Final Stretch

We are nearing the end of our no TV and facebook month. I have to say I am concerned at how excited I am to have those things back. We have snow again today. We have had quite a few rainy, cold, snowy days during the last month. I am not feeling very well (no swine flu yet) and would absolutely love to snuggle under the blankets with the kids while watching a movie. Nick complicated things by saying, "we are close enough to a month, let's watch a little TV. What's the harm?". Bad Nick, testing my resolve so close to the finish line. The kids have been relatively unaffected by the whole experiment. Twice Teilee has asked when no TV month is over (only twice). I guess the lesson is, the kids are fine, they get an okay amount of TV. Not too much, not to little. However, mama maybe gets too much. I definately use TV and facebook as a way to escape. Usually the TV comes on after the kids are in bed at night and I do nothing but veg. I don't know if this is something I want to change. I will ponder some more. We are not going to watch TV until this Sat. the 2nd. That way we can have a family movie night with snacks, drinks, pillows, blankets, and cuddling. I know the kids will enjoy that as a reintroduction to the possibility of TV again. I will continue to contemplate if any changes need to be made to my TV and computer habits. Perhaps restrictions like only two days a week (maybe three). I must decide before the switch is turned back on and I have open access to it all.

Happy Earth Day

I thought I would pass this along since it basically sums up Earth Day for me. My sis says it all with her blog about Earth Day!

Click on the link or just type this into your browser and happy reading!

http://mammashere.blogspot.com/2009/04/happy-earth-day.html

This year we are going to spend the week cleaning the trash out of our greenbelt. We do this every walk we take but this time we are going to really get to the nitty gritty. This year I only managed to get a few friends and their kids involved (one even told his mom that this was the one thing he wanted to do for Earth Day), but next year I think I will try for the whole neighborhood. Then I want to pursue a neighborhood garden out there, if the city will let me. Anyways, Happy Earth Day!

(sing to the happy birthday song)

Happy Earth Day to you,
Happy Earth Day to you,
Happy Earth Day to everybody,
Happy Earth Day to you!

Death and Pants

The kiddos and I were driving in the car tonight when the most interesting discussion occurred between Teilee and I. While Landis sang "I am a rock star" (by Pink) in the background we were simultaneously listening to "Knocking on Heaven's Door". Teilee was of course inquisitive about why this fellow was knocking on heaven's door. I explained several scenarios that could explain his lyrics, being careful to not reveal the answer nor to upset delicate emotions surrounding death. Teilee thinks about this for a while and is silent, the music continuing in the background and Landis persisting with his rendition of a loud pop song. After a while Teilee asks, "Mommy will you take me to Heaven's door"? I asked her why and she of course said that she wanted to say hello to someone. "Who would that be?", I asked smiling. "Great Grandma", was her reply. I said while we are up there we could say hello to Strider too (our neighbors old dog who when he died we discussed how he would help keep Great Grandma company). We continued to discuss Great Grandma, death, and the inability to get to Heaven's door until she had enough of sad things and moved on to the happy side of life. Her little brain processes things in such a philosophical and profound way. I try to not insert my own logic into the mix (which is soooo hard for me to not do). When I am able to let her 'thinks' (her word) find her voice on her own I am constantly amazed at the things she teaches me!

So entirely random but still needed to share. We went to the museum yesterday. Oh yes, we saw the dinosaurs and Teilee recognized almost every single one by their fossil skeleton. She ever had to set Daddy straight on a few;) I will have to share some pictures of that experience sometime. However, when we returned home I took to the massive pile of laundry. (We thought we had caught up with moms help the previous weekend, but we were wrong.) Despite my exhaustion and constant dreading of folding and putting away I was able to drag myself to the chore. As I was folding Landis' pants I realized that these could be the smallest pants I was ever to fold again. If indeed we are done having children (which some days I think we are, and some days I think we aren't), then once Landis grows out of those size 2T pantsm, they will disappear from my laundry. Sometimes it is easy to forget how fleeting these chores are (or at least at this magnitude) and how we will miss seeing their tiny pants and socks in those massive piles of laundry. If I can keep this in mind every time I fold, I swear it will be a loving, beautiful, wonderful experience. Then when Teilee is 20 and Landis is 17, and I inevitably come across one of their size 2T pairs of pants I will think longingly of that time when they could wear them but I will also remember that I cherished it then too.

No TV + No Facebook = hunger

Tomorrow will be the week mark of no TV and facebook. The kids haven't asked once to watch anything and really aren't missing it. Like I anticipated, it has been hardest for me and for Nick. We really, really, really want to flick on the TV after the kids are in bed and he is home and just veg. I am hoping this desire will fade and be replaced with a better relaxation habit. Already the programing of flipping over to facebook whenever I am on the computer is fading and that is a good thing. I do miss it, and there was one occasion where I really needed to get on so that I could get some contact info on someone. (I couldn't remember for the life of me what her buisness was named and so couldn't find it on etsy.) I resisted and found it elsewhere, whew, crisis averted! The tricky part is figuring out what crosses the line. Online TV, no. You Tube, yes. Downloaded netflicks, a definite no. Computer games, yes. Blog, yes. I think I might step it up a notch each week. Maybe this next week I will cut out either computer games or you tube, cutting out the other the next week. Then maybe I will cut out the blog for my final week. It is hard to distinguish where the line is and how far I want to take it. I think I might even reintroduce things slowly and with limits so that we don't go overboard when the restirction is lifted. That way we won't be starved for TV and ravinously binge on the devil.

Doctor update!

Briefly had to update. Just got back from my kinesiologist where we went over my neurological test results. My cortisol, Epinephrine, and norepinephrine levels were low. My Norepinephrine levels were the lowest he has ever seen. These are the chemicals in the brain that help with energy, they get you up out of bed in the morning. He said if he didn't know me and was just looking at the paper he would be shocked to see that person out of bed. Very, very validating. I have definitely been struggling with energy, and struggling to function normally everyday. The good news is that my Serotonin levels are back up. Last year that number was the lowest he had ever seen. Also the chemical that regulates anxiety is back to normal and I definitely feel that. I am soooooo excited to fix the few issues I have with some quality supplements and get back to ruling the world:)

hiphopopatamus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FArZxLj6DLk

Day 1

Of all days to begin with no TV. Couldn't I just say April Fools I was just kidding about not watching TV or using facebook? I am thinking that I should strengthen my resolve and unplug the computer for a few days. I definitely use these mediums to curve boredom, insanity, and mental clutter. I have had a long day. Teilee has shown her skills in defiance and Landis is refusing sleep. Usually I could tune out and turn on the TV. Clearly I must develop better coping skills for these situations;)

Yesterday the kids and I were in the car headed home when Teilee informed me what it would be like if she "ran the world".
The sky would be white, the clouds blue, the lakes green, the snow purple, the trees would have purple leaves, pine cones would be green, the grass would be rainbow, and the mountains would be red in the fall. Houses would have a "wee bit of green on them". Everyone would have 1 cat and 1 dog. Everyone would have the same stuff so no one would ever be jealous. There would be no cars, no motorcycles, no gas stations and we all would have bicycles. Lastly school would only be for one day in the winter.
Even though I was driving I scrambled to write this all down so that it would not evaporate from my memory (as so many things do).

I am headed now to read a book while picturing a rainbow world full of bikes and void of jealousy.