Unplugged and forgot to turn back on

Where have we been for the past month?  I kind of disappeared for a bit. We had Screen Free week and I have not done a blog post since.We were originally supposed to have Screen Free week the week of May 5th, but then all 3 boys and I ended up getting sick with fevers and upset bellies and there was no way that I could keep the screen turned off.  We honestly laid around and watched more tv more than we ever had that week.  A little ironic, really.

So, we tried again for the following week when were were all on the mend and did a really great job keeping unplugged.  (I may or may not have cheated a few times, but I will admit to nothing.)  My children did not lose their minds without technology nor did they ask me every other second if they could get on the computer.  The strangest thing, they used their imagination the whole week! It was amazing to watch.  I had actually come up with 30 ideas to keep the kids busy in their "bored" moments, and we really did not end up crossing too many of them off the list. I will be adding the activities we didn't get to to our Summer Bucket List.  The boys entertained themselves the whole week.  This is very unusual because they usually need to me to give them ideas, which drives me crazy.

One of our most favorite things we did while unplugging was watching a pair of birds protect their nest.  We saw them fight off cats, squirrels, and even a monitor lizard!  I wonder if we would have even noticed these birds if we had been busy watching tv or playing on the ipad.

 One of the birds we watched during the week. 

Here are some other fun things we did over Screen Free Week:

Watching one of the first big storms of the season.

 Playing with Oobleck

Lots of reading and lots of coffee for me

We will be limiting our screen time this summer in hopes for a much happier household.  I notice that if the boys watch tv or get on the computer right away in the morning, it sets them up for a really rough day.  They seem to fight more with each other and are also grumpier.  It's amazing what the affect of unplugging had on our family in a positive way.  So, here's to  happy (unplugged) summer !

Screen Free Week: Take 2

Last week was supposed to be screen free week in our house and in reality we ended up watching more tv than we ever do in a typical week.  We had a strong start on Monday with no screen time at all.  And then, life happened.  By Tuesday afternoon, Britton was out with a fever and the only thing he could do was lay around.  By Wednesday, Greyson and Lincoln were both down with fevers and a touch of a stomach bug.  More screen time.  By Thursday, I felt terrible and was laying around.  I could not muster enough energy to teach the kids, so more screen time for them.  We all felt off for most of the weekend, so we gave up on trying to redeem ourselves and just decided that this week, May 12-18, will be Screen Free Week at our house.  

I have had emails from other moms saying that they were really trying to make screen free week happen in their household, but just could not take the screen away completely.  They had just decided to be aware of the amount of time their children are watching television or playing on the computer.  I think that's what it is all about.  Unplugging forever is really not an option, but being aware of how much time every member of the family is using technology is.  

If you need any ideas on activities and projects to do with your kids instead of turning on the tv, here are our 30 Screen Free ideas.  We also set up some rules for the whole family to follow during our week.  

You are doing a great jobs Moms.  Keep pushing through a little longer.  Summer is almost here and on to our Summer Bucket list and family vacations!  We CANNOT wait!  

I would love to know how you limit screen free time in your house.

12 Months of Dates- Too Tired for a Date

The month of April flew by.  I was trying to figure out a day that Ben and I could squeeze in our date night and the only night that worked was the very last Saturday of the month.  It also happened to be the same day as my oldest son's T-ball Tournament.  This really should not have mattered but Ben was the coach, the boys had to play four games, and it was well over 100 degrees that day! We were all so exhausted after our day at the ball fields. We were outside from 8 am - 4 pm, and even thinking about doing some of our more adventurous dates were not going to happen. At one point I was thinking we should cancel because all I really wanted to do was lay on the couch an relax, but this was the very last weekend in April and I am determined to get in one date a month this year.

Grey had a great first t-ball tournament

The whole team

Coach Ben

So, we chose a low key date night. Ben used his "Your choice" card and we ended up checking out a new mall that opened near us.  We walked around to see what shops were there.

We ate a Wine Connection and had a wonderful dinner of ravioli and cannelloni . So good.

And a date night would not be complete without a trip to the grocery store?  I know, we are living it up!

Even though our night out wasn't super exciting, it was still nice to get out for a few kid free hours.  Our next date will be a little more exciting.  Choosing between a dinner cruise or a tour of the city.  What you like us to do?