Thursday, April 12, 2007

Sitcom Days

Maybe you know what Im talking about (if you have 3 or more children young children you HAVE to know what Im talking about) - when there are so many crisis, mishaps and frustrating circumstances that you wonder if you are living inside a sitcom?!!?!?!

J is 9 mos and still has no social security #. I need it to file our taxes. In the county she was born in you have to go in person to pick up the birth certificate. So that was the plan today - courthouse, to the birth center for verification of birth and then to the social security office. The places I needed to go to were 30-40 minutes away. It didnt sound easy and I knew it wouldnt be with 3 little ones in tow. I was right ;)

I went to the courthouse. I thought it look too pretty and too small. But it was a courthouse, so I parked on what happened to be the opposite side of the handicap ramp, which I needed because Jayna was asleep in her carseat and latched into the stroller. So I limp (remember, hurt foot!) all around the building, down the ramp into the basement, take Noah potty, then take tin he elevator up. The man I asked for help told me I was in the wrong place, that I was the old courthouse, and the new courthouse was several miles down the road.

Of course it was.

So I hauled it back to the car, foot throbbing, and found the new courthouse.

I ran my purse through the security and the big scary man with the gun says "Ma'am, do you have a KNIFE in your purse?" (said in disbelief that anyone could be so stupid) *GULP*

"Yes" I answer, mortified beyond belief.
The hot pink Swiss Army knife my sister gave me was in my purse.
First the wrong courthouse, now Im a matter of national security LOL. He agrees to let me have it back when Im done but let me know he'd confiscate it next time. We finished there rather easily and headed back to the security desk. A different office asked me what I needed and I had to say "Um.....he has my kinfe"
EMBARASSING! LOL

Caleb fell on the way to the car, scraping his elbow pretty badly. He wanted me to hold him, but of course I couldnt. As we walked around the row of cars and up the hill to our car (foot throbbing!) I prayed that we had an easier time at our next two stops.

Picking up the paper at the Birth Center went great. I love my midwife Jean. We had a nice chat and I headed out. Jayna screamed most of the way to the social security office.

We got there and I nursed Jayna and then headed it.....it was PACKED. I took them out of the main room to fill out the paperwork. I went back in to find a seat and a lady moved over so I could sit with her. Our kids ran all over like crazy people while we chatted a little. Then she mentions she'd been there over an HOUR. Great.

So I took the boys on a walk (my poor foot!) and called a friend who is in early labor to check on her. While we are talking the boys were playing in a patch of grass in the back. I looked over and Noah was halfway under a car looking for bugs. I told him to get out of there. Not 5 minutes later the security/police guy came out and says he saw my son looking under people's cars from the monitor inside. He said it like Id trained my 4yr old to steal parts or something. I assured him he was just looking for bugs!

So finally we get a turn to apply for the SS#. But he didnt want to accept the paper from my midwife. I was holding Jayna on my hip, the boys were climbing all over everything, and I just looked desperately at him and said "I live an hour away and Ive been here over an hour". The way I said it obviously portrayed the kind of day it had been because he found a way to work around my lack of appropriate paperwork ;) He finally handed me the piece of paper. "Wheres the number?" I asked. "Oh, they will mail the card to you in 2 weeks"

Of course they will.

He assured me that she'd actually have a number by Monday and we "just" had to come in, in person, to find out what it is.

Of course we do.

4 comments:

mamashine said...

That is so horrendous. I can't believe counties differ so much and they made you go through all that. Luke's SS card came in the mail two weeks ago and we did nothing. Why can't the government figure stuff out?
Never mind, don't answer that.... :)

Alli said...

I think you have to do something for the SS# when you fill out the birth cert. info.

{{hugs}} honey. That sounds just like every errand I ever run with my three.

Rachel said...

It really is pathetic how some gov. agencies are run. We are the United States of America and with all the top technology we cant even get the basics running smoothly. *sigh*

Anonymous said...

what a day that must have been! you were so brave to even attempt it!

I have to go get a social insurance number for chloe soon so we can open an RESP for her. I'm sure I'll have some of the same adventures only with 2 less kids than you have :)