Around Here
AROUND HERE we've decided to have a no-TV summer. With the exception of maybe a movie night once a week/every couple of weeks, the TV is going to be off for the duration. Swimming, bikes, toys, running, playing outside, hanging out in the yard, reading books, making up things to play, playing together, more swimming - that's what I want our summer to be about. Most recently the TV has just been creating grouchy kids and I'm done with that...they might be grouchy for other reasons but it won't be because they can't watch another round of stuff on TV.
AROUND HERE I'm feeling really thankful to whoever it was that recently recommend The Family Dinner: Great Ways To Connect With Your Kids, One Meal At A Time. I cracked it open tonight and was inspired from the first few pages. I think it helps that this is really the mind-set I'm in right now (see TV comments above). We eat at the table together most nights (at least the kids and I do - it's been crazy the last six months for Chris while the legislature is in session) but I've been feeling worn down about the process lately and really just needed some inspiration to help me refocus on all the benefits that come from entering the kitchen with a positive attitude, having a plan & sticking to it, involving the kids in the process, and creating these really lovely daily rituals that I hope will have ripple effects throughout their lives. I haven't cooked any of the meals yet and I haven't read the whole thing (there's lots of content beyond the recipes - antidotes, quotes, and other inspiration), but from what I've seen so far and the inspiration I got from just browsing through, I can't wait to really dive in and implement some of the ideas. The Family Dinner also has a blog with recent posts (including recipes and table talk suggestions) here.
AROUND HERE Anna's big girl bed (a twin mattress set) was delivered yesterday and she spent the night in it last night. She'd been napping in a big girl bed at Kim's house and slept on a twin mattress at my parents last weekend. She was so excited to come home and find her new bed in place and all ready for her to climb into (and jump on a couple times of course). I went in to check on her before I went to bed around midnight and as I was re-arranging her so that her legs pointed toward the end of the bed she sat straight up in that wonderful-mid-sleep-state and said, "I got a big girl bed." Then she laid back down, snuggled right in, and went back to sleep.
AROUND HERE all she wants to wear is pink or purple and often both at the same time.
AROUND HERE the Harry Potter Knight Bus lego just arrived and Simon is loving driving it all around. He was playing with it on our back patio and when I told him to come inside he went through a whole routine of getting the guys ready to go just like in the movie, including saying where in our house he was headed. When he was putting it together he asked me how it was going to squish together like it does in the film.
AROUND HERE he has just a few more days of third grade. Seriously.
AROUND HERE the legislature just a few more weeks (hopefully) in the 2011 session.
AROUND HERE I've got lots of projects in progress (such is the creative life). My office is full of stuff I'm in the middle of: a class using my Italy photos from last year, compiling content from Yesterday & Today into an eBook, One Little Word prompts for upcoming months, Designer Digitals product ideas, a layout using the June Studio AE stamps, etc. My mind is full of things I want to do in the garden and around the house: painting, weeding, re-arranging.
AROUND HERE I'm excited about the Your Story Retreat next weekend. I'm looking forward to a new experience.
AROUND HERE my heart is happy for summer.
A big girl bed???? Surely not???? She was only born just a few short months ago wasn't she? I am loving the "around here" prompts... thanks for sharing your life and cleverness with us. ;)
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Love the no TV rule. I also love Anna's new comforter. I've been looking for a white one with little flowers for my little girls room. I stumbled upon a duvet at Target but it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for. I was curious where you found yours. Thanks!
Thanks for the reply! That is the exact one I found at Target and liked the blue but loved the underside more. What you did is exactly what I was thinking of doing and hoping I'd like it. Glad to see it worked for you!
It's from Target - the Dwell Studio one. The white is actually the "underside" and the other is blue with flowers.
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Thanks for posting about that book. We are currently working with a ABA therapist to help with mealtime routines and this book might come in handy. Pulling our intensely focused child off of the computer at mealtimes without a meltdown is our goal :) We recently cut waaay back on TV because of the transition issues we were having. Crossing our fingers this helps!
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My Husband and I got rid of cable this summer as well. We want to be outside as much as possible!!!! Reading books,going for bike rides walks!!!! etc. Summer for sure needs to be lived:)
So, excited for yesterday and today being a e-book! loved that workshop and can't wait to revisit it!!!!
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Hooray for Family Dinner! My husband travels a LOT (last year was 40 weeks gone) and it *IS* hard to do the family dinner every single night without feeling a little put out from time to time. I've found that when I approached dinner a little differently, it became the best part of the day.
We play the question game during dinner. Each person asks a question and each person answers every question. The only rule? It has to be an open ended question - no yes or no answers allowed. Sometimes the questions are easy (what is your favorite color/food/movie/toy) and sometimes more intense (how do you feel about rainy days/friends moving/end of school), but it's been a wonderful way to learn more about my kids and to have them learn more about me too.
Good luck Ali!
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yay! So glad you are enjoying the Family Dinner book! I've been loving mine too...need to dig into it a bit more and implement some of the stuff! :) Anna reminds me of Arden with her girly pink and purple ruffles! so cute!
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Love these posts Ali, I hope you and your family have a wonderful summer. Go you for making it TV free.
I love Anna's big girl bed, and there is nothing wrong with pink and purple, together or alone, they are princess colors and she is a princess.
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Ali - Love, love, love that you are taking the reigns on controlling the TV. Such a huge undertaking, one that I've thought about, but have never been able to commit. I also love that you are looking at the family dinner book. I need to put that one on my list. And I love that Miss Anna has a big girl bed. We have an almost 3 year old and she has been in hers for a couple of months now and absolutely loves it. The pink walls are beautiful with the white bed linens. What color is that?
Good luck to you in your adventure without TV!
