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We are currently back on vacation. Yes, again. Although really, it’s only vacation for Elanor and I, as Ravi is working.
Elanor and I went to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia on Saturday. It is quite possibly the best kids museum I’ve ever seen, especially for those of us with very young children. I have to admit to feeling torn as I drove past the Franklin Institute, which advertised its huge Star Trek exhibit…but I came to realize I’d made the best possible choice.
There are 8 or 10 rooms of exhibits. In each of the rooms there is a gated off section aimed at the under 3 crowd. Even our kids museum in Boston, which is a great kids museum doesn’t offer that kind of support to the under 3 set. There’s also a carousel, which Elanor rode by herself (well, she sat on the horse by herself with the strap around her and me standing next to her, holding her).
I think MY favorite part of the museum is the Alice in Wonderland exhibit. Kids can sit at a table and have a tea party with the Mad Hatter and March Hare. They can experience the hallway of doors where the doors got smaler and smaller and they get bigger and bigger. They can play croquet with a flamingo that really moves. They can crawl (if they’re as little as Elanor) through a croquet hoop (?) made of a playing card. They can paint the white roses red in the Queen of Hearts’ garden. They can be huge inside the White Rabbits’ House. There are mirrors and a maze. There’s a rock to stage your very own caucus race around. On and on…and the under 3 area there is nursery rhyme themed. Elanor was particularly enchanted by the cow (from jack and the beanstalk) that mooed when she touched it, and the spinning wheel (from sleeping beauty). There was also a line to hang mittens on with the 3 little kittens who had lost theirs, a ship like the one that the owl and pussycat rode on, and other things.
We spent an hour there, and would have stayed longer, but they were closing. I had thought an hour would be more than enough, but really I should have budgeted at least two, even with only an almost 9 month old.
I really have to say that I wish I had taken Elanor back on Sunday instead of taking her to the Adventure Aquarium which was okay, but nothing spectacular. The next time we’re in Philly, it’s my #1 destination with kids.
As regular readers know, we do a lot of travel with Elanor. And everywhere we go, we get her a ‘Good night” book.
We have
-Good Night Zoo
-Good Night Boston
-Good Night Maine
-Good Night Washington DC
-Good Night New York City
and possibly one or two others that I’m blanking on.
When we travel with her, we like to read the books and talk about our trip, especially if something special happened, like “Good night Washington Monument. Do you remember when Mommy and Daddy and Elanor saw Elanor’s first 4th of July fireworks over the Washington Monument and Elanor was more interested in her light up ball from the Smithsonian?”
As she grows, I see them as a special link her past…a way to share stories about her as a baby with her. A nice collection for her to hold onto, I hope. After all, she’ll outgrow the DC onesie, and probably break the doll I got for her in Raleigh. The light up balls will stop lighting up…but the board books will live through her chewing them, banging them, dropping them and generally abusing them.
If you travel with or without the kids, keep an eye out for this series. We have had to special order one of the books, Good Night North Carolina because they didn’t have any at various tourist places we went. Luckily, amazon does.
My daughter Elanor needs nationalized health care.
Because of the septicemia caused by an infection when she was a week old resulting in a stroke and a failed kidney, she is basically uninsurable if she goes a single day without health insurance as the system currently works. She will need a yearly evaluation of her single kidney to check its health and function. Were it to fail, she would need a transplant. She also is currently having her heart monitored annually for at least the next 3-4 years. Due to the stroke, she sees neurology and the pediatric stroke team every few months, and will need follow up for at least 2-3 years and possibly longer if she does show any signs of developmental delay. Going a single day without insurance would make this a pre existing condition; something private insurance companies are going to use to deny her coverage. She is too expensive, theoretically, to insure.
We currently live in Massachusetts, the only state where Elanor is not uninsurable. Where state law REQUIRES companies to insure her. It has not escaped us that without nationalized health care, we have some major issues should my husband ever elect to change jobs.
