This is our, what…12th year of homeschooling? And we have a school name, and a school room, but we’ve never had a mascot…until now. Meet Hugsy, our school-time penguin pal:
Yes, this is Hugsy of Friends fame. You know…Joey’s bedtime penguin pal. I have wished I could get a Hugsy replica for years. And when I saw that the Friends25 pop-up shop had him in stock, I was ecstatic. But I didn’t think I’d buy him, because he was kind of spendy. But Ryan told me that I’d regret it if I didn’t buy him, and the children said we needed him, so after looking at how much money I had, I figured I could make it work, but only if he had a position of prominence in our family. Albert (and family) is already our pet, so schoolroom mascot seemed like the perfect occupation for Hugsy. And so, there he sits in my (new) chair when I’m not in it…our school-time penguin pal!
“No one could ever know me No one could ever see me Seems you’re the only one who knows what it’s like to be me Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with Someone I’ll always laugh with Even at my worst, I’m best with you, yeah!”
Happy Friends Day! Could I be any more excited?!?
It’s hard to believe that one of America’s most-recognized sitcoms (and one of my all-time favorite TV shows) is celebrating its 25th anniversary today…I’d certainly rather not dwell on just how long I’ve been watching! But, as always, I love an excuse for a celebration, and since we finally allowed our children to watch through the entire run of the show starting around Thanksgiving last year, I knew it was a holiday we could all enjoy.
I always try to acknowledge a special occasion with an outfit. While Pinup Girl Clothing did have a lobster-print skirt a while back that would have been absolutely perfect, I never did have the chance to add it to my wardrobe. I did wear a brooch that can kind of pass as Hugsy, Joey’s bedtime penguin pal, though!
The highlight of the day was a Friends marathon. We chose one episode (or a two-parter) from each season:
Season One–“The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate”
Season Two–“The One with the Prom Video”
Season Three–“The One with the Hypnosis Tape”
Season Four–“The One with Ross’ Wedding” (parts one and two)
Season Five–“The One in Vegas” (parts one and two)
Season Six–“The One that Could have Been” (parts one and two)
Season Seven–“The One with Monica and Chandler’s Wedding” (parts one and two)
Season Eight–“The One Where Chandler Takes a Bath”
Season Nine–“The One in Barbados” (parts one and two)
Season Ten–“The One with Phoebe’s Wedding”
Food is always an integral part of a Markel Family holiday. Of course we needed salty snacks, so I chose a staple from Chandler’s traditional Thanksgiving feast…a family-size bag of Funyuns. And for a fun beverage, we remembered the time Joey was bursting with Yoo-Hoo:
Dinner was easy…we ordered the Joey special: Two pizzas (from Pizza Hut, because we’re definitely not too good for The Hut)!
And I made Rachel’s Thanksgiving trifle, but hopefully mine didn’t taste like feet (the beef sautéed with peas and onions was actually Oreo crumbs mixed with coconut and green chocolate-coated candies)!
“It’s a trifle. It’s got all of these layers. First there’s a layer of ladyfingers, then a layer of jam, then custard, which I made from scratch, then raspberries, more ladyfingers, then beef sautéed with peas and onions, then a little more custard, and then bananas, and then I just put some whipped cream on top!”
The best special occasions involve Lego building, and Lego did not let us down, because they released a special Central Perk Ideas set earlier this month!
This quote from “The One Where They All Turn 30” episode of Friends keeps running through my mind ahead of my birthday tomorrow!
“Happy birthday, Grandma. It’s better to be over the hill than buried under it.” Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green (reading a birthday card from Monica and Chandler) on Friends
I’m actually not too picky about TV…I’ll watch lots of different things. But, for the interest of this “Top Five” list, I’m going with the shows that I can watch over and over, and never get tired of. Shows that make me feel like I’m with friends when I watch them. Shows that I turn to when I’m sick or sad, because I know they’ll bring a smile to my face.
Friends–I couldn’t even guess how many times I’ve watched through the whole run of this show, and yet, I never get tired of it. As ridiculous as it sounds, they actually feel like my friends! I have sentimental attachments to certain episodes, too, like “The One with Monica and Chandler’s Wedding,” which aired the night before my wedding, and every Thanksgiving episode, which have become part of Ryan’s and my yearly Thanksgiving traditions. This show has also become part of Ryan’s and my speech…it’s without a doubt the most-quoted show in our house. I don’t think we can make through a day (sometimes through an hour) without one of making a Friends reference!
Downton Abbey–I started watching because, as an Anglophile, I had to give it a chance. I kept watching it because I had to know what was going to happen to the characters, because it has such a beautiful setting, and because the costuming is so elaborate and beautifully well done! Oh, and to see what fantastic one-liner is going to come out of Maggie Smith’s mouth next! I’m just sad that this is the last series…
Scrubs–I’ve always liked hospital shows, but this one is lighter than most…but not always, which makes it seem even more real. The episodes that have made me cry have made me appreciate the many episodes that make me laugh even more.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine–While The Next Generation was my first exposure to Star Trek, it’s Deep Space Nine that I want to watch over and over again. The casting for the show was perfect, and I love watching the characters interact. Plus, Jeffrey Combs appears in so many roles, and I love to hate him in them all!
I Love Lucy–Sure, I have my favorite episodes, but the great thing about this classic is that there are no bad episodes. No matter which disc I pop in, I’m guaranteed to laugh, and it’s also totally child-appropriate, which makes it a show we frequently watch as a family!
“That’s right! ‘Cause I’m a Tribbiani! And this is what we do! I mean, we may not be great thinkers or world leaders. We don’t read a lot or run very fast. But damn it, we can eat!” Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani on Friends (“The One with the Rumor”)
“You can’t have Thanksgiving without turkey. That’s like Fourth of July without apple pie, or Friday with no two pizzas.” Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani on Friends (“The One With the Rumor”)
I offended Turkey today, quoting this dialogue from Friends, (no, he didn’t think I was talking about him–he just really likes turkeys!), but I still think it’s hilarious…and true!
Phoebe: Turkeys are beautiful, intelligent animals. Joey: No, they’re not. They’re ugly and stupid and delicious.
