Smart Little Kid

So I realize that everyone thinks they have the greatest kid.  Well, Max my not be the greatest, but he is well on his way to being the smartest.  I am so proud of him.

Last week we had his parent teacher conference and it was so awesome. He is way above average in reading.  My little first grader is reading at a 4/5 grade level.  Max loves reading and has an amazing memory. He comes out with things that I am clueless as to where they came from and when I ask, he tells me he read it.  It is great.

When he brings his math homework home for us to do, he whips right through it.  He picks up on things so quickly.  He has been in school for about 3 months and has progressed quickly.  Started by adding single digits and counting single digits.  Now he counts by 2, 3, 5, and 10's and adding 2 and 3 digits.  Won't be long until he is multiplying....I did not learn that until 3rd grade.

While the horrible school district has told the teachers that they are not to "focus" on teaching science and social studies, Max has been able to pick up on all the subject matter he is reading.  So, while they are not teaching him science and social studies, Max is picking up so much.

I am as proud as a peacock of my little 1st grader.  Amazing little man...I hope we can keep him on this road.  He loves learning and I really want him to continue to love it and want to learn more.

Ben

I have to tell you that Ben amazes me sometimes.

Yesterday I was sitting with an ice pack on my shoulder and Ben was playing legos.  He turned to me and asked if I wanted to play with God.  I told him that I was relaxing and reading before it dawned on me what he said.  He said, "Okay, I will."  Then he asked, "How do you know God is real?"  I told him that I have faith and while you cannot see God he is around us.  He said, "No Mom, you know because Church tells us and he is in Heaven."

He has mentioned God several times over the last few weeks.  Makes me happy but also wonder what is going on in that little head of his.  I may have a future pastor on my hands, although he wants to be president right now.

Playdate

The boys are so excited today.  I have set up a playdate for them with Ashley's family.  Brody, Tyler, and Patrick are the greatest little boys.  The awesome thing is that Brody is in the same grade as Max and Tyler and Patrick (twins) are the same age as Ben.  It makes it so much fun for them all.  God bless Ashley for watching the boys this afternoon.

Matt has been gone for a week and with the boys are Ashley's, I can pick Matt up by myself.  It is going to be awesome.  I get to spend a couple of hours just me and my hubby.  Yeah.......I am more excited than the boys for today.

Boogers

We are still fighting the cold at our house.  We just cannot shake it.  Ben is still the worse.  Max seems to have gotten just the top of it and never got more of it. Thank goodness.  I, on the other hand, am right there with Ben.  The cough is  horrid.

I still don't have insurance available to us.  It scares me because I know how quickly Ben can go from doing okay to not being able to breath. I am a little more nervous than normal because his cough has gone from a nice wet cough to a dry cough.  I do not like it when he cannot move mucus in his lungs.  It surely means that things are starting to stick.  Grr. I just keep praying that he does not get to that point.  We normally go to the private hospital....we have been there for every hospital stay.  We know all the nurse and the routines.  It makes me feel better to be there.  I am not sure I could handle going to the community hospital.....maybe it is just me being snotty and uppity.  I would just feel  more comfortable in a private hospital that is not going bankrupt.  How horrible of me.........but when it comes to our kids we always want the best, especially when it comes to health care.  Come on insurance people......I need to treat my child with the best care I can get for him.  I am still paying the premium.  What is the deal?

Dang Insurance

My frustration level has reach the ceiling.  Matt went to get Ben's medicine on Monday and we were told that the insurance was expired.  The cost of his medicine with insurance is $10......without insurance it is $500+.  I am totally blown away.

I called the peds office on Monday and spoke to his doctor, who is amazing.  He said that they did not have any samples in the office, but they would get the drug rep in to get some for us.  I was so thrilled.  Unfortunately, I just got off the phone with them and the drug rep still has not shown up.  I am going on day 3 without medicine for Ben and it is starting to get bad.  He is snotty and starting to cough.  I have doubled up on his inhaler and started albeuterol to try to get ahead of it and not let it settle into his chest.  Keep your fingers crossed that we do not end up in the hospital again....it just kills me to have to be there.  I am hoping that if we have to do something we can get o2 at home, but that would take insurance and we still don't have any.

