Raves
Friday, June 27, 2008, by Sherra
Flexible that is.
Well, let me clarify. She is very flexible as an athlete. She is, after all, the one we called our circus baby.
But she does things her way, in her time frame and has always marched to the beat of her own drum.
She is also the dominant twin. “They say” (whoever “they” are) that one twin is typically the more dominant twin. We watched this from the very beginning. She was a tiny bully. She plucked Wizzy’s binky out of her mouth. She scooted and crawled over to Wizzy and took whatever toy she had or was even thinking about having. She learned how to jump and catapult out of her crib and land in Wizzy’s crib and jump on her.
One day I heard Wizzy crying intermittently and I quietly went around the corner to see why and Roger Leroy was hitting her and with a gleam in her eye saying,
“Cye, Wizzy, cye again”
She has overcome the speech impediment but not necessarily her penchant for teasing and tormenting her twin whenever she can.
Stubborn and quirky are words that describe her.
On her first birthday, it took about seven adults watching her and saying “Sit back down” to keep her in her high chair. Even when strapped in, she was a little Houdini baby who could get out of anything.
At one year-old they each weighed 16 pounds. 16 pound tiny people are not suppose to walk.
Or try to climb out of the cart at Home Depot.
Only by God’s grace did I catch the hem of her dress before she hit the concrete floor head first.
Here she is stuck in a toy bucket…
I think she had underwear on but I can’t really remember.
Here she is sleeping with a ball balanced on her eye. PhilBillPhil found her this way and he took this picture.
Are you getting the quirky vibe yet?
Here she is with Silly Putty.
Yep, we have all done that with Silly Putty, haven’t we?
Here she is on our driveway wrapped and tied up in her bedroom comforter…because we always take our bedding outside to play with it on the driveway.
I think they referred to this as the “burrito game” and she would then free herself from all the knots her siblings had tied. This, by the way, was at her request.
She can walk on stilts, bounce down the street on a pogo stick, juggle, ride a unicycle and shoot a basketball and make the shot on the unicycle. She has yet to meet a sport she couldn’t play and excel at.
She is “mama junior” to Scary Baby and has always had a special bond with her. She makes good grades and has an internal drive to do her best. She excels at anything she puts her mind to.
When she’s not irritating her twin sister, they have a lot of fun together.
Like last summer when they went to Tampa. They went over to Luci’s Alzheimer’s facility several times.
She fell in love there.
His name is Oscar.
Another picture I had to frame. Pure joy in both their faces as he gave her a kiss when she went over to tell him goodbye.
And when she’s not being a total jock or an L.C. (Little Crud as PhilBillPaul refers to her) or rolling her eyes at me…
She actually cleans up nicely and is a beautiful young woman.
We love you, circus baby…
P.S. Celebrate with me that The Twin Birthmonth Party is now
OFFICIALLY OVER!!! 
Popularity: 17%
Categories: Finding the Funny, Milestones, Moments, Rants, Raves
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Monday, June 23, 2008, by Sherra
We have recently learned that 5 days in Nashville is not significant enough birthday celebration for twin girls turning 17.
Um, and who decided this?
NOT the parents.
Appparently, the Nashville trip falls under the Never Enough Syndrome.
Because getting to personally meet AND touch Taylor Swift was not enough.
Wednesday, which is their actual birthday, I’ll be sure to show you the sheet they tossed on my bed entitled “Bday Plan” early last week.
Because when I was growing up, we spent the whole MONTH celebrating whoever was born that month. NOT.
In a family of six, that would be half the year spent celebrating birthdays.
Don’t get me wrong, we do celebrate (quietly, in our hearts) being the parents of four healthy children. We really do.
But these twin daughters of ours are testing our patience more than usual.
I’m sure it’s because they are twins and have had to share everything.
Starting with my womb. As if this is my fault?
They’ve shared a room. They’ve shared a birthday cake every year.
Mothers of multiples, no judgment here please! Remember we all get to choose whether we dress them alike and if they are split up in school and if one cake with two names works for our family and all those other major decisions that parents of multiples are plagued with.
On the positive side, they are literally best friends and it warms my heart…when they aren’t fighting.
Today I thought I would take a few moments to post about ONE twin instead of two. Yes, I confess, it is hard to not consider them a unit even though they are not siamese. Heck, they’re not even identical. It’s just easier to refer to The Grunter, The Girls and Scary Baby.
