Miss F to Miss J this morning - "Oohh J... PUHLEEEEESE stop singing! You're making my brain rattle!"
Then... "And it's NOT FUNNY Mum!"
I guess that's what you get when you don't have a TV...
That's my girl!
We don't have a television.
I LOVE not having a television.
Plenty of people think I'm nuts. They're probably right. Still, life without a "misery box" is joyous and that's exactly how I like it.
The girls also enjoy not having a TV. True, this is partly because they don't know what they're missing, but they also have amazing imaginations which more than suffice in keeping them entertained. Not to mention a property full of animals and plenty of room to play and run around.
(Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at people who have a television. I just love the way no TV works for us.)
Today a new friend came to visit with her 5yo son. The children played happily for about an hour, then Mr 5 came and asked if they could please watch ABC kids. When I told him we didn't have a television he didn't believe me. I think he thought I was just saying that to stop him watching it. He spent a good 20 minutes searching the house before finally accepting that we were in fact, TV-less.
In his state of shock, he turned to Miss F and asked, "But what do you DO in the afternoon?!"
She replied, "Go see the horses and go for a ride, play bakery, go to the p.a.r.k*, play gardens, race the dogs, make cookies, do magic tricks.... Why... What do YOU do?"
He was stumped.
I was proud.
Not because she stumped him, but because she made a great point. My point.
I know that's selfish and not at all a good good parenting practise- to make your points through your children.
But it was such a great point, and I'm nuts so I don't care.
*We now have to spell out the words p.a.r.k, w.a.l.k, r.u.n, and c.a.r so that Nelly doesn't get over excited and pee everywhere.
I LOVE not having a television.
Plenty of people think I'm nuts. They're probably right. Still, life without a "misery box" is joyous and that's exactly how I like it.
The girls also enjoy not having a TV. True, this is partly because they don't know what they're missing, but they also have amazing imaginations which more than suffice in keeping them entertained. Not to mention a property full of animals and plenty of room to play and run around.
(Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at people who have a television. I just love the way no TV works for us.)
Today a new friend came to visit with her 5yo son. The children played happily for about an hour, then Mr 5 came and asked if they could please watch ABC kids. When I told him we didn't have a television he didn't believe me. I think he thought I was just saying that to stop him watching it. He spent a good 20 minutes searching the house before finally accepting that we were in fact, TV-less.
In his state of shock, he turned to Miss F and asked, "But what do you DO in the afternoon?!"
She replied, "Go see the horses and go for a ride, play bakery, go to the p.a.r.k*, play gardens, race the dogs, make cookies, do magic tricks.... Why... What do YOU do?"
He was stumped.
I was proud.
Not because she stumped him, but because she made a great point. My point.
I know that's selfish and not at all a good good parenting practise- to make your points through your children.
But it was such a great point, and I'm nuts so I don't care.
*We now have to spell out the words p.a.r.k, w.a.l.k, r.u.n, and c.a.r so that Nelly doesn't get over excited and pee everywhere.
The vegetarian diet
New daycare person: You're vegetarian?
Me: Yes.
NDP: So you don't eat meat?
Me: No.
NDP: What about chicken?
Me: No.
NDP: Fish?
Me: No.
NDP: And the children don't eat meat either?
Me: No.
NDP: Or chicken?
Me: No. No chicken OR fish.
NDP: Oh. But they look healthy?
Me: Yes. They are healthy.
NDP: Oh.
J: Mum?
Me: Yes J?
J: Does that person have a disability?
Me: Kind of. She doesn't understand what being vegetarian means. We can teach her though, if she'd like to learn.
J: OK. Lots of people eat animals, don't they mum?
Me: Yes they do. You can as well if you would like to.
J: No. I like being vegetarian. [pause] Can I still eat boogies though?
Me: Yes.
NDP: So you don't eat meat?
Me: No.
NDP: What about chicken?
Me: No.
NDP: Fish?
Me: No.
NDP: And the children don't eat meat either?
Me: No.
NDP: Or chicken?
