We Survived Ice Week 2011!

We made it!

The ice and snow fun is almost all gone.

We ventured out of the house on Friday after FIVE school snow days in a row. For those who are math-challenged like me, that was the whole week.

Scary Baby loved it!

PhilBillPaul got really sick in the middle of the week.

The Grunter lived through one full week with no fast food.

We had to cook dinner every night.

We like our pizza crust really thin so the crust from a can might look odd.

I took this opportunity to teach The Grunter how to assemble his own pizza. Big step for him.

Look at that enthusiasm. Yes, we live with that every day.

Who cares what it’s shaped like? (His looked like a turtle.) Add my homemade sauce, sausage, and lots of cheese and we don’t care what shape it is.

Scary Baby and Cloret liked theirs just fine.

Look Who Came Home

On Friday evening the college kids traveled down the mountain and came home. After they went bowling (note: activity #1).

To visit their dogs.

Thank you RL for permission to post this pretty picture.

They only brought five extra people with them for their first night home.

I was too late for photos in The Lounge that night as the guests had put on their pajamas.

I went downstairs and assembled a breakfast casserole, cheesy potatoes and double chocolate muffins for the crowd for the morning.

Saturday Morning

After the smoke cleared in the house, everyone enjoyed a hot breakfast.

I’m not a morning person so PhilBillPaul had so nicely put the casserole and potatoes in the oven. The casserole overflowed in the oven while he slept through the beeping timer and the smell continues to waft through the house as I type this.

Wizzy came home specifically for Scary Baby’s church basketball game.

Before the game we were down to six college girls because one went to work.

Wizzy is the coach of the team and this was their first game.

Sadly, Scary Baby has not experienced as many basketball victories as her darling twin sisters.

Jordan led the team prayer. Ashleigh helped her coach the team. Jenna kept the book. Rachel, Joanna and Jordan provided a very loud cheering section.

15-14 was the final score with a GIANT victory.

She whispered to her former coach of 12 years a.k.a. PhilBillPaul,

“That’s how it’s done.”

While Wizzy went to her doctor’s appointment with Jordan, the remaining four kindly took Scary Baby to lunch. Jenna headed to her own house so then there were five.

After a short nap and a small scene when the six of them walked out to Roger Leroy’s car…the Humpfreeze girls had to come back in and review:

Why we don’t put six people in a five passenger car
(it’s not just my rule – hello – IT’S ILLEGAL)

They were off to the roller rink for a few hours of skating (activity #2).

Wizzy stayed behind and another friend picked her up and she headed back to school with friends – she’d had enough of us.

They spent Saturday night at Jenna’s house (activity #3) while PhilBillPaul sipped on his codeine cough syrup and watched the Falcons get whipped.

We were down to three extras on Sunday and following an afternoon movie (activity #4) they came back to the house for a gourmet meal.

Cheeseburgers and kettle chips. Fan-cee as always!

Gave me the chance to put some patties in the freezer in case we have another blizzard.

I can’t stop the baking.

I mixed up these Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies while they were at the movie.

I substituted caramel baking bits for the toffee bits I didn’t have. Recipe with toffee bits here.

A collective thumbs up from the group and the fact they are all gone means the recipe is a keeper!

Side note: Leigh Anne–try not to laugh at our first Dollar Store cake plate creation. The plate is a bit warped but that’s part of its charm, right?

Blog Shout Out to the Guests

We had cleaned The Lounge before they all arrived. The darling twins had left it in less than stellar condition at Christmas break. Major bonus points for restoring The Lounge to its original condition. The darling twins are piglets as we have previously revealed here and here so thank you Jordan, Joanna and Ashleigh.

Wizzy and Lisa did the same in the basement guestroom.

Is this a tiny light at the end of the tunnel? Please say it is.

Temperatures in the high 40’s this week so we’re looking forward to a *normal* week!

How was your weekend?