Ravi currently works for a small company. So small, in fact, that there is no COBRA option should the company close down. Therefore, any job offer that Ravi could contemplate would need to offer insurance from day one, and we could not take a month in between jobs to deal with the move and such. Ravi would have to go straight from his current employer to his next without a break, most likely requiring him to move before us and stay in a hotel until we have moved into a new home. Were his company to close down, in Massachusetts we could just buy Blue Cross through the state (most likely at a frightening per month cost to us) or some equivalent plan.
The problem with switching jobs, or depending on me to find any job with health insurance is that there is usually a delay of 30-90 days from your work start date until health insurance kicks in.
I find the arguments against nationalized health care less than compelling.
There isn’t a single government agency or division that runs efficiently; do we really want an organization that developed the U.S. Tax Code handling something as complex as health care?
This is a disingenious play on the general feeling among the citizenry that the government is inefficient. However, anyone who has had a claim denied or something incorrectly billed can testify that insurance companies are hardly smooth models of efficiency. I doubt it would be any worse than dealing the red tape already is.
“Free” health care isn’t really free since we must pay for it with taxes; expenses for health care would have to be paid for with higher taxes or spending cuts in other areas such as defense, education, etc.
So what? Bring on the higher taxes, especially for the wealthiest. I’m not just paying lip service to that–we are in a very high tax bracket, and would happily sacrifice money to the greater good. Bring on the defense cuts.
Profit motives, competition, and individual ingenuity have always led to greater cost control and effectiveness.
Are you kidding me? Have you heard of the scandals surrounding Partners Health Care and how they’re forcing insurance companies to pay higher premiums to their branded hospitals as opposed to other hospitals? Elite hospitals are paid more, and the services they provide are no better…there’s extensive coverage in the link to the Boston Globe’s series on this very issue.
Having the government involved could create caps to prevent this sort of price gouging.
Government-controlled health care would lead to a decrease in patient flexibility.
How, exactly? That’s a scare tactic statement with no data or information to back it up. What does that mean?
Patients aren’t likely to curb their drug costs and doctor visits if health care is free; thus, total costs will be several times what they are now.
Maybe Merck et al will stop their reckless price gouging as well. The reason people go to Canada for drugs is that the same meds are cheaper because of the Canadian Government’s involvement. There could also be an increase in preventative care so that issues like diabetes could be caught earlier and treatment won’t cost as much as it does when it’s caught far later and has created other issues.
Just because Americans are uninsured doesn’t mean they can’t receive health care; nonprofits and government-run hospitals provide services to those who don’t have insurance, and it is illegal to refuse emergency medical service because of a lack of insurance.
What about things like my daughter’s annual kidney checks? That wouldn’t be covered by an emergency room. They wouldn’t treat her until she was in kidney failure. Also, as someone who has been to an emergency room without insurance, the bill is about 5 times what an insurance company would pay for the same services.
Granted, my daughter would have received the same care had I taken her to the same ER when she was at death’s door. But I’ve seen the bills for her 3 weeks of inpatient treatment that saved her life and made her stable enough to come home. They total well over 250,000 dollars. I can also read the bills and see that Blue Cross paid $22,000 for the same care. Were I not to have insurance, I would have gotten a bill for the 250k, not the 22k. AND the ER would not have covered the follow up care Elanor needed–the home nurses, the multiple visits with nephrology, cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology, and the pedi stroke clinic.
The ER also would not have diagnosed Elanor’s food allergies or helped us find the right prescription formula. Nor would anyone be helping us pay for it…our insurance covers 100% of the cost of Elanor’s formula.
The idea that an ER is any sort of reasonable substitution for real health care is naive, and quite frankly stupid. All it does is result in hours long waits in the ER because of uninsured persons trying to get problems that could be dealt with by a PCP and appropriate follow up care purely because they have nowhere else to go. Anyone who has waited 7 hours to be seen, or had to lay on a cot in a hallway because the ER was so crowded understands all too well that the ERs are not equipped to deal with this sort of volume, especially for minor concerns.
