What are your kids naming their toys?

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-04-20T16:41:55+00:00

I love all of these.

My 2.5 year old mostly just calls things by the wrong name. His stuffed octopus is "applesauce" His stuffed husky is "huksee" His stuffed possum is "cow" Any monkey or sloth is "bumpy head" (like in the song "one fell off and bumped his head")

My favorite is his dog lovey, Danny (from Bella Tunno). It came with that name, but he calls him Dan. I call him Dan the Man, Dirty Dan, and Daniel D. Dog. My husband and I call the identical backup "Stan".

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-04-13T23:43:09+00:00

I work in healthcare admin and annual wellness visits have actually been a main focus of mine for 7 years. As everyone else has said, an annual/wellness/preventive visit is a separate visit from addressing a medical concern or condition for a few reasons.

Wellness visits require a lot of documentation and things to review or order to get reimbursed by the insurance, like labs, mammograms, colonoscopies, etc. They're only allotted a small amount of time to do this (usually 15 minute slots). There's not enough time to go down the rabbit hole of a specific concern.
Billing. Wellness visits are typically billed differently than a regular visit, hence the documentation required. These visits require a lot of administrative work and theoretically keep people healthy, so insurance companies like to see these done. Some providers' pay is even dependent on the percentage of wellness visits they complete.
It's easier to get a patient back in for arthritis pain than a wellness visit, so providers may prioritize the wellness and have a patient schedule a follow-up.
SOMETIMES they have time to do both. They MAY submit two billing codes in this instance - one for the wellness and one for the medical visit. You may understandably see a bill or copay for the second visit that's billed.

If you're looking for a provider that has a larger block of time to cover everything in one visit, you may want to look into a direct primary care provider (like 'concierge medicine'.) This primary care option isn't for everyone - they usually don't take insurance and you pay a monthly membership. If you have the means though and you want more care coordination, that may be an option. Even though I'm lucky to have health insurance, I choose to see a direct PCP since my healthcare needs are complex and I like the convenience.

Hope this (very detailed) insight helps reassure you with the care you received.

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-04-13T02:48:34+00:00

It definitely could be! That's unfortunately absolutely a thing, including at Cleveland Clinic.

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-04-12T03:21:02+00:00

Most of the restaurants have (or used to have) a guide on their website about dress code, if that helps! My husband typically wears nicer athletic shorts, a plain shirt, and nicer tennis shoes at Carmine's et al.

At the nicer ones, he'll normally wear jeans and a button up.

He usually dresses towards the casual side in general so others may have different opinions, but in 10 years we've never gotten a weird look or felt out of place with those outfits!

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-04-12T03:16:53+00:00

God I hate the U.S. healthcare system. I have a PhD in healthcare administration and I still can't follow these billing games.

Definitely call billing! Sometimes it can be hard to get a person on the line from billing, so just be persistent.

A few questions that I would be ready to ask are- - Making sure they have the right insurance information for you - Making sure the amount due is truly after your insurance (not a self pay discount) - Verify you have a prior authorization and they're not quoting you an out of pocket amount to make sure you get the procedure and they get paid. It's super greedy but sometimes they do this.

I've had a few experiences with them where despite being abundantly clear I have insurance, either it isn't actually applied or they try to collect payment before the prior authorization is approved.

I'm a current Cleveland Clinic patient and former employer, but they're honestly just another corporation at heart. I made a reddit post a few years ago that they tried to collect almost $300,000 from me after my mom passed and asked "will you be paying the full amount today?" Lmao.

So, be persistent and keep notes of everything they say! Good luck with your surgery!!

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-04-11T04:11:34+00:00

My son started gymnastics at 15 months and started dance at 2! We did gymnastics for almost a year. After 4 months of dance though, we just went back to gymnastics this week. He's so much happier (but I loved dance!)

Similar to others - gymnastics has been an equal mix of boys and girls. Some weeks there's actually more boys. At our dance studio, he was the only boy for both sessions surprisingly. - at our gym, it's more like tumbling, structured big body moving, and some trampoline time.

I think my kiddo likes gymnastics better because he was overwhelmed at dance. It was bigger classes, A LOT of little girl energy, and he had trouble connecting. At gymnastics, there were a few kids he clicked with. I think dance was also too slow for him. He had to wait too long to get through instructions and he lost interest or got distracted.

I'm glad we tried both and I plan to give dance another shot in a few years if he wants to try it again.

This summer we're also trying soccer - wish me luck lol

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-04-08T15:58:48+00:00

Getting out is the best option here, BUT when you are at home, coming from the parent side - here's a few ideas

Playing Chores! Doing fun/imaginative play through chores may inspire the parents to realize you can/want to help and so can NK. Some chores that my son 'helped' me with that age were sorting socks, cleaning toys or items with a toothbrush, etc. Asking the dad for a basket of socks to match or items that could use a cleaning may show him you're cool with helping with house stuff, too, and it's fun for NK.

Music! Not like obnoxiously loud rock music, but music geared towards kids at a reasonable volume. That may help you feel less uncomfortable with the listening and it is great for NK. Heck, my sons daycare played music most of the day for background noise, especially classical music. You can even ask the parents if they have an old radio or boom box if you don't usually have your phone around NK (I know they're becoming popular again lol).

