An Electronics Free Summer

It started with an afternoon video game spree in the middle of a very untidy family room. I started to get angry.  Well, that’s not exactly true… my blood was boiling.  I had been upstairs trying to work my way through Mount Washmore, while the kids were supposed to be picking up the first floor.  I had carefully assigned specific, age-appropriate tasks in the hopes that when all the work was done, we could head out for the park and enjoy a beautiful summer day.  Unfortunately, the kids had other ideas.

The blue glow of the screen, whether it is some mind-numbingly sophomoric show on Nickelodeon, or Minecraft, or even an educational movie, had reduced my children to pudgy zombies seeking non-stop entertainment. This had to stop. I want them to know there is more to life than what you can find on a screen.

So I unplugged it all.  I piled it up in my office. I told them they were not getting any of it back until the end of the summer. They sat in stunned silence. Now what? I didn’t even know. I shut myself in the office to formulate a plan and to avoid being taken prisoner by my mutinous minions.

I decided that I would let them know that I understood that no electronics was a tall order. BUT, if they were willing to stick it out, they would see it would reap big rewards.  I told them to go make a list of all the non-electronic things they wanted to do this summer.

I got back lists which included the local amusement park and water park, the Museum of Science and Industry, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Yellowstone, the local park, several campgrounds, Glacier National Park, and on and on.

YES! First step accomplished.  They did know there was life outside the tube.  The next step was to sit down and have a meeting.  We decided a trip was in order.  In addition to heading out to Six Flags at least once a week, and going to Chicago to the museums, several local camps, and our diocesan VBS, we now have plans for a two week excursion to Glacier National Park, Teddy Roosevelt Park, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, and parts in between. We’re bringing Grandma, and a Great Aunt.  And we’re camping.

Since the games and TV have been unplugged, they’ve learned to play games with each other, they are reading more, and lots of games are being played in the back yard.  I have noticed more compassion with one another and more creativity in their dialogue. The lack of electronics has had a humanizing effect on our family.

They still ask for the video games.  And I remind them of the trip we’re planning, the work we have to do on the house before we leave, and all the fun there is to be had outside. There are some groans still, but it’s getting better.

This may be our best summer yet.

Monday Meme: Isn't this the truth?

Mondays are historically just rough days. I think this is complicated when our weekends are just as crazy as the week days and for our family that's been the case for several weeks in a row. Somewhere, in the future, I'm uncertain when, maybe Monday will feel nice and ordinary...or maybe not. Either way, on we go, one foot in front of the other!

Friday Feasting; Breakfast Egg Sandwiches for the Freezer

Breakfast Egg Sandwiches for the Freezer

"And easy, make ahead meal for those days on the run. I like to make a couple dozen at a time, assemble then freeze for busy days for the children to pull out of the freezer and heat before heading out the door."

Ingredients
One dozen eggs
salt/pepper
parsley
grated cheese of choice
breakfast sausage, cooked
One dozen English muffins
butter

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Grease muffin tin with cooking spray.
3.  Crack an egg in each muffin cup. Season with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of parsley. Bake for 12 minutes then remove from oven and sprinkle cheese on top of each egg. Bake another 2 minutes or until done. Let cool in tin for 10 minutes.
4.  Remove each egg to a buttered english muffin with sausage.
5.  Enjoy now or wrap in wax paper, put in ziploc bag and freeze. Eat within one month.

What Does it Mean to be an All Star?

 

     Tis the season for baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and well you know the rest of the jingle!  For our family, Little League baseball is wrapping us this week.  I write that with mixed emotions. The boys have such a good time playing, they make new friends, and I really enjoy watching baseball. I also love to watch my hubby coach. He's fantastic with the kids, helping them to learn new skills, build confidence, and have fun playing the sport of baseball. On the other hand, I am looking forward to less crazy evenings and far less peanut butter and jelly sandwiches eaten on the run!

     End of season also means All Star selection time. If you don't like baseball, hang in there with me!  This time of year is tough on coaches, parents, and players almost unnecessarily.  What I've lost in time making Pb and j sandwiches, I've gained in wisdom about what is really important for raising All Stars and if everyone could just see it my way, the world of Little League, or youth sports in general, might be a more pleasant experience! It's entirely possible that's not true, but read on.

