If I can do it, You can do it too Tuesday…

These last couple of weeks have been tough on the Frangenberg household.  With me being unable to do so much, I spend way to much time on the computer and the doctor has told me I need find ways to reduce stress.  Fine if I didn’t have 4 kids and these are not just any kids, but they are 4 of Mike and Lisa kids.  Tornado’s.  I think I’ve mentioned this before.  So, sometime before I was told to reduce stress, Pinterest entered my life and I’ve never been the same.  I’ve turned into a pinning maniac.  But I thought I would show that I’m doing what I’m pinning and how I do it.  I follow directions but I don’t follow directions.  You follow?  Good!  My first projects were food.  I didn’t take pictures, but they were good!  Last night we had bacon wrapped jalapeño cheddar brats with caramelized onion and peppers on top. My life was never the same. Things hurt today, but it was worth it.  It was so good!   Along with the food, Mike built me a little work area for my wood working and sewing stuff.

Here’s my work station.  Don’t be afraid to use scraps or other peoples left over’s, people.  Mike got the benches from work that couldn’t be used and were going to be thrown away.  The other wood was from our walls in the basement that we are redoing anyways.  So it worked.  I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS AREA!

 

 

My first project that I did on pinterest I got from

 www.ana-white.com

Love this site by the way…

It’s a sign that didn’t take me all that long and I found some really good deals around town that allowed me to finish it.  And lucky my wonderful husband Mike had some tools on hand.

So it started like this.  I got a pallet….Okay Mike got the pallet from work, but what does it matter.  Okay he’s great!  I get it!

He also got me a hand sander while we are at praising Mike, it was on sale (I’m helping him go Dutch..I’m Dutch…so this is a good thing!)  It worked great!

Back to this…I got pallets.  He gave me a handy tool that I don’t have a picture of and don’t know the name of but I will in the future.  It was great.  I supplied a hammer.  Yes me.  I got tool kit for a graduation gift over 10 years ago and it was one of the best gifts I got.  I , me, all by myself, tore apart the pallet and it was wonderful.

**side note on this…wear ear plugs.  I couldn’t hear for a day.  It was good and bad..good cause I couldn’t really hear kids fighting and bad cause my ears rang.

It felt great, taking out anger on this poor pallet.  When I got done I found the piece I wanted and went to town

 

 This is what we call a redneck painting stand. I used Black spray paint that you can buy at Wally World or pretty much anywhere.  I got mine at a local hardware store.

 

 

 

 

 

Spray paint one good coat over one side of the board and along the sides.  And it looks like this when its done. Let it dry quick, it doesn’t take long.

 

 

 

 

I then got some Valspar Antique White Eggshell at the same hardware store.  And painted 2 coats over the board and it looked like this:

 

Again this is a redneck paint stand.  I like to use my imagination and local products. This one in particular is Pizza Ranch..I believe it was Pepperoni and Cheese.  Go crazy!

 

 

I went to my computer and printed out the words Laundry in the font of Times New Roman, to fit my board.  Cut out the letters and traced them on the board.

I made a little mistake on the “N.”  Don’t look, okay look.  I traced it upside down.  I fixed it and I was nervous that it was going to show in the end.  See if you can see at the end.

 

 

Next I took black craft paint that we’ve had in the house for almost 2 years and painted in the letters.

This is what it looked when done painting the letters.  I was happy but then I got to use power tools.  I felt the inner me roar….

 

 

 

The end result looked like this:

I am going to hang it above my laundry door using pop can tabs as holders. We’ll see if this works!  I did this all because a girl feel in love with pinterest.  I think it turned out good.  Now you go make one!

Crazy Life: Just Another Manic Monday….

Crazy Life: Just Another Manic Monday….: Today has been one of those days where you want to run and hide under the covers, praying that God would have mercy on your soul and just en...

Just Another Manic Monday….

