Book Review: The Love Letters Book Series (for kids)

I was given a copy of these books in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

As a Christian parent, my goal is to always point my children to Jesus in any situation. And I love sharing books with my children. So I was delighted when I had the opportunity to review a series of books by Soraya Diase Coffelt called The Love Letters Book Series.

Each book is about a holiday that is widely celebrated, and describes the origin of each one.

In It's Not About You, Mr. Pumpkin, a child writes a letter to a jack-o-lantern to share what they learned about this seemingly innocent and fun holiday that we know as Halloween. Personally, I've had trouble teaching my children about the true origins of Halloween and why we shun the glorification of anything "spooky". It is literally everywhere in October (and really most of the year). Bright illustrations combined with geography and historical facts help the child learn why certain things are done at Halloween, and help the parent start a discussion with their child about these traditions. I really appreciate this unique book and it will be one that I pull out again closer to Halloween!

It's Not About You, Mrs. Turkey is also a fun, colorful look at the history of our Thanksgiving holiday. It gets kids to look past the traditional feast on that day, while still acknowledging that all the festivities are fun and delicious. Again, the child writes a letter (this time to a turkey) explaining their newfound knowledge of the pilgrims and the persecution they escaped as well as God's provision they experienced in their new home.

In It's Not About You, Mr. Santa Claus, our friend is back again with another letter to the jolly guy in the red suit to share the story of the first Christmas. I especially like the ending where the child invites Santa Claus to ask Jesus into his heart. I think that is a sweet touch for families that may have embraced the Santa Claus tradition in their home.

Each book has a Scripture in the beginning, as well as a dedication to Jesus Christ and the author's family. At the end of each one is an invitation to the reader to accept Jesus as Lord. Mrs. Coffelt's foundation, As the Stars of the Sky, works to promote literacy in children, something I am also very passionate about. I am definitely looking forward to her future books! They are such a fun and informative way to look at holidays, and direct children to Jesus Christ!

Linking up with: 
Hearts for Home
I Choose Joy
A Little R&R 
Whole Hearted Wednesday
Hip Homeschool Moms 

Speaking Good Things Over Our Children

One day after my two older children had left on an outing with their grammy, I was home alone with my three year old son and napping three month old daughter.

I received a phone call from my husband who had been at work all day, and I was eager to talk to him. As we were chatting, my three year old ran into the room, and began to play with the baby's swing. He pushed it roughly, and switched on buttons, and music played, while the swing rocked quickly forward and back without the weight of a baby in it.

"Stop messing with the swing!" I snapped, more interested in getting back to my conversation with my husband.

The three year old switched the buttons off, and then on again in a flash, and ran out of the room.

"Little turkey!" I yelled.

"I not a turkey!" he yelled back.

"Did he just say he's not a turkey?" my husband laughed. "You can have what you say, you know."

That phrase. "You can have what you say." I know it to be true. But how often do I observe outward appearances and call it as I see it? Had the stress of motherhood made me forget to speak good things over my children, rather than just labeling them by the looks of their behavior?

Our culture applauds those who "say what's real", and so we value people when they make seemingly accurate observations. As Christians, though, we're called to go beyond that. To see beyond the see-able. To see what God sees.

In Genesis, we see the universe in chaos. Thankfully, God chose to see past that. He said, "let there be light."

My son came back in the room. "You're a blessing," I said to him.

"OH! Thank you, mom!" he beamed.

Our children need us to remind them how God sees them- not just how their behavior causes them to appear- and certainly not how they make us feel in a moment of tension. God's word is a mirror- to us, and to them.
Let's build up our children to be the awesome men and women God has called them to be!

What phrases can you speak over your children to affirm who they are in Christ?

Linking up with:
Mama Moments Mondays
Teaching What is Good 

Inviting Cooperation from Young Children

I just celebrated my youngest guy's second birthday this month! Could it already be? I swear I was just telling you all that I was expecting him!

At any rate, he is quickly gaining independence and communication skills and reaching other important milestones so fast. It can be hard to keep up with all the changes, am I right, moms? I feel like I was just getting the hang of mothering this baby, and now he's already into "young child" territory!

Are you in the same season with your little one(s)? Or maybe you work with toddlers or preschoolers on a regular basis. Whatever the case, we could all stand to take a minute and see things from a young child's perspective for a minute to figure out ways to best communicate with them to make our days run a little more smoothly! Today, I'm revisiting some of the ways that have helped me deal gently, but effectively my little guy (and that I still frequently use with my older children now ages 4 ½ and 7).  I'm honored to share these tips as a guest on my friend Jenni Mullinix's blog! Join me over there today and share any additional ways you know of to invite cooperation from toddlers and preschoolers! (Click the link to continue reading!)








  

 

Fun Read Aloud Chapter Books for Young Children

Did you know that this week is Children's Book Week? I didn't (until this morning), so it's by happy little coincidence that I'm writing this blog post (that I started working on last night). :-)

In our house, we love books! Oddly enough, we have never really developed the habit of bedtime story reading with our children until now. I have an almost seven year old, and a four-and-a-half year old (plus a toddler; who's NOT yet reading) who are both independent readers. So, aside from our school time reading together, the majority of their reading is solo. Enter chapter books! They don't yet read longer, more involved material by themselves, so it has been a wonderful way for me to bond with my big littles, and a way for me to get to read some classics that I somehow didn't get around to reading as a child. It's a win-win!

We started reading a chapter at bedtime most nights. There were times when we fell out of the habit of reading at night when dinner was served too late too many nights in a row, but for the most part, it has been a habit we've come to really look forward to.

Here is a list of the books we've covered so far this school year, and brief(ish) thoughts about what we liked (and didn't quite like) about them!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- This is one classic on this list that I actually read (and more than once at that) during my childhood. I always dreamt of visiting the chocolate factory, and this did not fail to inspire chocolatey dreams in my offspring, either. It was easy to read, because we were eager to see what happened next. Would little Charlie Bucket find a coveted Golden Ticket? Oh, the suspense! ;-) (There is some mild language in this one- but if I remember right, it's of the donkey-inspired variety).

James and the Giant Peach- We liked this one too, but the book about Charlie is still the favored of author Roald Dahl in our collective opinion. I wasn't a fan of James' aunts or the manner in which he came to live with them (parents were eaten by a rhinoceros or something). I felt that it was a tad brutal (okay, a lot of Dahl's stories include things along these lines, to be fair), but the children didn't seem to get caught up on it (probably due to the ridiculousness of being eaten by a wild animal on a city street), though I may have purposely raced past that part! (Ditto on the language- I actually don't remember what but just be warned that it's there!)

