Tweens
Monday, March 1, 2010, by Sherra
We spent time with our only child – Scary Baby – who has informed us that she’s not really enjoying her special time as an only child.
Her words: “I’m still not getting any attention.”
Wow, another resounding endorsement of our parenting skills. Not that we’re listing her as a reference.
We get this text as we were leaving Jenna’s basketball game…
Wizzy (6:27 pm): Messed up my foot im on the way to the er. 
Im hurtin
Nothing like having your kid at the Emergency Room a few states away. Obviously, we’re still new at this separation thing.
*****
Next, the Grunter calls during dinner and asks if we can bring his prescription to work for him.
Side note: After the steroid shot and new antibiotic, he proceeded to break out in hives last week. Which got him another round of steroids which is what he forgot to take to work after missing two weeks.
While we waited to hear how Wizzy was doing and spent more quality time with Scary Baby at dinner and grocery store, we stopped by the house and picked up The Grunter’s medicine.
This was our text message exchange:
Me: Confirm w/me what u need us to bring u
Everett: My steroid with the pink cap
Me: Can u come to mall door when we get there?
no response
Me: We’re on our way & we will leave it in the first potted plant on the right when u walk out if u can’t meet us at main mall door.
Everett: I cannot come out. If you can’t bring it up to door then don’t bother with something stupid. I just won’t take it.
Me: Baby
no response
Me: Have the hives zapped ur sense of humor?
The Grunter: Yessir
Almost at this same moment, Roger Leroy sent me this text:
Roger Leroy (9:27 pm): The xray was fine. And she just hurt the ligaments and she should be fine.
*****
Sunday afternoon’s live conversation…
Me: You were kind of ugly about your medicine when we were going out of our way to bring it to you, don’t you think?
The Grunter: I can’t leave when I’m working.
Me: OH PLEASE. I’ve seen you all at work. Don’t tell me you can’t say “Hey, I’ll be back in 5 minutes, I’ve gotta run to the front door…hold my broom, will ya?”
The Grunter: I CAN’T.
Me: It’s not like you’re on high security detail at the movies. Give me a break. You could be a little nicer when we were helping you out!
The Grunter: Bye.
Me: Have a lovely day pumpkin.
*****
Sunday night’s email picture update:
And finally, this sweet little status on Roger Leroy’s Facebook that I saw on Saturday night after all the fun…
Sweet on the surface.
Until I asked her what she missed about home. And she clarified that she meant she missed…
Georgia.
Yes, this is my real life.
How was your weekend?
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Monday, February 8, 2010, by Sherra
Some people plan their blog posts.
Some people are organized.
Some people take pictures of the food before people start eating it.
Who are those “some people”?
Then I remind myself {again} that this is not a food blog. I’m slow like that.
We did change up our Annual Humpfreeze Superbowl Party tradition since the darling twins are in Arizona and The Grunter had to work.
Scary Baby carried on the sign making tradition.
She wanted her sisters to see that she managed without them.
We carried on the Knox Blox tradition.
She helped with the important toothpick pennants.
It was very nice for our Indiana friends to invite us over to cheer on the Indianapolis Colts for Superbowl last night.
Otherwise it would have been a tiny party of three at our house.
A few appetizers and some blue popcorn and pretzels drizzled in blue were transported over along with our Knox Blox.
Side note: The desserts were not half eaten when we arrived.
There was a ridiculous amount of delicious food which is mandatory for Superbowl parties, isn’t it?
And if the Colts had to lose, it was to a very well-deserving team. The New Orleans Saints really shined and that city is so worthy of the victory!
Good food, good friends, good game…it was a good weekend.
How was yours?
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010, by Sherra
Play-Doh™ wasn’t on her Christmas list.
Fondant was.
Or as she says “Fon-daunt”
A few too many episodes of Cake Boss has got Scary Baby wanting to bake and more importantly, wanting to decorate baked goods.
Finally, this weekend I told her we could make cupcakes so she could use her Fondaunt.
Even though I knew it wouldn’t taste good. And she insisted it would.
We whipped up a batch of lemon cupcakes. High marks for adding lemon jello to your lemon cake mix to make it more lemon-y. I’m sure lemon-y is a word. Warm cupcakes got an A+
Next we discover we don’t have enough powdered sugar to make buttercream frosting. Yeah, that’s me – the mom who doesn’t embrace projects for this very reason. We’re always missing some key ingredient or craft item and the project takes double the time which does not equal double the fun.
After a run to the store, I will admit that I made the best buttercream frosting ever. Recipe was on Pioneer Woman {where else?} and is actually what Bakerella uses with some of her beautiful creations. I did add a little less than a teaspoon of lemon flavoring to the teaspoon of vanilla flavoring which made it light and lemon-y and extra delicious. Scary Baby and PhilBillPaul agreed.
Sorry, no pictures of the frosting.
She then took over and embraced the final details of her fondant project.
Not too bad for her first try.
But I did catch her hiding the fondant in her napkin to throw away.
Ahem…doesn’t taste so good…does it?
I recommend sticking with Play-Doh. Why ruin good food?
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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?
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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…
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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!!
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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?
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Monday, December 21, 2009, by Sherra
It was in full swing last week. Our annual baking frenzy where we make teacher gifts and various other goodies so we can contribute in our small way to the annual sugar consumption in America.
