The End of TV Free Week

We failed, completely. Well, almost completely.

1. We turned off the TV on Monday but it was turned on the rest of the week.
2. We let the picklets play DS whenever they wanted, when we usually don't let them play at all during the week.
3. As for making something cool everyday, that didn't happen because they were watching TV and playing DS each day.
4. I did limit my computer time this past week but I was working at Sokol the entire week.
5. My phone time was limited too, same reason as above.
6. I read aloud on Monday morning and Monday night but didn't touch a book the rest of the week.
7. Fun...we did have fun...on Saturday. The picklets competed in the gymnastics competition at our new gym! More on that later.

So, I don't think we are failures per-se. I think TV Free Week came at a bad time this year. We had a plan set in motion with a deadline looming and had to stick to it. The ending was great as we got to watch our picklets compete. Oh yeah, it was great and all the work we put into Sokol was well worth it!

© 2008-2009 Wicked Pickles-Homefront Lines

I Stink

Man, this whole TV Free thing isn't going well. I think I have gone against everything on my list except blogging twice a day...lol.

Monday went pretty good. We didn't watch TV. I read to the kids. Wasn't on the puter much but I did read blogs.

Yesterday everything went out the door. I had to be to work by 9:00. I didn't want to take the boys because they didn't have gymnastics and they get too restless when other people are in the office and they aren't allowed to run around. So, I told them it was a free day. DS, TV and computer were all allowed. Sweet came with me and watched movies all day. I did NOT use the computer at all but I also didn't get my blog posts done.

Today is starting with bagels, coffee and The Land Before Time. I had to be at the office by 8:00 and we all had to come in so it will be interesting. As my program is printing I thought I would take the chance to blog this entry.

I hope others are doing better in the their TV Free adventure than we are doing. But, I have already talked to the family and we have decided that TV Free Week will be next week for us. I love homeschooling!

TV Free Week

This is our second time participating in the TV Free Week Challenge hosted by Unplug Your Kids. We have such great memories of last year that we decided to participate again this year.

I have been thinking about how we should handle TV Free Week this year. We are not going to be home much because Sokol is preparing to host a gymnastics competition this weekend. Is it cheating if you aren't home?

With the changes I have made, I don't think so. Here are my plans:

• Even though we watch a number of educational programs and movies I have decided that we will cut those out with the exception of the two netflix movies we have in our pocession. Nancy Drew TV series season 1 disc 3 and National Geographic Winged Migration will be watched at some point this week and sent back.
• No school. Since we are going to be gone every day this week I have decided to cancel school as we know it.
• Make something cool. We will make something cool everyday. I will more than likely leave the decision of what up to the picklets so stay tuned.
• No un-needed telephone. This week will be spent telephone free with the exception of family and business.
• Limited computer. I will still post 1 or 2 blog entries a day and will check my email once in the morning and once at night but will stay away from the computer, reading blogs and other non-essential items.
• No Wii or DS games. They can go without for a week. Won't kill them.
• Read aloud. I have many books here that I need to read to the picklets. I will make the time in the morning to read aloud to them. (snuck school in again didn't I?)
• Have fun. We have been so stressed with Cool working a ton of overtime, working at the Sokol building and being broke that I am going to make everyone have fun even if it kills me...lol. Seriously, we have been stressed so I am going to try to find 1 thing we can do that will be fun for everyone.

This is alot of change and isn't as extreme as last year but it is all I can do right now. We have been stressed and finding something fun we can all enjoy is probably the best thing we can do.

Happy TV Free Week!

TV Free Day 7 and a Look Back

The kids had ensemble practice today and spent the majority of the day in town. J took his cake in to share with his friends. What they brought home was just enough for DH and I to have one piece each and the kidlets to have 1 piece after dinner.

DH and J continued to work on the camper while I continued to wash all the camper linens. We cannot wait for the first weekend in May, our very first camping trip of the year. We are counting the days!!!

