Wordless Wednesdays....Okay one Syrup!

A Green Wolf as a Pet...

Nick informed me this morning that he wants a Green Wolf.  Yes a Green Wolf as a pet.  I asked how.  He replied, "Spray Paint."

And this is how creativity has made the world go round.

Today is valentines day.  The day of Love.  I love love.  Who doesn't?

Quick story on Valentines Day.  I Love my Husband, but when we first got together he didn't quite get the whole Valentines Day thing and I didn't quite get the whole just accept the gift without being mean thing.  For our very first Valentines together I was expecting I don't know something big.  But what I wasn't expecting to get was a 2 to 3 foot card that he bought at Casey's gas station that said "I wanted to show you how big my love was. love Mikey."  He gave it to me in front of my mom and I said, "what the hell is that?"  I kind of felt bad for my remark, but I never did apologize.  For our second Valentines together he bought me the same thing, and I got mad again, but I was prepared this time around.  I bought him a 20lb. Hersey chocolate bar that read "I wanted to show you how big my love was. Love Lisa."  We didn't exchange anything big after that again!


Last Friday my two older kids had their Valentines Party and thus we had to make valentines cards.  We didn't have too, me and my BIG idea's had to.  It was fun though getting the idea's with the kids and doing them together.  Anna wanted to do a butterfly.

They were so cool to do!  All I had to do was get the card stock and print the already made template, cut it out and stick the sucker through.

Mason on the other hand is a kill, I tell you!

It says, "I've been shot by Cupid!  Happy Valentines Day, Mason F."

It took a doing to get this picture, but I think it turned out great!

So we decided to do 24 of them.

We also had do the take home treat for Mason(again we didn't have too, but me and my biggggg idea's) , and we decided to make them fry boxes filled with chocolates.  This one was kind of a pain in the b-u-t-t.   You had to by fries...and eat them.  It was horrible!  Then you very carefully took it apart, grabbed some card stock then trace the fry box onto the card stock, cut out (I had to use little kid scissors that sadly fit my fingers cause someone took my big scissors.  Please feel bad for me and feel my pain.  Insert tear here. *)  Then you put it back together. fill with chocolate...and painstakingly eat some chocolate yourself.  Here's what they look like when finished:

Mikey Decorated them...cause he's awesome!

Next we make Nicks today!  Hopefully they turn out great!  He has a super hero complex and get this, it has to be green!

Happy Valentines Day!

What Am I going to Do?

There's no school.  A snow day.  Shoot.  Panic. Panic. Panic. And Breath.  It's Monday and after this certain weekend I was looking forward to Monday.  This is the day where I get 2 whole hours in the afternoon to myself, peace, you know what I'm talking about?  Now it's gone! Vanished!  Now this patience I've been praying for is going to be put to the test.  Why can't I just get the patience without the test.  Oh well.

I am the kind of mother who likes to turn on the T.V. and say "look at that, It's Elmo...he's so funny." And walk away to try to get things done.  Don't judge people, it doesn't always work...may I remind you of a certain boy in the sink?

In the process I've created 4 little monsters.  Mason however will be a selling machine when he gets older with all the infomercials he watches.  "Mom you really need to get that steam vac...it will clean your floors in like seconds.  Come on Mom, it's the best!"

But lately I've just gotten sick of it.  SICK OF IT, I TELL YOU!  Matt threw a major fit the other day when I turned the t.v. off so he could go play and he ran to the t.v. screaming his head off when I went to the kitchen and turned it back on.  He sat there for another 1/2 hour and watched t.v.  This is no longer good.

Sometime durning my endless hours of looking on the internet trying to find a better way to handle this monster I've created, I found a website that I love.  http://madsmemories.blogspot.com She had so many idea's on there.  Then she had a link to another one of her websites called http://organicfamilies.blogspot.com/  And I fell in love!  On there she had the example of The Berenstein  Bears and Too Much T.V. and thats where we are at.  There is NO T.V. in our house for a week.  It's been a killer.  The first couple of days were the toughest on ME!  I usually say just put a movie on and leave me alone so I can just fold these clothes.  But no more.

