A Little Too Much

Not much gets me down.

I don't watch a lot of news because it makes me cry. I've stopped watching most violent media because it's scary for me.

I try to be a positive person in both my career and my home life.

We live in an area that's pretty protected from the poor economy and from a lot of the negative issues highlighted in the media. Things affecting the coasts don't hit Nebraska for a few years.

But it's all getting to be a bit much. There's all of the economic stuff. Political debating about how to handle it all. Issues of rights for different groups of people. Education and how to handle that.

What tipped the scales for me, I think, is this friggin' flu.

Suddenly I'm checking online to see how many states it's hit. Where it is. What's going on.

I'm googling checklists for what to put in an emergency kit in our home.

I have the sudden urge to move to the country and grow my own food. Tomorrow.

That's just not me.

This mama needs to take a break from the news, I think.

I'm not a worrier and suddenly I am.

Could you tell me a joke or something? Lighten the mood?

A Subtle Shift - Part I

As a young woman, I was full of...myself. Adolescent ego centrism was a perfect fit.

I went to a small high school and participated in everything. I was in drama, speech, music, sports, student council, academic clubs, etc. I was busy all week and every weekend. I liked to be in charge and boss others. Vice president of this. Captain of that. Co-chair of that too. I arranged things and had ideas and wanted to be in charge.

I spoke up - loudly - in class and at meetings. I had an opinion and liked to share it.

I entertained thoughts of a political career as an adult. What fun it would be to boss around the masses.

As a young adult I chose a career path in social work. I liked action, service, and helping others. Later deciding that education would be a perfect fit.

Here I am, 13 years out of high school and surprised sometimes to think of the young person I once was. I find myself a much quieter adult. Much happier to work behind the scenes, taking directions from others. I don't like to plan things. I am not an organizer.

I will still speak my mind on certain topics that I feel strongly about. But I am not an activist, I do not start things. I am happy to volunteer to help with things that others are organizing, but I do not jump to be the chairperson of anything.

In a crowd, say at church, I find myself sitting quietly while the noise hums around me. An introvert as opposed to extra. Content to sit back and watch others chatting and networking. I've tried more than once to figure out when the switch was turned off.

I think life has sucked the leader right out of me. I have yet to decide how I feel about that.



















Eighteen and planning to change the world!






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Super Supper

It all started with this post from Aliki. She discusses the wide variety of banana recipes she used this week. The banana pancakes she mentioned sounded so good to me, having never tried putting a slice of banana on one side of a half-cooked pancake before flipping it.

I used our whole wheat pancake mix, which I was nervous to try. Threw in a little milled flax seed, just to up the ante a bit.

And wow! They were so...yum.

We had fruit and sugar-free, fat-free pudding that I had made (from a box) as sides. Such a delicious supper.

My kids, well they are not 100% sold on the pancakes. But they will be. They are so good, just a little different than what they are used to.

This will definitely be a meal we have again, it's going in the rotation.

His First Joke

In the car this afternoon.

Little Man: I have a joke for you.

Me: Okay, go.

Little Man: Knock knock.

Me: Who's there?

Little Man: Grass who.

Me: Grass?

Little Man: No! You say grass who!

Me: Oh, okay. Grass who?

Little Man: Grass...in a box. In a house. Heh heh heh.

Little Man: Grass in the house that the rabbit snacked on and then went into the park and took the box and the rabbit runned away and then the grass was all gone....hahahahahahahahaha.

Three years old for four whole days and you are suddenly a comedian. Telling stream-of-consciousness-jokes worthy of a preschooler.

Mama loves ya.

A child who is rudely unwilling to play a game with her mom outdoors. Who choose instead to sit by the tree and pout.

Well - she gets to go up to her room for a "break".

Now the dilemma. She's sleeping. It's almost 6:00.

Let her rest?
Wake her up?

Hmmmmmm.



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Edited to add: Poor baby woke up with a fever and cough. I took her to urgent care, since it's the first time she's been sick this year. I was thankful to hear the news it's just a virus. The beginning of a cold. A day spent resting tomorrow and hopefully she'll be feeling better.

I can't wait to start posting again! I've really missed my little blog. It was amazing how after a couple of weeks, I stopped composing posts in my head. It was a real change, giving up blogging for 40 days. I knew it was a good Lenten fast because I really noticed giving it up, which I think is the point.

I have to go to work (after a 10-day break) today, so can't catch up now.

I've got loads to share:
* Hubs and I conquered Orlando with 270 teenagers (and 20 other sponsors)
* my little guy turned 3
* we celebrated Easter

Okay, I've got to get to work. Last week at this time, I was dressing to go to the ocean! Ah well, back to reality.

A winner!

The thing I hate about having a contest is that I wish everyone could win, especially when the people who've submitted entries through comments here or through email are friends and family. So if you are not the winner, might I suggest hauling yourself out to Council Bluffs on Friday, getting some tickets, and joining us for what is sure to be a fun night!

The little man is already reminding me that we get cotton candy when we see ice skaters. We're making it a family night out and it should be fun. I really do love the music from High School Musical. Really.

Without further adieu...

The winner is...

Drum roll...

Joey!

Joey, if you stop at the will call window at Mid-American Center on Friday night there will be four complimentary tickets waiting for you. Maybe we can exchange cell #'s too, in case we have any trouble. See you Friday!

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So I'm on this blogging break, but needed to do the contest. So I'll throw in a few other random thoughts at the end here. Why is it that I am inspired to write blog posts more frequently when I take a break? Probably because I'm not spending all my time at the computer, thereby living a life worth blogging?

I menu-planned (another non-verb verb for you there SB, kinda like scrapbooking) the whole month of March and have honestly stuck to it (until tonight) and have made some great meals. I am trying a new crock pot meal each week, last week was BBQ pulled pork. This week I'm also trying a new recipe, which I'll share if it's as good as it sounds. Fish tacos with homemade tortillas (which intimidates me) it calls for this homemade cilantro lime sauce that looks soooooo good. We've also had good old fashioned pot roast with onions and carrots and a side dish of twice baked potatoes. That was a hit.

I finally got my house semi-clean this weekend, so that was a bonus. It was long overdue.

I noticed I haven't posted much about my kids lately. Which made me think...
I have trouble finding balance between tracking their growth and progress through this great medium and just all-out bragging. I feel so lucky and blessed that these two kids are healthy, happy, typically developing kids. I also don't want to whine when I could go on and on about how our five-year old is way-emotional or our two-year old is refusing to go to bed at night unless I lay with him in his bed. So I just don't write. But I don't want that either. So in April, expect a few updates on B and the little man. Especially since my baby boy turns three!

Until then, I guess that's that. It's the most disciplined I've been about not reading blogs since I started in December '06. I guess since it's for Lent, and between Jesus and me and everything. I just feel a little more pressure to stick with it. So I am.

But I miss you! My ten blogging friends. I'll be back and will be so happy to do so.