Raves

An 11-year-old’s View of Spring in the South

Monday, April 11, 2011 By Sherra 15 Comments

It started with a few seed packets.

Then she negotiated for a couple of six-packs of flowers.

The warm weather got her in the flower gardening mood.

With very little supervision she planted everything in the front yard.

Directly in the path of the mower.

And the curb where people walk and extra cars park.

“Because they needed full sun.”

And Dad said they would be prettier in the front yard.

Not a great plan.

When I saw this sign on Sunday morning…

I gently suggested that she could move things to the backyard where there is full sun.

And we could remove the sign that I thought bordered on bad manners.

Since I have given up yardwork for ~~lent~~ ever.

Dad could build a small raised bed and it could be her own little garden.

One quick trip to the store and a bribe of another six-pack of flowers and she was all in.

While I sat glued to the TV watching The Masters and (clapping whenever Tiger missed in honor of my Uncle Jack ), she got busy and replanted everything.

I said “Take some pictures of your new little garden.”

She said “I want to take some pictures of the azaleas and cherry tree for Grandma.”

I showed her the macro setting on the little digital camera.

She went outside and came back with these…

Her cute little flower bed. Thanks Dad.

Green trees and blue skies!

Grandma, here’s the cherry tree in the front yard she wanted you to see.

One of our most favorite things about living in the South are the azaleas…

I have to enjoy all this from inside because the pollen and my allergies can equal migraine right now.

She even captured the neighbor’s dogwood tree.

I think we have a budding photographer on our hands.

Pun intended.

In case it’s not quite Spring at your house, hope you enjoy Scary Baby’s photo shoot of what’s happening around our house!

Filed Under: Finding the Funny, Moments, Raves, Tweens

Busy Fun

Thursday, March 31, 2011 By Sherra 2 Comments

Taxes and three FAFSAs do not qualify as busy fun.

Busy fun is working from home on WordPress blogs.

I love to help other women with their own blogs!

The downside to this busy fun is that when I work on other people’s blogs, my own gets pushed down to the bottom of my “to do” list.

I seem to get computer fatigue and don’t write on my own.

Check out my latest blog makeovers. Just click the image to visit each one.

It’s always fun when clients are friends!

Take a minute and visit my portfolio. Maybe you’ll decide you want to start a blog – email me. I’d love to help!

Filed Under: Friends, Raves

One Special Lady

Wednesday, March 9, 2011 By Sherra 11 Comments

I’ve written about her before.

She was a looker.

As they say back in Indiana.

I wrote about her in 2008…

She’s the only Grandma I’ve ever known as my mom’s mother passed away when I was just six months old…

…Imogene is funny and spunky and I have always loved spending time with her. To get to spend one-on-one time with her is a sheer delight for me.

She got such a kick out of riding in my bright blue VW bug.

In May of 2007, on my way home from the Black Hole, she was exactly what I needed and it was my honor to take her bra shopping (oh, the funny story of that shopping trip) and then to Gray Brothers for her favorite meal.

The next year, I got to go back and spend more time with her and we had dinner once again at Gray Brothers.

So glad I documented our visit here.

…words cannot describe what it meant to me to get to spend the afternoon with her and take her out to dinner.

I convinced her I could pick her up the next day so she could enjoy another meal with 6 of the 7 Kivett siblings who were all gathering at another local cafeteria.

She simply beamed through the whole meal. She loved them all so much.

In January of 2009 on my long road trip to the frozen Midwest tundra, I was so glad I got to visit again. It was such a gift that there was no ice in Indiana because I was able to take her on a car ride back past the farm and we got to visit with my Uncle Jack and Aunt Peggy at their house.

Treasured memories…I could go on and on.

I saw her for what would be the last time with darling twin Wizzy in July last year.

We brought her butterscotch pie from Gray Brothers and when I showed her the picture of her in front of that blue bug that I carry in my wallet, her face lit up.

Then she winked and giggled, “We had some fun, didn’t we?”

She passed away Saturday morning.

She is being buried this morning after 95 vibrant years on earth.

May she rest in peace knowing how much she was loved.

Filed Under: Life Lessons, Milestones, Raves

Friday Food Fun: Taste Test

Friday, November 12, 2010 By Sherra 1 Comment

Spent a little time baking last Saturday. One of the darling twins came home and I wanted to send some Fall treats back to college with her.

I had several new recipes to try. Thankfully, Scary Baby was more than willing to help me pick. I knew I had to make our family’s favorite Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting because everyone had requested them. I wanted to do something else with apples, maple and we needed a little chocolate.

