Mom of the Year goes to...

Not me! Not only have I neglected our blog and posting recent pics of our sweet boys (sorry grand ma's), I didn't take the boys to the Dr. when I first made their apt. this week b/c I thought they were better and not running fever anymore. Who wants to pay 2 co pays for the Dr. to tell you that you have colds? Seeing that our pediatrician's housekeeper has all our money for the month:) I really didn't think we needed to go. Advance 2 days and we have more fever and a nasty cough...off to the Dr. we go b/c it is Friday and the weekend is coming. 4 ear infections! Boy don't I feel guilty. Hence the no posts since October sometime. The boys have been sick every week with something since originally getting sick in California the beginning of October. No Fun at all! Then we wonder why the budget is blown for the month....oh, maybe we should allot more for our health care section...clearly we are going to need it. All this to say that is where we have been: croup in California=hospital stay, colds and ear infections before Halloween, Hernia surgery for Parker, tummy bug for Peyton, and now cold and ear infections again! Sheesh, can't we get a break! However, I am VERY thankful we are dealing with run of the mill childhood illnesses that disappears after a week and nothing more serious. Also, VERY thankful for health insurance even though the bills have hurt. We could be owing the hospital in CA $15,000 for Peyton's 3 day stay...I really shouldn't complain about our co pays and deductibles. Choose your gripes Martha, this need not be one of them.

Oh, and one more guilt confession while I am at it. Tried a new form of discipline this week. Peyton has gotten really bad at telling you "NO" when you ask him to do something. Time out has not worked and the spanking spoon does not seem to get the change in behavior we are looking for. Sooooo, after he had told me "NO" for the 10th time on Wednesday and neither of the above disciplines had worked...I broke out the Tabasco sauce. I figured washing his mouth out with soap was a bit much so...yeah, well you get the picture. It was ONLY enough to get my fingertip wet so I could touch his tongue. Lets just say I have not heard "NO" again...not saying that it won't happen, but he seems to have made a connection. You would have thought I had poisoned the boy with all the coughing, sputtering and gagging that took place. He was SOOOO mad at me. I finally relented and gave him his juice to which he chugged, took a break to scream some more and then chugged again. For effect, the Tabasco jar is still sitting in site on our counter top. Yep I know...mom of the year. I did get the idea from a dear friend of mine in CA who used it with her OLDER kids when they would get "sassy mouth"....don't you think "NO" is a close relative to "sassy mouth"? No need to answer.

So now on to finishing off our California trip pictures from the BEGINNING of October. I promise to get to the Halloween pics ( grand ma's and aunt Mel)...after all, they were the darn cutest Cowboy and Indian you have ever seen:)

Our old church in So Cal, Sandals, was having spirit night at our old Chick-fil-A. Chris was working (hence our trip out there)...hey someone had to work so we could play:)... so the boys and I stopped by to see church friends and many of our former team members. The boys loved the food, naturally, and it was great catching up with everyone. Wish I had taken more pics...but I thought we were going back to the store with Chris and to church on Sunday...insert Peyton getting sick and the hospital here. I did get a few though.

Jenn, our former General Manager, and her little girl. She still works at the store!

Peyton playing in the best Chick-fil-A toddler area I have seen...and it just happened to be at daddy's old store. I haven't seen another like it, even here in GA. An area for the toddlers to climb too!

What a difference a little over a year makes. The boys visiting dad at work in July of '06. Parker on left and Peyton looking up.

Peyton and daddy at the store in July '06.

The boys playing so sweet...hide and go seek. Parker started calling Peyton "Peytay" this night instead of "Pey Pey".
Parker, " Who the heck are you!" Our friends Amanda and Mikey. Amanda used to be our Unit Marketing Director at the store. Now she works for Sandals. Mikey and I did "little groups" together at Sandals. Little Groups is small group for kids. While the parents are at their location having small group, the kiddos are at another location having their own small group:)
I guess Peyton doesn't remember Mikey...he used to babysit the boys and is WONDERFUL with kids. Parker was loving Ms. Amanda...she watched them a lot too. They are going to make wonderful parents....'cause now they are getting MARRIED! How cool is that. I'm not sure if they even knew each other when we left CA...we go back for a visit and find out they are engaged! Very, very cool.