About two or three years ago, I bought a TiVo box for Jeff's birthday. I rarely buy him anything technological, either because I'll get the wrong thing or because the tech stuff he wants is wayyyy expensive. He tends to be an early adopter and as such has definite opinions on what he wants. I decided to take a leap of faith, though, and got the TiVo anyway. It took him about a week, but he finally decided he liked it. Now, of course, we can't live without it.
I used to watch very little television. All of the good shows were either on during the time I'm putting my kids to bed, or they're re-aired in the middle of the night. I did make sure I could watch ER every week, but that was it. On the nights when I'd be up late with a baby, I usually ended up watching reruns of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Nick at Nite. My kids didn't watch much TV, either. I'm pretty restrictive about what they're allowed to watch, so if we missed Zoboomafoo because we were out running errands, that was just tough cookies.
Once we got TiVo, though, all that changed. I discovered a whole new world of television, one I'd been missing out on for the last eight years. Shows like The Dead Zone, Deadliest Catch, and Third Watch. I got sucked into their web; the next thing I knew, I was recording every episode I could find. I wanted to know every detail of what was happening in these characters' lives, fictional or not! The longer we had it, the more shows I got attached to. Soon I was recording two episodes a day of Judging Amy just so I could get caught up on the seasons I'd missed.
It only got worse from there: Mythbusters, Bones, Ace of Cakes, Heroes, Psych, Friday Night Lights, heck, even Kyle XY. Over the summer, I added Traveler to my list, as well as the recent adds of Army Wives, Burn Notice, and Side Order of Life. It wasn't until this week that I had my first ever removal-from-my-Season-Pass-list-'cause-it's-not-worth-my-time show.
So I now have Season Passes for ten, that's right, TEN, one-hour shows that are currently airing new episodes. That doesn't count any of the shows on summer hiatus. If you count the shows that I'm recording in reruns, you can add another hour or two...OK, who am I kidding, an hour or four. Per day. And no, there is no way on earth that I have an extra twenty hours a week to watch television! But I can, because it's there, so I do. Heaven forbid I should miss an episode, because what if it contains some vitally important detail that I just HAVE to know or else the whole next show won't make any sense? My bedtime has moved from 10:00-ish to 12:30 or 1. I can't even use the whole "I'm nursing a baby to sleep" excuse, because Lily's a great sleeper and is out cold by 10:30 at the very latest.
And sadly enough, my kids' television watching has since doubled as well. We now have Noggin, which means that I have at least two episodes of Little Bear available at all times (to go along with the two episodes of Bob the Builder). My older three love Planet Earth, as well as Mythbusters, How It's Made, and Be the Creature, and who am I to deny them educational television? Instead of hearing "Sorry, kids, there's nothing on you can watch. We should play Uno or something," they get "OK, but only one Little Bear and one Be the Creature and then you're done."
If there's a TiVo 12-step program, sign me up. I'm an addict and I admit it. I'll start going to meetings right away so I can get away from this black hole I'm being sucked into.
But I can't start until after Friday. There's a new episode of Psych on. Oh wait, make that Sunday, because I have to catch the next Army Wives...
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
3 weeks? Where did it go? Thoughts on a big family...
I think I need a thought-operated computer. I have so many thoughts during the day--some of them amusing, some profound, some totally random--and I think "I should blog that!"
When I get home, do I remember any of them? Nope. Not a chance. Too much other stuff going on.
I've spent the last three weeks ferrying children to the swimming pool and trying to clean my house. Poof! Just like that, almost a month is gone since I've last posted. The more I think about it, the more I believe we're done having kids. Six is my limit! I can barely keep up with them!
It's interesting, though, to talk to other moms about family size. There are four comments that I hear constantly, after answering the question "How many kids do you have?" Most frequent? "Wow! How do you do it? I only have (2/3/4) and they drive me crazy! You must have so much patience!" Second is "Oh, do you homeschool?" Third, "Are you done? You must be done, right?" Last, but definitely not least, "You have your hands full!"
Oh, goodness, I know people are well-meaning and just trying to make conversation, but these questions crack me up. Let me give you the answers that I'd never tell someone in person:
1. What do you mean how do I do it? How do I not? I don't know how I make it through the day, I just do, because I have to. What's my alternative--making a dash for Mexico? Running off with the hot pool guy? Hmmm...that might work, if we had a pool guy. Heck, we don't have a pool yet. I may have to work on that.