We decided to end TV free week today. The kids wanted to sleep in the camper so DH set the TV and VCR up for them. They love sleeping in the camper during the summer. They spend more time out there than they do in the house. Unfortunately, our weather hasn't stayed in it's springtime mode and it was freezing! They came in by midnight...lol.

I am so glad we decided to participate in TV Free Week. We had a lot of fun and taught the kids the importance of making a decision and sticking with it. Though we did not accomplish all our goals, we did reach a few of them. The greatest being family meals at the table. I have missed the chitter-chatter than goes with that. The most important thing that happened during this week is we found we can go TV free and still function. It was hard at times but so worth it.

© 2008 The Homefront Lines

TV Free Day 5

Cold and rainy and did I mention cold? Weather in Iowa can change at any given moment I tell ya.

Planted rose bushes.

Put compost around cabbage plants. Doesn't that look rich?

Worked on hip and knee replacement surgery.

© 2008 The Homefront Lines

TV Free Day 4

Tonights activity was the gymnastics banquet where the kids received ribbons for the different aparatus. C received 4 of them, V received 6 of them and J received 1. Even though J and V both achieved first place, J only received one because he is a Jr. Boy, not a small boy. But he was fine with that! © 2008 The Homefront Lines

TV Free Day 3

This was a busy day! I accomplished more by noon than most people do in a whole day. OK, so I might be exaggerating but I was busy.

C and I went to my grandma's house to learn to make kolaches. Every respectable Bohemie girl and woman should know how to make these and we are no exception to that rule. And to quote my dad, "Someone needs to know how to make them besides Gaga." Gaga bakes almost everyday. Kolaches, rolls, cakes, pies...you name it, she bakes it. No better person in the world to learn from. It was priceless to see my grandma teach my daughter how to make the beloved family kolache. Comparing their hands while they worked brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart. To think my daughter has the opportunity to know her great-grandma and actually learn something so precious to my grandma's heart is something I will carry with me the rest of my life.

When the kolache baking was over and we were done "testing" them with a cup of coffee and/or Blue Bunn Orange Juice, we had to head outside to help my grandpa. At over 90 he still does most of his own yard work. He needed some help hammering a border going around his evergreens into the ground. We then had to lay grass seed into a rut. While Gaga (my grandma) and C spread the seed, I raked it in. My grandpa stood in the supervisory position...lol

We left a little after noon. We had so much fun and brought back with us memories to last a lifetime.

After DH got home we once again worked out in the lawn, this time plowing the garden and planting early veggies. We had the discussion earlier in the year where DH wanted to only plant 1 pepper and 1 tomato plant. WHAT???? How in the world would I be able to put up food for the winter with only 1 pepper and 1 tomato plant??? So, last night, I talked him into plowing another area in the yard to grow more garden! Yippee!After rototilling until dark, we have a 6x6 area completely plowed. In that area I have planted 6 cabbages, a row of radishes and a row of onions. This weekend I am going to plant another row of radishes, onions and also lettuce and spinach. He got about 1/2 of our regular garden done.We have plans to grow beans, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, multicolored peppers and various herbs as well as the plants I mentioned earlier. C wants to grow peach trees so she has asked Gaga to save her seedlings that always come up. We will plant a row of those on the north side of the house if we get them.

After eating a late supper, we were in bed by 10, exhausted by a good day's work.

copyright 2008 The Homefront Lines

TV Free Day 2

Happy Earth Day! Schoolwork consisted of Earth Day Activities, worksheets and computer work. I will post our activities when we are finished with the week. :)

We went to town for the kids weekly piano lesson. They recently changed teachers and though it was a tough change, they really like their new teacher. She is also Folk Ensemble director so they get to see alot of her.

While they were pianoing, I had to meet with the Supervising Teacher. It was time for the dreaded Evidences of Learning. I stress each year when it comes time for this. I really need to keep better track of what we do because my ST remembered things I didn't...lol. I finally got the list compiled, had a nice talk with her and finished just in time to pick up the munchkins.

