  

I set out on an old route to see how far I could get.  I have always tracked my runs in the past in miles, this time the ap tracked in kilometers, (I'm sure I could of switched it but not while attempting to run at dusk).  Kilometers turned out to be much more motivating as they go by more quickly than miles, I should have thought of this years ago.  Of course, after .66 kilometers the ap reset, or I hit a button checking how far I had run for the seventeenth time in 3 minutes.  I hate not tracking my runs and felt like the electronics stole my hard earned kilometers.   I ran down to the river, which, as I ran I realized was really mostly downhill.  And the run became this strange place where the younger, pre-kids me ran with the new mother and I felt like I was in a bad pivotal moment in a book.  I ran past places that have been rebuilt in my seven years here and had a series of realizations of how different things have become in my life.

Pre-Kids:

- all my running gear was accessible

- I had running outfits and gear (iPod, etc)

- I had worn-in running shoes

- I had time & could chose my time of day during which to run

- I knew the streets by distance and how much endurance I had

- my roommate and I used to run and get take out for dinner or meet up with people

- I'd often come in, cool down, and have a beer 

Now

- running gear involves fluid leakage guards

- iPod has been missing for at least a year, as has chip to insert in shoe.  iPod would probably also play Baby Beluga and Puff the Magic Dragon if it could be located

- I have blisters on the back of both feet from new sneakers I bought to walk with the kids

- I left when the kids were down for bed and came back to the baby crying to be nursed (as I was melting and ready to pass out from running) and then Sam waking up crying

- I know now the streets by the smoothness factor for stroller friendly travel and where it is safe for a 3 year old to ride a scooter

- above roommate also has a baby and moved out 5 years ago

- when I returned I had a screaming baby and no beer, and unfortunately had drank a glass of wine with dinner, before I knew I was going to run

Also, to complete this weird evening of comparison, I ran by (okay, she ran by me), one of those super sleek runners, probably a college student, who had the whole cute running ensemble going, shoes, spandex, the florescent shirts that are currently in, music device (probably more updated than an iPod).  I swear I got the once over as she sped around the corner- (my Depends were probably visible, they are really high waisted for some reason).  I wanted to tell her I used to be her- minus the sleek outfit and speed, but kind of like her.  On the next block, no joke, I saw myself in twenty years, also sort of.  A women in her late forties, early fifties, had probably had a few kids, power walking, which to be honest, would be much more my thing given that cardio is a necessary evil.  She was also more put together than I was, which I hope when my kids are older I can regain.  I wondered what she saw in me.  Probably just an overheated, panting 30 something year-old trying to get up a hill.

I made it 4 kilometers total, which wasn't bad considering it had been at least a year and a half since I actually ran.  I question whether these aps take into account the fact that most of the way back was uphill, or that there is a staircase mid-run as I cut across campus.   I did run without stopping to walk, or collapse, though my face was a strange deep red and blotchy color when I was finished.  When I was pregnant with Sam, I could run 4 miles in the middle of the summer, and still a few miles when I was 5 months pregnant.  Times have definitely changed.  

Small steps, big blisters, but small steps.

I Don't Want to Move

She fell asleep playing peekaboo with Chris who was on the other couch and has been asleep on my knee for an hour.  Cuddly little girl. 

"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"

Driving home today after a rainstorm, the sunset was behind the clouds. The result was that the clouds were illuminated and washed with color. It was quite spectacular.  We were listening to a Beatles cd and Sam and I were commenting on the sky.  Suddenly he exclaimed, "Mom!  I know why the sky is like that and the clouds are lit up!  The man is singing "skyyyy...." very loud, so the sun listens to him and Lucy!" 

"This Guy"

Sam is doing half day sessions at the camp at his school this week.  I signed him up so that he could be with children and potentially meet some of the kids who might be in his class this coming year.  He went reluctantly, but all in all, transitioned fairly well at drop off.
He was telling me about his day at lunch yesterday, and I was trying to discern if he was playing with anyone new, or just the same friend.
"This one guy pushed me outside."
"Oh, he did?"
"Yes."
"Did you push him?"
"No, Mum.  He camed over and pushed," he got up from his chair to demonstrate, "just like this." Arms outstretched he showed me.  "And then," dramatic pause, "I thought he was going to huff, and puff, and blow me right down!"
I'm trying not to laugh, "but he didn't?"
"No." he shook his head, "he didn't."
"Well maybe play with someone different tomorrow."  I suggested.
"Yes," Sam agreed.  "He's very young, he doesn't know better."
(All the children in the room are 3, I didn't point this out).

 

Long Island Trip

Cookie Monster

I can home to a very messy floor and counter where Sam had eaten lunch with a babysitter.  When he woke up from his nap, we had the following nonsensical conversation:

I pointed to the mess:

Me:  "Sam, what's this?"
Sam:  "Crumbs from my lunch.  I was eating chips like Cookie Monster."
Me:  "Okay, well you need to clean them up.  Get the broom."
Sam:  "Cookie Monster doesn't clean up."
True...
Me:  "Yes, but you're not Cookie Monster."
Sam:  "But I want to be Cookie Monster."
Ahh, yes, that would be nice.  Eat cookies all day.
Me: "Ok, well since you're not Cookie Monster, we're going to clean up the crumbs.  Together."
Sam: "Ok.  Maybe we should teach Cookie Monster to clean up so his Mommy doesn't see a mess."
"Good plan."

Doctor Who?

I had to take Sam and Vivian to my own doctor's appointment today at the last minute.  In the car, Sam asked me, "What is the doctor called?"
"Huh?"
"What's the doctor called?"
"His name?"
"Yes."
"Dr. Rohrer."
Pause.
Sam asks, "what does he talk like?"
"What does he talk like?  You mean how does he speak?"
"Yes."
"Like a regular person."
Pause.
"In a very loud voice?"
"No.  A regular voice."
"Is he a nice guy?"
"Yes, he's a nice doctor who is helpful."
"And he talks in a not loud voice."
"Right."
I wasn't following the conversation entirely so I just let it go.
When we were in the waiting room, Sam asked, "what's taking Dr. Lion so long?"
"Dr. Lion?  His name's Doctor Rohrer." (Pronounced "roar.").  I tried so hard not to laugh that I started tearing up.  He must have thought we were visiting a lion the whole way there, who roared instead of talked.

deCordova Visit

Checking out more art at the sculpture park.  A great place for running, picnicking, seeing artwork, and to spend the day.  And, there are no outdoor alarms to set off.

                                     

 Watching a tour of middle school students, Sam and his buddy were a little perplexed.

 Vivian had a similar expression as the artwork.

So much to explore.