When we lived in MN we lived 20 miles from a small movie theater that didn't always advertise their movies well, 1 1/2 hours from a little bigger theater, and 3 hours from a big movie theater. It was basically impossible for Ram and I to go to the movies without the Lambs in the winter, because of having to plan for a babysitter not knowing what the weather was like. Plus movies were never at the small theater for long so planning for a babysitter was difficult. We couldn't get a babysitter for a 3 or 6 hour round trip driving plus the movie time. Almost all the movies that are worth watching come out in the winter and are gone by late spring. The Lambs have never been to the movie theater because when I wanted to take them to see Winnie the Pooh there was a mix up when the theater was showing it. The small movie theater 20 miles away did not have their schedule online. We didn't live in that town so we didn't notice when movies were showing by just driving by.
When I was pregnant with Lamb 2 we visited my parents and they watched Lamb 1 while Ram and I went to see the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. I really wanted to see Prince Caspian but babysitting just didn't work out. By the time of the Voyage of the Dawn Treader came out I gave up on going to the theater. Ram went to see one movie without me since we saw the first Narnia movie. But I had not been to a movie theater since January 2006.
Thankfully all 3 of the Lord of the Rings movies came out before Lamb 1 was born. We saw the first one on our honeymoon, second one on our trip to ID to spend Christmas with Ram's family, and third one in that small theater 20 miles away while I was pregnant with Lamb 1. We also saw Luther and the Passion in the theater before Lamb 1 was born. Thankfully we were able to watch the other movies we wanted to see on DVD.
Everyone told me the Hobbit was really good and we needed to go see it. Finding a babysitter and working around Ram's schedule at Advent/Christmas time was a challenge. Ram's parents had see the movie in 3-D. They offered to watch the Lambs while we went to see it on Friday afternoon. It was a one day early anniversary date.
We saw the 3-D version and I'm really glad. The 3-D glasses were $2.50 but we kept ours and plan to keep them for the second Hobbit movie next year. Both Ram and I reread the Hobbit before we went to the movie. I'm so glad I had the book fresh in my mind.
I had not been to the movie theater for 7 years and then we went to a nice theater and watched a 3-D movie. One day we got TV at our house and the next day we went to the movie theater.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Back to the present
In January 2009 we stopped paying for TV. We lived too rural to get free stations with an antenna. For the first few months of Lamb 3's life he watched TV while we watched it, but before he was a year old the only TV the Lambs ever watched was at a hotel and when we visited Grandpa and Grandma.
When we moved here one of the first conversations I had at church brought up that we didn't have TV. One of the men at church could not believe that. He had never heard of someone without TV! We had trouble setting up our DVD player after moving (too bad the movers don't do that for you!). We eventually got the DVD player to work, but there were a couple of months of no TV or movies. We moved to the new house in March and a few months later we decided to replace our 12 year old TV, it really did not survive moving very well.
A few months ago I saw a video online about an indoor HDTV antenna. I decided to use our free Amazon dollars from our health insurance to get one. I read lots of reviews and decided on this one. It arrived before Christmas but I decided to wait until after Christmas to use it. On December 27, Ram put it up. It was so easy to just tape it to the wall and plug it in. We get a really nice picture.
I have never lived anywhere with 4 PBS stations before. We get several stations that we care about and of course the Spanish and Christian TV stations that we don't care about. The real reason why I purchased the antenna was so that I could watch Downton Abbey when the next season returns in January! I'm glad the Lambs can watch some of their PBS shows that they have watched movies from the library but not watched regularly.
I think a clue is that we went without TV for almost 4 years so Ram and I aren't hooked to a bunch of shows. I plan to watch Downton Abbey each week. Other than that perhaps Ram and I will watch if something important happens in the news, but I doubt that Ram and I will watch much more TV.
I'm still trying to figure out what to do about the Lambs TV schedule. Of course no TV during homeschool/preschool time in the morning. Of course they need to have chores done before watching TV or movies. But I still need to figure out how to not let them watch TV all afternoon and evening. Thankfully the only shows they are really interested in are on PBS or cable stations that we don't get for free. I have considered assigning a day of the week to each Lamb. On their day of the week (so twice a week without Sunday) they get to clean their bathroom and pick one hour of TV or movies. If you have any ideas for TV schedule for kids I would appreciate comments.
Today there wasn't anything on TV they were interested in so they've been watching several episodes of one of their Christmas presents, the complete Magic School Bus series DVDs.
Going back to TV was completely free for us. I'll try to give an update how it is going in a few weeks. If we decide we don't want it all we have to do is unplug the antenna.
Note: If you are reading this on Saturday, December 29, look at my sidebar. Happy #11 to Ram and Ewe!