So today, I choose Wizzy.
Because as the younger of the two, she always seemed to have to go last for everything.
Well, that and her twin was the dominant a.k.a. bully twin for many, many years.
So here is my photo tribute to Wizzy who is the biggest people-pleaser of our four kids.
She is a peace keeper and a friend to all. She is funny and kind. She is sweet and fiery. She is a leader and is always the first to help. She has a huge heart and loves everyone.
She displayed athletic talent and basketball skill very early. Check out those Converse Chuck Taylor high tops!
She was the best belated Father’s Day present PhilBillPaul has yet to receive.
She let me dress her up in girlie clothes for years. She’s still the *easy* twin to shop with for clothes!
She is unique in every way. She didn’t really resemble her other 3 siblings and is our only redheaded child. Then her cousin visited from Texas and we realized she is a Humphreys through and through. We are still amazed at how much they look alike!
She was the last lucky duck to ride (and drive) Grandad’s golf cart. They had so much fun together with special one-on-one time!
She wasn’t so lucky on Friday when she went to play golf and an errant shot from another hole hit her in the stomach while she was selecting her club. I almost cried when she came home and showed me this horrible mark on her stomach. Notice that she smiled and let me take a picture. Did I mention she finished the round and injuries don’t get in the way of competition.
Disclaimer: Not a lesson she learned from me. I would have stopped playing and drove home crying and stayed in bed for a few days.
Finding out a “redneck” golfer (I’m trying to be nice here) did not even yell “FORE” which is proper golf etiquette when you hit a bad shot and you MUST warn everyone within the sound of your voice.
Thank goodness that she is okay and it didn’t hit her in the head–we would have spent the weekend in the hospital.
Sidenote: If you don’t know or understand all the intricate rules of golf, do us all a favor and learn them before you come out on the course and ruin the game for others. There are books that you can read about the rules or if you can’t read, watch a video. Or, you can’t learn the rules, take up a less complicated sport.
Finally, my lovely, tall, lanky daughter is truly a delight to be around. She wakes up singing like a bird (not inherited from either parent) and really does try to make the world a better place.
Before she embarks on her next journey to make a new friend, help a stray animal or bring a smile to a stranger’s face she has an important job to do. She needs to go shopping for some new jeans because Sunday night she bent over and split her favorite jeans and even if mama could sew, I don’t think we can repair these…
We love you, precious daughter…
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Milestones, Moments, Raves
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Friday, June 20, 2008, by Sherra
Thought Flexible Friday was a good day to share a few of my favorite sites that I check out and catch up on at least once a week. I did that yesterday which got me thinking you might enjoy them too.
First, here’s a great fashion site that always has great photos of outfits and ideas for all ages, sizes and shapes.
Great ideas which are not necessarily in my clothing budget (but I’m sure I could put a similar ensemble together from Target.) It’s also a great checkpoint for me to see just how out of style I really am each season. 
Second, you already know I love Pioneer Woman and she recently re-vamped her site and proudly shows off her cooking skill and gorgeous photography showing step-by-step recipe instructions.
I’m not saying I make anything with green vegetables and she does have a lot of recipes with vegetables. Fortunately for us she hasn’t tried to sneak any vegetables in her dessert recipes (which I think is wrong on so many levels)!
I’m starting you with this breakfast item that I must try. Okay, I must have PhilBillPaul make it and I’ll try it–perhaps in bed on my breakfast tray that he will bring to me.
Don’t worry, he wouldn’t dare include the green chives!
Finally, this is subjective humor and some of you won’t like it and that’s okay. Much like TV and radio, you can just change the channel or not even click the link.
You’ll probably know from the name of the blog whether you’ll like it or not…it really shouldn’t be any surprise that I catch myself laughing out loud at some of her rants.
Visit White Trash Mom if you even cracked a tiny smile at that name.
Leave a comment and share your favorite blog or websites. Remember if you are reading this through an email subscription or an RSS reader you will have to click through to the actual blog to leave your comment.
Have a great weekend!
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Food, Random Thoughts, Raves
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Monday, June 16, 2008, by Sherra
He has always been a nice dad.
Since he’s not my dad, I didn’t get him a Father’s Day present. Or a card.
Nice Dad always gets me something nice for Mother’s Day. Even though I’m not his mother.
You would think I would reciprocate by getting him something nice.
