Scheduling Annual Physicals

I just scheduled annual physicals for my kids. It seemed a good time to schedule them for several reasons:

• They both have birthdays this month, so I thought about it.
• I can use the information from my daughter's physical this fall to get her paperwork completed so that I can enroll her in kindergarten next March. A physical over this past summer would be too outdated, which is why I was waiting.
• My son hasn't had a physical since I enrolled HIM in kindergarten a year and a half ago.

 Now that they are booked for November 3rd, which is 2 1/2 months from today, I have questions:

• Is it normal to have to schedule an annual physical over 2 months in advance? I admit I was expecting about a 4-6 week lead time.
• Is is possible to have a reminder system in place to prompt a parent to schedule physicals? We seem to get to the dentist every six months without a problem. Or would the additional appointment load become even more overwhelming for the practice?
• How could I remind myself of the need to schedule appointment in an effective way? (Saying to myself randomly, 'Gee, I should schedule physicals for the kids,' may not be the most effective strategy.)
• What Else? What else is slipping through the cracks because it hasn't randomly occurred to me at a time when I can follow through with the idea?
• Am I the only person who has problems like this?

In other news, I've made steps forward in my own health care by setting an appointment with a specialist (three weeks ago) to see if my own health issues can be improved. My issue isn't serious or life threatening, but it does interfere with my life, and it wasn't resolved by the PCP I visited in May. My options were:

• Make another appointment with the same PCP (whom I don't want to use as my PCP) and explain that my issue isn't resolved. Receive additional unsatisfactory care.
• Find a new PCP to try out.
• Go to a specialist who has helped someone else I know.

So I still don't have a PCP. Maybe I will continue the search after the school year starts back up. This summer the kids have been home the majority of the time, preventing much progress on anything productive, frankly. (I shouldn't blame them. I want to relax and have fun, too!)