Things that Made Me Scream Today (silently)

1) My insurance company denying Ashi's claims for the last set of labs because "we do not cover medical tests for routine physicals for work, school, sports, camp or insurance approval". Yeah, that's it. My two-year-old was getting an HIV test for his new life insurance policy. Morons. I have spent so much time on the phone with my insurance company over the last 7 months that they don't even ask for my ID # anymore.

2) My internet service provider overcharging me by $15 4 months in a row. Followed by me contacting them each month, complaining, being credited and getting it in writing that it wouldn't happen again. Guess what? It happened again.

3) The Mommy Wars. Why do we do that to ourselves? I've never participated myself, I have more at-home mom friends than working ones, so I think the whole debate is just dumb. Last night at the PTA meeting I was greeted by one of Christian's teachers (also a parent of a student), "Hey Erin, It's always so good to see you! So this is where your son goes to school all week." Okay, it totally wasn't meant to be cold and nasty like that might look in writing- but seriously? Do stay-at-home moms really think work-outside-the-home moms LIKE missing out on EVERYTHING their kids do during the day? I come to the PTA meetings, I spend HOURS cutting out and assembling learning aids at home, I write notes to the teachers and I read everything that comes home in his backpack. But no, I can't drop him off or pick him up because I work 8-5 on the opposite side of town. I really don't need to feel guilty about that, I've got enough guilt to keep me busy for a while.

Then this afternoon (I took the day off) the same person asks me if I think it's harder being home with Ashi all day or working, because her friends tell her it's easier to go to work. I think I might have actually scoffed at her. While yes, it's a lot of work running around after the kids all day, it's not like you aren't getting all kinds of other stuff done too! And the company is way more fun than the people at the office! I said, "For me, work days are harder, because when I get home after 5 I still have to clean the house, do laundry, have meaningful interactions with my kids, get their homework done and obsess other everything I missed all day long. When I'm home that's all done by 5 and we can just relax in the evening." Geez- let alone running errands, grocery shopping, paying bills (which I obviously did today given my first two points), cooking actual food... Can't we all just cut each other some slack? I would never tell a stay-at-home mom that they've got it easy, because they don't. I don't know anyone who has it easy- that's just life.