Wasting Away

It seems to be harder to go with out T.V in the summer.  That is the craziest thing I have ever heard, but it sure seems to be true here in our house!  And it is driving me crazy. 
You see we have family coming to visit in a week and a half and I am trying to get everything in order.  My dear husband is working on some reno's which need doing, but are also adding to the mess.  So it is easy to get into the trap of putting a movie in for Jacob.  The poor boy doesn't have a lot that he loves to do or can do without us at his side except watch a movie.  That would be fine if he was still into Franklin or Bob the Builder; the rest of us don't get sucked into those movies as easily as Harry Potter or even High School Musical which seem to be his new favorites.  So I, more then occasionally, walk by the living room to find Nathan and Mackenzie being very supportive of our dear brother and not wanting to leave him to watch alone!
I was beginning to give up hope in ever getting back on track.  Then last week the two older kidlets and I decided that we were going to buy tickets, wait in line for 3 hours and stay up until 2am watching the new Harry Potter movie.  Summer is suppose to be all about making memories after all!  It was fun, the movie was good, but my favorite part of the whole night was talking about the other movies and having Nathan make the observation that the mirror that Harry finds in the first movie, the mirror of Erised, is a lot like T.V! That's my boy!  There is still hope.
"It will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad..." (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone by J.K. Rowling, p.157)
You may argue about the Knowledge and true part, but I would have to agree with the other. 
I guess falling off the wagon, so to speak, has reminded us once more that we want to be living our lives, not watching someone else pretend to live theirs!
I hope you enjoy your own adventure today, I plan to.

Really?!

I am off on an adventure without my family this week end.  A dear friend of mine and I are getting away from the daily grind for some exploring and a change of pace.  I am looking forward to it.  It is always tricky to get this kind of thing organized, but well worth it when I can come home renewed and refreshed ready once more, to be the Mom and wife I hope to be.
But before I go I have to tell you about booking the motel.  The woman we went through to get the room asked of course what kind of room we wanted and if we wanted an extra T.V!  Now come on, really?  Maybe I'm crazy, but I can't understand why I would spend all of this time, energy and money to get away to a new city full of adventure just to get there and sit in front of the television, my own at that.  That would sure save on the interacting. Wouldn't want to have to talk or decide together what to watch!  Maybe if I was taking my children, even then 'cause isn't a vacation all about the people you are with?
Needless to say, we did not get the extra T.V and  I hope the standard one that comes with the room doesn't get turned on much, if at all.
I hope you have a TV free week end!  I plan to!

Confession!

I am writing this as my dear son, Jacob, is watching Ramona and Beezus.  Yes, summer has begun and we are having a bit of a set back.  Yesterday was worse.  I have to say I am extremely disappointed in myself.
Our camping trip was fun. We went with another family and besides a little rain, all went well.  The down side of such a trip is the clean up afterward.  Which brings us back to the movie mayhem.  Jacob is much better at making the mess than he is at cleaning it up.
But I am not deterred from our goal.  We will just get back up and begin again.  That is what we always do when we have a set back. 
So...the plan this afternoon is to clean up the lunch dishes, complete with lots of bubbles and than a mural painting adventure in the back yard, maybe the 'longest picture in the world'?  I believe that is a great new beginning. 
We have begun the treasure hunt, but with the rule that they must do it together and everyone going in different directions it has been difficult to work on.  I guess it really will take the whole summer!
Tomorrow is full of therapists visiting Jacob and Nathan heading to PEI for a Youth Conference.  Next week should be calmer.
But until then we will take it one day at a time.
I hope you have wonderful new beginnings, I know I plan to!