Winnie the Pooh- Oh, my! What a wonderful book. It was equally pleasing to my six year old boy and four year old girl. They of course were already familiar with the characters in the book because of the Disney movie adaptation, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, but it did not fail to delight them in any way. That "silly old bear of very little brain" is even more endearing to me in print than he is on screen, and you get to see even more of the sweet and silly machinations of his fluffy brain in the book.

The House at Pooh Corner- More Pooh songs and delightful interactions between these beloved characters. It's a must-read if you like the first one (I should say if you've read the first one- of course you liked it). I love the humor and wit that AA Milne weaves through these stories. And we all loved getting to know these friends even more. Consider yourself warned, though, I teared up at the end!

Little Britches- While I really liked this story, it was definitely a challenge to get through! I think the material was a bit mature for my children, and a semi-tedious book for a four and six year old to sit through, but they still enjoyed it quite a bit despite this (I should note that it was not located in the children's section of the library- also, there are some instances of swearing in this book, but was easy enough to substitute "darn" for " !@#$%^&*" and stuff like that.) I had come across this title in a thread about chapter books somewhere on Facebook. I think it was recommended to someone who was looking for a book similar to Little House on the Prairie books, but for boys. It was definitely that, but a little later chronologically. What I really liked about it, personally, was that it kind of gave me a glimpse of what life was like for of one of my great-grandfathers. He actually lived in this area around the time set in the book (1906). Anyway, there are lots of character-building lessons in this story, but admittedly, many of them were kind of over the heads of my babies at the time. Needless to say, this one might be a good one to save for your older littles.

Pippi Longstocking- Oh, Pippi! How we loved your amusing antics. I remember watching Pippi Longstocking on television as a child, but never really read the book. She appeals so much to my unconventional side, and I really appreciate how she boldly "lives her truth". Ha. True, some probably won't appreciate the trouble she gets into, but it also can open up a dialog with your children of why certain behavior probably isn't a good idea or very realistic. Still, there were plenty of laughs while we read this book- and the children were definitely captivated by Pippi and her adventures.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle- This favorite by Beverly Cleary was fun for us to read. The children especially enjoyed the sound effects (enthusiastically provided by yours truly). Ralph is certainly a charming character, and I think we can all relate to his story! (I also appreciate some of the questions that came up because of the time period of this book...like, "Mom, what is aspirin?" Ha ha!)

Mary Poppins- I almost didn't start reading this book to the children because of some of the mixed reviews I read. Actually, we are not quite finished with it, so hopefully we don't run into any of the negative things people have said about this. Most of them being related to Mary's attitude- they found her to be mean and nasty in some parts. Well, she's definitely not like the character in the movie version of the book, but mean and nasty? Not really (in my opinion)- especially after seeing shows like Super Nanny, it's easy to see that British nannies commonly take a no-nonsense approach (unless that's just a made-for-TV stereotype) and Mary Poppins would naturally NOT be the "Spoonful of Sugar" offering peach of a caretaker as portrayed in the Disney movie. They have many adventures, for sure, and it's really a fun read for the children and I (at least so far- I hope I don't run into any zingers in the last couple chapters!)

What are some of your favorite chapter books for kids?

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Meditate on These Things

This morning I sat with my five year old while he was watching television. Suddenly, the network was having what we grown-ups call "technical difficulties". (Children call it "the-world-is-coming-to-an-abrubt-halt", by the way). Something was wrong with the audio, as in the program went completely silent. We switched the audio selection to the Spanish option (which in this case, for some reason, wasn't actually Spanish, but an option for the visually impaired- so the program played with the usual audio plus a running narrative of everything taking place). My son was happy with this, even though I kept telling him to check if the regular audio was working. Thankfully, it starting working properly again after a few minutes.

Well.

Apparently we hadn't seen (or heard) the last of the issues from our (usually) trusty public television station. The signal started getting interrupted, and we saw the digital equivalent of static for several minutes.

"Mom, it isn't working! I'm never, ever going watch TV for the rest of the day!" he declared, with tears nearly welling up in his eyes. (He could totally win an Oscar someday).

In my mommy-wisdom, I quickly suggested, "but think about all the times you watch TV and it's not messed up."

In that moment, I saw myself in him, and recognized all the times I have had the same reaction to my husband over silly things (and of course, the not silly things too!)

"Oh-my-word-our-marriage-is-in-serious-danger-how-could-you-make-such-an-awful-mistake-and-believe-that-we-could-still-be-happily-married-how-DO-you-live-with-yourself?" (Ahem. I never claimed to be totally mature. At least not publicly.)

God is always challenging me to look for the positive in the situation (I confess, I sometimes have trouble with this one). To keep track of the good things my husband does, they ways he exhibits good decision making skills, and whatnot. I think as humans, we usually have the tendency to focus on the negative and let it paint the whole picture for us. To view the world through smoke colored spectacles. But if we'll regularly take notice of the good, we will find that it far exceeds the bad, or unpleasant. We should have logged in our memory all the great things they've done and when they make a mistake (like we often do! Hello.) it should be no big deal. That's just one reason why the Bible instructs us to meditate on good things.

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."  Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

Today, I'm challenging you (and me) to pause for a moment and take note of the "true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy" things your husband has done and quickly overlook the momentary static. Think about all the times your marriage is right!

Do you struggle in this area too? Let's start here. What is something admirable about your husband that you'd like to share?

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Bottles, Barbecue, the Bookstore and Blessings

"So, I just need you to know, that when you wake up, Grammy will be here, and Mommy and Daddy are going to go out. We'll be gone for a little while, but Grammy will take care of you. Brother and Sister will be here too. Also, Mommy put some milk in something called 'a bottle' for you. It will be plenty until Mommy gets home. You'll drink it pretty much the same way your normally drink your milk...well...sort of."

He seemed to understand.

As soon as my husband got home from work, we were out the door, not sure of how much time we'd be afforded to reconnect. Not only are we celebrating six years of marriage today, but last night was the first date night we've had since late in my pregnancy. (I tried to "tough it out" til the end, but even getting in and out of the car was major drama past 36 weeks or so!) So, it was the first night out for us since our youngest blessing came on the scene. (He is two months old today!)

We decided we'd go out for a quick bite to eat, and then go from there (we needed to be able to pack up and run in case the baby just wasn't having it). Barbecue seemed simple enough and since they had their ingredients listed online (I knew what I could safely eat), that's where we ended up. Plus, they have really good iced tea. That's important! Also, I think I ate a half cup of barbecue sauce...no kidding! Anyway, we finished our food, and after checking in with Grammy, my husband looked at me and said "what next?" I suggested going to browse at the bookstore (one of our go-to date night activities), so we were off to our favorite used bookstore.

