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….