Finding the Funny
Friday, February 5, 2010, by Sherra
The Grunter insists The Snuggie™ that Granny sent him is broken.
How is the multi-million dollar blanket defective, I asked him?
“Air passes through it and it doesn’t keep me warm.”
I’ve never wanted to wear a blanket so I wasn’t that attracted to their biggest marketing feature. (Remarkably similar to a poncho…which I also never wanted to wear…even though it seems to have made a fashion comeback.)
Admittedly, the cheetah print is very fashion-forward.
But seriously…what’s the point of a blanket that doesn’t keep you warm?
Anyone else have a broken Snuggie or did The Grunter get the only defective one?
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Finding the Funny, Moments
Subscribe
Wednesday, January 20, 2010, by Sherra
We’re in countdown mode here at the Humpfreeze house as the darling twins will be leaving next week for 5 months in Arizona. It’s time for their military job training for the Army National Guard.
I won’t bore you with the military’s second language consisting mostly of acronyms about AIT and what their MOS is and their last weekend of RSP.
What I will bore you with is how the darling twins along with their friend Jenna kicked some serious butt at their weekend drill in December. It was family day and I was home sick but PhilBillPaul and Scary Baby went. And luckily Jenna’s family brought their camera. Thank you Ed and Dar!
Nothing like a little friendly competition among soldiers. It’s important to know that the group consisted of about 100 males and less than 20 females.
A little tug-of-war.
Some physical training.
Combatives.
Plus a variety of other events and challenges. In the end, the girls shined!
A total of 5 trophies were given out and 3 were given to our girls…
3 point shoot out:
First Place ~ Lizzie
Drill & Ceremony:
First Place ~ Rachel
Pugil Stick:
First Place ~ Jenna
PLUS Jenna also received a medal for basketball. At the end of the day, she was the only one to receive two awards!
I’m not sure their recruiter really understood that he landed 3 golden female recruits and since I’m the mom of two of them, my opinion appears to be a little biased!
When I asked him if he was beaming with pride at his 3 lovely recruits kicking some butt …
Him: “They surprised everyone including me.”
Me: “I beg your pardon? You didn’t expect them to shine?”
Him: “I didn’t expect them to dominate”
No surprise for us.
The Army National Guard is lucky to have these three amazing female soldiers. We already knew that.
I’m pretty sure the trophies were a little cheesy and mostly for the families’ benefit. While we appreciate the gesture, we don’t need trophies to remind us of how incredibly proud we are of our daughters!
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Finding the Funny, Moments, Raves, Teens
Subscribe
Monday, January 18, 2010, by Sherra
I’m committed to taking some baby steps in an effort to seriously cut down on my sugar intake this year.
And caffeine.
I quit cold turkey 6 years ago and lived through it.
But the caffeine slowly crept back into my life a few years later.
I blame living in Atlanta for this vice. Because I do love, love, love Coke. As in the classic red can Coke straight up over lots of ice.
Side note: I used to blame my caffeine addiction on my mother because she worked at Pepsi. Then I moved to Georgia where most establishments don’t take kindly if you use the “P” word.
No diet soda here because I really do believe artificial sweeteners are way worse for you than plain ‘ole sugar.
Just my opinion.
Wizzy knows this and says she’s going to give up soda too.
Then she brought this home this weekend…
I’m sorry – can you not read that banner?
Real sugar
Limited time only.
This stuff is like liquid carbonated crack.
Not that I have any idea about crack. But I do know this is good stuff.
She brought home a Mountain Dew too but I forgot to take a picture of its very cool retro label. Which I’ve heard is similar to a double dose of crack.
I think she’s going to give up soda in February.
Me too.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Finding the Funny, Food
Subscribe
Monday, January 11, 2010, by Sherra
Seems many folk think that when you say you are taking your family tubing in January in the South that they think you are referring to tubing in a river in ice cold water – which, by the way, is often ice cold water in the summer.
News flash, in addition to sledding on cardboard boxes, garbage can lids and air mattresses, we are actually within driving distance of…
SNOW Tubing
Woo-hoo!