I’m pretty sure I have in years past. I just forgot this year.
So here’s my attempt to make up for my thoughtlessness.
Lucky for me I have this blog.
Here’s a photo tribute to what a Nice Dad he is…
I love to look back at the pictures and see how
he lit up being a dad, starting with The Grunter.
He didn’t even seem to mind when I dressed
my two handsome guys alike in pink shirts.
It only took him about eight weeks after the twin girls were born…
and a strong threat that he might find himself living in his car…
to jump in and actively participate in parenting two more babies.
Side note: We never call parenting “babysitting.”
BIG issue for me when moms say dad is “babysitting.”
As if I was babysitting while he was working? UGH!
He actually rose to the challenge and put many of the
other dads to shame taking care of his children while my home business grew and he always recognized that I needed time to myself.
That 4th baby just made his heart grow bigger.
Side note: Did anyone notice that in addition to being N-I-C-E,
he doesn’t take a bad picture?
Some day I know our kids will look back and realize what an amazing and involved Nice Dad that they had!
Until then, he’ll just have to take my word for it…
Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. –Charles Swindoll
Take a moment to leave a comment and share a great memory about your own dad or the dad of your kids.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend celebrating the fathers in your family. For those of you whose fathers have passed away, I know you fully understand when I say that I miss my dad every day and not just on Father’s Day.
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Categories: Raves, Teens, Toddlers (& babies), Tweens
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Friday, June 13, 2008, by Sherra
It’s hard to be nine.
It’s especially hard to be nine when you have three teenage siblings.
And it’s a hot summer day.
Which always makes me think of staying inside and reading a good book.
So I went to a special cabinet in my room to get one of those classic books out for Scary Baby yesterday.
It made me remember being nine and being able to walk to the air-conditioned library in the small town where we lived.
It made me think of some of my favorite books and authors that transported me to another place and made me love reading…as in it is one my most favorite things to do!
We have three out of four kids that devour books like PhilBillPaul and I do. One unnamed teen much prefers TV to a good book.
Nature vs. nurture is alive and well at our house.
Here are some of my all-time favorites that all my kids have read and still love (even the non-reader):
Ramona the Pest
by Beverly Cleary
(I love the whole series!)
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective
by Donald Sobol
(You don’t have to be a boy to love this series!)
The Boxcar Children
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
(might just be my all-time favorite series!)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
by Roald Dahl
(fun to read and then watch the *original* movie with Gene Wilder!)
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
by Judy Blume
(love, love, love all her books!)
The library is a fabulous place to spend some of your hot summer days. Most libraries have great summer reading programs and activities. Books make great gifts at any age.
Have you passed on your love of reading on to your kids?
Share the titles or authors of your favorite childhood books…it’s always fun to get book recommendations!
Popularity: 24%
Categories: Moments, Random Thoughts, Raves, Tweens
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Friday, June 6, 2008, by Sherra
I told you on Wednesday that I would share some of my favorite country music songs. I was thinking about why I love country so much and I know that a big part of it is that so many country songs tell a great story.
I love story-telling and I love how real so much of the songwriting is. I also love songs that move me. Whether it moves me to tears or it moves me to smile or it moves me to get up and dance, I love all the emotion music brings to our lives.
First, a few personal country facts I want to share:
1) I do not own cowboy boots
2) I do not own a cowboy hat
3) I do not line dance
4) I can ride a horse
5) There is such a thing as too much twang in country
(and too much banjo).
Now here are some great songs that I think ya’ll will love even if you think you don’t like country!
Five Great Songs by Women Country Singers
Every mama should make sure her daughters hear these…
1) This One’s For The Girls - Martina McBride
2) Somebody’s Hero - Jamie O’Neal
3) Room to Breathe - Reba McEntire
4) I Didn’t Know My Own Strength - Bobbie Cryner
5) I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack
Five Great Patriotic Country Songs
These pretty much always move me to tears…
1) Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning) - Alan Jackson
2) Have You Forgotten? - Darryl Worley
3) American Soldier - Toby Keith
4) Some Gave All - Billy Ray Cyrus
5) God Bless the U.S.A. - Lee Greenwood
Come on now, don’t be scared. Search for the songs and have a listen–it should be no surprise that I’m an iTunes fan. You might be pleasantly surprised and want to add some new music to your iPod.