First we needed to edit Scary Baby’s list of gift giving. 27 teachers, administrators and school staff was a bit excessive since we never gave that many when the 3 big kids were in school. The kid has a heart for giving which is lovely. But hello…not happening.
This year I started with 4 batches of Cajun Chex Mix.
Followed by holiday bark inspired by Leigh Anne who featured this lemon bark. I know it is a popular holiday treat but I’ve never made it. We have so many other favorites that I never get around to this easy goodie. I made also made a two-layer peppermint which was so good!
PhilBillPaul is in charge of pretzels, fudge and sugared pee-cans.
Scary Baby helped design cute little bag toppers for 25 pretzel bags for the holiday party. That’s 25 bags before we even started on the teacher gifts.
They really didn’t say from “Scary B” on the tags.
The next day “we” got busy with the teacher and staff gifts. We got it down to a more reasonable 13 bags as opposed to her original list of 27.
Her teacher and 2 principals + school nurse got the “big” bags. Everyone else got chex mix and fudge. Remind me to tell you why the school nurse totally qualified for the mother lode…on another day.
More cute little tags with Scary Baby’s input on colors and fonts.
Mini loaves of poppy seed bread are always a big hit. It was all about easy stuff this year.
Then I broke out the sewing machine and whipped up these cute felt gift bags. Okay, that is a BIG lie. I don’t even own a sewing machine.
Scary Baby was so excited when she saw the Tar-jay wiener dog gift bag she earmarked especially for her teacher. I was excited it was one dollar.
I used to be more organized and start earlier and freeze in batches. Apparently I’m getting old and forgetful. Is Christmas on the 25th this year?
For the first time in 15 years, I did not make cookies for the teacher gift bags.
I was actually fine with that. She is at a new school and I didn’t really have any reputation to adhere to from past gift giving. It was kind of a relief. And that mini loaf of poppy seed bread takes up a good amount of room. 
But we cannot have Christmas at our house without cookies.
So Saturday night I got busy and started mixing up cookie dough.
I had asked each family member what was their one favorite cookie they needed me to make.
Scary Baby – Lemon Drops
Wizzy – Chocolate Mint Cookies
Roger Leroy – Fudgie Bon Bons
The Grunter – Illinois Soft Sugar Cookies
PhilBillPaul – Berry Shortbread Dreams
I always try to add at least one new recipe each year so I finally got around to making these Chocolate Turtle Cookies that I had intentions of making last year. Roger Leroy gave them a nine and says they are keepers.
This is what I did all day Sunday. The oven was on for about 8 hours.
Just so you know, we don’t eat all the cookies ourselves. We make several platters to take to friends.
Side note: Scary Baby picked the green icing color. Also suitable for shamrock cookies at St. Patrick’s Day.
And we mail a few boxes to family and friends.
Anyone else going to the post office today? I’m scared to see how long the line is.
What are your most favorite holiday treats you must have at this time of year? Share the recipe too!
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Categories: Food, Teens, Tweens
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009, by Sherra
Special note: Our iLashGirls site was hacked yesterday so we had to rebuild a few things from a backup so this post disappeared for a while. If you left a comment and you don’t see it now, please leave another one! Hacking websites…add that to the list of stupid hobbies of people with too much free time.
This is how pizza ordering at the Humpfreeze house goes when all SIX Humpfreeze family members are home.
Side note: Small miracle in itself. All of us being together in the house on a SATURDAY NIGHT. Not just passing each other as someone walks out the door. Or passing each other in the driveway.
Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
I’d like to tell you that this picture is of the hot, delicious pizza we get here in the South but that would be a lie. Pizza like that is rarely found here but this picture made me think of how much I miss the perfection of Illinois pizza…Chicago style or otherwise. My family lives near the Wisconsin border and it is that awesome Wisconsin cheese that I long for and have every time I go back to visit!
Now let’s get back to ordering pizza for dinner at our house…
I conducted this serious, formal interview with each family member to show you why I am crazy.
Dream Pizza
The Grunter
Crust: Thin
Toppings: Pepperoni
Sauce: Yes
Roger Leroy
Crust: Stuffed crust
Toppings: Extra cheese, 1/2 pepperoni
Sauce: Light
Wizzy
Crust: Regular
Toppings: 3 cheese preferably mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta
Sauce: Alfredo
Scary Baby
Crust: Stuffed crust or nothing
Toppings: Cheese and more cheese
Sauce: Barely
PhilBillPaul
Crust: Thin
Toppings: Pepperoni and sausage
Sauce: Extra
Sherra
Crust: Thin
Toppings: Light sausage, mushrooms and extra cheese
Sauce: Light
Saturday night pizza = Quality family time.
We can’t even agree on THE CRUST.
Would someone create a chart so I can order a freakin’ pizza please?
What’s your favorite dream pizza? I mean the non-compromising kind where you don’t have to share or accommodate other people’s tastes?
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Wednesday, December 9, 2009, by Sherra
Before Scary Baby even started decking the halls and trimming the tree she was very busy with a special holiday assignment.
She was getting two of Santa’s new reindeer ready…
I think this one might get fired…
But I’m sure there’s still time for Santa to find a replacement.
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Tweens
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