We walked into the store, and it was like seeing an old friend. Except our friend had gotten a "facelift" since the last time we met. They had done some remodeling in recent months, apparently. Completely exciting. We ended up finding some old VHS movies for the kids for fifty cents a piece, and my husband hit up the clearance CD's. I also found a couple of marriage books (one of which I've been interested in reading for a while), all for really cheap. (You'll probably see us on an episode of "Hoarders" in the near future. The bookstore does that to us. Just sayin'.)

In case that wasn't enough romance (hee hee), we stopped by a local retail store for some diapers and a few "back to school" essentials. Then we just drove for a while and chatted about our future, and our hopes to be able to move into a bigger place soon. It was nice to get away and be able to talk without interruption for a while. And I realized that getting out is SO essential, not only for our marriage, but for me personally. (And all the mommies said "amen!")

To my delight, when we returned home, I learned that my little guy drank five ounces out of his bottle with no issues (my daughter never took a bottle- so I was a little nervous that he might do the same). He was asleep on Grammy's lap and the older two were excited to see us. Later that evening, my daughter looked at me and said, "I missed you, Mom!"

As we start a new year of marriage, I realize once again just how blessed we are. God is showing us great things (as always) as we continue to trust Him. That, I believe is the key to being happy and content in marriage...and really life in general: Trust Him! I know it sounds so cliche, but it's true!

So, Happy Anniversary to us! And happy two month birthday to our little guy!

What are you celebrating today?

Blessings. (But Mostly the Other Stuff that Happened on Sunday Morning...)

The children woke easily to bribes promises of cereal bars on the way to church. The morning would be a little rushed, but we would make it on time to church. My son's clothes were laid out, all he had to do was get dressed, and put on his socks and shoes. My daughter got out of bed, and I started to get her ready. I thought I would get her dressed, and while she was putting on her socks and shoes, I would finish putting on my make up, and we'd be good to go.

"Mom...I can't find my sneakers!" called my almost 5 year old.

This is where it gets interesting. I finished getting my 2 year old dressed and sent her to put her socks and shoes on. The boy had just had his shoes the night before, and he's supposed to put them away on the changing table. Every. Single. Day. I tell him. (Okay, every single day he wears his shoes- the majority of the time we stay home, so it really isn't every day- but still...the 2 year old gets it!)

Mind you, I wasn't finished getting ready yet. I stop what I was doing, thinking they must be under the couch or one of the other usual hiding places for his shoes. He looked in all the places I told him, and...no shoes.

After a few minutes of searching, I realize it's time to go. He's only wearing his shirt, pants and socks. Oh yeah...and it's raining. After a week straight of 83 degree highs and sunshine. Go figure.

I sent out an "SOS" text to the other teacher on the schedule in children's ministry letting her know we were now running late. A few minutes later, she responds letting me know that she had just been awakened by my text message!

Sigh. Okay.

I make a quick call to another "off duty" teacher to see if she can cover for me til I arrive. All I can say is "thank God for people I know I can always count on!" (Even if I'm not one of them!)

Finally, I give up on finding the boy's sneakers. "Get your sandals and put them on over your socks." In his room, I hand him a sandal. "Where is the other one?!" This is the part where I lost it. Just a little. I frantically search for the matching sandal for a few minutes whilst verbally expressing my frustration at his lack of diligence. (Yes, I know he's four). Finally, the other sandal is located, and I send him on his way, and get back in the bathroom to finish getting ready.

I hear him struggling in the other room to put them on his feet. Did I mention these are sandals he has basically outgrown? Yep. So with the too-snug sandals and socks finally on his feet, we make it out the door and on our way.

Miraculously, I was not a basket case by this point. God is so good. Remember the rain? It was still coming down, of course. As I drove along the wet asphalt, I realized how perfect His timing is. Earlier in the week, my husband was able to put four new tires on the van. And just yesterday? We had the majorly cracked windshield replaced. (Both things were LONG overdue by most standards). Amazing. Driving in the rain can be a tad scary in these parts, since it is such a seldom occurrence. Plus we have a lot of "winter visitors" with "questionable" driving skills around this time of year. I'm just so blessed to know that He saw ahead to supply new tires and a new windshield for a time I would definitely need them!

Oh, and the sneakers? We finally found them. After church. In the hamper.

What blessings (or obstacles!) have come your way recently?

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The Banana Incident

That my son is particular about his food is an understatement. Just recently, while we were waiting for company to arrive one Saturday morning, he asked for a banana.

He loves bananas, and he's quite methodical about the way he eats them. I open it for him, peel it down slightly and he'll take a couple of bites. Then, he takes the peel off the rest of the way, and throws it in the garbage. He's really rather predictable.

So, after serving his banana to him, I went about my usual business.

Then I heard a cry. I went in to see what was the matter, and distraught, he tells me, "my banana is BROKEN!" It had broken right in half. (I guess he got a little too enthusiastic whilst peeling it).

"Oh, well that's okay. You can still eat it," I offered.

"No! It's BROKEN!" he replied, followed by a short period of wailing. "I need another one."

After attempting to explain to him that his banana was perfectly fine, and in fact, still edible, I realized there was just no reasoning with him. I reluctantly let him have a new banana.

I guess this just wasn't his morning for bananas, because moments later the scene was repeated. Ever the cool and collected mama, I shouted "no more bananas!" which was met with more wailing. "Sorry, Bud...we can't keep wasting bananas because you don't want to eat broken ones," I explained once I gathered my wits.

Thankfully, a couple of banana-incident-free days passed and one morning he asked for another banana.

Well, wonder of wonders, he managed to break yet another banana. Unbelievable! This must have been one of those things that I was made to repeat until I got it right. Why a broken banana? I may never be sure. But amazingly, I came up with a solution that pleased the four year old banana breaker.

I dug in a kitchen drawer to find a pack of rarely-used toothpicks. I stuck two picks into the bottom portion of the banana, and stuck the top portion on top of the toothpicks and presented it to my son. "Look, it's not broken any more."

"Oh!" he said, pleased with the result. He happily ate the "repaired" banana and life went on. (And he was able to eat AROUND the toothpicks with no issue for those that are wondering.)

What kind of mommy drama have you survived lately?

Linking up today for the brand new blog hop, Mommy Monday at Simply Prudent. Be sure to visit for more mommy-hood posts! (And link up if you have a post to share!)

What I'm into this Month- July 2011 Edition

Oh boy, time for the July edition of "What I'm into this Month!" Are you super excited? I am! Let's begin, shall we?

On My Nightstand: Gone with the Wind, Understanding Waldorf Education.