If you already love country, take a moment and share a couple of your favorite songs in the comments section. I’m always looking for great new tunes personally recommended by friends!
Popularity: 17%
Categories: Moments, Raves
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Wednesday, June 4, 2008, by Sherra
Before I divulge the location of the birthday trip for the darling twin daughters, can I just say that I’m less than inspired that only TWO of you commented on Flexible Friday (thanks Kerri & Wendy) about whether you have a ME day or ME hour and what you do with your ME time?!
Ladies, seriously. No one schedules time for themselves and will share how they do it?
Or are you all so busy with your ME time that you’re unable to click the “Comment” link at the bottom of the post and comment? Come on, we’re suppose to be inspiring each other here!
Okay, I’ll stop ranting about that and move right into a rave!
I’m taking the girls to Nashville for the CMA Country Music Festival.
Stop laughing.
For many, country music has become more mainstream with artists like Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Sugarland, etc., who have all had crossover hits in recent years.
True Confessions
For me, I’ve loved country since I was in grade school. I have Charley Pride albums. I saw Kenny Rogers in high school at the State Fair.
I have the Statler Brothers autographed 8 x 10 picture.
Ahem, your laughing is getting louder. I can hear it in Georgia.
It’s not the only music I love. I really love all kinds of music. I can’t imagine life without music. As I noted in the “About Sherra” page, I had an iPod before iPods were cool.
I was a teen in the late 70’s and early 80’s and also went to Summer Jam concerts and heard REO Speedwagon, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Head East, The Baby’s and even went on .38 Special’s tour bus.
See how well-rounded I am?
But Barbara Mandrell, Lee Greenwood, T.G. Shepherd were all concerts I loved too.
I can still hear the Tammy Wynette, Lynn Anderson, Roy Clark and Johnny Cash albums that my parents played.
Yes, we did watch Hee Haw at my house in the Midwest.
Should I not admit that? Sorry family.
It is a requirement to like country music if you live with me. PhilBillPaul tolerates it. The Grunter not so much.
“Poor Phil” (as my family likes to refer to him) has sat through Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney and some others I’m sure I’m forgetting.
All three of my girls love it. Maybe it is more of a chick thing?
I had always heard about this big Nashville event called Fan Fair and wanted to go. Some years ago, they changed the name to the CMA Music Festival and moved it to downtown Nashville.
My friend Ann shared with me that when Dan returned from Iraq that she wanted to do more things for herself (oh, that sounds like a ME day or even better, a ME trip and she might need a friend to go with her!).
One of those things on her list was to go to more music concerts because she loves music so much. She had just recently gotten more into country music and wanted to go to a live concert or two.
Don’t give me an idea if you don’t really mean it. I told her I knew of a concert that might be beyond her idea of a *little* live concert. It’s actually a four day event and anyone she could think of would be there.
We’ve been for the past two years and were going to go again this year. Alas, that darn husband surprised her with a trip to England.
(Nice job Dan )
I got over it and then mentioned to my girls that maybe we could go if they wanted to chip in and it would be their birthday present.
We’re leaving today and if you even remotely like country music - it is an event like nothing I’ve ever witnessed. You can check out the details and all the artists who will be performing at cmafest.com.
It’s an amazing event and this is fair warning that you will have to endure pictures that I will post next week when we return!
On Flexible Friday, I’m already thinking I’ll post some of my favorite country songs.
Yee Haw!
Admit it, you want to know what’s on my iPod.
If you stop laughing, I might just tell you…
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Friends, Moments, Raves, Teens
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008, by Sherra
The graduation party fun seems to be all-consuming for families with seniors (and families with kindergarteners?).
The Grunter has made this all a little too easy for us since he’s not participating in the ceremony and didn’t want to have a party.
I’d feel more guilty about it if he hadn’t made a lot of other things really hard for us and in case anyone forgets, we will have TWO more seniors next year. I’m pretty certain they’ll be walking in the ceremony and want a party too. I’ve heard that I need to start the planning now. (Giant SIGH)
Here’s a little last minute tip for those supermom party planners (i.e. my friend Leigh Anne) who need just one more thing to do for the party…luckily these are super-easy graduation treats for the food table and you can never have too much chocolate!
I’m putting this is my “party file” for next year. (Yeah, sure, I have a party file.)
Our neighbor had these at her son’s party over the weekend and they were gone by the time we arrived. She was nice enough to email me the instructions and the link. Thanks Marla!
