Angry Birds!! Who knew?

Good Men doing Nothing

I've been thinking a lot about that popular phrase (and I'll paraphrase) "All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

How often do we see something wrong and we do nothing? We look the other way and walk on by. We don't want to interfere. We doubt ourselves. We don't want to make a fuss. We've been raised to be nice.

We do nothing and evil triumphs.

Today I did something. I was at the grocery store buying food for dinner and I happened to turn down an aisle where a man was shoving a red bag into his cargo pants pockets. I looked at the top of the bag poking out his pocket and I looked at the shelf where he was standing and saw the same kind of bags. He was totally pocketing an expensive bag of coffee. The details didn't register until I had passed him by.

My first inclination was to do nothing. And then I felt myself growing angry. Why should I, who am doing no wrong, feel ashamed or sad? I finished walking down the aisle and caught up with the guy as he was trying to button his pocket up.

I stopped in his way and looked directly at him. "Did you put a bag of coffee in your pocket?"

He made a funny laugh sound. "that's ridiculous!"

"Well, what you did looks suspicious."

He totally brushed it off by laughing at me, then turned around and walked the other way. When I saw him at the register, there was no large lump in his pocket. And I watched him. And he knew I was watching him.

I wasn't rude about it. I didn't get angry. But I confronted him. I don't want to be a good man doing nothing. We need more people who are willing to stand up and say "that's not right and I'm not okay with it.

Punishing Parents

It's amazing how things we parents to do to educate or discipline our children end up hurting us more! That old phrase "It will hurt me more than it hurts you" is really ringing true to me right now.

I knew my kids needed to spend less time being electronically entertained. I knew that it would be a hard thing for them to do. I had no idea how hard it would be on me!

It's not them that's making it hard for me. It's me! It's my own withdrawal from electronics. It's my own dependence for media being tested.

Ugh!

Yesterday I was so edgy and irritable. I kept thinking "what's my problem? what's going on?" The simple answer: Facebook withdrawal.

It's so sad to admit. But it's true. Not checking into Facebook 5, 6, 7, 29 times a day has thrown me off. Today I'm feeling the media fast even more because it's my normal day to watch last night's episode of "Biggest Loser" online. Ugh!

I'm trying to stay focused on reading and doing school work. I even played Candy Land three times yesterday with my 3 year old. I'm trying to think thoughts longer than the 450 characters required by Facebook. I'm trying to adjust to not being able to go online and say "BLAST! I just bombed a Chemistry test!" which is what I desperately wanted to do last night.

At this point, I'm just muscling my way through the withdrawals. No Words with Friends. No Scrabble. No Facebook. No Biggest Loser. No PBS kids to help entertain my kids when I'm trying to do homework or make dinner.

It won't kill me. I know it won't. It stinks though. But I need this. I need to force myself to get back in control of my media usage. I don't want to be dependent on my laptop anymore than I already am.

Facebook Withdrawal... feeling the pain here......

from Addictions & Recovery

Emotional Withdrawal Symptoms

• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Poor concentration
• Depression
• Social isolation

Physical Withdrawal Symptoms

• Sweating
• Racing heart
• Palpitations
• Muscle tension
• Tightness in the chest
• Difficulty breathing
• Tremors
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

Emotional Relapse

In emotional relapse, you're not thinking about using. But your emotions and behaviors are setting you up for a possible relapse in the future.
The signs of emotional relapse are:

• Anxiety
• Intolerance
• Anger
• Defensiveness
• Mood swings
• Isolation
• Not asking for help
• Not going to meetings
• Poor eating habits
• Poor sleep habits

Yep, going of Facebook this week was obviously a good thing for me. I sure hope it doesn't kill me! 

Ad hoc Learning

Today my kids (about about 50 others in my kids' school) got a spontaneous lesson in nature. Shortly before the bell rang, a man who lives on the same street as the school arrived home from his weekend hunting trip and began unloading his truck and trailer. He parked his truck along side the main sidewalk leading away from the school so his gear was in full view of the students who drove and walked by.

The first thing we all noticed was the large elk head strapped to the back of the 4-wheeler on the trailer. It's eyes were still open and its body was obviously missing. In the back of the truck were all the dismembered elk parts, blood and all.

Because it's hard to turn onto the main road, there's always a back up of cars so everyone who was driving got to slowly go past the elk parts. Oh my. I watched the kids look first with surprise and then with horror and then interest at the parts. I can't imagine that it smelled nice as you walked by. I didn't have my windows down so I got to experience the nature with all my senses.

Ah, nature is everywhere. This is a lesson I don't think many of those children will forget.
(o)(o)
   V                         

Zucchini Brownies

Zucchini Brownies 
1/2 c. oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c. shredded zucchini (no seeds and squeeze out extra juice)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.

Mix oil, sugar, vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together then add into sugar/oil mixture. Fold in zucchini and walnuts. Spread into pan. Batter is dryish.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. (I always end up baking mine for 35 minutes in a smaller size pan).

Frosting
6 T cocoa powder
1/4 c. butter or margarine
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt cocoa and butter together. In medium bowl, blend together pwdr sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir into cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies.

------------------------------------------
Just some notes:

-my friend did 1/4 c oil and 1/4 c applesauce and it worked good.
-my friend also did less than a cup of sugar and it worked fine.
-I always add in extra zucchini, up to 3 cups, with no problems.
-I've never added walnuts.
-I keep the skin on the zucchini. I do take out the seeds. I run the zucchini pieces through my Kitchen Aid grinder attachment.
-share with friends so you don't eat the whole pan. Trust me on this one!

