Unplugging

We recently took a cruise to Mexico.  We assumed that our phone roaming charges would have been exorbitant. When would a cellular company give up the opportunity to charge us? The cruise line also was continually finding a way to extort our money and internet access was a sign up fee and then $0.75 per minute for a pretty slow connection.  The television was sparse at best.

This weekend was our first weekend back and without even thinking about it we continued behaving as we did on the cruise.  I forgot to check my work emails all weekend and on the car ride home from errands we started discussing which games we were going to play. No one suggested a movie or television and my son did not ask to play his video game!  If you had heard him complain about not having his video games the first four days of the cruise and the second the boat docked you would understand how impressive this was.

We spent the weekend pulling games that had not seen the light of day for years out of cabinets and closets. The kids knew a lot of games from school and friends that we didn't know and they loved teaching their parents how to play card games, like baloney sandwich, which most of you will know as BS, which you may have thought stood for something else, but I was assured it was baloney sandwich.

Tonight my daughter finished her homework as quickly as she could so we could play Sequence. She beat me handily and was so proud of herself. She never felt proud of herself watching television.  She also did not ever think critically, formulate a plan or do a victory dance. Don't think cocky athlete think exuberant little girl whose dance ended in a mommy hug and conciliatory kiss.

I am sure that television, video games, and the internet will work their way back into our lives but I am going to work hard to keep them relegated to the side stage.

I would love any game suggestions you have.  It is time to donate a lot of games to our friends with younger children and get some new games to keep the interest alive.

I look forward to your game recommendations!

Je Suis Charlie

Welcome to the Holiday Season

Wow. It has been a long time since I have actually posted.  I've thought of posting often but never took the time I said I would.

It is the time of year we all love and simultaneously dread, the holidays.

Love:

• Christmas carols- now that Thanksgiving is over, not a minute before. Silent night is my favorite traditional carol.
• The smell of the Christmas tree when I enter the house.
• The lights on the houses.
• Sweater weather!
• Cocoa and hot toddies.
• Lots of awesomely sinful snacks everywhere.
• Time with my family and friends.
• The Ref. If you have not seen this movie find it and watch it. It'll make your list next year. Dennis Leary, Kevin Spacey- awesome.
• Cooking and hosting large meals for large and small gatherings. I always make a ton of food whether it is four people or forty coming over there will be left-overs. 

Dreading:

• Shopping. I really do hate it and crowds make it so much worse.
• The line at the post office. Yep, we still have to go to the post office because we add handmade stuff from the kids or cookies.
• Planning far enough in advance so the presents arrive in time. My fault I moved to the other side of the country and I suck at planning. I am very last minute with everything.
• Waiting until the kids finally fall asleep, you parents know why. My goodness they outlast me every year and then they are wide awake in the morning and have to drag me out of bed.
• Remembering where all the presents are hidden. Since I don't shop all at once making sure that each child has the same amount of gifts and then re-hiding the extra to try and remember to use it for a birthday or a special reward soon before I forget about it. Just found a frozen DVD when I hid a present last month. There is not a single child left on the planet who doesn't have a copy of that video already.

Happily my love list far out weighs my dreading list.  This year we won't have any family staying with us, which is quite unusual, and the kids are actually looking forward to a morning with just us.  I will miss the house guests but will relish more time with my family.

I wish you all a very happy, calm, relaxing, holiday season filled with family, fun and a great book.

I'd love to hear what makes your Love and Dreading list for the holidays.  Please take a moment to share.