No TV

I've been pretty bad at blogging. It's not that I'm busy, most stay-at-home moms understand that we're not really "busy" in the sense that we do a lot. We're busy in the sense that we're doing a lot. I can usually be found holding a baby (keeping her from being tugged on, kissed, sat on and "loved" a little too much), picking up toys, filling the dish washer, throwing clothes in the laundry, and ushering kids to the bathroom. While I was doing the dishes after dinner Paul asked me if I ever got tired of washing the same dishes, mopping the same floor, wiping the same table, and folding the same laundry. I just kinda looked at him, not really finding an adequate response. I guess, if I ever get tired of the same stuff, I can always hire out my services...and wash someone else's. Anyway, back to the post. We have been without a TV since the end of June. One morning after I came back from running, I went to turn a show on for the kids while I showered during Elin's morning nap. She doesn't nurse well if I smell all sweaty and stuff, so I shower while she's asleep and let the kids watch Little Einsteins or Backyardigans ( I <3 Backyardigans!). The TV wouldn't turn on. We were having problems with it turning on for a few weeks. It took a few minutes to "warm-up". Paul said he would look at it, and we had been talking about getting a new TV for a while, but I would only get a new one if I could have it mounted so little fingers couldn't get to the buttons and screen. That is why the TV went out. It had been pushed on and off way too many times. It had to be wiped down way too many times to get rid of sticky fingers. It had been tapped and pushed way too many times any cartoon character asked, "Where is the red balloon?" or "Can you find the green pinata?" Yeah, way too many times! Paul discovered the lamp went out, and thought that he could fix it. We put it in the front bedroom that we don't use yet. But, after I left the front bedroom's door unlocked one day and came back after going to the restroom to find the kids jumping on the screen, we chose to get rid of it. I defend myself by saying, "When would he have actually found the time to fix it?" So, we have been without a TV. We've always had our desktop computer hooked up to our TV so that we can stream Netflix, disney.com, hgtv, foodnetwork, and espn. Now we have the monitor hooked up so that we can do all those things. Our children crowed the small computer screen to watch shows and movies. It's pretty hilarious and takes us back to the first few months we were married, living in Oklahoma City without a TV, a bed, a dining room table, and a couch. We would watch episodes of Lost on my computer in the evenings after work while laying on our air mattress. Why haven't we gotten another TV, you might ask? Well, if you know Paul and me you'd know that we don't like to spend money, unless it's on groceries and cinder blocks for the trampoline hole that is now complete. Whenever we have made a large purchase of any type, it has taken a months to actually get it. Paul does research for months while I rationalize why we still don't need it. We've even downgraded our Netflix package to just instant because what's the point of having the blueray package when you can't watch the bluerays or normal dvds anyway? However, I think I am coming to the point of not being able to rationalize it anymore. For one, the speakers on the computer aren't very good. And two, sometimes I would like to actually see how Austin and Uniquea get out of the jungle while being chased by Pablo, Tasha, and Tyrone. Who wouldn't? And, we can't really have family movie night when half of the family can't see or hear anything. I've been okay with it for a while, but if Paul comes home and suggests we move Ewan to our bed and we use the air mattress until we decide to buy a king size...I may have to make a large purchase on my own. Or, could rationalize the air mattress for a while if it means that Elin is in the crib and sleeping through the night, and Ewan has his own bed...

We miss this!