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If all went well, you can now comment on my entries. I'm a little reluctant to add this feature because I have heard comment spamming and trolls are increasingly a problem, but I'll give a try because I want to hear from you!
Monday, November 10, 2003
Saturday, November 08, 2003
Deprived Children
We are the only U.S. household without cable and without gaming systems according to my 14 year old sons. That makes them deprived and their parents depraved.
My husband and I gave away our TV after we first married and did not miss it at all. I confess, though, I bought a TV, VCR and a Lion King tape exactly ten days after we adopted the boys (at almost six years of age). I swore I would never use TV as a babysitter, but I needed a break, and so did they, from such intense emotions and the hard work of building parental attachments.
We are still stingy with watching TV and renting a movie is a "big event" at our home. We enjoy the family time immensely, and because rentals are so sparse, we can always find a good movie for the family. We watch classics (African Queen is the parent's favorite), musicals (the twins learned the songs from My Fair Lady when they were 8 years old), westerns (got to give in to the testosterone in this all male house occasionally), comedies (very difficult to find an acceptable comedy film for children, so we reverted to Love Bug. Note to self - try the Marx Brothers next time.) You get the idea.
This is not at all where I was going with the post. It has been our position not to have gaming systems in the house. The boys are free to buy their own and play all day and all night once they have their own house. Our concern is the addictive nature of games to young boys. Reality, not virtual reality, offers so much and one of our parental goals is to introduce our children to all sorts of experiences. Then they can sort it out and choose what they want to do. So we take nature hikes together, we bake together, we work wood together, we try our hands at crafts, we had a summer of photography (Ricky was Grand Champion in our county and then got a blue ribbon at state fair), we go for night cruises in the country, we watch stars, we go to the Philharmonic together, we go to art, science, history museums, and we work together.
Parents: "Life is good." Sons: "We want a PS2."
So back to the original point. No gaming system in the house.
Ron shared with me that he plans to build a cabin in the meadow next summer. Great, I think, woodworking and nature interests stuck. But no, he continued, "And I will buy a PS2, computer, TV, DVD to put in it, so they won't be in the house."
We are the only U.S. household without cable and without gaming systems according to my 14 year old sons. That makes them deprived and their parents depraved.
My husband and I gave away our TV after we first married and did not miss it at all. I confess, though, I bought a TV, VCR and a Lion King tape exactly ten days after we adopted the boys (at almost six years of age). I swore I would never use TV as a babysitter, but I needed a break, and so did they, from such intense emotions and the hard work of building parental attachments.
We are still stingy with watching TV and renting a movie is a "big event" at our home. We enjoy the family time immensely, and because rentals are so sparse, we can always find a good movie for the family. We watch classics (African Queen is the parent's favorite), musicals (the twins learned the songs from My Fair Lady when they were 8 years old), westerns (got to give in to the testosterone in this all male house occasionally), comedies (very difficult to find an acceptable comedy film for children, so we reverted to Love Bug. Note to self - try the Marx Brothers next time.) You get the idea.
This is not at all where I was going with the post. It has been our position not to have gaming systems in the house. The boys are free to buy their own and play all day and all night once they have their own house. Our concern is the addictive nature of games to young boys. Reality, not virtual reality, offers so much and one of our parental goals is to introduce our children to all sorts of experiences. Then they can sort it out and choose what they want to do. So we take nature hikes together, we bake together, we work wood together, we try our hands at crafts, we had a summer of photography (Ricky was Grand Champion in our county and then got a blue ribbon at state fair), we go for night cruises in the country, we watch stars, we go to the Philharmonic together, we go to art, science, history museums, and we work together.
Parents: "Life is good." Sons: "We want a PS2."
So back to the original point. No gaming system in the house.
Ron shared with me that he plans to build a cabin in the meadow next summer. Great, I think, woodworking and nature interests stuck. But no, he continued, "And I will buy a PS2, computer, TV, DVD to put in it, so they won't be in the house."
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
Aunts
Fall break was last weekend, so the boys and I headed for Indy for a few days to visit my niece. Aimee is a delightful young woman, gracious hostess and fun. The boys were quite taken with their beautiful 25 year old cousin. By balancing boy activities with women activities, fun was had by all. Pacers game and Art Institute, Indy 500 museum and canal walk, Jillians and long conversations.
During one of our conversations, Aimee started quizzing me about my life, anxious to hear my story. I was nonplussed. This is what I do with my aunts!
Fall break was last weekend, so the boys and I headed for Indy for a few days to visit my niece. Aimee is a delightful young woman, gracious hostess and fun. The boys were quite taken with their beautiful 25 year old cousin. By balancing boy activities with women activities, fun was had by all. Pacers game and Art Institute, Indy 500 museum and canal walk, Jillians and long conversations.
During one of our conversations, Aimee started quizzing me about my life, anxious to hear my story. I was nonplussed. This is what I do with my aunts!
River Time
There was a full moon last night so we went down to the river to burn off the brush pile created by the new trail Eddie blazed. By the full moon and bright firelight, Steve wrote poetry, Ron started on the code for his first computer game, and Rick drew a cartoon satire of Lord of the Rings while Eddie and I played lap dulcimers. He taught me how to accompany him on an old russion folk song. He was all over the place while I played 1-2 and-3-4 in a minor key. What a treat for a weeknight.
There was a full moon last night so we went down to the river to burn off the brush pile created by the new trail Eddie blazed. By the full moon and bright firelight, Steve wrote poetry, Ron started on the code for his first computer game, and Rick drew a cartoon satire of Lord of the Rings while Eddie and I played lap dulcimers. He taught me how to accompany him on an old russion folk song. He was all over the place while I played 1-2 and-3-4 in a minor key. What a treat for a weeknight.
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
Monday, November 03, 2003
Just Damn!
I let King Kitty in the house about half an hour ago and he made this strange clanging sound as he walked across the kitchen floor. Wha??? Steve is on his way to the emergency vet after removing a leg trap and I just finished cleaning up the blood. Damn those new neighbors. There is no need to set traps. Get a cat and a dog or go back to the city.
I let King Kitty in the house about half an hour ago and he made this strange clanging sound as he walked across the kitchen floor. Wha??? Steve is on his way to the emergency vet after removing a leg trap and I just finished cleaning up the blood. Damn those new neighbors. There is no need to set traps. Get a cat and a dog or go back to the city.
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