Want to Read: The other books on my shelf! I seriously need to stop this compulsive accumulation of books! I have tons of books that I haven't even cracked open yet. (Don't tell my husband I admitted this problem- he might try to keep me accountable! Lol!)

TV Show Worth Watching: None. Sorry. I just haven't been into television.

Movie I've Seen (in or out of theater): Did You Hear About the Morgans? Actually, I don't remember if this was July or not, but it's the most recent movie I've watched. It was really cute, and it had a positive message that's in favor of marriage, which you don't see too much of in romantic comedies.

In My Kitchen: This month, I made pickles, applesauce and tomato paste.

The pickles didn't turn out so well. I think I used the wrong kind of cucumber.

The applesauce was made in the slow cooker and turned out good, but I made the mistake of adding a touch of cinnamon, and my son (the purist) wouldn't touch it (the teeny-tiny bit I added turned the whole batch brown)! My daughter loved it though. I peeled and cored & sliced about 5 lbs of apples, added them to the slow cooker with about a half cup of water (not necessary though, the apples have plenty of water). When they had cooked for a few hours, and were tender, I just put them in the blender. (You can probably just use an immersion blender if you have one).

It's nice to know how to make tomato paste (or tomato anything that I would normally buy in a can) but you use so many tomatoes to make such a small amount of finished product. It's kind of a let down in that sense, but at least I know what's in it! I've generally stopped buying canned tomatoes as most cans are lined with BPA and the acidity of the tomatoes causes it to leach into the product. It's good when tomatoes are in season and you can find them in the market for really cheap!

In My Ears: Can we talk about this? I love music, but I often find myself completely forgetting to play it unless I'm driving somewhere. But...I'm home most of the time, so I don't hear very much music. Does anyone else have this issue? I know that it's totally uplifting when it's played in the house and puts me in a better mood. Do you normally make it a point to play music in the house?

Three Newest Blog Reads: Isn't the internet a never-ending source of new stuff to read? Oh my. This month, I found Taste is Trump, I Heart Mesa, and All that is Good. (The first two being a taste of some local bloggery. :P)

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month: My anniversary. It will be five years! It's our "Wood Anniversary." Ack! I need gift ideas! Hopefully we can have a date night at some point...my husband's been working exceedingly long hours. Boo! (I mean, yay! He has a job!) But we haven't been spending much time together. Anywho. I need a wooden gift for my guy.

So, tell me: what are YOU into this month?

Goals for 2011 Revisited

I know if I were the truly goal-oriented type, I would check in on my goals more than semi-annually. I'm working on it! Just this morning, I was reviewing my goals from half a year ago in my journal.

I was actually quite pleased at my progress. That's not to say that I've already accomplished what I set out to improve on entirely, but I'm closer than I was at the beginning of the year. Yay!

Here's the original post about my goals to read in it's entirety if you missed it.

(And for those of you who may desire more rapid growth and more accountability for reaching your goals, check out the 3 in 30 Challenge if you haven't already! There's some great encouragement as well as awesome ideas for making improvements in your life!)

Spiritual Goals:

1. Spend moments alone with God (in prayer and Bible reading) everyday. Put Him first before anything including computer time and chores. Well...I've done alright here. I have kind of been hit & miss with my commitment to have my quiet time before computer time and chores. Maybe that's why I've only been averaging about four days a week in the Word. Hmm.
2. Cultivate the fruit of the Spirit- Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. Not really sure how to measure this one. Perhaps this one would be best broken down into mini-goals, kind of like #4. As in working on one area at a time.
3. Make church a priority. Be excellent in my areas of service. Do what God directs me to do regardless of whether or not my work is acknowledged or appreciated. Keep my eyes on Him! I've been much happier in this area so far because of this attitude. There have been a few times when I didn't make it a point to be involved, but overall, I've done a lot better. Last year, I think I technically attended pretty regularly, but wasn't really "there."
4. Make a habit of speaking the language of praise- stop complaining! Tame my tongue! I'm still working on this one! I've been more challenged in this area lately, so it's time to really focus on this!

Marital Goals:

1. Be positive with my husband. Don't criticize, complain or condemn. Criticizing, complaining and condemning was a habit last year. I think I can say it's less of a habit now. :P I've read one really good book that addresses this called The Surrendered Wife (read at your own risk, it is not by a Christian author) and it really helped me to break the cycle on some of this behavior. I even wrote a post about one attitude change of mine.
2. Keep "covenant" in the forefront of my mind- by doing a Scripture study and/or reading books/listening to teachings that promote covenant in marriage. Honestly, I haven't really gone out of my way to do this! This is one I'll need to focus on in the latter part of the year, apparently! :)
3. Be flexible (this one is a biggie for me!)- Let your immediate answer be "yes" or at the very least "I'll think about it". (So often I am immediately opposed to new ideas- this is a habit that I would like to break this coming year to promote peace in my marriage). See #1.

Maternal Goals:

1. Actively direct P & C to the Lord by sharing Scriptures with them, weaving Biblical lessons into the everyday- don't be afraid to show them my need for the Savior when I mess up, too! Keep them in prayer on a daily basis! I've been fairly diligent to my little ones in prayer (when I have my prayer time!), also, I've been trying to communicate to my son "We treat others they way we want to be treated" especially during those times when he's "less than nice" to his sister. It's been relatively easy to confess my faults to them (when it has something to do with them, of course). I just read this post the other day that gave me some ideas on how to share Scripture with them.
2. Focus on spending quality time with them in instruction, creative play, and just for fun (with no agenda)! Get out of the house on a weekly basis (in addition to church- i.e. to the library, park or elsewhere). Institute regular TV turn-off weeks/days. We did our "Screen-Free Week" but I haven't done much in the way of limiting television other than that. Maybe I will schedule another one for the second part of the year...maybe in the fall. I've also started having "floor time" with them, which is essentially just that. I sit on the floor, and they get to come up with what to do. Sometimes it's reading books, other times it's climbing on top of me. Lol! Getting out of the house has proven more challenging lately since my husband returned to work. He's been gone for most of the day six days a week, and he works too far away for me to drop him off. Hopefully that will change soon! (Though I am thankful he has a job!)
3. Work toward having "real food" be the basis for their diet (and ours too of course)...phase out store bought/processed foods like chicken nuggets. I was really excited when I realized my progress here. I don't remember the last time I bought chicken nuggets! We have had a few times of fast food or tacos from the local Mexican restaurant, but for the most part, they eat real food. I've even been able to phase out the snack-y foods like crackers and such and even cereal to some extent.

