Resolutions

In case you are wondering how Stan's New Year's Resolutions are coming, I thought I would give you a quick update. You know the ones about us spending less time on the computer, watching no tv, and doing school every, single day?! Novel idea, I know -- you would think I would have gotten the every, single day part down after, what....eleven years of this?!

Anyway, here we are after two weeks of very limited computer time, no television (except 24 the past two nights, because, well, we begged and begged, and Dad really wanted to watch it too!), and school every day. And you know what? The kids are actually doing great - Lyndsey and Graham are being much more imaginative in their playtime and I feel like we have done more school in the past two weeks than I sometimes feel I get done in two months! It is really amazing how much television must stunt the imaginative side of the brain, because my kids have never watched a whole lot of tv anyway and they only watch things like Little House on the Prairie, The Cosby Show, and Walker, Texas Ranger - they don't even watch "modern" shows at all (except 24 and that was totally my fault and I take full responsibility for our addiction) -- yet, in the past two weeks I have seen their imaginations go crazy! It's true, imaginations are a little messy --we now have a really deep hole in our back yard full of black mud (and China is nowhere in sight), it seems that clay, play dough, and other crafty things are always strewn all over the dining room table, and we have played quite a few rounds of Sorry and Life --but, it has been good.

How is mom holding up, you might wonder? Well, I am good with the computer thing and I don't like tv anyway (except 24, but we have covered that). The school every, single day is the one that is stressing me a little! I am exhausted! It's kind of funny, I have several friends who are the type that just have to check every box on the curriculum list, they have to do every math problem in the book. These people always seem to be a little stressed and some of them only have one or two children. They always ask me why I am not more stressed out and I have four! Now I know the answer. I have been sitting at the park while they have been making sure that every math problem in the book is done! In other words, they were actually doing their job and I was being a slacker! Now that I am actually up and at it every single morning, man, I'm tired!

So, we will see if the resolutions stick. I'm definitely keeping the television one - I have prayed for years that Stan would get rid of our tv altogether....but, then 24 came out.... :) The computer limitations are really good - I get on, get off -- it is much more effective. School, well, we will see about this one. Some days this time of year, the beach just calls my name, and after all, Joshua and Bryce have turned out great - and we spent lots of January days at the beach when they were little! Lyndsey and Graham are really starting to like books more than they used to, so I am picturing a lot of hours curled on the couch reading.....and calling it school. That's what I love about what we do -- the world is our classroom.

Hope all of you have had great success with your 2009 Resolutions! Many blessings for the new year to all of you!