Today has been one of those days where you want to run and hide under the covers, praying that God would have mercy on your soul and just end the day.  But such no luck has happened yet.  I have 2 children home today that have given me my 1000th gray hair this year. I know because I’ve been keeping track of them very, very closely.  I mean very, very closely!  I almost saved my first one and put it in my daughter Anna’s scrapbook cause I found it while I was having a fight with her in the bathroom about hair.  It was a good memory.

Anyway, on to the subject at hand.  This morning was filled with so many trials and errors that I don’t even know where to begin.  It all started with pink eye, Mason not even realizing it was morning and remembering how to get dressed, Anna acting nice and letting me do her hair, and Matt saying, “Noooo! No, No No!”

Side note.  Let me take one moment to brag about Matt.  You see, I have a little genius on my hands.  Yes a genius!  He can pick up on things I never realized was possible.  Mike and I started telling me no, no, no when he wasn’t supposed to touch something or get into something and now that’s all he says.  I bet you can’t beat that!

Getting back to the my crazy morning.  I new I had to prioritize what had to happen first.  Mason memory loss and Anna’s weird notion of being nice to me, had to be put first.  After of threating Mason’s life to get his clothes, shoes, and coat on.  I let him catch a few more zzz’s.  Then I turned more attention over to my adorable, wonderful daughter and did her hair.  She even let me comb it.  It was magical.  Mike came home and dragged Mason out the door; dragged the perfect daughter out of my arms and brought them to school. 

Then I had to turn my attention to the destruction brothers.  Nick and Matt.  I do not lie when I call them the destruction brothers. They are tornados, tearing through a room destroying everything in their path.    I had to face the fact that I had to get drops in Nicks eyes for his pink eye.  A situation I was not looking forward to.  As a mom there are a few things you’d rather do than others.  Like I would rather have a nail driven through my foot than deal doctor my kids.  Oh you don’t have this?  Lucky you!  When they are sick it’s different.  But when it has to deal with a splinter, paper cut, one time Mason put a zip tie on Anna (because she was arrested) to tight on her hands and we had to try to cut them off, you would have thought we were cutting off her hands.  Trying to get drops in Nicks eyes are kind of like driving a nail through a foot.  Today he was screaming at me cause he couldn’t see.  Never mind that he was closing his own eyes and I wasn’t even touching his face yet.  So after, ohh about 15 minutes of getting his 1 drop in each eye.  I tried to relax, because that’s what the doctor’s have been trying to tell me.  Matt spilled my orange juice.  Okay clean that one up.  Go to the kitchen, Nick goes to the bathroom.  Funny thing is Matt loves the bathroom.  Nick doesn’t really think about small things like flushing, or shutting doors.  Matt zones in.  And because I’m cleaning other things up that Matt did in the kitchen, like throwing papers on the floor.  His mind zero’s in on the kitchen and then my mommy senses pick up that Matt is not in the living room. I look and yes, he’s in the bathroom, looking in the toilet at his prize washcloth in the toilet,  surrounded by pee.   He had fun though.  Cause there was a whole bunch splashed on the floor like he took that wash cloth and flung it in a circle over his head.    Fun, I know.  Quick clean up.  Before I knew it, the laundry was done.  I  got the laundry out of the dryer and when I came back I found Matt like this:

 

Nick had to pose real quick with him.  By 10:00 a.m.  I seriously was looking at my wine and wondered if it was too early to drink the rest of it right now.  The rest of the morning went much of the same as the first half.

Have a good rest of the Monday everyone!

Doctor’s Office…why I don’t like them..

