Tubing in the Winter

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?

Holiday Highlights

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…

Southern Babies

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!!

The Christmas List

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?

Baking Frenzy

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!

May I Take Your Order Please?

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.

Photo courtesy of callme_crochet

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?

Wiener Dog Wednesday

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.

Holiday Decorating Fun

Oh I wish I could be more like my friend Leigh Anne.

Okay, not really but I do truly admire the special people who transform their house into a magical holiday home with festive decorations by the box full. (But seriously, 25 boxes?)

This weekend was a little different for us than past years. First, we usually decorate our house on Thanksgiving weekend but since PhilBillPaul and Scary Baby were in Texas, we waited.

Second, we were minus 3 kids so the 10 year-old darling daughter had the honor of unboxing all our decorations that PhilBillPaul brought down from the attic after they brought home a Christmas tree she picked out.

I really wish I had taken pictures of the 3 red and green plastic bins filled with all our holiday treasures. Because I can’t do justice to what we found inside with mere words.

The surprises we found are a direct result of the fact that we have put the *big* kids in charge of decorating for the past several years.

I will be the first to point a finger at Roger Leroy because she has always been the most eager to get everything out and decorate the tree, the house, lights on the porch and in her room, etc.

She keeps it well-hidden but she’s a super festive kid.

But we all know that decorating is WAY more fun than UN-decorating.

She had put things away in a most unorganized fashion. Like items were not together. Tangled lights and broken ornaments. There were some tears as Scary Baby unwrapped special ornaments stuck to melted candles.

Side note to my mother: “Yes Mom, you are absolutely right. It would be way, way easier to do it myself…but then I would miss all the glory of a teachable moment…and have nothing to blog about.”

And I really let them do it because I am always looking for opportunities to relinquish some of my control-freak tendencies and be more “fun.”

Picture a warm, fuzzy Hallmark or Taster’s Choice holiday commercial.

Minus the warm, fuzzy part.

Yeah, that’s our house.

Anyway, we cleaned out the boxes, salvaged the ornaments and threw away the melted candles.

I turned on my iPod holiday music playlist.

And then we let Scary Baby trim the tree all by herself.

She did an excellent job and I’m sure the big kids will enjoy the fruits of her labor and lavish praise upon her.

In the midst of all our fun, I did make little treat bags for the college kids who stopped by and are back at school taking their last final exams this week. I made Leigh Anne’s Reindeer Cookie Bark. (As always, cute pictures and detailed instructions are on her blog.)

Since Christmas is no time to cut out sugar, PhilBillPaul even whipped up two batches of Buttermilk Fudge for us to test. The recipe is a keeper with or without pecans. YUM!

Is your house all decorated for the holidays? How many boxes of decorations do you have? Not being nosey, just interested…

Tweens and Clean Rooms

Continuing my series on Clean Rooms and the lack thereof in my house…

First, I want to clear up some confusion from Monday’s post about the teenagers and clean rooms. Those pictures and conversation were from several weeks ago and we did have a very nice Thanksgiving.

Mostly because I did not take pictures of their room during their Thanksgiving break.

Second, I know it is Thursday as I have now come out of my heavily medicated state from back-to-back migraines. I had to go easy on the first round of drugs because I had to drive to the airport to pick up PhilBillPaul and Scary Baby on Monday afternoon. So Tuesday is but a blur and therefore no Wednesday post.

That explanation is really just for my mom and Granny as they sometimes stress when I don’t stick to my blog “schedule.”

Now back to…

Clean Rooms

After we surprised Scary Baby with her Thanksgiving trip to Texas with Daddy, we struck a deal that when she got back, she would be cleaning out her dresser drawers and closet that were atrocious.

I have never seen clothes multiply more rapidly for one child than this one. She goes to sleep and in the morning her drawers won’t open because they are stuffed so tight. Her closet has its own issues. Seems clothes jump off the hangers and pile themselves on the floor.

In a tribute to her 10 year-old independence and my vast experience with the first three darling children, I let her tackle this on her own.

