Day Two No TV - I once watched Lost but now I've found...

a great way to connect with my children. Believe it or not I wasn't even tempted to turn on my favorite show last night! Instead, we had a book night and it was Darius' idea! He chose one of his favorite books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and read it aloud as we sat around and listened. It was great! We all found the story very funny and since this was a book that he had chosen as a favorite, it allowed us to learn a little bit about who he is and what he likes. My son is a pretty cool kid.

Now, I can not lie. It sort of felt like an episode of Little House on the Prairie. If we had turned out all the lights, and lit candles, then danced a jig while De'Vaughn pulled out a fiddle and played us a little tune, it would have truly been authentic. No, Seriously, I have watched shows depicting life before TV and other modern forms of entertainment and thought to myself, how boring. But now I can see how exciting it can be to enjoy the talents of those that are with you everyday. My family is funnier, more intriguing and suspenseful than any show ABC could ever create. The silence in our home is allowing us to to really get to know each other and it is also creating a bond that I am sure will last beyond this week.

Although we chose to have a simple book night here are some other things you can do to liven up an evening at home without TV;

• Announce a book night but build a fort or tent in the middle of the family room. Grab a few of your favorite snacks and some flashlights and even your non-reader will find it hard to resist popping inside.



• If it is nice outside, do some star gazing. Download a copy of the constellation chart for your area (they change with the seasons), set up some lawn chairs outside and see who can pick out the most constellations. (don't forget to bring a snack:)



• Let the whole family pile up into mom & dads bed for an old fashioned story time. Choose a funny story and make sure you change your voices to fit the characters. This can even be fun with older children if you give each person a character to read for.

Well, two days down...five to go...