Santa

Two years ago Max was in Ms. Michelle's class.  In their Christmas program he was Santa Claus.  It was so much fun.  Now Ben is in Ms. Michelle's class and he is going to be Santa Claus.  I love that she made sure that the boys both got to be Santa in the same program two years apart.  I am thrilled.  I cannot wait to get pictures of the event.  It is going to be so much fun to scrapbook them side by side in Santa suits.  Hooray.  Ms. Michelle is the best.

Children's Choir

I am so proud of my little man Max.  He came home from school today with an invitation to try out for the Colorado Springs Children's Choir.  I am so excited for him.  I asked him how many other kids in his class got the invites and he told me he was the only one.  That is so awesome.  I am so proud of him and excited to see him have the opportunity........then I saw the price.  It would cost us $275 for 6 months.  It seems like so much money when we are trying to pay off debt and then move to Florida.  Maybe there will be something once we move to have him join.

It is so thrilling to have him invited to do such an amazing thing.  What is so sad is that it costs so much money and might be cost prohibitive.  Grump.

But....you gotta take the good with the bad.  We will figure it out if he really wants to do it.

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!