The Biggest reason’s I don’t like the Doctor’s Office is really only 4 reason’s.  And I’ll list them in order…

Reason #1…Matthew

Reason # 2 Nicholas

Reason #3…Anna

And Reason #4…Mason

My Case is simple.  There are too many kids for 1 person.  I’m out numbered.  You sit in the “lobby” with birds and fishes and toys and t.v.’s. And they expect you to keep your kid quiet.  Not my kids.  Matt was screaming like a LOUD little girl when his little eye caught sight of a fish.  Nick was running all over from one side to the other.  And when You don’t think you can handle anymore.  They call your name to go into another room.  Only this room is a lot smaller and they have NOTHING your kid can touch.  My kids always lose it when it reaches this point.  They are not meant for being caged in .  They see a big red container on the ground with a foot thingy that you push down and whhhoooommmm…the lid flies up.  Wow that’s fun!  Then ohh my a chair that goes in a circle…it’s like a tire swing.  Twirl and Twirl till we can’t stand it.  Then there’s the drawers, oh my!  open shut, Open shut, open shut.  That is what they do!  Matt found today a big cupboard door that had nothing in it and it was under the sink and oh my he fight just perfect in there.  Nick called it his new home.  Anna wanted to get into the action, because of course this Doctor’s appointment was all about her!  Then there is the “bed.”  I mean this thing has legs that come out…button’s all over, a drawer and paper on it…lets jump, right…cause that’s what we need to do.  And if anything happens, we’re in the doctor’s office.  Matt’s favorite part, is the bit shinny switch under the desk.  His other favorite part is pushing said button and turning it on and off.  never mind that it is a power button that turns the computer on and off.  But the best part about going to the doctor’s office is getting there early so, because if your late you might lose your spot, waiting for 45 min. to only see the doctor for 5 min.  Yes that’s what I love.  The hole time, I’m sitting there face tight, mouth tight, trying to yell at the kids without anyone hearing me. Words that may or may not have left my mouth are..”Just wait till you get home.. I swear your going to put me into the grave…I will spank in the count of 3…Anna you are 7 years old..you know better…(Anna says) Mom I’m 6…(I reply with I don’t care what age you are just sit!”

I love my doctor’s office and they see a lot of people in a day.  But all I ask of you is to get child proof stuff that goes in the drawers and don’t leave OB stuff sitting out cause my kids will wonder…and that’s a conversation I’d like to avoid for now!

Until then, the doctor’s office will be paying for my therapist bill!

Happy Wednesday!

Where to Begin...

I've come to realize that when you are away from the world of blogging, that it's a hard thing to start back up again.  But I fully intend to start again. 

 This summer was crazy.  There was so much going on that some days I just wanted to stay in bed and not think about what was going on.  No "Mom...I want food.." or "Mom, Nick pooped his pants again...or it's really bad gas." or "Mom, Mason not being fair...He won't play with me...Mom, mom mom mom..."  For a mother these things start to wear you down.  By the time friends come over your either glad or your sometimes, sadly like me, and scream "Nooo!"  Don't get me wrong, my kids have some of the best friends anyone could have and I love having them over.  Majority of the time it wasn't bad. But sometimes, for me, only at times, I find, that the madness just overwhelms me and I can't find my way back to sanity.  Not that I ever was there.  It gets so easy to stay at home and not go outside unless it's within 3 feet of your door so if anyone spots you, you can run into your house.  It's easy to loose sight of reality when your surrounded by kids all day long.  Yes this summer was rough. 

It started out very good!  T-ball was there, swimming was in place, summer rec. was being taken advantage of, I was good.  Then the hot days came.  Matt doesn't do hott days.  So me bringing the kids to the pool was out.  They came up with water fights in our front yard...with the hose...and cups....Nick managed to use a spoon once.  It was that or they stayed inside with their hermit mother.  There were times, when the weather wasn't that bad, I would say no not today, it's to hot.  We can't do this..we can't do that.  Have you ever found yourself saying those things?  Just because you don't want to.  And then the ultimate...Matt can't do this, it's to hot.  Okay so I used the little stinker, so that I wouldn't have to go.  Wrong or right...I was exhausted and needed a break.  

As the summer went on my husband and I were looking forward to Rocky Mountain High.  It would be the first time away together like that in 9 years.  After that my brother and new sister-n-law's wedding.  Somewhere wedged in there we had birthday party's, anniversary, cakes, not to mention all the kids things, Mike getting ready to go back to college online, and me.  Where did the time go?  

