When you move to Ontario, you have to register for OHIP (Healthcare) and obviously get an Ontario Driver's License. We have done these things. Tyler and I took a morning, quite a while back, to go to the government office to register for OHIP, register our vehicle, and change our drivers licenses. You take a number, wait in line, and hope to be seen in a timely fashion. As we take a number, we tell the greeter/receptionist the reasons that we are there, and she says that's great and we could take a number and wait. That's it. Let me clarify, this detail is important, at the government office you register your vehicle and register for OHIP, but getting an Ontario Driver's license is done at the DriveTest office. We were headed there next.
Our number is called fairly quickly, and so we begin. We had to bring with us our birth certificates, current drivers licenses, proof of residency, (which, since we don't have drivers licenses yet means bringing in our mortgage documents and a bill addressed to us at our current address). We don't have a birth certificate for Logan yet, because I ordered one in a panic the week we were moving because I thought we needed it to board the plane. Somehow lost it in the last 2 days in Cochrane. Didn't realize this until we were AT the airport checking in. "Where's Logan's Birth Certificate?!" "It's ok ma'am...it's a domestic flight, you don't need it." This was a relief because we could board the plane, but also a concern since anyone can board a plane with any child and get all the way across the country from where that child is supposed to be, and no one will stop them. Hmm. So, when we got to Ontario, we asked family to look for the birth certificate. It couldn't be found. I still have no idea what could have happened to it. I had it in my possession for like 24 hours. So we have to order a new one. We decide to go ahead and register everyone else for OHIP now, instead of waiting, because it takes about 3 months for the OHIP to come through...3 months.
Back to the Government Office. We walk up, tell them what we want to do, and start to show the myriad of documentation. "Have you filled out the forms?" "No, what forms?" "Didn't the greeter give you forms?" "No." "OK, well, you have to fill out this, this and this for each member of your family." So we tag-team it. He does two, I do two. "You want to register your vehicle too?" "Yes." "Do you have an Ontario Driver's License yet?" "No, we're going there next." "OH, well, without a valid passport or drivers licence you can't register your vehicle." "But we DO have a valid drivers license, it's just not Ontario." (Something the receptionist probably should have mentioned...we could have done the drivers licence first and come back). "That's not considered a valid form of ID. Here, I'm just a trainee, let me check." Why is it that whenever you want something to happen quickly and it's a convoluted procedure you always get the trainee...? Apparently if we sign these forms and show these 5+ pieces of id, then it will count. Swear on a bible...you get the gist. So we decide to do all that. "Oh wait, your vehicle is a lease? Well, then you have to have a letter from the Dealership telling you it's OK to register it in Ontario." Well, then we might as well get the drivers license first too, if we have to get a letter as well. Shred that paperwork...we'll be back.
So we head to the Toyota Dealership for the letter, and to DriveTest for driver's licenses. Tyler's license goes no problem. My turn. "Here's my current driver's license and my birth certificate." "Excuse me, ma'am, do you have a Passport or marriage license? Because your birth certificate says Bourne, but your license says Williamson." "Umm...no." "Sorry, we can't issue you a license then." Really? Fine. So we go back to the Government office with our letter and Tyler's license. We finish registering our vehicle in Ontario and registering for OHIP and go to Loblaws to get Max's halloween costume. Fortunately we only had Logan with us and we were able to entertain him with a milkshake, Dora on the iPad, and lunch from the Deli counter at Loblaws.
We drop Tyler off at work and Logan and I go home exhausted. He goes down for a nap and I go online to figure out how to request a marriage license and a birth certificate out of province. Fortunately it's just one form, that Tyler has to fill out, because I figure it's just easier to not have to deal with name changes and all the hullabaloo that is being a married woman in Ontario apparently. We fax off the forms and we wait for the certificates.
Seriously, it was easier for Tyler to register and get a license for a GUN in Ontario, then it was to register our vehicle. What does that tell you people?
By the way, the certificates came and I am now a licensed Ontario driver.
And the point of this short story long? Here we are in November. No OHIP yet. Max is sick and needs to see a doctor. Tyler is out of town (again), and we don't have a family doc yet (need OHIP for that) and you can't go to a walk-in without OHIP...so our only option is Urgent Care (which closes at 5pm), or the Emergency Room. So....Emergency Room it is. Fortunately there are two hospitals in Kingston and it's not a huge city, so it wasn't too busy. One person in Triage before us and then we're seen. I'm in a bit of a panic because I hate doing this stuff by myself. Not because I'm not capable. I can find parking downtown close enough to the hospital so I don't have to drag all 3 of my kids down many blocks in the dark when one of them is barely conscious, AND I can get to a doctor and ask them to please treat us even though we don't have OHIP yet...I am capable of all that...I think Tyler just calms me down.
The doctor sees us quickly too...we only got halfway through a story before he came by...not bad. Max is fine. It must be a virus because his ears and throat are fine and his lungs sound clear. So we just have to keep waiting it out. I was kind of hoping it was something. I'm glad he's ok, but sometimes if you can get them on some penicillin they start to perk up and feel better faster than just waiting it out. So we've been doping him up on alternate rounds of tylenol and ibuprofen to keep his fever in check and his headache to a minimum. He keeps telling me he has a forehead-ache, and when he was up in the night with dry-heaves earlier in the week, he'd go through a bout and then turn and say, "Sorry, excuse me." What a sweetie.
He got to wear this cool mask because of his fever and cough, and he felt like a superhero. Fighting diseases at every turn! And he got a hospital bracelet with his name on it...pretty cool. We came home and ordered pizza and hung out until bedtime, reading Lucy's library book about giant lizards.
He slept most of the night last night. Only called for me at about 5am because he had to pee. Lucy had a bad dream at about the same time, so I was back and forth between bedrooms. Tyler was passed out and I didn't want to disturb him because he's got bronchitis and I didn't want to start the coughing again. All in all, a much better night than the one before, in which Max called me about a dozen times throughout the night. "Mom, I'm cold." "Mom, I'm hot." "Mom, I need a drink." "Mom, I have to pee." "Mom, I have a headache." "Hi Mom." (That one was cute but bugged me a bit...3am is not the time to say hello.) "Mom, I can't sleep." Funny...neither can I.
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