Media Free Week

Media Free week was not what I was hoping it would be. I was hoping we would suddenly have a lot of time together and all. But it happened to fall on a very busy week with a lot of errands and car repairs and such. So on Monday we did our normal stuff in the morning, and then Ruth and Kate babysat for me in the afternoon while I took Johnny on a date and Costco shopped. Then Ruth and Kate all the kids went out to play with friends. It was kind of funny to see Johnny bring a friend home and embarassingly say, "we can't play wii."

On Tuesday, we did our normal morning nonmedia stuff. After lunch I made all 8 kids come with me on errands that took us past 6pm (ughhh!!) By the time we got home, it was time to get dinner and do chores and then bedtime-- not terribly exciting.

Wednesday, I paid bills and such in the morning. Then we had lunch at home. Ruth and Kate took Joshua with them to a friends house while I took the rest of the kids to join the rec center and we went swimming for a couple of hours. We all got home just in time for Kate's achievement days at 6, and Ruth's Young Women's activity at 7. After dinner was cleaned up and chores were done. John played blocks with the littlest kids while I took Kate, Johnny, and Adam swimming. Again, not a very special day.

On Thursday, things were a little tougher for the kids. We were less busy. We followed our morning routine. The van was in the shop to get the brakes fixed for registration, so there was no going anywhere anyway. By 2 o'clock I decided Joseph and Joshua should take a nap at least once during the week so we had naptime. This is usually when we play a movie and I read to the older girls. Well, I read to the older girls and whoever did not settle down into either their own book or drawing or listening to the book I was reading had to lay down in their bed. All the girls either drew pictures or listened to the book. The boys had trouble and were sent to bed for a nap.

On Friday, we did lots of chores and then played together in the morning. Usually we go out this day, but the car was still being repaired. However, just as I finished reading to the little kids, I got the call about the car. John started a new job last week and couldn't make it to get the car before closing. So Ruth and Kate babysat Anya, Johnny, Adam, and Joseph while I walked myself, Rachel, and Joshua the 5 miles in the 90 degree afternoon heat to get the van and pay a whopping $872 for new brakes and such. (That is all of our food money for the month). I got home at 4:45. John was home about 45 minutes later, and we were planning on going to the temple. I knew babysitting without TV was really hard on our girls, it had been a tough week, so I let them watch Phineas and Ferb while we went to the Temple and out on a date.

Saturday was very busy again. Near the end of the day we took the family swimming and had an 8:30pm dinner and a rush to bed. Sunday we had a baby blessing for a cousin and a family dinner. The kids thought I would give them unlimited media today. Hahahaha. We already decided it was time to get back to having media days only on Fridays and Saturdays unless they are invited to do something with a parent.

We did have the pleasure of a rare Utah summer thunderstorm to dance in.

After our media free week, I have to say we are just too busy. I would like to find a way to have more unscheduled time for the kids to think and create in. That is just hard to do with a family this size. And it is weird to say, "I am going to schedule in unscheduled time." As we approach the school year and our first year of home school, I would like to make sure some of that time is for crafting and free play with me. How we are going to make it all fit is beyond me. Sorry I didn't come up with great ideas to do besides media. However, Kate did say, "Without TV, reading is a lot more entertaining." :).