We planned a family day to drive to North Carolina to play in the snow. We wanted to do something fun with the kids before the darling twins are off again on their next adventure – this time to Arizona for 5 months for their Army National Guard job training.
This was no small feat because we had to find a day that none of them had to work and before The Grunter’s new classes started. Oh, and we still have that precious Scary Baby in elementary school. And we didn’t want to fight the weekend crowds because I hate crowds.
No problem, PhilBillPaul and Scary Baby were gracious enough to take a “day off” from their regularly scheduled life and we headed to Tube World on a day where Atlanta was preparing for a blizzard (2 inches of snow predicted)!
First though, about 10 hours were spent trying to locate Mr. Humpfreeze’s Lands’ End squall jacket. Never found.
Please do not ask how you lose a winter coat. My mom already did. It’s a very sensitive subject right now.
Next, two hours at Walmart buying 4 pairs of gloves because any winter items here are lost like socks in the dryer. And boots because my Lands’ End squall boots went missing too.
Fun! Fun! Fun!
The tubes go way faster than you might think.
Tube World is first class all the way with their moving carpet lift so you don’t have to WALK back up the hill!
I skipped a few rides up the moving carpet so I could snap some pictures as they came down.
My glasses were iced over so I took some pictures of other people’s kids. I’m not sure any of those pin dots are my family.
I think this is part of my family…
I think I know these people…
The $1.50 face mask was the best money spent for Scary Baby. Though she didn’t take kindly to the Tube World teen staff calling her “little man”.
Might be because she also had her brother’s old winter coat on. She did take the face mask off during one ride so they could see that she was a GIRL!
We drove home in semi-treacherous weather. Any snow is a blizzard to my kids. The roads were slick and turning to ice. Scary Baby got a snow day on Friday which was a bonus.
Here’s how much snow was on the deck when we arrived home.
A solid inch – look closely. Wizzy ran right out to eat some fresh snow.
Southern babies – it’s fun to see snow through their eyes. 
What did Atlanta folk do with all our snow here last week? To those of you who live in a cold winter state…do you take advantage of playing in the snow?
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Finding the Funny, Moments, Teens, Tweens
Subscribe
Wednesday, January 6, 2010, by Sherra
The Grunter was the proud recipient of Scary Baby’s re-gifting prank. She ran out of money bought candy and didn’t get him a gift. On Christmas Eve she ran to her room and quickly wrapped something to give him.
We all knew it was a re-gift. She loves to give. I was thinking maybe a stuffed animal or some art supplies.
Instead, she gave him…
A two piece bathing suit.
Just what he always wanted. She thought this was the hysterical high point of Christmas morning.
It might have been but you shouldn’t try to punk your brother like that. He’s likely to get you back.
He quietly went into the bathroom and came out donning the two piece swimsuit.
Yes, it was odd that it fit.
But he is a skinny white boy just like his father.
You will have to use your imagination as to what this sight for sore eyes looked like.
Because I only emailed the pictures to immediate family.
I wish I had an audiotape of the uproar at my sister’s house when they gathered round my niece’s computer to see pictures of our pumpkin.
I bet Scary Baby will remember to get him a new present next year!
In other Grunter holiday news…
He bought the family a new game. And insisted we all play it on Christmas Eve. Everyone has played it several times and it is no small miracle to have a game that the adults, semi-adults and the 10 year old can play together.
Plus we added another game to our cabinet because my sister and mother said it was a “fun for all ages” game they all played on Christmas afternoon.
We had plenty of extra people in and out visiting and most all who came had to play. Really, you probably shouldn’t come to our house if you don’t like to play games with super loud, competitive people.
Then to end 2009 with a bang, we had another family and about 10 of the kids friends over for an impromptu New Year’s Eve party. Scary Baby and I braved the crowds at Walmart and Target to gather food and blowers while PhilBillPaul cleaned up the house.
A little Euchre, more Quelf and Apples to Apples plus the kids set up Rock Band and some other video games in the basement.
Other Miscellaneous Highlights…
Read two books, watched a ton of football and saw two movies. The movies were swamped with the new releases so we didn’t break our record from last year. We both enjoyed “Up in the Air” and “It’s Complicated”. I give them both Bs.
