A TV-less Existence

Well, that title is only half true.  My children are now mostly TV-less, but my hubs and I are not. 

We had our TV in the living room because that was really the only place for it.  In my ideal world, we would have a house with a family room where the TV would go.  Anyways, with it being in the living room it was very easy to put on a show for the girls to occupy them.  Some days we watched more than others, some days we watched hardly at all.  But we recently got Netflix on our Wii and Abby figured out how to start shows.  Once they were going, it was very easy to keep them going, just a press of the button.

Well it got very bad.  They just wanted to watch show after show after show.  If I wouldn't let her, she would throw a huge fit.  And by huge, I do mean huge.  And she wouldn't forget either.  I could put her in time outs for hours (well, not literally) but she would still come out and see the TV and start all over again. 

I found it hard to stand firm and not let them watch any.  I was giving in way more than I wanted to.  So I decided that drastic measures were needed.  I thought about completely getting rid of the TV.  It is really just a waste of time anyways.  But I knew that my husband wouldn't like that.  Sometimes we talk about living simply, living with just the basics.  We talk about the evils of TV and such, but he isn't quite ready to get rid of it just yet.  And if I'm truthfiul I do like to watch it too.  Just not quite to the same extent.

When I was a child we didn't really have cable tv, and didn't watch much of it.  We went through spurts of having cable.  Whereas in his family, it was like a normal thing for them to watch TV all afternoon and evening.  I don't want to live that life.

But that's a bunny trail.  So since I couldn't just dump the TV in the trash I had to move it out of my girls' sight.  So now it is in our bedroom.  I could write a whole big rant on how I have always hated the idea of TVs in the bedroom and all the evils of it.  But there was simply no other place for it.  We crowded our dressers together and made room for the entertainment centre.  And no matter how much I hate the TV in our room, it is SOOOOOO worth it for the difference in my girls.

I was prepared for big fits about the TV not being in the living room.  I was ready for them to look everywhere to find it and finally sit screaming in front of the wall where the TV used to be.  But shockingly, all that Abby said was "TV gone?"  And that was it.

Now they are playing again.  It feels so good.  Yes, sometimes I wish it was still there (especially the immediate day after since I got very sick), it used to be easy to occupy them when I needed a minute to myself.  But it also makes me have to be there more for them.  Which is something I always wish I would do more, and now I have to so it's good for me too.

How's the Weather? and Other Mindless Chit-Chat

I was planning on posting this last weekend.  I had even thought out a few ideas in my head, just waiting to be written here.  But then my family got the flu.  We are just now recovering.  So those posts (obviously) didn't get written, and I don't even remember what I was going to write about. 

When I had time to notice the weather outside this week, I am caught between my desire and reality.  It was really warm last week, but this week it has been cold.  Okay, so cold is relative.  It has been around -10 to -16.  Ish.  Not cold compared to the weather we used to have when we lived up North, but cold for here.  I think that it is slightly deceitful of the sun to shine on the cold days. 

The snow we had has melted off a lot last week.  My yard has barely any snow in it, though there are lots of yards around town that still have snow.  But all the melting makes me feel like it's close to Spring.  Yet it is still just the beginning of February.  So I am in for disappointment I think. 

But less snow means that it is easier to get outside for me and the girls.  I have plans of going for walks on the warmer days.  We'll see if that materializes.  I ahve been trying to take them outside more, since I have slacked on that all winter.  And we went outside a couple times before the cold.  They love to be outside.  Man, I wish I could be a kid again sometimes.

So this is my pointless post for today.  I am still feeling kind of tired, so I can't attempt anything other than this. 

Adventures at Cubbies

I have been sporadically taking Abby to Awanas since last November-ish.  I found out about the program here in town from my friend who is taking her girls.  I have been meaning to find ways to get Abby, and Leigh too, out and about more so they can have some social interaction, so I thought that this would be a great opportunity.  As long as Abby wasn't too shy to handle it.

The first time I took her, it was a complete flop.  Her friend (really her only friend) Kylie wasn't able to make it because she was sick, but I was taking her older sister, Joy.  But Joy was in a different class from Abby.  That didn't go over well at all.  Abby threw a HUGE fit, screaming as loud as she could, and it lasted for at least a half an hour, if not longer.  I took her home, but the fit followed.  That was a discouraging introduction to Awanas.

The next week Kylie was there, and it seemed to go fine.  Abby isn't the best on listening, especially to things that she hasn't been told to do before, like stand and wait in a line.  But Kylie took her by the hand and led her where she needed to go.  I stayed long enough to see her settled fine, and then I left.  When I came back at the end of the evening, she wasn't even sitting by Kylie.  That seemed very encouraging to me. 

She didn't make it again in December, so we had to wait until the New Year for the next time.  That one went over fine again.  We missed last week because Abby cut her lip just before it was time to go.  But we went last night.  She was excited to get there and basically left me in the dust.  I couldn't get her to sign in, but that's fine.  They know she's there.  I walked outside with my friend and we stood on the church steps chatting for quite awhile when one of the other kids dads came out.  He asked if either of us were Abby's mom, and when I said yes he told me that she was very upset and crying for Mama.  So off I went inside.

Turns out she had fallen down the stairs.  I comforted her.  Once she was calmed down, she wanted to go sit in the circle with the other kids, but she wanted me with her.  So I went and we sang some songs and saw the puppet show.  She was still quite clingy, but improving bit by bit.  Then it was craft time.  They made some finger puppets, which she liked for a few minutes.  Then she saw some other kids playing and went off without me to play with them.  She gave me a wave, which I took as a good sign.  I had some errands that I had wanted to run while she was there, so I left, though not before leaving my cell number just in case.

Sure enough, a few blocks away I get a call that Abby is upset again.  So I went back and just ended up taking her home.  There wasn't that long left anyways.  She hadn't fallen again or anything, she just noticed I was gone.  I definitely should have stayed, but sometimes I can feel so tossed, not knowing what the right decision is.

I hope that this won't affect her again, that I can take her next week and she won't be scarred from the experience this week.  But I can always stay I guess. 

Back on the Dieting Wagon

I have been on and off of the dieting wagon for the past...well probably since I have had my first daughter, 3 1/2 years ago, but mostly since October.  I have to honestly say that before that I think I was just waiting for the pounds to drop off by themselves.  Lame, I know.  I don't seem to have an kind of stick-to-it-iveness.  I quit the Atkins diet because it was costing me too much in meat.  I am now just plain counting my calories, while trying to make sure that I eat the good calories and don't waste my calories on the bad (but oh-so-good-tasting) foods.

I have been doing the calorie counting for at least a month now, but haven't lost weight because I will count every food for about 3 days, and then I stop.  Then I start again after a few more days.  Back and forth, back and forth!  So maddening!  Sometimes I feel like it mirrors my relationship with God.  I will keep focussed on Him for a few days and then stop.  Back and forth, back and forth.  Hopefully I can stop both of these issues! 

I feel like I have been given a refreshing from God, so hopefully I keep with it, and don't get discouraged again.  We'll see.