Government-mandated procedures will likely reduce doctor flexibility and lead to poor patient care
My insurance company is pretty inflexible about procedures and prior authorization and referrals. The government will be worse, how?
Healthy people who take care of themselves will have to pay for the burden of those who smoke, are obese, etc.
They already do. Corporate insurance policies rates have gone up every year, exponentially faster than cost of living increases. Often, individual companies premiums have gone up due to usage. It is a certainty that Ravi’s company will be paying higher premiums this year because of my high risk pregnancy and Elanor’s care. They have paid out far more than the company has paid into the system, and it is a lock that they will make us pay for that. It’s how the game works.
Beyond that, health care will allow for people to address these concerns early on and in some cases help alleviate the problems before they result in even more expensive problems down the line, causing everyone to pay even more.
A long, painful transition will have to take place involving lost insurance industry jobs, business closures, and new patient record creation.
That hasn’t been the case in MA. There are public plans and there are private plans. No one is proposing eliminating the private options, merely adding more choices to the mix. Beyond that, paperless record keeping is fast becomign the norm. As it does so, there are fewer and fewer issues in transferring data and records. Within 2-5 years, everyone will be paperless and the transfer of records will be fairly simple.
Loss of private practice options and possible reduced pay may dissuade many would-be doctors from pursuing the profession.
Where are you coming up with the idea that doctors won’t be able to have private practices?
Also, the leading reason for people to decide against becoming doctors are the ridiculous malpractice insurance premiums they have to pay.
Malpractice lawsuit costs, which are already sky-high, could further explode since universal care may expose the government to legal liability, and the possibility to sue someone with deep pockets usually invites more lawsuits.
I grant that we are a litigious people. However, the possibility that someone might get sued is hardly a reason to let 40million plus people go without insurance, a large percentage of them children.
Government is more likely to pass additional restrictions or increase taxes on smoking, fast food, etc., leading to a further loss of personal freedoms.
What’s wrong with a sin tax? I choose to eat something that is bad for me, I have to pay a fee for the privledge. It’s not that I can’t, it’s that I’m helping subsidize the care I may have to receive for my poor choices. They’re not talking about banning Snickers…but paying an extra 50 cents isn’t going to hurt anyone. It’s not what we should be eating in the first place, and one of the leading reasons poor people cite for their bad diet choices is that junk food is cheaper (which it is). If it weren’t, and healthy food were cheaper, people would buy it. Making someone think twice about how badly they want that Reeses or that Marlboro isn’t a bad thing.
My mom is a smoker and she is forever railing against the cost of cigarettes because of all the taxes. However, I have no sympathy on that count. She is choosing to do something that will shorten her lifespan, and most likely cause her a painful death. She does something that puts my child (and those around her) at risk because of the dangers of second and third hand smoke. With universal insurance, there would be more options available to her to help her battle her addiction.
Patient confidentiality is likely to be compromised since centralized health information will likely be maintained by the government.
I don’t see anyone talking about repealing HIPPA. Under HIPPA, those who disclose a person’s information are liable for cash and jail time.
Health care equipment, drugs, and services may end up being rationed by the government. In other words, politics, lifestyle of patients, and philosophical differences of those in power, could determine who gets what.
Really? What sort of dystopian post apocalytic world are you predicting?
Like social security, any government benefit eventually is taken as a “right” by the public, meaning that it’s politically near impossible to remove or curtail it later on when costs get out of control.
It SHOULD be a right. It shouldn’t be possible to remove it later on.
Look up at my banner, at the face of why there’s a need for nationalized health care, and don’t buy into the lies the right is feeding you.
Dear Elanor
You will be spending the majority of your 8th month in hotel rooms!