When we moved here one of the first conversations I had at church brought up that we didn't have TV. One of the men at church could not believe that. He had never heard of someone without TV! We had trouble setting up our DVD player after moving (too bad the movers don't do that for you!). We eventually got the DVD player to work, but there were a couple of months of no TV or movies. We moved to the new house in March and a few months later we decided to replace our 12 year old TV, it really did not survive moving very well.
A few months ago I saw a video online about an indoor HDTV antenna. I decided to use our free Amazon dollars from our health insurance to get one. I read lots of reviews and decided on this one. It arrived before Christmas but I decided to wait until after Christmas to use it. On December 27, Ram put it up. It was so easy to just tape it to the wall and plug it in. We get a really nice picture.
I have never lived anywhere with 4 PBS stations before. We get several stations that we care about and of course the Spanish and Christian TV stations that we don't care about. The real reason why I purchased the antenna was so that I could watch Downton Abbey when the next season returns in January! I'm glad the Lambs can watch some of their PBS shows that they have watched movies from the library but not watched regularly.
I think a clue is that we went without TV for almost 4 years so Ram and I aren't hooked to a bunch of shows. I plan to watch Downton Abbey each week. Other than that perhaps Ram and I will watch if something important happens in the news, but I doubt that Ram and I will watch much more TV.
I'm still trying to figure out what to do about the Lambs TV schedule. Of course no TV during homeschool/preschool time in the morning. Of course they need to have chores done before watching TV or movies. But I still need to figure out how to not let them watch TV all afternoon and evening. Thankfully the only shows they are really interested in are on PBS or cable stations that we don't get for free. I have considered assigning a day of the week to each Lamb. On their day of the week (so twice a week without Sunday) they get to clean their bathroom and pick one hour of TV or movies. If you have any ideas for TV schedule for kids I would appreciate comments.
Today there wasn't anything on TV they were interested in so they've been watching several episodes of one of their Christmas presents, the complete Magic School Bus series DVDs.
Going back to TV was completely free for us. I'll try to give an update how it is going in a few weeks. If we decide we don't want it all we have to do is unplug the antenna.
Note: If you are reading this on Saturday, December 29, look at my sidebar. Happy #11 to Ram and Ewe!
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Christmas Eve presents for the Lambs
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| One of the elders at our church spoiled our boys by making these tool boxes with their initials on them and filling them with a few tools in each one. The stain was a little wet so now their Christmas outfits have a little brown stain on them. :) I think all the time between the 7 and 10 pm Christmas Eve services will be spent by the Lambs examining which tools they each received. |
Sunday, December 23, 2012
It's that time of year again...
Thank you, Lutheran Public Radio, for having Christmas music 24/7 when most of the world has stopped playing Christmas music and gone back to their every day routine.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Babies and stockings
Note: I know this is long, but please hang in there and read the whole post as it has a point at the end!
This time of year brings lots of correspondence with family and friends both e-mail and snail mail Christmas cards. This correspondence is also a good time for friends to announce that they are pregnant. Some are due soon, they were too sick or too busy to write and announce they were pregnant before now. Others are due late summer, but they are sick enough that it doesn't look like it is going to be a miscarriage so they are announcing now.
Ram and I would love to have another child and it doesn't seem like that is God's will for us. I was a girly girl when I was little. I loved skirts and dresses, I don't think I ever wore pants to school before I was in third grade. I played with dolls and read girl books, no trucks or boy books. I had one sister, no brothers. I would love to give a granddaughter and great granddaughter to Ram's mom and grandma that never had a daughter. So it seems so ironic that I'm the only female in our family. We would like another child no matter if it was a girl or a boy.
I did dress the Lambs in some of Ram's baby clothes and take photos. But one of my greatest sadnesses is that we don't have a girl to wear my baby dresses or a girl to wear any dresses. I don't have any nieces to send them to either.
The devil does a good job at getting to me when I look at Christmas cards. The other day we received a photo of twin girls in matching dresses. Then I saw a photo of a girl wearing her mother's dress-photos that show how much the daughter looks like her mother. The letters with some of the cards that announced pregnancies-some of those have so many children that they don't honestly know how they are going to add one more to the family.
I've tried to focus on other things. The same day that I saw the mother/daughter photo, I also heard a family member is pregnant and on bedrest. That was an answer for me-I can make a care package for her to pass the time for her more quickly. She is due with her first and this care package will be really fun to put together. Also that same day an e-list I'm on asked for advice of books to buy for her daughter. I responded with books I loved as a girl and would buy if I had a daughter.
I shopped in the store and online to buy a dress for my goddaughter. I found it isn't easy to find a modest, cute, dress for an eight year old. I finally settled on one and sent it to her, but it wasn't what I had in mind.
I reread He Remembers the Barren book. I wrote an entry for their writing contest and will submit it soon.