Domestic Goals:

1. Cultivate order and beauty in our home. Make it a place of tranquility and hospitality. Go the extra mile to make things "pretty". Fail! Lol! Actually, not really. :) I've been better about keeping things in order, and teaching the children to help out with clean up time. This has been more or less a daily thing, so that's good. I don't know that our home has become any "prettier" since last year. (Unless you count crayon and highlighter scribbles on the wall) :P Just keepin' it real!
2. Find and use one new recipe each month. I have not been purposeful about this. Though I would imagine that I probably do come close this without even thinking about it.
3. Pare down our possessions by doing "27 Fling Boogies" or something similar on a regular basis. Keep stuff I/we love and use, but sell, donate or dispose of other stuff. I have done probably all of 2 "27 Fling Boogies" so far this year. But that's okay! That means we now have 54 fewer unneeded or unwanted items in our home!

Personal Goals:

1. Continue to develop friendships with other women...pray for and be on the look out for a Titus 2- type mentor. I think I've done okay with the first part of this one. As far as a mentor is concerned, I still have not really become "connected" with someone like I need to be. My Pastor's wife is an awesome choice, and I actually have had a couple of meetings with her this year, but I know it would benefit me to meet with her more regularly.
2. Continue to blog regularly- make a schedule of posts every month (you know, so I don't sit around wondering what to blog about every day!). Gain 60 new blog followers in 2011. Well, I don't know if I've blogged as regularly as I set out to, but I've posted usually at least once (sometimes twice) a week. And actually, I think I've come at least close to half way on my goal to gain followers! So that's exciting. (Not sure of the exact number, as I did not record my number of followers at the beginning of the year).
3. Read! Commit to two books per month for a total of 24 in 2011! (And, try to read one book at a time! :D) I've been reading...just not sure how much! I have joined the adult reading program at the library, so that has helped motivate me (I so want to win a reusable bag full of goodies! ;-) It can just be so stinkin' hard to stay committed to a book. Mostly because right now, I'm not reading frequently enough that I guess I get bored with whatever I happen to be reading. And I definitely have not stuck to one book at a time!
4. Contribute $400 per month to our family's income (with the purpose of covering "non-essential" expenses like gifts and other nice-but-not-necessary things) through my Pampered Chef business. The closest I've come to reaching this goal is about half way! I need to really get busy on this, at least for now, as it's not really "fun money" at this point. I have a couple other ideas to contribute monetarily (you know, without getting a "regular job" hee hee) so we'll see how those ideas pan out.

How have you done on your goals for 2011 so far? Remember, it's not too late to create some goals if you missed the "resolution making" of the New Year!

My Son's Birth Story, Part Two

Please read my previous post if you missed Part One!

I ended up having another night much like the previous one. I was terribly uncomfortable, and couldn't really sleep. I may have dozed off a couple of times, but I never really rested. And I really needed to! I really wish I would have known how to consciously relax at this point.

I was up early the next morning (it's Friday now in case you lost track), and I worked up enough motivation  to get into the tub. That was SO nice! (I felt like I barely fit, but it was awesome nonetheless). It was so relaxing, and I was able to actually drift off into sleep (glorious sleep!) for an extended period of time. I'm pretty sure this didn't do much to speed up my labor, but at this point, I did not. Even. Care! I think in part, I stayed in so long, just because I knew what a hassle it would be to get out! I eventually did get out, and my husband went to go get some breakfast. I ate, and I think sometime around this point is when my labor started "for real".

I had stopped obsessing over keeping track of the timing of the contractions, but I would guess they were pretty regular now, maybe every five minutes or so. And when one came, there was no guessing involved. I remember sitting down on the sofa, and I would get one and jump up immediately and go into the bedroom.

(Warning: Bunny trail ahead!) For those that haven't guessed by now, with regard to temperament, I'm pretty much Phlegmatic, but with a serious streak of Melancholy. Depending on what day it is, maybe the other way around. The Melancholy trait can manifest in me usually being terribly reserved especially when it comes to anything physical. I do not like being physically expressive in front of people! Even my husband to some extent. I have the tendency to be rather private, so when active labor finally started, and contractions came for real, I had this overwhelming urge to retreat like a mama cat! 

So that's what I would do. A contraction would come, and I would move into our bedroom. At some point, I realized that rocking my hips would alleviate some of the discomfort. It was as if I was working with my body to move the baby down in preparation for birth. In fact, this was the main (perhaps only) method I actually used to help with labor.

We had determined that our goal now was to get to the hospital as soon as possible. I was not looking forward to the 45 minute drive, and I wasn't entirely packed and ready yet. But before I got ready, I felt the need to soak in the tub for a little while (Can you say "Phlegmatic?"). So while I did that, my husband packed the car with everything I had ready, including several pillows so I could be comfortable on the way over.

The drive was not too bad. I sat in the back of the car, and actually, I didn't have many contractions for the duration of the trip. Maybe three or four. (Funny how our bodies work, don't you think?) By the time we reached our exit, I was ready to get out of the car! I made my husband stop at the nearest gas station so I could get out and move around. I walked into the convenience store, and another woman was walking out as I was walking in, and I must've been a sight, because all I remember is the look of surprise in her eyes as I walked in. (What? People don't normally go to the convenience store during active labor?)

Anyway, after resting in (of all places) the restroom for several minutes, we started off to make the remainder of the trip to the hospital. It was about a mile from where we were. We arrived, and my husband dropped me off at the curb. I may have been offered a wheel chair, I honestly don't remember- but if it was offered, I most definitely refused!

We came into the admissions area, and oh my...this process seemed to take forever! I left my husband talking to the registrar to go attend to the contractions whenever there was one. We were finally ushered to triage, where we learned there were no labor and delivery rooms open. It was unclear how long it would be before one became available. They said I could sit in the triage room, and I actually had to wait there for my midwife to come in and monitor me. I sat on the monitor (monitoring the baby and my contractions) for probably the longest 20 minutes of my life. Then my midwife checked me, and she said cheerily, "Congratulations! You're going to have your baby today!" I was at 6 centimeters, and she said my bag of waters was no longer intact. (When did it rupture? I assure you, I have no idea! If not in the beginning, then probably in the tub at some point). This was around noon on Friday.

As soon as I could, I got up off the triage bed (which felt like it was a good six feet off the ground!) and got vertical again. Since there were no rooms open, we asked if I could walk through the hallways. They said I could, and so I did. When I would get a contraction, I would stop, lean forward against the wall, and rock my hips. That was my method through pretty much the whole thing! Soon, my older sister came to the hospital to join me (in the hallway) followed by my niece. I didn't talk much to them! I was just a little distracted.