Your seventh month was so full of changes and skills I’m scared I’ll forget some! Since I’m writing this almost 2 weeks late because of the first chunk of travel…I probably did…sigh.
Physically–
You are 14 lbs and about 25/26 inches tall. I look at you and see my little baby girl, but now as I see people venturing out into the world with their newborns, I realize what a big girl you’ve become. I can know it intellectually, but there is a disconnect in my heart…you are my baby. And now I will completely contradict myself and say that sometimes when I look at you, I see glimpses of the toddler and kid that you’re growing into. It is fascinating, occasionally disturbing in that it’s happening far too fast, and thrilling.
Your hair is continuing to grow in. I have to laugh at myself though…it’s still nowhere near enough for me to put it in a teeny ponytail or to clip bows into it, but not for lack of my overeager attempts to do so. I content myself with your exceptional tolerance for headbands (the fabric ones that go all the way around your head) when I color coordinate you for the day.
I have had the urge to get your ears pierced on at least two occasions. I blame your Dadi (Gujarati for father’s mother) for planting the idea in the first place. I don’t think I’ll actually do it…the idea of using it as an incentive when you’re much older is just too enticing…but I will admit to being tempted.
Also…and this is the big one..two teeth!!! The two middle bottom teeth have broken through the skin and are on their way to growing up into real teeth. They’re certainly real enough to hurt like hell when you try to chew on my finger. However, you won’t really let me get a good look at them. When you open your mouth, you often thrust your tongue out over them and if I try to pull down your lower lip, you understandably turn your head and get pissed.
Gross Motor–
Well, we’re screwed. You have become more and more mobile throughout this month and last night you actually crawled about a foot. I am excited and terrified all at the same time.
You are also pulling to stand on everything! This has resulted in some hasty baby proofing!
Fine Motor—
You have begun to clap…which is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, especially when you do something and I cheer for you, and then you clap for yourself.
Foods—
You like pickles, which is unsurprising considering my own deep and abiding love for them.
You’re still pretty much only eating fruits and fruit blends which is frustrating. We introduced chicken a few days before you technically turned 8 months and it wasn’t the biggest hit.
Speech–
You said Dada the day before father’s day…good timing kid!
You also say Mama, baba, gaga
You blow raspberries
Other Stuff
-We had your pictures taken for father’s day and the photography studio asked if they could use your pictures professionally! I haven’t heard anything yet, but that was pretty cool.
-We went to the MOS and to MIT on father’s day. You had a great time and were so well behaved!
I know there’s so much more that happened in your 7th month but you’ll have to excuse your mom’s poor memory…maybe I should be doing a more frequent update?
Love
Mommy
I just spent the better part of an hour getting attacked by someone I *THOUGHT* was a friend and one of her friends on Facebook because Elanor is on formula. I ended up walking away from the friendship, which is a pity.
Listen up all you breastfeeding nazis…Breast isn’t always best.
You have no idea what is going on in the life of the person in front of you. You don’t know their work situation, don’t know their medical background, don’t know shit about them. If you *do* and then you still judge, that’s just wrong.
To then attack them only makes those of us who are pro-breastfeeding in a “it’s the best option, but only you know what’s right for your family” kind of way want to beat you with our breast pumps.
This is the kind of bullshit that makes me want to check out of the whole mom community online entirely. Why the hell is it all or nothing?
Bashing someone does nothing to help your cause. At the moment, my entirely emotional and admittedly juvenile response is to want to give future kid #2 formula just because I can…and then to gloat when they graduate from MIT just like my husband did (on both counts).
I knew Elanor was getting better and better at crawling while we were on vacation the past two weeks. But it wasn’t until we got home again that I *really* saw how good she was at crawling…and cruising along furniture.
I am beginning to think that by the time we leave for the UK in late August I may have a walking child…or I may have one by the time the 3 weeks we’ll be there are up.
We are so very very screwed
8 month letter to come later today or tomorrow