I did a little extra for our church's preschool Christmas party so our preschool director with three young children didn't have to do so much.
I helped with the Sunday School Christmas program. I'm planning on teaching Sunday School the next couple of weeks to give a break to the regular teachers.
I've tried to focus on our own family's Christmas celebration. I have been blessed with Ram and 3 Lambs and I need to enjoy Christmas with them instead of wishing for another Lamb to join us. Our tree is up and outside and inside is all decorated. This was no easy task as we are in a new home and had to figure out where everything goes. After living in cold MN, we put up lights outside for the first time in our marriage. I put up some decorations that have not been put up since Lamb 1 was born-the Lambs are old enough to be careful with some more decorations. I have never been done decorating this early. The Christmas cards are sent out. I have baked Christmas cookies-a few kinds each week in December and shared them at church activities. The presents are all wrapped. Because all these Christmas preparations are done, I'm able to pay attention at the final Advent and Christmas church services.
The stockings are hung. This was a big sign for me-our new fireplace mantel has 5 spots for stockings for our family members. I'm sure I could figure out what to do with the stockings if God did bless us with another child, but for now our family is complete.
So devil, you can tempt me with Christmas cards and letters. I know that my life is richly blessed especially with Ram and 3 Lambs. I am a baptized child of God. Jesus has conquered the devil. Even if I never have a daughter or another son, God will provide for my every need. The fireplace mantel plainly shows that I am very blessed.
This time of year brings lots of correspondence with family and friends both e-mail and snail mail Christmas cards. This correspondence is also a good time for friends to announce that they are pregnant. Some are due soon, they were too sick or too busy to write and announce they were pregnant before now. Others are due late summer, but they are sick enough that it doesn't look like it is going to be a miscarriage so they are announcing now.
Ram and I would love to have another child and it doesn't seem like that is God's will for us. I was a girly girl when I was little. I loved skirts and dresses, I don't think I ever wore pants to school before I was in third grade. I played with dolls and read girl books, no trucks or boy books. I had one sister, no brothers. I would love to give a granddaughter and great granddaughter to Ram's mom and grandma that never had a daughter. So it seems so ironic that I'm the only female in our family. We would like another child no matter if it was a girl or a boy.
I did dress the Lambs in some of Ram's baby clothes and take photos. But one of my greatest sadnesses is that we don't have a girl to wear my baby dresses or a girl to wear any dresses. I don't have any nieces to send them to either.
The devil does a good job at getting to me when I look at Christmas cards. The other day we received a photo of twin girls in matching dresses. Then I saw a photo of a girl wearing her mother's dress-photos that show how much the daughter looks like her mother. The letters with some of the cards that announced pregnancies-some of those have so many children that they don't honestly know how they are going to add one more to the family.
I've tried to focus on other things. The same day that I saw the mother/daughter photo, I also heard a family member is pregnant and on bedrest. That was an answer for me-I can make a care package for her to pass the time for her more quickly. She is due with her first and this care package will be really fun to put together. Also that same day an e-list I'm on asked for advice of books to buy for her daughter. I responded with books I loved as a girl and would buy if I had a daughter.
I shopped in the store and online to buy a dress for my goddaughter. I found it isn't easy to find a modest, cute, dress for an eight year old. I finally settled on one and sent it to her, but it wasn't what I had in mind.
I reread He Remembers the Barren book. I wrote an entry for their writing contest and will submit it soon.
I did a little extra for our church's preschool Christmas party so our preschool director with three young children didn't have to do so much.
I helped with the Sunday School Christmas program. I'm planning on teaching Sunday School the next couple of weeks to give a break to the regular teachers.
I've tried to focus on our own family's Christmas celebration. I have been blessed with Ram and 3 Lambs and I need to enjoy Christmas with them instead of wishing for another Lamb to join us. Our tree is up and outside and inside is all decorated. This was no easy task as we are in a new home and had to figure out where everything goes. After living in cold MN, we put up lights outside for the first time in our marriage. I put up some decorations that have not been put up since Lamb 1 was born-the Lambs are old enough to be careful with some more decorations. I have never been done decorating this early. The Christmas cards are sent out. I have baked Christmas cookies-a few kinds each week in December and shared them at church activities. The presents are all wrapped. Because all these Christmas preparations are done, I'm able to pay attention at the final Advent and Christmas church services.
The stockings are hung. This was a big sign for me-our new fireplace mantel has 5 spots for stockings for our family members. I'm sure I could figure out what to do with the stockings if God did bless us with another child, but for now our family is complete.
So devil, you can tempt me with Christmas cards and letters. I know that my life is richly blessed especially with Ram and 3 Lambs. I am a baptized child of God. Jesus has conquered the devil. Even if I never have a daughter or another son, God will provide for my every need. The fireplace mantel plainly shows that I am very blessed.
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