For our chocolate choice, she voted for these Oreo Cheesecake Cookies and I knew these would be a winner for Roger Leroy who has a serious Oreo addiction.

Photo compliments of Scary Baby.

I had several different pumpkin whoopie pie recipes but since I was already making pumpkin bars, I was excited to find this Maple Nut Oatmeal Creme Pie recipe.

Of course I had to eliminate the nuts because two of the darling children have an aversion to nuts. I also searched for a different filling because I was trying to not repeat the cream cheese from the Pumpkin Bars. Scary Baby voted for this maple marshmallow creme filling which turned out to be extra delicious!

My, oh my! Combining those two recipes was a very good choice.

My final selection was Apple Sour Cream Bars because Leigh Anne had raved about them. They were still in the oven when Wizzy left to head back to school. Totally okay with that because these ended up being my favorite and left more for me! (Besides, they have nuts so she wouldn’t have liked them.)

Once all four items were done and PhilBillPaul picked up pizza for dinner, I thought it would be fun for Scary Baby and Cloret to have a taste testing party for two.

Great minds think alike because Scary Baby had notebook paper out and was writing the title as I carried the desserts in.

“The Tasting…”

I asked them to use a 4 star rating and not show each other their answers until they were all done.

Very amusing critiques.

Cloret and I agree across the board on our reviews.

Since she loved the Apple Sour Cream Bars as much as I did and the big girls missed out, Cloret got to take a plate home along with some cookies and oatmeal pies.

No comments on my bad white chocolate drizzling skill. Or lack thereof. Remember, this is not a food blog and we are eaters who don’t get hung up on presentation.

In case you didn’t get the recipe links above, here they are again:

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Oatmeal Creme Pies (sans nuts) with Maple Marshmallow Filling
Oreo Cheesecake Cookies
Apple Sour Cream Bars

I’m so happy that it’s cool enough to use the oven again!

Let me know if you try one. What’s your favorite cool weather treat?

Filed Under: Food, Friends, Raves

Teen Drivers

Monday, October 25, 2010 By Sherra 2 Comments

Best 30 second commercial I’ve seen in a long time.

Whether you have teens who will be driving soon…

Or you’ve lived through teaching your teen(s) to drive…

Did you catch your breath like I did?

Side note: I hope it wins awards and they play it in some primetime slots! When I went to look for the commercial online to show PhilBillPaul, I discovered “The Dad” is the real-life father of both the 6 year-old and the 16 year-old girls in the car. Very sweet.

Filed Under: Milestones, Raves, Teens

Room With A View

Monday, August 30, 2010 By Sherra 6 Comments

With a view like this…

…there should be no complaining of boredom or bad days or a host of other things I heard last year.

This is the view from the darling twins college dorm room.

I think they are settled in and ready for a very good year.

We drove up last weekend to deliver a few odds and ends they forgot and took them to dinner.

It is really beautiful up in the small town where they go to school.

For the first time in their 19 years, they are not sharing a room.

Well, sort of not sharing a room.

They are suite mates in this brand new dormitory.

Which means they still share a bathroom but they have separate bedrooms.

A bathroom that is much bigger than all four darling Humpfreeze children share at home.

They have two showers between the four suite mates but only one toliet – go figure?!

Wizzy is rooming with Meadows and Roger Leroy lucked out and is by herself.

It took my covert photography skills to snap a picture of their trash can.

Meadows did her best to stand guard over it but she should know better.

It was refreshing to see some habits never change.

They also explained the story behind the one poster they are allowed on the wall.

Something about their social director status but I wasn’t clear on the monkey pictures.

But then we were walking to the car for dinner, Roger Leroy had to stop for a minute.

And the monkey pictures all made perfect sense.

Hey Jenna,

Roger Leroy is keeping everything very neat until you arrive next semester.

You are going to love the new rooms! I was even impressed with the “hotel” door locks. Hope your mom and dad copy and print this to include in your next letter from home so you can see your new room.

Side note: Jenna arrives for second semester but she’s at her Army National Guard AIT at Ft. Leonard Wood.

Don’t worry Wizzy and Meadows, I know you both pass room inspection with flying colors and you keep your room clean too.

It was a lovely Sunday evening visiting with the darling twins and we’re thankful they have such lovely new digs!

Really though, did anyone else have a view out their college dorm room window like this?

I’ll go first.

No.

My room overlooked a parking lot and the TKE and Sig Ep house.