Finally after what seemed like hours (maybe it was!), a room opened up for me. I went in and immediately asked to get into the bathtub. (This hospital has large soaking tubs in all the rooms). I had indicated on my birth plan that I wanted only intermittent fetal monitoring, and so I was checked with a Doppler every 15-20 minutes. Even in the tub. After my first soak in the tub, other comfort measures were offered and tried (like a birthing ball) and failed. Probably by this time, I had more visitors (sisters, mother in law and a couple others). I was so exhausted, and the only thing I could think about was how I really needed to rest for the work ahead.

I asked the nurse what kind of sleep-inducing medication was available. In my naivete, I was thinking like Tylenol PM or something to that effect. The nurse started talking about Stadol and others like that, and of course an epidural. I knew I didn't want that. And one of my sisters warned me that Stadol would just make me nauseous and dizzy and I'd probably throw up. I didn't want that!

I ended up just forgoing all medication. I asked to get into the tub again. Then discreetly, I asked the nurse to have my visitors go out of the room. Honestly, they weren't doing anything wrong, but I just felt like I was in hospitality mode or something. They were visiting me! I was much more relaxed after everyone went out.

I think after my soak in the tub, I was checked and was at nine centimeters. I was told by my midwife that I could try to start pushing if I wanted. Well, that seemed like as good of an idea as any. Except that I didn't really feel the "urge" to do so. (This observation was after the fact, of course). So I began pushing. I had no idea what I was doing. I felt really inhibited too, which didn't help. Plus my contractions never got any closer together than five minutes apart. 

Praise be to God, my little guy's heart rate stayed super steady the entire time I was pushing. It lasted hours. Finally, the midwife said she could see the baby's head, and I asked "what is the hair texture?" My husband in his excitement replied, "it's long!" (It may seem like a totally random question, but this is something I was wondering for my entire pregnancy, as my husband is bi-racial, and I am not). Somehow, I had the wherewithal to inform him that I did not mean the length of the baby's hair, but whether it was curly or straight. I was told that it was straight, and somehow I immediately knew that this baby was a boy. (I had convinced myself that a boy would have my hair texture and color and a girl would have his).

After a couple more contractions (and a little help from a sharp, pokey instrument), my son was born. It was amazing! Someone in the room said "it's a boy!" and I could hear my previously banished friends and family on the other side of the door cheering. They were only waiting for three and a half hours! He was born at 9:46 p.m. weighing in at 7 lbs, 15 oz, and I was completely overjoyed. It was a long, exhausting labor, but worth every minute.

Five days old

 

And a little more recent snapshot!

And with that, I wish my little blessing a Happy Fourth Birthday!

What's your experience with childbirth? 

My Son's Birth Story, Part One

***Published in two parts...I know you have other things to do! Lol!

Stay tuned for Part Two!

This is a post all about what I was doing four years ago today! Grab a snack and enjoy (you're going to need one to keep your energy up ;-D)! 

At the time, we did not know whether to expect a boy or a girl; we wanted to be surprised. That kind of drove everyone nuts, as people seem to think that nobody waits to find out the gender of their child any more. Well, with this pregnancy and birth, we ended up doing a lot of things that "nobody" does any more! (At least in our little circle).

I originally started out wanting a home birth with this pregnancy. I received prenatal care for the first 30 weeks or so from a team of Licensed Midwives. They were really great and I loved the personal care that I received from them. For some reason, I thought that our insurance would cover the expense of a home birth to some extent (I figured they would've been considered "out of network" or whatever, but that did not end up being the case). I was informed around 30 weeks that we would have to pay the entire cost out of pocket (and that it was due by 33 weeks- yikes).

One of the midwives explained this information to us and she knew our situation, and pointed me in the direction of alternative care. She informed me of which doctors to steer clear of (as in "it would be better for you to give birth under a tree somewhere than see this doctor") and also gave me information of a birthing center with a team of Certified Nurse Midwives (or CNM's). I ended up going with this group of care providers as there were no other midwives in my immediate area that were covered on my insurance. Turns out that my insurance restricted the use of the birthing center, so I had to go to the hospital they contracted with. That hospital was about 45 minutes away from us without traffic, but I made that exception because I really did not want an obstetrician to attend the birth of my child. I really wanted a natural birth experience and did not feel at that time that I would be supported the way I wanted to be by an obstetrician.

In preparation for this birth, I read three books: The Birth Book by Dr. Sears (and The Pregnancy Book by the same author- it actually covered much of the same material), and Christ Centered Childbirth by Kelly J. Townsend. (All of these are awesome reads by the way, if you're in the market for a birth book). My husband and I also took the birthing class provided by the hospital. It consisted of four classes, one of which we skipped because it was the class about pain meds, and I was determined to not use them!

I somehow was convinced that my baby would arrive earlier than the due date. I still don't know why I thought this. Wishful thinking, I guess! I began my six week maternity leave on May 1^st. In hindsight, I should have just worked up until my labor began, but I think I made that decision because I wanted some time to "unwind" and finish getting everything ready before I became a mama!

The Wednesday before my son was born (the 16^th), we went to church like any other Wednesday evening. We came home, and went to bed. It was the day before his due date, so I was pretty excited, and feeling "overdue" because I thought I should have already given birth by this point! (Plus, I was measuring a week ahead according to the midwife.) Anyway, we were in bed by 11 pm, I guess, and then around 1:00 a.m. I woke up to use the restroom. As I rolled myself out of bed, a huge gush of fluid flooded my mattress. There is absolutely nothing that can describe the terror of that moment! Suddenly, the whole reality of impending childbirth comes to light...and it's just...well...terrifying!

I woke my husband up in a state of semi-panic. All I could do was just lie there. I could not stop the gushing (sorry, I know, TMI!). It was such a powerless feeling. My husband came around to my side of the bed to help me up, and I went in the restroom to clean up. I just remember trembling- like I said, I was basically terrified. Meanwhile, he took our sheets and stuff to the washer (I had actually placed a cheap plastic shower curtain under our sheets just in case this happened!) We called the midwife's after hours line, and spoke to a midwife who told me to just try to rest as much as possible. She said to expect contractions to begin in the next few hours, and to call back when they were around five minutes apart.

I stayed up for a bit, ate some toast (pregnant woman middle of the night hunger!) I started to try to compose a text message to alert my family and closest friends that the time was drawing near, but I was so nervous that I couldn't compose a succinct thought in the form of a message, and ended up giving up on that, and thought I would just leave it til morning to let everyone know. I don't remember how far I got with said message, I just remember reading over it, and it being terribly long-winded and ramble-y. (Imagine that!)