Media Break or Why I am skipping Facebook this week

Since I've started school, I've gotten a lot more lax at letting my kids watch TV & movies or play computer/iTouch games. It's started to feel out of hand and I decided to reign in our media consumption.

Yesterday I told them at lunch that we'd be having a "Media Fast." For all this week (through Friday night) we are going without TV, movies, laptop games, internet games, iTouch games, VSmile games, etc. Starting Saturday, if they want to continue their break, I will pay them a quarter a day.

I was feeling pretty smug about the whole thing. . . until my son raised his hand.

"What about you and Facebook?" my 8 year old asked.

uh.... uh....

My hubby started laughing.

"YEAH!!" my daughter practically shouted. "What about Facebook?!? If we can't go online then you can't either."

"But I need to do email and go on my laptop to do my classes."

"But NOT Facebook."

They're right. And I agreed. I'm not going to ask them to do something I'm not willing to do. I agreed to take a one week break from Facebook and Words with Friends. I promised to pay them a quarter if I get caught on Facebook.

But guess what? They aren't getting that quarter.

As they were talking about installing cameras so they could make sure I didn't cheat, my hubby pointed something out to them. I don't think they heard, but I did. He said "Kids, you're forgetting something that Mom has. She has self-control."

How can I let down that trust?

I do have self-control. I made a promise and I'll stick to it. Plus, I have to admit that I was feeling rather dependent/addicted to Facebook-- like I couldn't make it through the day without it. I hate that feeling and am grateful to be forced into some separation.

So here we are in day 2 of our Media fast. I'm feeling it right this moment because I need to take a nutrition quiz and the 3 year old wants to crawl all over me. Normally, he'd be watching PBS Kids right now. Time for me to put on my thinking cap and come up with an alternative that doesn't need to be plugged in, turned on, or doesn't run on batteries.

I found her!

After a terrible night tossing and turning, I headed back out to the neighborhood where Bailey flew away this morning. I put up new posters with a picture on them and took down the ones the rain had faded. I searched and called. I had just put up my last flier when my cellphone rang. A guy who lived in an apartment across Orchard Dr from my vet saw my poster and found Bailey cowering under a concrete pad of a shed. He called and I raced over there. I had to pull her out, but she was alive.

I started bawling again as I held her to me. I thanked the guy over and over and over again as I sobbed. I took Bailey home and put her in her cage. She was so thirsty and hungry. She could hardly keep her eyes open as she ate her food. She's now sleeping and I expect her to sleep for the rest of the day. I'm hopeful she'll recover from this trauma quickly. I'll be cutting her feathers later today.

Never again. I will never make that same mistake again. I don't ever want to lose one of my animals again. It was a nightmare.

Thanks for your love & well wishes & prayers.

I lost my Bird :o(

In one quick and stupid moment, my bird Bailey panicked and flew away from me today while taking her into the vet in Bountiful. She hadn't been able to fly, but I guess her adrenaline kicked in and she took off. I've spent the afternoon searching for her and putting up signs and posting ads on the internet. I am heartsick. I have a terrible knot in the bottom of my stomach. I imagine her alone and cold and terrified out of her mind, and it's raining outside which makes me feel worse. I can't believe I did that. I know better.

So now all I can do is wait and hope someone finds her and calls me.

Waiting is terrible. I'll try to look around the area for her tomorrow. Perhaps hunger will drive her down where I can see her.

The Dog who Lived

Last week, Belle, our 4 year old Maltese, woke me up around 2 am by scratching on the side of the bed. This is her sign to me that she needs to go potty. I got up grudgingly, put on my glasses, and walked her outside. Usually she pees in about 30 seconds or less so I didn't bother to put on my shoes.

Belle ran outside and started smelling the grass.

sniff, sniff, sniff.

I snapped at her (like, with my fingers) "Potty, Belle."

She kept sniffing. And turning around. And sniffing. And sniffing. And sniffing.

My feet started feeling chilled.

Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff.

"Belle, go potty!"

Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff.

By this time, I could tell she had to poop, but she wouldn't go until she smelled the right spot.

Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff.

After about 6 minutes, I walked inside to get my shoes. Belle immediately ran to the gate and waited for me. I walked back outside, snapped my fingers at her, and chased her back onto the grass. Instead she ran under the house in the dirt-- with her nice wet paws.

Ugh!

"Belle, potty!"

She finally returned to the grass and I chased her away from the 2 foot area where she had been sniffing and sniffing and sniffing and sniffing and sniffing.

After about 12 minutes, she finally pooped in the back of the yard. I was very grateful to go back inside. I laid back down on my bed and wrapped my cold arms up in my blanket.

Five minutes later, Belle started scratching at my bed again. I got up, put my glasses back on, and took her back outside. This time I put on my shoes and grabbed a sweater.

Belle ran onto the grass and started running around. "Belle, Potty!" She just stared at me. "Belle, potty!" I stepped onto the grass and she darted back into the dirt.

After about 4 minutes, I realized she was just playing so I brought her back inside with her wet, dirty paws.

On my way to the bathroom, I stepped in the puddle of pee she left me before I took her outside the second time). Ugh! I grabbed a paper towel to blot it up.

By the time I returned from the bathroom, Belle, with her muddy paws, was sitting right smack in the middle of my pillow.

UGH!!!

It took me quite awhile to get myself back to sleep after that. Now I can call her the dog that lived since she should have been eaten that night! ;o)

(just kidding. I would never eat her. She's way tooooo cute and fun!)

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