Let me count the ways!

EDIT TO ADD: I forgot to say thanks to everyone who commented on my my previous rant tirade sardonic dissertation post. I promise, from the heart of my bottom, to really tell you all how I feel next time. I know, I tend to keep my emotions bottled up. As per request, I pledge to share and give you more of myself next time. I guess sometime more is just... well, more. ;)

Hi there! I'm a bit shaky right now seen as I am getting my first internet fix in 13 days ( the MISU posted the last post for me at work)... It's kind of like going cold turkey without coffee, then starting up again after 2 weeks. The first few days are very exhausting and depressing, and life without internet and cable has been interesting. Today, I am exhilarated by the feel of keyboard, and quite frankly- a little giddy. There's nothing like getting your fix!

Let me just say that the day our "unconnected" cable was disconnected (the call was to our local Mediacom office BTW, not overseas), the hubs and I had a rant fest with each other over the phone while he was at work. Given the previous episode where my husband forgot to pay the cable bill for 83 days (remember that?) and our cable was disconnected without warning just a month ago... we were already primed so to speak. Expletives were exchanged over the phone between John and I 13 days ago, not at each other but towards the cable monopoly from hell.

John was furious and said screw it, we were just going to have to live without cable and internet for 3 or 4 months. To which I growled, (think The Exorcist)" I don't care about cable. We can go without that. But there is no way I'M GOING 4 MONTHS WITHOUT HIGH SPEED INTERNET."

Silly, selfish me. What I realize now is that though going 4 months without TV could have it's benefits (us doing more stuff as a family instead of being stuck in front of the boob tube), it also has it's downside (having to change DVDs and tapes frequently, and hearing a 6 yr old moan and groan about being bored during the days this summer when it will undoubtedly be to hot to go outside until evening).

We still do not have cable, and John is thinking that we can go 3 or 4 months of the kids watching the same DVDs and tapes without any complaining. I think he forgot that Anna will be out of school the end of this month... I reminded him last night while he was hooking up the DSL line. "3 months without TV... (dramatic pause) during the summer? You're kidding, right?"

Nope, he's not kidding. The summer should be interesting. I'm no candidate for Mother of the year, I'll fully admit that I let the kids eat breakfast while watching morning shows during the summer so I can get some house work done in hopes that we will make it outside in between Emma's naps. I also let them watch when I take a shower, in hopes that I will have a few minutes of peace without shrieking and crying. I also let them watch while I'm blogging. When aren't they watching TV? Good question. While they are sleeping? I told you, I'm not perfect. I do shut off the tube and we do go for hours without it on some days... Beside, not to toot their horns but I think we all know that my kids aren't lacking or suffering in the intelligence department. If anything we have considered giving them a smoke with their morning cuppa joe to stunt their over active brains.

I kid people, I kid! I would never do that.

Then blog about it. ;)

So maybe not having TV will be a good thing. I'll have to be more involved and probably have to plan activities so that they don't terrorize each other. We'll get outside more and try to actually get along without the inevitable emotional scarring that yelling, time outs and the occasional swat on the butt brings.

OR I could tell the hubby that having TV available would be beneficial for the whole family (if you get my meaning), because on those rough days I have no energy left for hubby time. ;) It's not bribery, it's the God's honest truth. I would be perfectly happy with making a no TV rule for 3 days out of the week in order to be more organized this summer (except for maybe an hour in the evening for family wind down time). But going the entire summer without TV? Insanity.

I have to make myself a work out schedule, so why not schedule TV days too? I've scheduled chore days in the past during the summer months because other wise the house becomes a bear den of food debris and dirty laundry, we just have too much fun during the lazy months of summer. I assure you, it ain't pretty.

I'm not opposed to change. OK, let's be honest here... Not completely opposed to change. Making a schedule is easy, sticking to it- not so much. Which means I will also probably have to pencil in blog time. *sigh* We'll see what happens.

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I leave you with this Emma-ism:

Emma , like her mentor in the past, has a thing for ripping out hair adornments just seconds within getting into our car, and just seconds within arriving on the days where I silently rejoice that we have nearly made it to our destination with pig tails intact.

Which boggles the mind because like her mentor at that age, doing the do is usually a tearful struggle on both of our parts, usually ending with one of us crying out for daddy. I often wonder if the price of beauty ( or in Em's case, extreme and utter CUTENESS) is worth it.

ANYWHOOO, this day was a lazy day and I decided that running to Target did not warrant the suffering that adorable and curly pig tails bring, so I settle on a simple hair clip.

In the car, on the way, I hear the pip squeak pipe up:

Knock ihh off, momma.

Which, by the way, is usually what I say when she is uprooting clumps of hair from her scalp in order to be pig tail free.

I turn around and look at her questioningly, just in time to see her rip the hair clip from her head with a vengeance.

I turn back around and mumble to John, "Just she just say knock it off?"

Dat's white, momma. I said "Knock ihh off". She brandishes the hair clip as if it is her Sword in the Stone, just out of reach.


*note to self, add French Roast and Camels to the grocery list*