Anyway, as I was sitting up eating my toast and attempting to text message my nearest and dearest, I began to feel some contractions. Nothing serious, more like pretty strong menstrual cramps. They were pretty sporadic, so I tried going back to bed. It was so difficult for me to relax (I tend to be a tad on the slightly tense side anyway- more about that later) and when I tried laying on my side as I normally did, I felt really uncomfortable. (As a side note, I did not know the value of consciously relaxing at this point, so that pretty much didn't happen). I went to go lie down on the recliner in our living room hoping this would be a comfortable place for me to rest. It was slightly better, but I tend to not sleep easily in places that aren't my bed, so the remainder of that night was pretty ridiculous for me. Mind you, my husband was sleeping soundly in the next room. No sense in both of us being awake, right?

The following morning was Thursday, and I began packing my suitcase for the hospital. I figured I'd be going any time. My husband called into work to let them know I was in labor, so he was home with me, thankfully. At some point, I had been in contact with a midwife, and she basically told me to try to get my labor going, as the contractions were pretty sporadic. They were anywhere from 7-12 minutes apart with no discernible pattern. She suggested going for a walk, or maybe soaking in the tub (at this point, I thought "yeah, right!" I was SO huge and could barely maneuver in our little apartment tub). We ended up going for a walk to the water store nearby. I think I got something to drink, and maybe a snack. The normally 15 minute round-trip walk took us about 40 minutes due to me having to stop every so often. I was pretty exhausted, and I think when I would get a contraction, I really couldn't do anything. So I just sat down.

I remember continuing to pack the suitcase after we got home, and I had talked with one of my sisters on the phone. She was getting concerned because not much was happening. She suggested calling the midwife again and maybe trying to go to the hospital to see what the "hold up" was. It had been about twelve hours since "the gush". I called the midwife, and she said to go ahead and come in, sooner rather than later to avoid rush hour. Well, in case you don't know, it takes me forever to get ready anyway, so in slow-mo labor mode, well, let's just say we ended up going after rush hour!

I had convinced the midwife that my water was in fact broken, and so I was in triage briefly, then was escorted into my labor and delivery room. I was checked and determined to be dilated to three centimeters. The nurses wanted to take a sample of the fluid just to be certain my bag of waters had ruptured. Well, wonder of wonders, there was no amniotic fluid in the sample! I was incredulous. I still kind of am! I asked what in the world I could have possibly experienced in the middle of the night. I was told that I probably had a bladder "malfunction", or it was my mucous plug. (Ugh!) Neither seemed highly likely in my opinion, I had never had any bladder issues up until that point (or after that, for that matter) and it was way too much fluid to be just my mucous plug. But whatever. Moving on...

They sent me home. The wonderful nurse told me, "I want you to come back when you have a contraction, and you can't talk through it". So not what I wanted to hear at the time, but in hindsight, she was right! (Note to first time expectant mamas: don't bother going to the hospital until you experience this, please save yourself the trouble. Lol!)

Come back in a little bit for Part Two! 

Review and Giveaway: The Slug and Ant Show

And now...for the sake of a balanced approach to screen usage, my very first review and giveaway!

It was about a year ago when my family first saw The Slug and Ant Show featured on TBN's Smile of a Child station. Immediately, I knew this program was different. And by different, I mean entertaining! I hope this doesn't come off as mean-spirited, but I feel like as a Body (as in the Body of Christ) we could do a much better job of creating high-quality, godly children's programming. I am convinced that the show's creator, Michael K. Foster, is on a mission to do just that!

Of course I was thrilled at the opportunity to review The Slug and Ant Show's first DVD (which was actually released about a year ago...they will be releasing a follow up DVD in the very near future, I hear!) I really want to promote this program as well as any future children's programs produced by Salty Graphic Studio. The condensed version: You should go check them out!

Be sure to enter the giveaway (details at the end) after you read the review!

. . .

Slug and Ant are (as the DVD cover says) "best friends sharing God's love." And that they do. As a parent, I appreciate the obvious display of Biblically-based values. The show portrays a group of friends; Slug, Ant, Beetle, Spider and Fly who like to skateboard, play hoopty-hoop, and play alternative-sounding music together (hee hee). They don't always get it right the first time, but their hearts are right!

Each episode illustrates a conflict between the friends. For example, in the first, "Don't Judge a Fly by One Wing," Slug, Ant, Beetle and Spider meet the new guy, Fly. Let's just say he's different. The group forms all kinds of outlandish assumptions about him based on his appearance, until they run into their bow-tied, spectacled Sunday school teacher, Mr. Bumble. Mr. Bumble is the voice of reason and truth throughout every episode of The Slug and Ant Show. There is even a segment called "Bible Time with Mr. Bumble" where Mr. Bumble (a bee, of course) shares a Bible lesson with the audience. He shares the Word of God with the friends, and they form their own conclusion about how to handle the situation. Each episode also features a music video presenting the cast of characters and a catchy, upbeat song that even parents will appreciate.

Being geared toward preschoolers, it was a wise move to make the episodes short and sweet. After all, the show's viewers are likely to have about the same attention span as one of the characters would in real life! This could be enjoyed at home, or it could even be a fitting series to base your preschool church curriculum on (they even have coloring pages and character cut-outs available on their site). It has all the elements to open the door to simple discussion about how God wants us to live and treat others. Such themes as judging others, sharing, and telling the truth are sure to speak to the hearts of the little ones in your life.

Would you like to win a copy of the Slug and Ant Show Volume 1? There are a few easy ways to enter!

• Leave a comment and let me know why you'd like a copy of The Slug and Ant Show DVD (this one's required- and make sure you leave an email address so I can reach you if you win!)
• Follow the Slug and Ant Show on Facebook (come back and leave a separate comment letting me know you did!)
• Share this review/giveaway on Facebook or Twitter, or both (again, come back and let me know you did!)

The giveaway will end on Thursday, and I will announce a winner on Friday! Happy entering!

Highlights from our Screen-Free Week

So, I'm officially back online! Did you participate in Screen Free Week?

Don't worry, I took plenty of notes (almost a week's worth, in fact) on my observations from our five days "unplugged". I will share them here, since I don't want anyone to feel left out, plus I know you all are wondering what in the world we did without television or computer, right?

How we participated:

We started out with the intention of going an entire week without television time. I would check email briefly once or twice a day, just in case something important came through and the sender was not aware of me being offline. My husband still did his online work, but if we were home, he went to the library, or if he had work to do, I would take the children out of the house. He agreed to not play games or engage in other non-work related computer activities.

How did we do?

Well, I shortened our SFW to five days instead of seven (see Thursday). I went on Facebook a couple of times to check on a family member and a friend who were both dealing with health challenges, and I needed to stay updated. But I went directly to their walls to check for updates, and did not read other people's statuses. (By the way, I'm happy to report that my family member is fine, and the friend is improving).