The girls also went ice skating and roller skating (twice).
Roger Leroy squeezed in a 7 hour defensive driving class on December 30th compliments of her speeding ticket up at college.
All of this and the kids all worked 25+ hours each at their jobs.
Impressive time management skills. Actually, youthful energy is probably more accurate.
How did you spend the holidays? Glad they’re over or wished they lasted longer? Are you back in a normal routine?
Does NO ONE have any hog jowl recipes???
Check back on Friday for our Humpfreeze Holiday FOOD highlights…
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Finding the Funny, Moments, Teens, Tweens
Subscribe
Monday, January 4, 2010, by Sherra
With the kids all home for the last few weeks, our grocery bill has increased. The darling twins really eat a lot.
I’m always looking for sales and bargains. Remember our trip to Aldi?
Hard to find a meal all six of us will eat without someone complaining. Makes cooking not so fun.
I know we have our individual food issues. Plus the *no* vegetable thing.
Imagine our excitement when we went out for Mexican food on Saturday night and found a new bargain at the grocery next door.
I’m pretty sure we’re going to have a great family dinner after we buy a couple of pounds of…
Shh, don’t tell the kids. I want to surprise them!
Sliced and smoked.
What more could you ask for?
Anyone have any good recipes for hog jowls?
Humpfreeze holiday break highlights coming later this week. What were your favorite (or not so favorite) things about your holiday?
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Finding the Funny, Food
Subscribe
Tuesday, December 29, 2009, by Sherra
You may or may not remember the last Georgia blizzard we had.
Winter in the South is a different kind of animal.
This is what happens when you grow up in the cold, cold Midwest but you birth babies in the South.
You take them to downtown Atlanta to beautiful Centennial Park for a little after Christmas ice skating.
They start whining like babies as soon as you start walking to the park.
Shivering and fussing.
Then, they see a line wrapping around the rink and they stop dead in their tracks and say “Okay, that was fun. Now let’s go home.”
Side note: The only person who didn’t whine and fuss was their friend Jordan who joined us.
Next, you try to calmly explain to your 10 year-old that her big sisters AND her father are total cold weather WEENIES and would she like to go roller skating later in the week even though she really, really wanted to try ice skating for the first time in her life.
And you snap a picture of her after she looks at the ice rink.
But you insist that everyone is going to walk through the park and enjoy the lights and walk to that giant Christmas tree that must be 1 or 2 city blocks away.
You force photographs while the 18 year-old Soldier girl WEENIES complain and try to make their teeth chatter from the bone chilling 40 degree weather.
Finally you get back in the car and head to Zesto for chili dogs and…
ICE CREAM.
The Next Day
Dad has weenie guilt and asks the darling twin who is always most agreeable (thank you Wizzy) to take her baby sister ice skating at an indoor rink just a short drive from our house.
She, along with her darling twin and four college friends, take Scary Baby ice skating in the indoor “much warmer” rink.
Ahhh, precious holiday memories.
Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and you are enjoying time with family and friends!
I’m taking a little blog break and will be back next week with more fun and frolic for 2010.
Thanks to each and everyone of you who leaves a comment or sends me an email. It’s what makes blogging fun.
Be safe and have fun as you ring in the New Year!!
Popularity: 3% [?]
Categories: Finding the Funny, Teens, Tweens
Subscribe
Wednesday, December 23, 2009, by Sherra
Imagine my surprise when I got a package last week and inside was a present with a tag that said…
To: The Wieners
From: Tucker
Before I tell you what was in the box, I think it is necessary to give you a little of the back story…
Tucker didn’t really send the box – his “mom” did.
Hip and Cool Friends
Hip and cool seems to be a recurring theme. With my sister. With my cousin.
And this is a tiny preview of how long I’ve known Tucker’s hip and cool mom.
Take in all that is hip and cool in that picture.
Kerri is my oldest friend. Even though she is a year younger than me. 
We met in the 4th/5th grade combo class we were in together way back when.
Kerri and I spent a lot of time together and we were quite the fashion plates.