Why?

Because they have all repeatedly told me with love in their voice, “PLEASE STAY OUT MOM. I CAN HANDLE IT AND DON’T NEED YOUR HELP.”

So this time, I listened and said I would leave her alone.

For anyone wondering, I did give her clear and simple instructions.

• Clean out one drawer at a time so it’s not so overwhelming.
• Create a Give Away pile with clothes that do not fit and are not stained or torn.
• Create a Throw Away pile for clothes that are too gross for you or anyone else to wear.

I was a little annoyed when she said, “Come in and look BUT don’t worry, I’m NOT done – it’s just really funny and I want you to see it before I start.”

And yes, it was quite high until she JUMPED into the pile.

Lord help me but I didn’t see anything funny. And I crawled back into my room thankful for remnants of medication still floating in my system.

But then I summoned her back to my room and said “Here’s my camera. Take before and after pictures so you can document your progress.”

She was all excited to take pictures and asked how many she should take. Love digital…take as many as you want!

Then I fell into a deep sleep for about two hours until she was pecking on me saying, “I’m done. Want to see the pictures?”

The darling kid actually took aerial shots of inside her drawers.

FYI: She took 19 pictures. I edited that down to 5 just for y’all.

Lesson learned: Never doubt your child’s ability. They can do just about anything they put their mind to!

I’m pretty sure Scary Baby is for hire and will come and clean out your child’s room for cash. She’s always looking for ways to earn a little money.

P.S. I still have to review the Give Away bags – I have often found perfectly good clothes in them because, by the end, the darlings have a tendency to stuff anything in the bags because it is easier than folding or hanging.

Immigration Day & DWTS Finale

On Tuesday, Scary Baby impersonated a 62 year-old woman from Italy.

I’m told she was suppose to look grouchy.

She loved getting to wear high heels and stockings. I guess one girly-girl out of three isn’t bad.

How nice it felt for me to have “OLD LADY” clothes and jewelry to help her get into character. Cool and hip – that’s me.

Thank goodness she had extra white hair paint from Halloween.

And how lucky was it that I ordered an extra Magic Bun this summer so I could expertly make at least 10 attempts to put her hair in a bun? The thing is complicated, I’m telling you.

I love my suggestion to put the American flag in her purse. Flag compliments of Krispy Kreme from Veteran’s Day. How American is that?

She couldn’t wait to get on the bus in her new outfit. Yeah, there is a sidewalk under those leaves. The neighbors love us as I’m sure you can imagine.

On top of the festivities of Immigration Day at school, she informed me she needed to take a Thanksgiving treat in for her class.

Good thing I was already baking when she told me. There was actually enough to make two dozen mini muffins – can you guess what flavor?

Ha – NOT maple!

I switched it up and made these scrumptious Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese. Yum!

The muffins and the day were a great success. She passed her immigration test and is allowed to stay here in the United States. I hear her husband did not pass. Ouch.

Dancing With The Stars Finale

On Monday night, I did vote as did PhilBillPaul {wink} so Donny and Kym got 10 votes from us. Even The Grunter registered online and voted. He defiantly threw 2 votes Mya’s way just to get me to squeal.

But giving her two of his five votes didn’t work.

CONGRATS DONNY!!

Donny and Kym win! / Dancing with the Stars / ABC

I so loved seeing an *older* man hang with the young folk and WIN!!!!
(He’s the oldest to win in nine seasons!)

Woo-hoo.

Such a great, feel good show in a sea of TV that is barely fit to watch.

What on earth will I do now on Monday and Tuesday night?

Happy Thanksgiving

It will be a little smaller gathering than usual at our house as PhilBillPaul is flying to Texas to spend some time with his family. Shhhh…it’s a surprise but he’s taking Scary Baby with him. She was so excited about Immigration Day she would have just worn us out if we told her early.

The three big kids and I will be having a small, quiet Thanksgiving here at home.

However you are spending your Thanksgiving, I hope you have a wonderful day with your loved ones!

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