Thursday evening, when a friend from church came over with her children, I decided to allow them to watch a video after they got bored playing in the room so that we could actually engage in adult conversation! (Five children, four and under- I needed the help! Lol!)

Oh, and I gotta tell on my husband, who apparently forgot that we were screen-free when he played a video game at Skateland (during an event that was a part of SFW. Oh my. Just sayin'. ;-D)

What we did:

The first day (Monday) was pretty eventful. After a morning spent reading, cuddling, and playing with the children (going on 4 and 18 months), I took my son out for a couple hours to the library and then to the park while my daughter (the younger one) was napping. While we were out, we toured our city's multi-generational center (think YMCA) and discovered many interesting programs and activities. That evening, we went to Skateland where my son skated for the very first time. (They were participating in SFW and offered free admission to families who signed the Screen-Free pledge).

After all the excitement of Monday, we pretty much stayed home all day on Tuesday. I got up early to get some exercise (I think I can say that it's literally been years since I've been motivated enough to exercise! Oh my!) Later, my body rebelled by being exhausted by about 10 am! What's up with that?! Again, we read lots of books with the children, and played with flash cards, some toys,and I blew bubbles for them. It really was not very eventful, but that was okay!

Finding new uses for toys- a great source of entertainment! (It's a tuba, in case you wondered!)

On Wednesday, I did manage to get a few things done that I had been putting off for a while! I think the children were finally getting used to the idea of occupying themselves without the television, and played in their room quite a bit. Otherwise, they pretty much followed me around while I worked on stuff around the house. They would play near me, and I would often take mini-breaks to play with them. I came across a pack of balloons, and blew several of them up to play with. They enjoyed that! It didn't occupy them for very long, but they still liked it. That evening, we went to our Wednesday evening church service. By the time that rolled around, we were ready to get out of the house!

Before SFW, this was still half covered in boxes from the move, now it's a functional place for our family to eat dinner! (I'm not really sure why this picture is all "choppy" or whatever that is).

On Thursday, I decided that we would cut our SFW down to five days instead of seven. I'm weak! Ha ha! (I may or may not have been influenced by my son's DAILY question "is Screen-Free Week over yet?) Anyway, I was up early again to exercise. I took a walk around our neighborhood, and enjoyed the sights and sounds of our area. Some nearby neighbors have goats (did I ever mention we kind of live in the boonies?) and I think I may have heard some kind of large bird, I'm pretty sure it was a peacock. And of course there were plenty of dogs, and some neighbors even have horses. I guess I kind of live in a diverse neighborhood, because our street is apartments, and then the streets near us are homes with a lot of land. 

That evening, a friend from church came over with her little ones and we discussed a book we're reading together, The Surrendered Wife (pretty awesome so far if you want to check it out). Our children played together for a little while, and then they got kind of restless, so we let them watch a movie so we could continue our discussion. (I had decided ahead of time that I would make this exception if they were "bouncing off the walls!")

Friday morning, I was up and out of the house to meet up with this sweet person for coffee. She is just as nice in person as she is on her blog, just in case you're wondering! When I got home, my mother in law came over to use our computer, and we had a maintenance worker over to fix our ceiling fans (hooray!) Then after all that was finished, I took the children to the library again. So, more book reading. Books are a very big thing for us, I guess, and we read even more when the TV is off! That evening, I got to go to the store by myself to pick up a few things we needed for Easter.

What I learned:

I want a yard! I really would love to have one! We live in an upstairs apartment, and we don't even have a small patio any more like we did in our last apartment. And downstairs, it's just parking, and there's no place within walking distance for the little ones to play outside. Our neighborhood being semi-rural, only has sidewalks right in front of residences, so even taking them for a walk is challenging. (Have you ever tried to push a stroller in gravel? Hmm...) Anyway, the hardest part for me (at least initially) was finding things they could do independently. I would love to have a yard so they could have a safe place to play while I catch up on housework and stuff.

Too much screen-time can be toxic! I think right about day two is when we kind of experienced screen withdrawal! It was pretty awful! Right around 1:00 p.m., I really had this overwhelming urge to turn the television on for the children. I may have also gotten really frustrated with things in general. Thankfully, I refrained from giving up and managed to push through, but wow, that was really challenging for a little bit!

The internet is a HUGE time-waster for me! Okay, well I guess I pretty much already figured this, but it was so evident during SFW. Being "unplugged" I was much more quick to make a decision to do good things! I was motivated to stay busy with housework, and as I mentioned above, I even exercised for the first (and second) time in a very long time!

It's actually pretty easy for children to be occupied (and to occupy themselves) without a screen. Aside from the no-yard thing, they adapt pretty easily to life without a screen. Even as I type this (and our screen time has resumed), they are playing quietly together in their room. They enjoy things like reading books, playing with their toys, blowing bubbles, playing with balloons, coloring, playing at the park, dancing to music on the radio, and more! They might not stay focused on any one activity for a very long time, but they are both under four years of age, so that is completely appropriate! (Being in a zombie-like trance while staring at the TV for hours on end, however is not so appropriate for any age!)

See? Everyone was still okay without screen time!

Photo's blurry, but she's clearly having a good time!

I really need to brush up on my parenting skills! This past week, I was confronted with the fact that I'm a little rusty with actually engaging with my children. I often use a screen as a baby-sitter in a sense while I'm doing housework and of course using the computer! While I think that has a place (like when mama needs a shower, or a quiet moment to herself) it should not be the norm! I definitely need to be more disciplined myself, and be more purposeful about our screen usage.

Going Forward:

I loved the decisiveness to do good things that I adopted during SFW. It is now easier to overcome the temptation to stay on the computer a lot. I will be more purposeful about my computer usage- and not go on immediately in the morning. I plan to continue getting up early to get some exercise on a regular basis. (See Maximize Your Mornings for where I got some inspiration).

We are now limiting television and computer time for our children (mostly our son- as our daughter doesn't really care yet!) For the past two days, when our son asks for computer time (he likes to play some of the games on PBSkids.org and a few other things), we have set a timer for 30 minutes. He has resisted getting off so quickly (compared to before) but he's fine once he finds another activity to pursue. I'm still working on how we will limit television and/or video time. (I'm open to suggestions if you have any!) We may adopt a screen-free day once or twice a month (or maybe once a week?)

It was good for our family to participate in SFW. Like anything else, computer or television time can become an idol and something that you just pay way too much attention to! It was a way for us to reconnect with each other, it brought out some things we need to deal with, and it helped us to become more disciplined with our screen time!

What did you learn from Screen-Free Week? Share in the comments if you participated!