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The end of 3rd grade & a big girl bed. They grow up so fast, don't they?
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during summer break between 5th and 6th grade my mom took the television cords, put them in her handbag and took them to work. She had enough of the fighting over the clicker...and we didn't even have cable so we were fighting over maybe ten channels:) She did it almost every summer thereafter and we never cared. These days I actually like tv...but the peace I feel when I shut it off reminds me of suumertime.
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Don't you just love the change in routines that summer brings? Lovely post and it sounds like you have a great summer ahead of you!
Anna and her big girl bed reminds me of when my daughter made that transition years and years ago. Makes me kind of misty!!
Thanks for sharing.
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I love reading your blog. Anna is just more adorable each time I see her and I read Simon's stories with nostalgic fondness for my son's childhood days. He was a huge Lego fan also! He is now a 16 year old learning how to drive, has a girl friend of 1 and 1/2 years, who I must remind to: shave, put on more deodorant after gym, shlep to lacrosse practice. He is a great kid, but I do miss the simpler days when I ran the schedule and he wanted to marry me, before he decided he wanted to marry his cousin Emma, who just graduated from high school last night! I revisit those days in my memories when I page through my scrapbooks. Time really does fly. I wish all mother's of young children joy in your time with these angels this summer!
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I think as the weather warms, we'll be leaning toward this- we're already cutting drastically back, as we've noticed the same trend of grumpiness associated with the TV. Thank you for the book reccomendation- I put it on hold before I finished reading the post!
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Love the big girl bed story. My niece was so excited when she moved into hers that she ended up being in the local newspaper in Vermont. She accompanied her parents to Town Meeting and when the moderator asked, at the end of the meeting, if there was any other important news that needed to be brought up, my niece piped right up and announced that she was in a big girl bed. The photographer covering the event got a great photo of her!!!
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Along the lines of no TV, I just read this today. I think it says something for all children. And definitely has me thinking about exposure to all things "electronic". Thanks Ali.
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/story/2011/06/Minority-kids-spend-most-of-their-waking-hours-plugged-in-/48172486/1
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Loving your posts and watching your children grow. Brings back wonderful memories of my girl who is a woman now. We haven't watched tv for about 4 years except for a movie now and then (especially during the winter). We don't miss it. We gradually turned it on less and less and think more for ourselves. However, when with friends we notice that everyone talks about tv or uses a tv show as an example to explain what they are talking about which meets with blank looks from us. They cannot believe that we don't watch tv and often the conversation stalls because they have nothing else to talk about. Its sad really to watch people who just work, come home, eat in front of tv and go to bed. The same thing the next day adding talking about what they saw on tv the night before. To each their own of course. We have found that we have more time to enjoy each other, hobbies, reading, family and something else we had when we were kids - nothing to do - time slows down - to daydream, watch the clouds, journal, and nap. With little ones it might be easier to just put it in a box and store it away. Out of sight, out of mind, no whine ;)
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Its not the kids worried about no tv I would have to say it would be me worring. No CNN,Reality shows. Deadliest catch. I think I would be the one needing help. LOL.
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Loving the pink & purple outfit! LOVE! my daughter is (almost) 6 and still very much in love with those colors & lots of frou. Seeing it on Anna is so precious. Especially in combination with the new bed. what a milestone.
I'm also loving the 'no TV summer'. Good for you guys! I grew up in a non-TV & then 'very little-TV' household and I don't remember once ever saying 'I'm bored' (and I'm still never bored! old habits.I do thank my parents every single day of my life for that decision!)
and because you seem to be reading my mind the past couple of weeks, I, too, am reading Family Dinner and LOVING all the inspiration. I know how to cook & have plenty of recipes, but that book was just the jumpstart I needed to enhance our dinner hour. I saw someone else posted about Dinner, a love story blog- check it out- they're great, too.
and after I say all that- can't wait to see all the creative things you've got going on. Your work is always an inspirational jumping off point for me-
Thanks Ali for sharing such wonderful moments
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So true.. plans with no tv.. let it go.. have movies at times..
tv shows and news.. forget them.
have a great summer.. cook some meals.. have fun as flow..
What a happy girl with a big girl bed.
Thank for sharing.
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LOVE Anna's new BIG GIRL BED!!! Yippeee!!!
LOVE that you are turning off the TV - kids need to learn to play and use their imaginations, go outside and play, ride bikes, build forts and explore. Big kuddos!!! Have a great summer!
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thanks for the book recommendation! just added it to my hold list at the library. :)
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i just love your "around here" posts. such a great way to capture the here & now.
loving the idea of a no tv-summer but I was wondering does this include no Wii time and/or computer for the kids? Now that we're winding down the school year i noticed that my girls' want to play the wii or get on the computer more than normal (there not real big tv watchers with the exception of a few shows that we dvr for them). I was just curious how you're handling that.
Thanks for another wonderful post!
No wii - and very little time on the computer (no movies...only a math site or lego.com).
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We gave up TV the summer before last and it was awesome! No loafing around on the couch all night and there was a lot of book reading that summer........people will think you're nuts (as they did us) but it was great. Since that summer, we only have local TV (thank goodness for PBS) and Netflix for movies and we're still making it work. Enjoy...
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Congrats on the big-girl bed! :)
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We eat dinner together almost every night. I guess it helps that my kids don't have any activities after school or in the evenings. Sometimes it's just a free for all meal but we still sit down at the table. I should be happy about that because I have two teenagers that would rather be somewhere else but I appreciate the time to talk about things like school, etc. with them. And how I wish we could cut out the tv for the summer! We will be on holidays for the first two weeks of July and I know my kids will be in withdrawal but it's good for them to step away from the electronics since they are bombarded with them at every turn!
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