Well it wasn't raining Saturday. But it nearly could have been SNOWING.

It was entirely too cold to have children parading around town in the back of pickup trucks tossing candy at equally cold parents with smiles frozen on their faces. Frankly I'm surprised that my arms were able to move to take a picture when Bubba motored by.

Can you see him? Yeah, me neither.

As a result of the sub-arctic temperatures, I spent yesterday home with a sick boy-child. I took him to the doctor because to me it's worth a $20 copay not to listen to Clyde whine. Yes, Clyde. I believe I've mentioned this before, but my dear husband is one of those types that whisks their child to the doctor every time they sneeze. So after listening to Clyde's well-founded, professional diagnosis of our son's near death sickness, I took Bubba to the doctor after Clyde left for work. Unbeknownst to Clyde, I did not call an ambulance as dear hubby would have thought necessary, I strapped the kids in the car and moseyed over. We stopped at McDonald's on the way.

I wonder sometimes what Bubba Jr will be when he grows up. Part of me thinks he'll be a DA since on the way to the doctor he questioned me at length as to the doctor's record of "seeing white spots in children's mouths." He considers the doctors ability to see white spots as an automatic strep verdict with a mandatory sentence of throat swabbing. He detests the swab. The doctor looks in Bubba's mouth, but makes no comment. I know Bubba thinks he's out of the woods. No swab needed here! No white spots detected! Woohoo!

But wait! What's this?? The doctor slowly turns around with the swab in his hand. It might as well of been a meat cleaver for the hysterics that immediately ensued. I'm sure people thought we were ripping his nails out for all the squalling that was going on... Charleigh seemed concerned but not overly as she watched her brother get his just desserts his throat swabbed. When it was over (11.25 seconds later) the doctor turned to Charleigh with the swab still in his hand and said something to her. I don't know what it was, I couldn't really hear over Bubba's keening. I'm not sure Charleigh heard it either, but her eyes got big and she started shaking her head "no" and backing up. Fast. Apparently she thought it was her turn. She wasn't having any of that cr@p.

Charleigh has decided she wants to be an Oriole, too. I have to admit she looks adorable in Bubba's hat! Baseball players are tough, not sissy smilers. So this is her "tough" face. Grrr!

B

PS Non-reactive on the strep.