I really don't know where I'm going with this post, but it's therapy for me.  Hopefully soon I will write about some of the other ongoings in this crazy family.  The good times, and the bad.    Soooo, until next time!

My Baby..

I know, your angry, right?  I haven't even attempted to write on here.  May's a hard month and lots of changes have been happening around here.  Something that I will blog about later.  I want to first talk about this wee man...

Matthew Roger Frangenberg

 Matt just turned one last Wednesday.  I can't believe it's already been a year since I've had him.  Right now, he's sleeping in the next room as I beg my 3 year old to be quite.  Matt is a terrible sleeper and any chance he sleeps...the whole house is silent!

 Anyways....This little guy now thinks he's big stuff.  He thinks he can get everyone's attention by crying and everyone see's the baby and thinks, "ohhh you poor little thing....are you all right...do you need me to hold you????  see everything better now!"  Okay he doesn't need to think this....it happens and he is a very smart cookie to figure it out very early in his life!

 This is Matt's favorite past time.  I've learned how to re-roll the toilet paper very well.  He has soon left the toilet paper...cause we have it up so high...that the water in the toilet fascinates him more.  Yes, my phone has been in there a time or two.  He is always thinking and always 5 steps ahead of me.  I fear for the future.

                                                                                                                                                                                      This is what happens when you mess with Mommy!!  I love you wee man!  You have been a blessing in our lives and it will never be a dull moment in our household with you in it.  Who am I kidding...all of our kids are the same.  I have the gray hair that I plucked from my head to prove it. 

Happy Birthday Matt!!!

A Story of a Girl....

Let me tell you of a story of a girl.

A story of a girl,

who isn't a girl anymore.

A girl who turned into a woman,

as you will soon see.

A woman who is full of love

and has a dream of being free.

But back to the story of the girl,

this girl who is now a woman.

This girl who was full of wonder 

and life.

She was born to a man 

and to his wife.

Who needed this girl,

 very much, you see.

 They needed this girl more than they could believe.

Ohh this girl,  this girl ,

this girl who is now a woman.

Ohh how I wish, so very much wish,

you could have seen the life that was in this child.

Her eyes,

they were so bright.

Her eyes,

they sparked.

Her eyes,

they danced with delight.

She wasn't just an ordinary girl,

this girl who is now a woman.

Sitting in her room at night,

dreaming, dreaming, dreaming.

Of day's to come, 

of those very days she would become.

A wife, a mom, a woman.

This girl, this girl!  

this girl who became a woman.

She was God's muse,

and as God's muse,

He watched her, Loved her, delighted in her,

on His throne in Heaven.

But this girl, this wonderful girl,

this girl who became a woman.

A sad, sad thing has happened,

it has happened to her, you see.

She became a woman to early,

to early indeed.

Innocents was taken from her,

ripped from her hands,

Life was stolen,

her life was broken. 

To see this girl now, 

this girl who is now a woman.

Her eyes,

are cold like ice.

Her eyes,

are bare of light.

Her eyes,

are dark as night.

And as God sits on His throne,

His throne in Heaven.

He weeps the tears of injustice,

oh His daughter, His muse, His very being

To lose the life, the love, the wonderment

ohh the wonderment, she didn't know she gave. 

Looking at this woman, this woman,

this woman who was once a girl.

To lose herself,

in a cold, cold unfeeling world.

Has boxed herself in,

boxed herself up, all wrapped up with a shinny red bow.

To show that she is not scared,

unloved, and able to take the next blow.

For many years, So many years this woman,

this woman who was once a girl.

Longed for the girl she once knew,

the girl she once was.

Sometimes, at night, late at night

she would pray, scream, cry 

To make become clean again,

to become alive again.

What happened to this woman, 

this woman who was once a child.

Who is this woman,

this woman who was once a girl.

Is she you....

or is she me?