We are fighting our addictions this week. Or trying to. Last Friday my boys tracked off from school for three weeks. I'm always frustrated with how much TV they watch. But I'm never strong enough to limit it more. I knew that it would be three weeks of TV watching if I didn't do something drastic. So I did. No TV for track off.
I broke the news to the boys on Saturday, their last day to watch TV. It was kind of late in the day, which isn't a great time to rock a tired child's world. Kobe broke down. He had a total meltdown! He was crying and curled up on the couch and not wanting to live anymore. He couldn't go on. He was having withdrawals and I hadn't even taken away the drug yet. I told him that there are lots of things to do besides TV and then I expressed that I thought they were addicted to TV. Is that appropriate to tell your kids? I can't tell anymore.
Kobe said that, yes, he was addicted to TV. He told me his body needed TV. And he told me he was a couch potato. "That's who I am."
The week went well. It was hard at first because they have forgotten how to play. It's slowly coming back to them. No TV Monday. No TV Tuesday. Jude turned the TV on Wednesday evening while I was preparing dinner and I pretended not to notice. They might be addicted to watching TV, but I am addicted to having them distracted by TV. Thursday we all fell off the wagon. It was my major cleaning day and I thought they could handle just one show. Then one show turned into hours of TV. It's okay. It's only temporary. Today is Friday, so it's video game/TV day. We'll be back on the wagon tomorrow.
After those first couple detox days, I loved the feeling in our home with no TV. But I'm still watching a ton of TV after the boys are in bed. One step at a time. (I didn't even know that a new season of 'America's Next Top Model' had already started! How could I have missed that?)
The addiction that I'm battling right now is to my computer. I am seriously addicted to my computer. It's not good. I made a goal that I would not go on the computer during the day for track off. How am I doing? Two blogs this week - both written and posted around midday. If you post a blog, I read it within five minutes of it being posted. And I'm checking for new real estate listings every hour. And sometimes I sit down and just stare at the screen trying my hardest to come up with something to search on the Internet. I spent a huge part of one day trying to track down possible blogs of a family that I grew up with in Chicago. (Does anyone know where the Child's are?)
I think I was a little extreme in my goal. Next week I'll make a more reasonable goal concerning the computer. I accidentally told Kobe my goal last Saturday, too, and he is constantly catching me on the computer. He must be so disappointed in me. But I tell him, with slurred speech and exaggerated hand motions, "Leave me alone! It's only a few blogs!"
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About Me
My favorite high school class was "Keyboarding".
My favorite college class was "Basketweaving".
I don't like to return things to the store because I feel like the employees are mad at me.
I set up my high school English teacher and one of my dad's single friends on a blind date. They dated for three years.
I love the rain and overcast skies.
I collect miniature trinkets.
I am horrible at small talk, even though life has given me plenty of opportunities for improvement.
I am obsessed with my children's feet. I often hear them saying, "Mom, please stop staring at my feet."
I like to sit down.
I like to be alone.
I like to pinch people's buns.
Showering is really, really hard for me.
I want my last meal to be chicken lo mein and chocolate milk, with an oreo shake hand-mixed by Jakob for dessert. So he better not die first.
I have white-trash tendencies.
It takes me anywhere from 30-60 minutes to fall asleep at night.
When I was little, my pretend name was always Lisa.
I get a little nauseous whenever I see men or boys with long fingernails.
I bruise easily.
I don't like to talk on the telephone or to drive.
My favorite place to be is my bed.
I will be a Broadway star in heaven.
My favorite color to wear is black.
I get a perm every year to make my hair thicker.
I wax my nose hairs.
I don't like to clean, but I do like to organize.
My favorite part of my job is when my kids sing and/or dance with me.
My least favorite part of my job is anything that has to do with food.
I had both the names "Channing" and "Tatum" on my "Baby Girl Names" list before the movie "Step Up" even came out.
My favorite college class was "Basketweaving".
I don't like to return things to the store because I feel like the employees are mad at me.
I set up my high school English teacher and one of my dad's single friends on a blind date. They dated for three years.
I love the rain and overcast skies.
I collect miniature trinkets.
I am horrible at small talk, even though life has given me plenty of opportunities for improvement.
I am obsessed with my children's feet. I often hear them saying, "Mom, please stop staring at my feet."
I like to sit down.
I like to be alone.
I like to pinch people's buns.
Showering is really, really hard for me.
I want my last meal to be chicken lo mein and chocolate milk, with an oreo shake hand-mixed by Jakob for dessert. So he better not die first.
I have white-trash tendencies.
It takes me anywhere from 30-60 minutes to fall asleep at night.
When I was little, my pretend name was always Lisa.
I get a little nauseous whenever I see men or boys with long fingernails.
I bruise easily.
I don't like to talk on the telephone or to drive.
My favorite place to be is my bed.
I will be a Broadway star in heaven.
My favorite color to wear is black.
I get a perm every year to make my hair thicker.
I wax my nose hairs.
I don't like to clean, but I do like to organize.
My favorite part of my job is when my kids sing and/or dance with me.
My least favorite part of my job is anything that has to do with food.
I had both the names "Channing" and "Tatum" on my "Baby Girl Names" list before the movie "Step Up" even came out.
6 comments:
I could have written that post. Those are our addictions too. Don't worry, though. Just take baby steps, and reward yourself with blogging. Like if you get one chore done, then you can blog/surf the web for 1/2 hour. You can do it, Mindy. Just remember the 12 steps.
Good luck! I hope it goes well. We are also tv lovers at our house.
That was a perfect post for me. This past week Luke and I had a very {heated} intriguing talk about my obvious obsession with the computer. I told him it was my way of interacting with people, sad, but we just moved here and I am actually getting to know people THROUGH their blogs, even more sad, I know...but I'm working on it. When I fall off the bandwagon, I have to remember to GET OFF and spend time with the kids...ughh, does the addiction ever end?
i can't begin to tell you how much better i feel, knowing that we are not the only addicted ones! but i am way worse than my kids! they will stop and play for hours but when i'm not chasing them i am glued to the tv or computer and then wonder why my laundry isn't put away....hmmmmm
Mindy, thanks for being so honest. I think we're all afraid to admit our computer addictions. I've totally done the sit there thinking of something to search for- it's the worst and I totally am not in control sometimes. I love what Kobe said about how he's a couch potato and that's just so who he is! SO FUNNY!!! Good for you for trying at least, that what I always tell myself... trying is good.
OK, so you're looking for new houses? I remember you put your house on the market, but I thought you decided to take it off. Is your house for sale again? Have you had any luck finding a home you want?
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