Me: No. No chicken OR fish.
NDP: Oh. But they look healthy?
Me: Yes. They are healthy.
NDP: Oh.
J: Mum?
Me: Yes J?
J: Does that person have a disability?
Me: Kind of. She doesn't understand what being vegetarian means. We can teach her though, if she'd like to learn.
J: OK. Lots of people eat animals, don't they mum?
Me: Yes they do. You can as well if you would like to.
J: No. I like being vegetarian. [pause] Can I still eat boogies though?
Welcome to the family, Nanuk
Just before turning 2, J and F began fearing monsters. They'd point to a door, or around a corner, or under the bed, or even up a tree and tell me that there was a monster there. I'd talk it through with them and try to find out what the 'monster' was, but it didn't seem to be a creature that logic could vanquish. We decided if the monsters didn't have to be physical beings, neither did our protectors.
This is when Tiger joined our family. He is a monster scaring extraordinaire, able to put the nastiest of creatures back in their place with a single "Roar!". From that day forward, every time the girls would spot a monster they would call on Tiger and together they would "roar" the sorry beast into oblivion.
Yesterday Miss V spotted a monster. Usually her older sisters are on hand and they quickly send Tiger in to battle. Yesterday, though, Miss V was on her own. I was about to jump in and remind her that her protector was merely a roar away, but something stopped me. It was one of those moments where time went all funny and I seemed to be frozen. I watched as Miss V called on a different protector.
Instead of a "roar", she gave a growl, then lowered her head and growled again.
She announced "Monster gone", and my sense of time kicked in again. I told her she was very strong for dealing with a monster and asked her to tell me more about how she scared it away. She told me, "Nanuk help(ed)." Nanuk is the Inuit name for a Polar bear and Miss V has been fascinated by them since we saw them at Sea World not long ago.
So welcome to the family, Nanuk. I hope you decide to stick around.
This is when Tiger joined our family. He is a monster scaring extraordinaire, able to put the nastiest of creatures back in their place with a single "Roar!". From that day forward, every time the girls would spot a monster they would call on Tiger and together they would "roar" the sorry beast into oblivion.
Yesterday Miss V spotted a monster. Usually her older sisters are on hand and they quickly send Tiger in to battle. Yesterday, though, Miss V was on her own. I was about to jump in and remind her that her protector was merely a roar away, but something stopped me. It was one of those moments where time went all funny and I seemed to be frozen. I watched as Miss V called on a different protector.
Instead of a "roar", she gave a growl, then lowered her head and growled again.
She announced "Monster gone", and my sense of time kicked in again. I told her she was very strong for dealing with a monster and asked her to tell me more about how she scared it away. She told me, "Nanuk help(ed)." Nanuk is the Inuit name for a Polar bear and Miss V has been fascinated by them since we saw them at Sea World not long ago.
So welcome to the family, Nanuk. I hope you decide to stick around.
WARNING
I had to get a new chainsaw today. The old one gave up months ago and it's gotten to the point where getting down the driveway takes a lot of careful maneuvering (not my specialty) and most of the paint off the car.
So I was unpacking the new machine this morning and being a dangerous piece of equipment I actually read the instructions. This is what I found on the first page:
WARNING! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STOP CHAINSAW WITH HANDS OR GENITALS
Damn. I was so looking forward to trying that.
So I was unpacking the new machine this morning and being a dangerous piece of equipment I actually read the instructions. This is what I found on the first page:
WARNING! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STOP CHAINSAW WITH HANDS OR GENITALS
Damn. I was so looking forward to trying that.
Perspective
All 3 girls love taking photos and I encourage them as much as possible. Partly because I think creativity is hugely important and partly because I love seeing glimpses of the world through their eyes. Often, letting 2 and 3 year olds lose with a camera results in 50 photos of inside the dogs ear, or up a sibling's nose.
Then there are the images like these that take my breath away.
This is Apple, as Miss J sees her.
Then there are the images like these that take my breath away.
This is Apple, as Miss J sees her.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