And the other half of the question, What in the world makes you think I have a lot of patience? In fact, with six kids, why wouldn't you just assume that I'm a raving lunatic? 'Cause I am some days, you know. I'm far from the perfect mom. Just ask my kids! They'll be happy to regale you with stories of my not-so-great parenting moments. In fact, I'd assume that a mom of one child has to have more patience than I do. She can't say "Go play with your brother so I can get this laundry folded!" The thought that because I have more kids, I'm more patient, makes me giggle maniacally.
2. Homeschooling. Um, no. I have a lot of faith in the public school system here. It may not be perfect, but I don't know that I could recall the Pythagorean theorem if you paid me. Jaden, blesshisheartIlovehimdearly, has his father's personality in almost all respects. If I tried to homeschool that boy, we'd end up killing each other. At school, though? He's an angel, and on the honor roll. You think I'm a little nutty now, but homeschooling would end up with me locked in a loony bin somewhere.
3. Am I done? That's such a personal question! Why on earth would you ask someone that? Is it just morbid curiosity? My friends and family know that we are probably done adding to our family. Six is the number that feels right to both of us. Random strangers, though? None of your dang business, thankyouverymuch. While I won't lie to them and say No, I give them the same answer I've used for the last five years: "We're done for this year." They can infer whatever they want from that. It irks me to no end that people just assume that we MUST be done, because no one in his right mind would want more than that. (Want to know a secret? No one in his right mind would want more than two or three anyway. We've never claimed to be in our right minds. But it works for us.) Yeah, we're done, but it's because we want to be, not because you think we should be.
4. Duh. That is all.
I'm rarely snarky in real life, as much as I'd love to be. I say something bland like "Oh, no more patience than your average mom!" or "Homeschooling's just not for us." Now, though, you know what I'm really thinking. Best question to ask a mom? I don't think there is one. Just smile and say "You have a beautiful family," because every mother likes to hear that even if it's not true. If you can't manage that, just say wow, and stop. RESIST the urge to make inane comments that will just leave her shaking her head, silently laughing, and writing in her blog about the idiotic things she heard that day.
When I get home, do I remember any of them? Nope. Not a chance. Too much other stuff going on.
I've spent the last three weeks ferrying children to the swimming pool and trying to clean my house. Poof! Just like that, almost a month is gone since I've last posted. The more I think about it, the more I believe we're done having kids. Six is my limit! I can barely keep up with them!
It's interesting, though, to talk to other moms about family size. There are four comments that I hear constantly, after answering the question "How many kids do you have?" Most frequent? "Wow! How do you do it? I only have (2/3/4) and they drive me crazy! You must have so much patience!" Second is "Oh, do you homeschool?" Third, "Are you done? You must be done, right?" Last, but definitely not least, "You have your hands full!"
Oh, goodness, I know people are well-meaning and just trying to make conversation, but these questions crack me up. Let me give you the answers that I'd never tell someone in person:
1. What do you mean how do I do it? How do I not? I don't know how I make it through the day, I just do, because I have to. What's my alternative--making a dash for Mexico? Running off with the hot pool guy? Hmmm...that might work, if we had a pool guy. Heck, we don't have a pool yet. I may have to work on that.
And the other half of the question, What in the world makes you think I have a lot of patience? In fact, with six kids, why wouldn't you just assume that I'm a raving lunatic? 'Cause I am some days, you know. I'm far from the perfect mom. Just ask my kids! They'll be happy to regale you with stories of my not-so-great parenting moments. In fact, I'd assume that a mom of one child has to have more patience than I do. She can't say "Go play with your brother so I can get this laundry folded!" The thought that because I have more kids, I'm more patient, makes me giggle maniacally.
2. Homeschooling. Um, no. I have a lot of faith in the public school system here. It may not be perfect, but I don't know that I could recall the Pythagorean theorem if you paid me. Jaden, blesshisheartIlovehimdearly, has his father's personality in almost all respects. If I tried to homeschool that boy, we'd end up killing each other. At school, though? He's an angel, and on the honor roll. You think I'm a little nutty now, but homeschooling would end up with me locked in a loony bin somewhere.