Filed Under: Finding the Funny, Raves, Teens

Summer Activities ~ Part 3

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 By Sherra 9 Comments

All the darling twins talked about even before they got back home was the beach.

“We’re going to the beach.”

Over and over again. In between car repairs and work schedules and having about six weeks of summer they were going to the beach.

When the beach trip got changed multiple times and looked like it just wasn’t going to happen, leave it to St. PhilBillPaul to have a brilliant idea.

“Why don’t we all go to the beach?”

Never mind that it’s not in the budget. Never mind that all three big kids are scheduled to work. Never mind that mom and dad have work too.

Let’s Go To The Beach

PhilBillPaul’s second brilliant idea was that MOM could work her magic and use the power of the internet and find a last minute beach bargain. In less than 48 hours.

“Yea!!” the children shouted. “Let’s leave on Sunday at 4:00 a.m.”

PhilBillPaul’s third brilliant idea was that MOM could make a breakfast casserole and cheesy potatoes so WE would have food right when we got there and WE wouldn’t have to cook.

What would I do without all the brilliant ideas surrounding me?

Leaving out most of the gorey details of everyone packing themselves and going to bed while mom cooked and sweated in the 150 degree kitchen and made lists and packed DIRTY clothes because…

The Washing Machine Broke

Oh yes it did.

On Saturday while the big kids were all working, PhilBillPaul turned himself black trying to fix the washer which would not drain or rinse the clothes.

Suspiciously this happened after Roger Leroy had C-R-A-M-M-E-D a load of clothes in that was seriously bigger than the washer.

Perhaps we did not teach her how to properly do her laundry. Oh wait, YES WE DID.

The Army and college have taught her that sorting is a waste of time.

I remained calm – surprising I know – and announced that we could do OUR laundry when we got to the beach.

The darling twins could take their wet ginormous load to a laundromat. And Rachel could buy the part she broke. And they were never allowed to touch our washer again.

Side note: I’m pretty sure that Roger Leroy would want me to extend her personal and heartfelt thanks to her sister Wizzy for doing this while she was at work.

This I said because we had paid for the last minute bargain I found and there were no refunds.

Off to the beach we went at a more reasonable time of 6:00 a.m.

The view from our bargain 6th floor condo wasn’t too bad.

And other than one giant scene about Scary Baby and brushing her hair, we all survived.

I’ll be so bold as to say that everyone had FUN.

I asked them if we could recreate the blog header photo.

But this is about as close as I could get.

Everyone was on their own for dinner.

It was very nice that they actually wanted to have one night be a family dinner so we all gathered at Pompano Joe’s.

And I made sure to snap this very important picture after she had told me numerous times to quit taking pictures of her.

I told her the whole goal of the trip was to get her darling toes in the sugar white sand.

She was very specific that it had to be the sugar white sand of Destin.

And then declared, on our last day, that she really doesn’t like sand.

Later this week, I must tell you what happened on the way there and the way back because no Humpfreeze trip is complete without some ridiculous moments that are not funny except to everyone else who didn’t have to be there. Or drive to the Piggly Wiggly.

Stay tuned.

Filed Under: Finding the Funny, Raves, Teens, Tweens

Loving the Unlovable

Wednesday, July 14, 2010 By Sherra 7 Comments

I was pretty unlovable yesterday.

Cranky, residual drug lethargy and I’m sure PhilBillPaul could add a few more choice words in describing my behavior.

Did I mention I’m a wuss in the pain category?

Grumpiness may have been triggered by hunger, a sticky toaster lever, someone eating my natural peanut butter without asking (two giant jars in pantry for those who have informed me “we are NOT trying to eating healthy MOM…”) and the shooting pains of my weenie 10 stitches.

The flip out came when I saw Scary Baby with my Deluxe Yahtzee game. I have an unnatural and unhealthy obsession with keeping my games from childhood to adulthood in pristine condition.

I’m not blaming Junebug but I will say there were a few memorable days where we hunted for that ONE missing puzzle piece or a game token or a box lid that mysteriously disappeared.

My children do not share my addiction for keeping games in order and put away in their boxes they way they came. Go figure.

Side note: The Grunter shares my addiction. Something about being September Virgos. Not that we are into astrology.

I seriously adore the fact that they all love to play board games. Especially in today’s video and computer world.

But I’m well aware of the mixed message of me snapping when they touch my games without asking and furthermore do not put them away properly.

So yes, I snapped.

And it only got worse when PhilBillPaul opened up one of the game cabinets and there were loose cards and the Taboo game buzzer was NOT in the box.

Breathe, Sherra, breathe.