Matt's company is working on it.  They have been working with UHC to underwrite a new policy because of Obama care.  The company he works for is a virtual company and you are not suppose to be able to purchase insurance over state lines.  Well, that sucks.  How is a company suppose to provide insurance when it is virtual and has employees in at least 8 different states.  With Obama care the company will be fined if they do not provide insurance, but how can they when the law prevents them from doing so.  Get a policy for each state....that would be way expensive for everyone.  I am not even sure that is possible because the company is not in all states.....what the heck.

I am hoping we will have insurance by the end of the day or the doctor's office calls with samples.  Otherwise, I am going to have to cough up the $500+ and it is really going to put a crimp in the budget.

Grrr!

Ben's ruined day

Yesterday as we were on our way to school, there was a tractor type thing driving down the road.  You know how fast those things drive.  I decided that I was going to teach the boys to be positive and said to the boys, "This is not going to ruin my day."
Ben said, "It is gonna ruin mine."

Later we were on the interstate and there was an accident. I said to Ben, "This is not gonna ruin my day." And Ben said, "This is going to ruin my day."

Then we went to the grocery store and our favorite cereal was completely sold out.  I said, "This is not going to ruin my day."  Again Ben said, "This is gonna ruin my day."

When Max got home I was telling him about our day and how nothing ruined my day.  Ben piped in, "Nothing ruined my day either."  I thought for sure that he was going to say that his day was ruined by all of the things that had happened.  But I was very pleased that he followed my lead and did not let any of it ruin is day.

Pumpkin Patch Field Trips

I had the best time the last two days.  I was released from my arm brace just in time to go with the boys to the pumpkin patch.  Each of them had field trips with their classes.  

It was so much fun to do the same activity with each of them separately.  It was a great experience....but very different with each of them.  

Monday I went with Ben.  He is 4 now and still wide eyed when it comes to the world.  He loved looking at all of the animals.  He did not really get close because he knows he is allergic.  But, we went over to the goat pen and hung towards the back.  All the kids in the front wanted to touch the goat, but the goat was not having any of it.  He wandered his way down to Ben and stuck his nose out for Ben to pet.  It was awesome.  I told Ben it was okay for him to touch and he loved it. We then moved onto the beans, which were old hat for the little one with a major garden in our back yard.  Ben did, however, love digging for worms in the garden.  He just loves to get dirty.  Then it was onto the pumpkin patch.  We were told not to take the ones on the road so we had to climb into the patch.  There were pumpkins the next row over, but those were not good enough.  Over we went to the next row.  Ben picked up a pumpkin right away, but decided that one was not good enough.  We piked up and put down about 5 pumpkins before we chose one.  I turned to take a picture of a friend after we put the pumpkin in the bag, but by the time I had turned around Ben had a different pumpkin in his arms.  Finally, I told him that is the last one and that is the one we brought home.  He loved it and has been so proud showing it off.  He even got it out to show Granna and Grandpa on skype.

  

Max and I went on Tuesday AM and it was a completely different experience.  Ben was kinda independent, but checking to make sure I was there.  Max on the other hand wanted to be near me all the time.  He went over to the chickens with the rest of the group, but slowly found his way back to me.  We walked around with his class.  He was sure to stay close and show me everything he was doing, but made sure not to hold my hand....I reached out for it once out of habit, but he pulled away and looked at me like I had three heads.  But, if he could not see me, it was amazing to see how quickly he found me.  I wonder if he came around just to make sure I was okay. He worries and me with a bum arm makes him really worry.  Max did not get to do the worms, but he did get to do the compost pile.....when we were walking up Max was talking to another Mom and was telling her that the smell was actually nutrients in the soil.  Guess that is what happens when you are grandson of a farmer....you smell nutrients and not crap. When we made it to the pumpkin patch I was exhausted, but it was time to jump right in.  Max was so much easier when it came to pumpkins.  We walked in a bit and there it was.  The one pumpkin he picked up was the one he got.  I helped him carry it out of the patch and then he carried it the rest of the way.  That is the deal at the patch.  The kids all get free pumpkins, but they have to be able to carry it to the bus.  

I truly enjoyed my time with them both.  It is amazing to be able to do these things with them.  Sometimes it is easy to become bogged down in everyday stay-at-home mom things, but being able to have these adventures with my boys is so worth it!!1