3. Am I done? That's such a personal question! Why on earth would you ask someone that? Is it just morbid curiosity? My friends and family know that we are probably done adding to our family. Six is the number that feels right to both of us. Random strangers, though? None of your dang business, thankyouverymuch. While I won't lie to them and say No, I give them the same answer I've used for the last five years: "We're done for this year." They can infer whatever they want from that. It irks me to no end that people just assume that we MUST be done, because no one in his right mind would want more than that. (Want to know a secret? No one in his right mind would want more than two or three anyway. We've never claimed to be in our right minds. But it works for us.) Yeah, we're done, but it's because we want to be, not because you think we should be.
4. Duh. That is all.
I'm rarely snarky in real life, as much as I'd love to be. I say something bland like "Oh, no more patience than your average mom!" or "Homeschooling's just not for us." Now, though, you know what I'm really thinking. Best question to ask a mom? I don't think there is one. Just smile and say "You have a beautiful family," because every mother likes to hear that even if it's not true. If you can't manage that, just say wow, and stop. RESIST the urge to make inane comments that will just leave her shaking her head, silently laughing, and writing in her blog about the idiotic things she heard that day.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Is this really Texas?
I grew up in Washington state, about 30 minutes from the coast. I'm used to rain and lots of it. It was really interesting to move to Texas, where it hardly ever seems to rain, and when it does it dumps buckets. Apparently the warm Gulf air meeting the cold air from Canada creates some pretty spectacular storms. You know how they say everything's bigger in Texas? Lightning storms, hail, and raindrops all fit the bill.
We've had a drought for the last couple of years, though. Watering restrictions, boat ramps closing because the water level is too low, ponds drying up, all par for the course for the last couple of summers. The first summer I was here, it was 100 degrees on May 1st. I could count on the heat roaring in at full blast by the time school let out, before Memorial Day.
But you know what? Apparently a LOT of people prayed for rain, and all of their prayers are being answered. Right this very minute. It's the first week of July, in Dallas, and not only is the drought over,but people all over the state are being evacuated and losing their homes--not from wildfires, like the last couple of years, but because of flooding! There are pictures on the news every day of mobile homes floating away, creeks and rivers overrunning their beds, streets filling up, cars turned upside down and washed down the stream. This year's June ended up being the second-wettest June that Dallas has had. Ever! We got something like 10+ inches of rain; normal is about 2", and last year I think we had less than ½" total for the month. The ground is so saturated that there's just nowhere for the water to go anymore.
I love seeing the lightning storms, but I'm just blown away by how wet it is. Tomorrow night, Tuesday, is the big Addison fireworks extravaganza, and there is a very real chance that it will be rained out. And for the last six weeks, I've been planning a surprise birthday party for Jeff and Levi at the city Rec Center pool. I'm getting more and more worried that I'll have to cancel!
Honestly, if I didn't know better, I'd think I was still in Washington. At least there, I would've expected a rainy, wet summer with only a few sun breaks.
We've had a drought for the last couple of years, though. Watering restrictions, boat ramps closing because the water level is too low, ponds drying up, all par for the course for the last couple of summers. The first summer I was here, it was 100 degrees on May 1st. I could count on the heat roaring in at full blast by the time school let out, before Memorial Day.
But you know what? Apparently a LOT of people prayed for rain, and all of their prayers are being answered. Right this very minute. It's the first week of July, in Dallas, and not only is the drought over,but people all over the state are being evacuated and losing their homes--not from wildfires, like the last couple of years, but because of flooding! There are pictures on the news every day of mobile homes floating away, creeks and rivers overrunning their beds, streets filling up, cars turned upside down and washed down the stream. This year's June ended up being the second-wettest June that Dallas has had. Ever! We got something like 10+ inches of rain; normal is about 2", and last year I think we had less than ½" total for the month. The ground is so saturated that there's just nowhere for the water to go anymore.
I love seeing the lightning storms, but I'm just blown away by how wet it is. Tomorrow night, Tuesday, is the big Addison fireworks extravaganza, and there is a very real chance that it will be rained out. And for the last six weeks, I've been planning a surprise birthday party for Jeff and Levi at the city Rec Center pool. I'm getting more and more worried that I'll have to cancel!
Honestly, if I didn't know better, I'd think I was still in Washington. At least there, I would've expected a rainy, wet summer with only a few sun breaks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