Our family goal is to have a family unit.  To build each other up and be there for each other.  These are things that we have not been doing.  At the dinner table (another sore spot here)  This wonderful insightful woman also had the idea of using a pig, and passed it to whoever had bad manners.  Whoever ended up with the pig at the end of the meal had to clear the table by themselves.  I never knew I had a suck up for a daughter. "Yes Mommy, Please Mommy."  Oh my.  And Mason didn't like that he ended up with it.

We are going through so many changes with our family and I see that I need to stop babying them and they need to step it up, A LOT!  But I need to realize these changes don't happen over night, like I want them to.  I created these monsters after 8 years of hard work.  Now we together have to break the bad habits and create new good long lasting ones!

Check out these blogs, they are amazing!!!

Happy Monday!

Suckers, Black Eyes, and Yoda...Oh My!

I'm diving out of my homework to write this real quick because...ummm....well, because I don't want to do homework and read anymore.  I was going to skip a day, but after last night, I couldn't resit letting you in on our exciting time.  Mr. Mom over here got to experience the joys of bringing just 3 of our kids on a outing to get just haircuts.  Because of the timing and everything it worked out pretty good.  Mason, Matt, and Mike needed haircuts.  Nick wanted Man Gel. Yes, Man Gel!  So he could do his hair with his Man Comb.  Rainbow Club was from 6:30 to 7:30p.m and Mike set the appointments at the time of 7:30 p.m.!  A little after seven he was off to pick up the kids.  The plan: to pick up the 2 oldest kids from Rainbow Club with Matt, get Matt's haircut, bring Matt and Anna home, put Matt, Anna, Nick to bed quick, Mason gets his haircut while Mike is doing this, Mike goes back, Mike gets haircut, come home, and then Mason goes to bed.  Right then I knew where Mason gets his dreamer quality from.

Mike gets back home and I knew right away "the plan" didn't go as planned.  Anna's sitting in the back room crying, Matt's crying with 2 huge bumps around his eyes and Mikes ready to blow.  Anna got into trouble cause she was twirling in the chairs and Mike told her to quite 90,000 times she wouldn't, while this was happening Matt wouldn't sit still and cried the whole time while sitting on Mikes lap.  The only time he stopped was from shock when he smacked his face on the table thingy that covers the sink, and then he cried even more.  When it was time to leave, Anna wanted a sucker and Mike said no. (we've been told we are by Anna that we're not supposed to be mean and to just giver her the suckers recently.)  She gave Mike a look of that matched Mike and took a sucker.  Mike took it back and this is where we enter at when they get home.

I got the joy of damage control and putting the 3 kids to bed by myself.  Although putting Matt in a bedroom closing the door while yelling his prayers over his screams then shutting the door and then telling Anna to just go lay by Nick knowing full and well they would not be sleeping, constitutes as putting them to bed by myself, then so be it.  I was merely waiting for Mike to get home so he could finish the job.  I did talk Anna off the ledge though.  It was tough, the girl is a drama queen I tell you!  Seriously..future Mr. Anna Frangenberg, I fear for you!

By the time Mike got back home the second time around with Mason he'd settled down enough that things just didn't matter anymore and you just had to laugh at the things that happened next.


At about 9:00 p.m.



When the kids still weren't asleep.



And I was cutting out butterflies for Anna's Valentines Cards....




20 of them.......



This is what happens when you don't make sure they are sound asleep....





and you don't properly package their old clothes.......

Here enters Nick.

He wanted to be Yoda...something he hadn't been since he was 3 years old.  It was a tad small.  Right about then I decided to have a small glass of wine.

"ROCKY ROAD??  EH EH?"   (The Goonies) 

Wordless Wednesday...(with a captions)

(Mason's 1st grade picture first time around)

(one reads I love Hot Women and Cold Beer, and the other is a Lutheran Church Sunday School Pin)

Shot of Tequila..Please!

After this weekend, I've learned a few things.