After a shrieking fit (I wish I could think of a nicer way to say it but let’s call a spade a spade), I made some toast and retreated to my room.

The x*nax had clearly worn off.

Which left PhilBillPaul sorting cards and taping broken box lids with packing tape.

And Scary Baby was upstairs crying because we sent her friend home because we also discovered her room was a wreck and the rule since birth has been “Work Before Play” which meant her room should have been cleaned up before she had a guest.

About an hour later, a brave soul pecked on my bedroom door. Scary Baby said,

“Hi Momma. Lizzie and I made you this.”

Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, milk, sugar and ice.

Love in a glass.

With a bendy straw.

Crappy Mother – 0
Darling Children – 1

How’s your summer going?

Filed Under: Moments, Raves, Teens, Tweens

The Lounge

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 By Sherra 14 Comments

The darling twins came home to a new room.

They are still not thrilled with the changes.

The most disturbing part for Wizzy has been the moving of their beds.

She has said at least three times…

“I know we’re in college and will only be home for 3 months but why did you have to take the other bed out the room?”

“But Mom, why did you have to take a BED out?”

“Seriously Mom, why is one of our beds in the basement?”

Another traumatic event I can be blamed for pretty much through eternity.

I take full responsibility and it’s probably wrong but I still feel pretty good about the new arrangement.

Call me mean. Oh wait, they already do.

Hey, maybe this is why she has been sleeping at other people’s houses?

TV is moved up from the basement. They’ve never had a TV in their room. That’s another good reason why this is now called the lounge.

Video game system – again never allowed on any TV in our house – now hooked up since they bought it while they were at college.

The benefits of being the last born and old rules flying out the window because you have three older siblings.

Futon is ordered. They are guests in our home and we have invited them to use the lounge until they head back to college in August. I think it’s pretty generous.

The cleaning and fumigating and throwing away and sweeping and mopping and sorting and disinfecting and organizing, etc., took us many weekends. I’ll save pictures of that for another day.

We really like the lounge. Scary Baby likes the lounge. The Grunter likes the lounge.

And I don’t really see what the big deal is about with one twin bed.

It made me think of my “You’re Gonna Miss This” post from last year as their senior year was ending.

Photo from April 2009

They’ve been sleeping together in a twin bed more than they have slept in separate beds for their whole lives. It’s some kind of twin thing.

Shoot, at our house THREE can fit in a twin bed. They should all be glad they are skinny.

How cute is that on the first night they were home that their favorite brother climbed into bed with them after he got off work to snuggle and talk?

The fleeting moments when they all get along make my heart sing.

Really they do.

Because sometimes it feels like yesterday that those three little people climbed in that same bed and talked and giggled and didn’t have a care in the world.

I’m interested so leave a comment and tell me…

Do you take advantage of the extra space when your college kids head off to school? Did you or are you currently preserving your college kids’ bedrooms? Just curious if I’m in the minority on the room conversion and where I fall on the mean mom scale.

I do want to go on record here and note that I did wait a full year!

Filed Under: Finding the Funny, Moments, Raves, Teens

Countdown to Friday

Monday, June 21, 2010 By Sherra Leave a Comment

No DIY Facebook wall recapping for last week.

Because it was semi-normal. Whatever “normal” is.

Other than the air conditioner breaking on Wednesday. And the temperature in Atlanta is averaging about 120 degrees daily. Okay, really high 90′s but it feels like 120.

Thanks to all who sent personal emails with care and concern. Seriously, we are all fine, fine, fine!

The darling twins should be flying home on Friday. Which happens to be their 19th birthday. We’re getting excited and bracing ourselves at the same time. More on our preparations later this week.

Here’s something neat they got at the beginning of their 5 month journey.

Even though Toyota was handling their P.R. nightmare and vehicle safety issues this spring, I did want to give a shout out to say that while somewhere deep in their marketing department, someone came up with a very nice idea.

I’m sure the girls have worn the hats. Not.

But I know they both appreciated the 1 GB memory stick, headphones and the deck of cards. I forgot to ask how the spearmint chapstick was.

Roger Leroy signed up to receive hers before she left and after it came to the house, we boxed it all up and sent it to her. Then I emailed to get Wizzy a gift pack too. About 4 emails later, she received hers in Arizona.

They even included an hour of internet service. Did you know that they have to pay for their internet service?

Yes, I know they are marketing to Soldiers and want their business/money. Still, this was a nice touch.

Can’t wait for next Monday when the darling twins will be here to watch The Bachelorette with me.

Filed Under: Raves, Teens