Aren’t these just too stinkin’ cute?!
Grad Caps
Miniature peanut butter cups
Frosting or peanut butter
Chocolate-covered graham crackers
Fruit leather
Step 1
Place a miniature peanut butter cup, bottom up, on a plate. Top with a small dollop of frosting or peanut butter, then press on a chocolate-covered graham cracker.
Step 2
For a tassel, tightly roll up a small square of fruit leather. Cut fringe on one end and attach the other end to the center of the graham cracker with another dab of frosting or peanut butter.
The idea comes from FamilyFun.com
Sidenote: Someone on the website suggested using mini m&m’s to hold the tassel.
There’s even a video if you need help assembling them. Seriously…let me know if you needed the video.
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Categories: Food, Friends, Raves, Teens
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Friday, May 16, 2008, by Sherra
Doesn’t that sound like a fabulous thing to do?
Spend a year by the sea. Ahhhh…
Sign me up. My bags are packed. I’m ready to go…
But I have a few obligations and responsibilities I have to tend to before I can go. I’m guessing you do too.
So short of leaving, you can read the book…
A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman
Joan Anderson is the author of that book and she is one of my favorite authors. I saw her almost a decade ago on Oprah and went right out and got the book. I still love the tagline of the book because I know that is really who we all are — unfinished women.
Since then, she has published 4 more books and I have devoured them all and given some of them as gifts.
On Wednesday night I had the privilege of attending a Borders event called “Getting Better All the Time: Women and Writers in Conversation.” If you’re in Atlanta, I’m sorry you missed it.
She was an absolute delight! Warm, funny, sincere and truthful - all the qualities I love in a women at any age.
My friend Wendy and I were so glad we made the trek downtown. It’s still an effort to get out and do things like this that feel selfish to many women but are really the things that lift us up and keep us going when we’re tired and overwhelmed.
Of course, having dinner after we left Borders was an added bonus!
I was sad that I forgot to snap a picture of us with Joan (our new friend whom we now feel like we can call by her first name).
I did, however, snap pictures of our desserts at The Cheesecake Factory.
I chose the LEMON RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESECAKE
Raspberry Vanilla Cake, Creamy Lemon Cheesecake, Raspberry Lady Fingers and Lemon Mousse
Wendy went for the CARAMEL PECAN TURTLE CHEESECAKE.
Pecan Brownie and Caramel Fudge Swirl Cheesecake, Topped with Caramel Turtle Pecans and Chocolate
Obviously, we were both counting calories. Not.
I can’t wait to dive in to her new book this weekend. Just the title makes me smile…
Second Journey, The: The Road Back to Yourself
And I love the tagline of this one too. “The Road Back to Yourself” It’s like she wrote it just for me.
My personal recommendation is to start at the beginning and read every one of Joan’s books. Or go wild and read the new one first. Read them out of order. Just read them!
Do something for yourself this weekend - eat some cheesecake and curl up with a good book! Make every weekend Mother’s Day…you deserve it!
P.S. If you click on the purple text link of the book titles, it will take you right to Amazon.com and you can order the book and have it delivered to your door!
Popularity: 29%
Categories: Friends, Moments, Raves
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Friday, May 9, 2008, by Sherra
When we want to try to eat healthy…
…okay, that made me laugh just typing it.
Let me start over.
When we’re out of chocolate chips, we make these cookies.
Well, that and if the applesauce doesn’t have mold on it since no one really eats it except if it’s in these cookies.
(Or at Red Lobster in lieu of a green salad.)
They could be mistaken for being “semi-healthy” if there is such a thing.
I’m sure you could use whole wheat flour and sneak in some flax. Yum.
I did grow up eating these and the recipe is in our family cookbook.
These could be my Mom’s recipe or Betty Crocker’s. I just don’t know for sure.
Truth be told, these are really good! So maybe when you are burned out on chocolate chip cookies and brownies, you might give these a try.
Applesauce Cookies
3/4 C soft shortening
1 C brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 C applesauce
2-1/4 C flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
Heat oven to 375º. Mix shortening, sugar & egg thoroughly. Stir in applesauce. Measure flour by dip-level-pour method or by sifting. Blend dry ingredients; stir in. Drop by spoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.
Enjoy and let me know if you try them and if you like them!
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Food, Raves
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