When DH got home he and J continued raking the lawn. He took the leaves to the burn pile and shoveled some dirt in the back of the pickup for filling holes in. We have a bunch of them. :( The other two played at the park with their friend N. Right before supper J found this little guy. After observing him for a few minutes, we moved him to the neighbors garden.

By the time 9 rolled around DH and I were beat. We sent the kids to bed and I think we were asleep before 9:30.

I have found that we spend more of our evenings outdoors when the TV isn't on. I also find we have time to sit on the stoop and talk or watch the birds or make time travel possible with the use of a croquet set, lawn chairs and sleds. No TV has been a good thing for us thus far. :)

copyright 2008 The Homefront Lines

TV Free Day 1

Oh man, I messed up! First thing I turned the TV on to watch Good Morning America. I will just crack it up to being in a fog...lol. I turned it off about 15 minutes later when I realized what day it was.

We did nothing special. DH was working from home, I had to get the dogs from the dog sitter and I got groceries. C came with me. While we were gone we had to stop in the middle of road to take pictures of a deer skeleton. C thought it was cool. LOL

The boys did some school work while I was gone and C did some when we returned home.

In the afternoon DH and J raked and laid down grass seed. V and C went to the park to play until the street lights came on.

For supper we all cleaned out the fridge. We ate at different times, coming and going. No eating together at the table. :(

DH built a camp fire to sit around but by the time everyone got home and ate, it was bed time. No campfire either.

On the bright side, I did clean the kitchen and pick up the living room. We played with the kittens quite a bit and DH and I sat on the front stoop and talked. It was a beautiful day and was perfect for doing what we wanted instead of being cooped up doing what someone else wanted. :)

So, that was our first day TV free. It wasn't what I wanted, but it was perfect. :)

Omaha Day 1

We woke up at 5 am, were out the door and on the highway by 6:30 and arrived in Omaha about 11:00. After checking into our hotel and eating at Pizza Hut, we went to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo. OMG...what a great zoo it is! I have never been to a zoo of that caliber before. Just amazing! We learned quite a bit and had a great family day. It was an amazing (early) start to our TV free week.

Welcome to Nebraska!

Waterfall in the Lied Jungle.

Blue Fairy Bird

V touching a shark.

Oh I loved the penguins!

This is the first time any of us has seen an octopus.

The jellyfish were so coooooool!

A manta ray swimming above us in the shark tube.

A grizzly bear.

This tiger just sat and looked at passerbys.

This beauty just woke up from a nap.

Going up the elevator the kids were doing their "Superman" impression!

copyright 2008 The Homefront Lines

Turning the TV Off

April 21-27 is TV-Turnoff Week. We are going to take the challenge. We are also planning on taking it one step further. No video games and limited computer use by me. (Did I really say that? Taking deep breaths.) This is not a decision we made lightly. Electronics plays a big part in our lives, too big a part. We think this is a good idea. We hope this will make our family tighter.

I am also participating in the Unplug your Kids TV-Turnoff Week Blog Challenge over at Unplug Your Kids. I think this is a good way for me to be accountable for the decision we have made. It is also a good way for me to look back at the fun things we did.

My goals for this week are simple. We need to connect again. We need to listen to the kids, we need the kids to listen to us. We want to know thier hopes, dreams, fears and successes. I want to sit around the fire ring in the back yard (if it would EVER warm up), roast marshmallows, look at the moon and stars and talk. I want to get active and get the kids active...at least a walk each morning if nothing else. I want to do a better job of keeping the house clean and I want to eat at the table as a family. Simple or so I hope.

So, I hope this is a start to something bigger and better in our lives. I hope to post great and inspiring memoirs and not be the informant of sibling warfare, plots to take over the dictatorship I have worked so hard at establishing and slinking husbands to catch a snipit of Cops.

Happy TV-Turnoff Week:)

Happy trails!

© 2008 The Homefront Lines