No TV Allowed...or Wanted?

After our last camping trip to the East Eagles, I was trying to clean up and recover while taking care of the kids. That morning Isaac asked me if he could watch TV right when he got out of bed. Then at breakfast, then while we were doing the dishes. And again, "can I watch TV now." That's it! I had had enough. I am so tired of being hounded with TV power struggles, so I said "No more TV!"

Isaac had a few melt downs over the next week. I found I had to get up before the kids to shower and find things for them to do in the afternoon. This also changed what he did when he went over to grandma's house every weekend. Heaven forbid that we now have to interact all day... But after we all have adjusted to this new lifestyle (yes this has been a lifestyle change) we are getting along beautifully. The most amazing part as been that Isaac's imaginary play has sky rocked! He is pretending all the time.

But the crazyest thing happened; when I was canning this last week, I asked Isaac if he wanted to pick out a DVD because I felt bad for ignoring him so much. I could not believe his response. It was, "No thanks. I think I will go outside and play." Needless to say I stood in my kitchen in shock as I watched Isaac go outside and swing. I guess TV is no longer even wanted...

Preserving the Art of Preserving

Today our children can go with their parents to Walmart and buy applesauce. They do not get to see the apple tree grow and produce apples. They do not pick the apples, process the apple sauce and then eat it. Todays children are becoming very disconnected with the natural processes of life. We are trying to preserve this at least in our own family.

Today we produced nearly 100 quarts of apple sauce. Richard, Isaac, Jen and Uncle Craig went to the church orchard and picked 7 bushels of apples and 5 bushels of peaches. We hope that Isaac had a hands-on experience in the natural processes of making applesacue.
Thanks to the help of Aunt Jessie, McKinzee and Jen, we were able to be an apple sauce factory at our house. Over all there were only few mishaps...a couple singed off eye lashes and burned fingers...but I think we did all right...11 hours later...