Exhibit #1
Okay, so really Kerri’s mom was hip and cool because I think these were all her clothes. I don’t remember having white go-go boots but Scary Baby would really like those if I had saved them!
Exhibit #2
We were in charge of the record player while my hip and even cooler sister and her friend sang to The Carpenters at a festival in town. Karaoke before karaoke was cool.
Hip and Cool Dads
Our dads played golf together.
As you can see, Kerri’s dad was ultra hip and cool.
Side note: I hear he still grills a mean chicken. He did blackened before blackened was cool. Except it wasn’t hot and spicy it was just black as in burned. And then made us eat it. Always a fond memory. Hi Dean!
I lived in Rockford, Michigan from 3rd grade through 7th grade and have some of my best growing up memories there.
I went back and visited Kerri a few years ago and Rockford is just as charming as I remembered.
One of my most favorite places is this one…
The Corner Bar was a totally appropriate hangout for kids and adults. See the order window? That’s so kids could order without having to go in the smoky bar. Not that we didn’t spend hours in there with our dads.
Plaques line the walls with wiener hot dog eating records.
Chili dogs aren’t the most photogenic food but I’m telling you right now if you are ever near Rockford, Michigan you MUST have a Corner Bar hot dog.
Okay, thanks for indulging my trip down memory lane – it was related to wieners in a very roundabout way.
Back to the gift box Kerri sent which really was for our wiener dogs.
It contained these adorable homemade dog treats.
Crazy cute little dog crackers/biscuits/treats made with earthy crunchy ingredients fit for human consumption. I encouraged Roger Leroy to try one but she wouldn’t.
Look at the cute names with all the healthy ingredients listed.
Even better, Kerri and her niece do it all for the American Cancer Society.
I’m helping her launch a dog blog and I’m encouraging her to turn this into a profitable business with a portion of her dog treat empire going to charity.
I’ll keep you posted and maybe in the next few months you can all order adorable and delicious dog treats too!
Sabu and Dudley give them 5 stars and love them.
Thank you Kerri for sending the wiener dogs the fun treats! Thanks too, for continuing to be my oldest friend.
Merry Christmas to everyone!
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Finding the Funny, Friends
Subscribe
Tuesday, December 22, 2009, by Sherra
You have to appreciate an organized kid.
One like our precious Scary Baby who gives you their Christmas list in OCTOBER.
The “Flip Over” is the best part…
Knowing full well we have already done the guinea pig thing x 3 including one that was pregnant. And we are never, I repeat, never doing it again.
Then we get a revised list at the end of November.
I especially appreciate the ease with which she includes items like…
cell phone, ipod touch, camcorder and laptop
…blended in with the reasonable items like board games, blendy pens, earrings and an art kit.
This kid is nothing if not smooth.
She is also TEN and will not be getting any of the aforementioned high ticket electronic items.
PhilBillPaul and I have investigated the cupcake maker since it made both lists and we have learned that it’s not the cupcakes she wants. She just wants the fondant.
Michael’s has fondant. I’m working on it.
Two more shopping days. Do they have blendy pens?
What’s on your kids’ lists?
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Finding the Funny, Tweens
Subscribe
Friday, December 18, 2009, by Sherra
Here’s the new cool way to smoke but keep your kid safe from your secondhand smoke.
I wish I had a better picture but this is the best I could pull off without being *like* super obvious.
This high quality picture was taken last month with my cell phone.
Just to get this one picture, I made PhilBillPaul act like he was checking the tire and front end of the car but leave the door wide open so I could snap this for my blog readers.
After you go to the grocery with your toddler, load your groceries in your car and snap the toddler safely in her car seat…
Shut your car doors and stand outside of your car because…
It’s time for a smoke before the long car ride home.
Be sure to crack the window so your baby knows you are still right there.
But blow your smoke away from the car out into the open air.
Towards the lady snapping your picture.
The new generation of parents take their children’s safety very seriously. It’s all about setting a good example for your children when mom and dad smoke.
There you have it – it’s the best health and wellness tip I’ve learned in 2009.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Finding the Funny
Subscribe
RSS Subscription
E-Mail Subscription