     Even the most laid back, go with the flow parents can get wrapped up in the adrenaline of winning games.  It's fun to win and I'm sure we all want our kids to succeed especially doing the things they love most.  However, I hate when I find myself losing sight of the true end game.  I forget that I'm cheering on a whole person, not just a baseball player. Maybe like you, I'm so focused on what's right in front of me that I've forgotten the true goal. All Star selection time rolls around and of course both my ball players are waiting, fingers crossed you might say, for the email to come.  For days they ask my husband and I if we've received the email and for days we put them off. In the meantime, we have many conversations about what being an All Star means.  As a coach my husband has to choose All Stars from his team and it's really difficult. He believes that an All Star doesn't just have the right skills but also the right attitude. He wants players to give their best effort at all times and to be good winners and good losers.

     All Stars are supposed to stand out. It's considered an honor to be selected. So many times in the last week or so, I've been reminded of the correlation between being an All Star and being a Catholic Christian. What is our end game? How are we going to get to Heaven?  We can look at the Communion of Saints as the best examples of what it means to be an All Star. Each Saint is known for something unique that they did, whether ordinary or extraordinary, to the best of their ability. Maybe they spent time with the poorest of the poor, or taught in a school, or died for the name of Jesus. No matter what, they kept plugging along. Just like my boys have to practice to get better at baseball, we all have to practice to be better Christians.

     We can't become better Christians without practicing...every day. We have to put time and effort in...every day. Our practice might include daily prayer (the rosary, meditation), the sacraments, adoration, Scripture study, fasting, tithing, etc. There will always be tough games or tough days. Just like my boys shouldn't throw their bats down when they strike out, we can't chuck our crosses out the door. We have to pick them up and keep moving. There are days when I would just love to stomp off the field and sit on the bench and pout! I mean who doesn't have days like those, it's reality because God never said it would be easy. But just like my boys have coaches who help them to be better, we have a Heavenly Father to love us and guide us along the way. When we feel like less than All Star material, we just need to ask for help. None of us were called to live out our vocation all alone.

     So in our house we ended up with one player making All Stars and one not, and no one is worse the wear because they know their end game. Yes, of course, my son who didn't make it is disappointed, but he cheered for his friends that made it and he knows he needs to work harder for next year. I'm thrilled that he can see the big picture and it reminds me to do the same.

Monday Meme: I Said No

       

        Back in April I received a text from our Religious Ed director.

“We really need to start looking over VBS programs and making a decision.”

I texted her back.

“I think you have the wrong number.”

It’s always so surprising to me that because I’ll bring in proportionally the most children to a program that means automatically I’ll be available and willing to run it.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a planner and I love kids and I love talking about Jesus and the Church.  I can be relatively creative and I will dance to any VBS jingle they throw my way!!  HOWEVER, this year I’m 5 months pregnant with my 8th child, and there was no WAY I was going to take that on.

      Our parish is really small, though, so there aren’t too many people willing to take on such a venture.  After initially telling our DRE that I couldn’t possibly take on something else, my good friend stepped up and said she would do it.  I know it’s going to be better than any bought program because she is TOTALLY awesome and immediately wanted to do something on The Year of Mercy vs. Submerged or the Cave Explorers or whatever else the VBS creator gods have churned out this year.

      We start today, and as excited as I am to begin it (mainly because I’m not running it in any sort of fashion), I know that by the end of the week, we are ALL going to be exhausted, pregnant or NOT.  The kids have such a great time, though, and it’s great to see my older kids stepping up and being helpers as they age out.

      And I’m also pretty proud of myself for saying “no”.  I’m a total “yes” girl, and it was a little difficult to say “no” at first when I was approached.  I knew there weren’t many people who would take on the challenge, and I hated to think of the burden that it would put on someone else.  We are all busy up to our eyeballs, right??  I could feel very deep in my bones and soul that God was not calling me to be in charge of this, though.  And I listened.  Glory be to God!