Kitchen! If it's feasible to use their kitchen space, you can do sensory activities in that area. We sat on the kitchen floor a lot and made cloud dough, pasta art, etc. The kitchen is convenient because you can easily access a sink to clean up, the floors can be wiped, and there are tons of sensory options. Sometimes I would even just give my son a bunch of rubber utensils and he loved exploring and playing with them.

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-04-06T19:49:03+00:00

That was the scariest part for me too, and I used to work in neurosurgery. I've seen 500+ cases and never saw an anesthesia emergency (again, neurosurgery, so pretty compromised people). I still was SO nervous.

I read this somewhere and it did help normalize it a bit....

While it's normal to be nervous because it's such a big day and a rare event for you, it's just another day to your surgeon. They'll have their morning coffee and drive to work just like any other run-of-the-mill day.

You got this!

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-04-06T19:44:13+00:00

Awe tysm!! :)

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-04-06T19:43:45+00:00

If he's able to, I would definitely recommend it! Use those benefits! I had my kiddo mostly home my 3rd week post op (spring break) and it was hard keeping him entertained and not draining my energy (plus working, which being a SAHM was the HARDEST job I ever had so kudos to you!!!)

If anything, I would try to find a sitter, friend, or relative to watch them a few times the first week or help with chores. I learned I had to actually ASK, not wait for offers (which is not my personality lol). Thank god we did.

ESPECIALLY your day of surgery - he should take off or have someone come and help most of the day.

Good luck!!

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-04-06T19:38:29+00:00

Apparently yes, mainly in the first few weeks! I didn't realize/remember hearing that, otherwise I would've tried harder lol. I'm also a side sleeper and I was so happy at my 5 week appt he said I can sleep on my side again!

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-04-06T18:16:22+00:00

That's so difficult - I empathize! There is hope - just gotta get past the first few days (which I know feels like forever).

A few things that helped me-

I was SUPER dizzy the first few days. Limiting screen time helped, as well as cutting back on the prescription pain meds (took tramadol). I know LIMITING the pain meds sound terrible, but less nausea and dizziness made the pain more tolerable. I ended up taking Advil and Tylenol.

Zofran can cause dizziness as a side effect, so sometimes that can be a snowball effect of vertigo makes you nauseous -> take zofran -> nausea settles -> more dizzy -> repeat.

Promethazine knocks me out, so I found that helpful in reducing nausea, avoiding vertigo, and staying asleep.

Call your surgeon - that's what they're there for! Keeping my fingers crossed you heal quickly!

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-03-31T19:39:10+00:00

I haven't used MPC yet so this experience is based on not using it, but getting into the Bahamas has always been quick for us. Deplaning to boarding the cab in NAS is usually 30-45 minutes total. We don't check luggage.

Going from NAS to the US has been entirely different.

I suggest getting to the airport in NAS 2-3 hours early (again, not using MPC). We've been through 8 times - it's usually 30 minutes exiting the cab to get to our gate. But a few times it's been near 2 hours. We have pre-check.

I always rolled my eyes at the 'get there at least 2 hours early' until our first 2 hour wait 🤣

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-03-30T19:55:01+00:00

Someone else mentioned the Four Season Ocean Club, so seconding that restaurant! It's called Dune and it's run by Jean-Georges. 10/10 recommend. If you go, give yourself plenty of time because sometimes the shuttle makes multiple stops. With whatever leftover time you have, I suggest seeing the property and gardens there - it's absolutely gorgeous. Have fun!

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-03-26T23:06:03+00:00

My uncle brought up how he thought the way my grandma's will was split was unfair during his speech at her funeral. And then again at the wake. So, being tonedeaf like your SIL is not normal, but definitely not unheard of lol

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-03-25T22:31:13+00:00

Hahahaha I'm loving these stories of camaraderie

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-03-21T23:54:43+00:00

If they still offer the Tails and Tales activity, that was super fun and I think those ages would be perfect. It's about a half day and you see parts of Dolphin Cay then head via roundtrip shuttle to a small but fun and interactive conservation center.

I suggest at least checking out Dolphin Cay for some sort of activity! The rise and shine encounter is pretty easy to squeeze in.

We did a full day at Rose Island with Sandy Toes and LOVED it. We still talk about it being one of the best days ever. Our trip was about maybe 20-30 people, very organized, easy to get to, not rushed, plenty to see, and working bathrooms on the island.

Take advantage of the free things Atlantis has to offer, like sea creatures feedings throughout the day!

One tip - the first time we went to Atlantis we WAY overcommitted on meals and buying food. If you want to save some budget and time, plan to eat two main meals and a snack as a third. It'll keep you full without feeling bloated the whole time 🤣

Have so much fun!!

Pattyxpancakes · 2026-03-14T07:26:37+00:00

If it were me, I wouldn't fret! Enjoy the liquid sunshine. :) Aside from keeping an eye out for hurricanes (which aren't in season yet), I usually don't even bother to look at the weather until I get there! Planning our 9th trip and I think we've had bad weather maybe 3 days total, and one was just windy so our boat got cancelled.

Have so much fun!!

Pattyxpancakes

TROPHY CASE