TV Turnoff Week, Day One

This morning over breakfast, Miss M shared some ideas about things we could give up for a week instead of TV:

Baths. Miss M really likes the idea of Bath-Free week. BTW, you could go swimming during Bath-Free week, but you just couldn't rinse off. 

Apples.  This one is in honor of her sister, Miss E, who hates apples (but loves applesauce).  Miss M does not hate apples but she is more willing to not eat apples for a week than not watch TV.  Uncle Daddy (Dad's twin brother) was wondering whether Apple-Free week would extend to Apple computers and iPods.  Good question. 

Miss M also offered a way around the fact that we cannot turn on the TV.  What if we watch a DVD on the computer?  It's not a TV, right?

BTW, this conversation took place during the time slot usually spent watching "Arthur".

Turn it off, Dad

Day Zero of TV Turnoff Week:

Last night, our family geared up for TV Turnoff Week in a most inappropriate way: Dad watched the first "Harry Potter" movie with Miss M and Miss E.  

He has read the first two books with Miss M, and they are currently reading "The Prisoner of Azkaban".  She is really into the books, although I'm sure most of it goes over her head.  But halfway through the movie, she was begging him to turn it off.  I think she slept with one eye open last night.

Nevermind that this movie was not such a great choice for a five-year-old and two-year-old to watch (I hate to say "I told you so," Dad.  Oops, I just did.).  But watching it on the eve of TV Turnoff Week also got the kids primed for a week of deprivation instead of the TV-Free Adventure Week I was planning. 

It also didn't help that when Miss M excitedly told her uncle, who happens to be visiting, that we were going to unplug the TV this week, his response was "that won't last long." 

The afternoon we spent at the Earth Day celebration in Forest Park was more what I'd had in mind.  The kids made toad houses, helped save a demonstration stream from erosion, and boogied to zydeco.  And then–after playing frisbee, practicing cartwheels, and lazing in the grass for quite a while–Dad came up with the idea of playing Duck, Duck, Goose.  There is nothing a two-year-old loves more than squeeling while being chased by her father.  I bet, if you asked her, she'd trade in five episodes of Sesame Street for that.  

Guess Dad's not such a bad influence after all….

The Easter Bunny’s Baby

Bet you thought we forgot about the blog.  Or we stopped being curious.  Or we've had no adventures in the past couple of weeks.  Well, you're wrong. 

We have been busy with taxes, kindergarten registration, potty training and other things that have gotten in the way of posting.  We have also been dealing with some weird and wild weather here in the Midwest.  So, we haven't been back to the Funky Tree Man's house for Miss M's big interview either. 

Actually, we were quite worried about Funky Tree Man after a bad storm had hit.  Every time we saw another downed tree (and there were lots of them near us), Miss M would express concern about him.  So, we were all very relieved when we saw him–still standing, and wearing all of his clothes–on our way to tutoring last week.  There was never an opportunity to visit him, though, because it kept raining at the most inopportune times.

We've stayed pretty close to home for the past couple of weeks.  But this has given Miss M and her tag-along sister, Miss E, more time for bunny watching. 

For a few weeks now, there have been bunny sightings in our backyard.  And last week, for the first time, also in the front yard.  Miss M insists that this bunny–and we're pretty sure it is always the same bunny–is the Easter Bunny's baby.

You see, the Easter Bunny is very busy working the Mall circuit.  So, the responsibility of hiding eggs in people's yards has now fallen to his son.  Miss M is certain that every place the bunny hops in our yard, he leaves an egg.  Now, I always thought he was dropping something else.  But maybe that explains why the eggs he is supposedly leaving around our yard are not visible.   Perhaps, by some kind of bunny magic, on Easter morning the tiny turds change into colorful, plastic eggs filled with candy (at least this is what he leaves at our house since Miss E is allergic to eggs of the hard-boiled variety).

At any rate, Miss M has been recording every place she has seen him hop on a hand-drawn map of our yard.  Her plan, of course, is to find ALL of the eggs and eat ALL of the candy herself.  Little does she know that Mom has Baby Bunny's ear and, together, we have devised a different plan–a plan for a fair and equitable Easter for all cousins and little sisters. 

We'll let you know how that goes….