Summer Fun

We've been having some great times around here lately. We've hit our summer stride, playing outside in the garden:

enjoying some delicious warm weather treats:

and spending some hot afternoons inside:

The kids are really developing their own senses of humor and are absolutely HILARIOUS when they try to make jokes. They're really starting to communicate with each other which is adorable. I went in their room today and Jackson was "reading" Lola a book. Majorly cute.

But it hasn't all been fun and painting. Along with the advancements in communication skills and imagination has come advancements in attitudes and lots of asserting their independence. Lola says "No!" to pretty much everything except offers of tv and candy. Both kids are on their way to mastering the 2 year old mega-fit. They practice their tantrum skills intermittently between working on their whining. Meanwhile I have been working on my deep breathing.

So I guess there's been a major amount of fun and a medium amount of fussing. That's not such a bad ratio for a family made up of 50% toddler, right? :)

2 1/2 years later? You've got to be kidding me!

All right, I know it's been a while since I posted and anyone who's still checking my blog is no doubt looking to see some cute pics of the kids. Maybe even hoping to read a funny little story about what Lola and Jack have been saying lately. No worries, they'll be up soon so check back in a jiffy. But right now, I've got to get this off my chest. And since I can't yell and scream at the only people around right now, the kids, my blog readers are going to get it.

Can you believe, after HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars (literally) in medical bills that have been processed by my insurance company, 2 hospitals and 2 doctors offices in 2 states we just got a notice in the mail that credit agencies have been notified of our debt... of $168.00. You have got to be kidding me!!!!!! We have paid close to $10,000 out of pocket and our insurance company has paid over $300,000 in the past 2 1/2 years. We have not had a payment request in over a year. And today I get a notice that our debt (all $168 of it) has been sent to a collection agency. When I call the agency to plead my case: "Yes, Ma'am, we notified you of that debt by mail on February 11th and when we heard nothing from you we sent it to the credit companies on April 23rd. Then I called and spoke with your husband on April 29th and he gave us your correct address. We then sent you the notice you're now holding."

Ok, hold up, anyone else smell something rotten? First of all Primrose Hospital, to whom I find out I'm indebted, has sent us countless payment requests in the past, all to the correct address. In fact, we have paid them thousands of dollars as a result of payment requests that were sent to our correct address. So first off, the fact that they gave our incorrect address to the collection agency just seems mean spirited. And the fact that the collection agency called to make sure they had the correct address only AFTER they notified the credit companies about our debt also seems fishy.

When I made this point to the woman on the phone she put me on hold to speak with her manager. She came back and presented me with a solution. Yep, you guessed it: "Ma'am, if you'll pay this amount in full right now on the phone we will notify the credit companies and have it removed from your credit report." No time to contact Primrose Hospital and find out what the charges are for. No time to contact the insurance company and see if this is something they should have paid. She got me right where she wanted me. I wonder if she's in the running to win a prize for most debt collected same day over the phone. I bet it's a good one. Maybe even a vacation.

"Do I have any more debt that I don't know about?", I asked her. "Not that I'm aware of Ma'am," she answered, "Have a nice day!"