1.) We told our son Mason that to get dressed Saturday morning cause we were going to the game and He replied, "You mean were going to the Superbowl!"  I realized at that moment I raised a dreamer!

2.) I knew exactly what Bill Cosby was talking about in his one man comedy show back in the 70's when he was talking about a girl and his son named Jeffery.  Everyone at the South O'Brien Basketball Tournament's know my kids names very well.  They found them out when they were getting yelled at for running on the court during a game, for making a scene in the cafeteria because she (guess who) wanted a sucker.  Someone had the nerve to come up to her and ask her if she was lost when I was standing a few feet from her.  She didn't think I was old enough to be her mom.  I have to stretch marks to prove it lady!  Although thanks for thinking I look young.  It does make me feel better!  2 of my kids thought it would be fun to shake up their pops and open them.  My oldest did it in the gym.  Not cool.  But the joke was on him, it looked like he peed his pants.  And my little girl did it in the cafeteria.  This was all within a couple of hours.  I nearly cried. If it wasn't for my wonderful nieces I think I would have!

3.) I did get carded at Buffalo Wild Wings this weekend!  It was an amazing.  Almost 30 and I still got it!

4.) The Superbowl in my opinion was boring.  I'm sorry to all the people who loved it.  But I was doing my homework during it.  And felt no love.  All though, I'm happy of the turn out and the last 5 minutes were great!  I made a great feast for it.  Buffalo Chicken Chalupa, Party Sub, Ceaser Salad, Better than Robert Redford Dessert!!!  And I almost died doing it.  It was great!

5.) Nick fell down the stairs on Sunday night and I tried not to laugh until I saw his back and felt bad.

6.) I fell down the stairs Monday afternoon as payback.  Nick was behind me and I'm wondering if he pushed me...no he wouldn't do that...would he?  I sounded just like my mom when I yelled, "OHHH! ohh, oh, ohh, oh, ohhh."  Now being almost 30 I realize I don't got it anymore.

7.)  I still can't move..Someone get me a shot of Tequila so I don't feel the pain!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!!

I've been French Fried...

My little Wee Man woke up this morning not looking or feeling the best.  He kind of looked like this:

At first, I thought he was getting pink eye, cause that's been making it's round in our house, but no it's not.  It's just a good old fashion cold and he is teething (molars).  Wow I feel like I dodged a bullet!  But I had to laugh, I gave him some pain relief and he wanted to use it as a spoon for his cereal.  Oh to be creative like that!

On a completely different note, I made french fries last night.  Homemade french fries that I found on....well lets just say you know where I found them!  This lovely lady gave some wonderful directions but I did them a little bit different...not much but a little. 

When making food for your family, you want to have fun with it and make it from your heart.  Your family will tell if you liked what you made or if you didn't like what you made.  You don't want to want them to turn on you and get this:

MAD FACES

(Matt didn't want to play so he sat in the background...and Nick was mad the wrong way...Actors, huh!)

Or this:

SAD FACES:

Then they won't want to eat and then they will depressed and then they will starve and then the school will notice and then....well we don't want to see any of this do we...

So, these French Fries that I found magically are called Oven Baked Parmesan Seasoned Fries.  And I found they are on this website, http://playwithsugar.blogspot.com.   And they are to die for!


Oven Baked Parmesan Seasoned Fries my way:

Seasoning:
Olive Oil drizzled on top bout 1 to 2 T.(meaning eye ball...but be careful to add to much it will get greasy)
 4 T. Parmesan Cheese (Grated kind)
3/4 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning (never heard of it until now and love it!)
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme (always in my cupboard)
1/2 tsp. Marjoram (only cause I ran out of Oregano...but other than that I would have used Oregano...but this tasted soooo good!  Could also use Italian Seasoning just make sure it's a 1/2 tsp.)
1/8 tsp. Ground Red Pepper (Cayenne)


Preheat oven 425 degrees.

 1.) Take 5 washed medium russet potatoes and peal the potatoes.  I like to have a grocery sack right besides me when I do this so I can just throw it away. 

2.) Take your potatoes after you peel them and cut them.  I like mine thin but you can do them however thick you want them to be.

3.)  Then slice them again to make them look like fries.  Again I like them thin.  You make them as thin as you want.

4.) Here is where I did something different than her.  I like to soak my potatoes.  I don't know why I do this, I think because somewhere along the lines of my life I heard on Food Network that you should soak your fries, so I am.  Another reason is because of the next picture.

Look how dirty this water is.  The longer you soak them the better.  I wished I soaked them longer.  You can certainly skip the step of soaking.  It is not necessary, just something I do. 

5.)  After you take them out of the water bath place them a large towel and dry them.  Make sure you dry them completely.  Again, wish I would have dried them more last night.  But they were still very good!

6.)  For this step I forgot to take a picture of, but while the fries are drying you can mix up the seasoning.  Again this is part is a little different from her blog because, I don't know, it's how I was feeling last night.

7.) Her idea is to toss them in a big Ziploc bag and put on a greased pan.  I would have done this too if I had a big Ziploc bag.  I would have done it if I had a sandwich size Ziploc bag.  But I didn't.  I just drizzled olive oil on the fries, then sprinkled the seasoning on top and tossed with my hands.  I did use tin foil because my cookie sheets don't look the best and because I don't have parchment paper (recommended) Grease it down either way before you add your fries to the cookie sheet.

Place them in the oven at 425* for about 30 minutes.  Toss them around half way through.  And then after the 30 minutes are up turn off your oven and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. 

When they are done they will look like this!  I do like it more crispy this is where I think if I would have soaked it longer and dried them longer would have helped.  Any who, they were to die for and the kids greeted me with this:

Happy Faces!

 Sign of Success!

And the pan greeted me with this:

I hope I got everything...let me know if you got any questions!

Happy Baking!!!

Lisa

  

Dishes...Check...Kids Alive...Check!

I will start with just a few things:

1.  It is hard to discipline your oldest when you turn around and your youngest child has his arms crossed and is mimicking you.

2.  It is hard to keep a straight face when in the morning, you wake your daughter and asks to sleep in and says she doesn't like school but doesn't like winter or snow days or hot days or her feet, or short hair, or long hair, or a paper cut, or a booger flake, or thinks a lady bug is her pet.

and 3. I laughed so hard that I had tears in my eyes at my husband when he stubbed his toe on our foot board and acted like he got shot in the back almost 7 years ago.  I still laugh hard about it.  I'm laughing now about it.

I don't know if I have mentioned lately, but I have spent sometime on pinterest.  Okay fine, Mike is thinking about sending me to PA (Pinterest Anonymous), it's gotten that bad.  But really there have been some really great finds on there.  Like my Laundry sign I wrote about this last Tuesday. And now my latest a check list that I got from a website that I can't remember but she first got from this wonder of a woman. She goes by, http://simplemom.net/tools/downloads/ .  And like the second mom who saw these wonders, I redid them to fit my way of life.  I got onto Microsoft Word and fooled around and made these babies:

Sorry for the pictures...I'm new at this and can't figure out how to put my file on here.  Any suggestions to give me, let me know. 

 Anyways.  There are 3 papers that I got my husband (the miracle worker) to laminate and I got a expo marker with spray...it just doesn't work without the spray.  It is a daily, weekly, and monthly checklist.  A basic brake down of what to do in one month.  For my brain to work, I need the basic day to day stuff that can come easy and natural for most people, broken down in the most simplest way so that I don't get overwhelmed that I shutdown.  This is not good for my family.  I will sit in the corner and just stare in space and say " bubb bubb bubb buubb."  I play a young Goldie Hawn in Overboard. It has everything from the days schedule to 1/2 year's cleaning chart.  Whats for supper tonight to did I drink enough water?  I started them yesterday and I love them.  My next project is a laminated Menu planner.  Hope that works.

  I'll leave you with this,

Does this not just scream "I just got caught!"

Wordless Wednesday...