Friday, the First Digital Detox Day

Sarah and camera man Jason arrived at our house around 9:45 Friday morning. Considering the news is over at 9am, I thought they made amazing time.  

And it was soooooo good to see Sarah again.

She did an interview with me at the dining room table and they shot some video of us shutting the tv's off - I mean, literally pulling the plug.  Literally.

When they packed up and left there was just silence.

Eerie Silence.

The boys looked at me like I had all the answers.

"Let's go grocery shopping!" I announced cheerily.

We drove the 20 minutes into Plainwell without a radio.  S4 declared this "so weird."

In Meijer I was searching for a lip stick that Sue had told me about.  It stays on all day, super cool....couldn't find it.

What I'd give for texting right then.

Heck, what my BOYS would give for texting right then because hanging out in a makeup isle is not their "thing".

We got groceries.  S3 thought it tiring and pulled this stunt to rest while we shopped.  Normally I would not allow this...I know it looks unsafe...but we had to get a picture and video before I bribed him with a donut.

That's right.  I bribe my kids with food.  It works.

 S1 found the COOLEST shirt for Daddy.  The boys have been playing Angry Bird marathons lately and they had literally woken up early so they could play one last game before Daddy went to work Friday.  I would have emailed this pic to Hubby for sure.

 S1 found his perfect shirt.  He's hoping to get "sick" a lot this fall.

 I had to turn my phone on once while in the store.  To check the time only.  Because we had to get to school before one.  S4 was about to get Student of the Month at school and I had been unsure how the day could be pulled off.  Well, it looked like it would all go perfectly smooth.

And it did.  He just thought he had to follow his class into the Clipper Room and then he'd get his school work for missing school Friday and Monday.  He had no idea he was about to be the kindergarten student of the month.

 The very best part? Because we technically weren't at school that day, all his brothers were there to see him.  And they all cheered for him.  It was the sweetest moment.

 I didn't think his grin could have been happier.....but it sure could get sillier.

 This is Blake.  He is one grade above S4.  And you know, we have to sing the "We beat you song" whenever we can to Blake and his brother.  I was so thrilled he was awarded Student of the Month too.

It is so something I would be facebooking/tweeting/texting/emailing/blogging.

The boys weren't sure they wanted to go home.  I mean, what did they have to do?  You know, other than homework.

S1 settled into a good book.  I started the never ending laundry.

 The boys brought in Bunny and Whiskers.  Shortly after this photo was taken, Whiskers got lost.  We found him (finally) behind our tv.

You know, the one that was unplugged now.

Another bit of information I would have been tweeting "Whiskers the bunny lost in our house!"

So when the boys were super tired (they were up very late the night before, knowing they weren't headed to school the next day) and cranky...I was so wishing there was a movie I could turn on for them to veg.

 Instead the bickered and complained.  Whiskers got left on the table to oversee the chaos.

That's when I got the notebook out.  Here is what the boys had to say....

S2 "This is going to be kinda sad and kinda fun.  We aren't usually watching tv so it's fine, but I'd really like to play Angry Birds."

S1 "It sorta feels like I am being punished."

S3 "It's going pretty good."

S4 "I'd be playing football with my stuffed animals and bunny either way so either way it's fine."

But it wasn't fine.

Soon they had cards all dealt out and cocoa made and it was very apparent that Moma was the person to entertain them for the next who knows how long.

But Moma was tired from a late Praise and Coffee the night before and an early morning getting ready for the day.  We opted for a nap...which only worked for an hour.

My mom called me to let me know she was out shopping and had nearly texted me numerous times.  I missed her - and all connections I had with friends right then.

When Daddy came home (seven phone calls later, he mighta have become used to text as much as me, even if he didn't admit it), he commented on how quiet it was.  

Here the boys are yelling and screaming through the house 

and we are commenting on how quiet it is.

But gathered around the table to learn to play Rook for the first time, we learned that S2 doesn't know how to spell S1's name.  S1 began to recite "Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Bear" and all the boys found it so funny they nearly fell out of their chairs.

I figured music makes us all get along better.  Because Fuzzy Wuzzy isn't really something you want stuck in your head.

We gave up on cards and I settled in to read - READ, the one thing I was so looking forward to this weekend - but husband finds reading as thrilling as watching paint dry so we all just gave up on the night and went to sleep.

I think the knowing that we had no digital-ness for a weekend was the worst part of Friday.  It was FRIDAY....and we had the whole weekend to look at.  It seemed long. 

So

Very

Long

And as my exhausted head hit the pillow I mumbled to my husband sleepily, "I missed hanging out with just you and cuddling tonight."

"Tomorrow," he promised.

Our Story Airs on Fox 17's 10 pm news on Tuesday, November 15th.

You can view the story link HERE.

S3's Reward

At the boys school, they have this special award called Student of the Month. Every month, the teacher chooses one of their students to congratulate. Letters are sent home to the parents asking it to remain a secret that your child has been chosen as Student of the Month. Then, the parents arrive to the school as the classes are brought in so that when the child's name is called they can have their picture taken when they are given a t shirt congratulating them.

It's a huge deal.

The problem is that Husband likes to tease the boys about this. They are good in school, we hear how great they are, but you can only get Student of the Month once the whole school year. S1 has only gotten it once the whole time he has been in school. Once. The shirt does not even begin to fit him anymore. S2 has gotten it every year he has been in school. And today was the very first time S3 got a Student of the Month. The boys wait with baited breath when Student of the Month assembly comes up. And the deal is, when they see us in school, they all get excited. This could be THEIR day, it never occurs to them that it could be their brother. And so we cheer one on and devastate the other two. Yet, even in that, they quickly get over the disappointment in joy for their brother.

I love our boys.

On this particular top special secret day, we overslept.

By a lot.

We rushed out of the house with coffee, headed out all together with four boys, Jr, Husband and me. When we arrived at school in the very nick of time, we realized then that S3 had forgotten his glasses, his back pack, and the lunch he brought was the same one from the day before, not a new anything in that. Gross.

Upon realizing he had forgotten literally everything but himself and his coat, he began to cry. When S3 cries it's just pitiful. He has this creaky voice that always sounds like he is getting over a cold. And when he cries, well, it's this weird whine that just breaks everyone's heart. So here he is, about to have the best school day ever, standing in the middle of his classroom, having arrived late to realize he is not prepared for school and unable to see a thing in his class because he forgot his glasses to boot.

Pitiful.

His teacher, our dear K.E., pulls me aside to ask “what issues do I need to know about with S3?”
You know, that's just not the way to begin the celebration of the day.

Husband was certain he had grabbed these things for S3 before we left, but after searching the suburban we realized he hadn't so we quickly drove home, searched the very messy house because we hadn't been home in two full days to find the back pack under Jr's swing. Then we raced back to school to get there in time for the surprise.

We weren't late. Amazing.

It's so fun to watch all the kids file in. They instantly search the crowd to see if their parents are in the crowd. If they are, well, they can't stop beaming.

S2 was in one of the first groups to come in. His whole entire face lit up and he waved shyly to us. I couldn't stand have him be so disappointed so I told Hubby to call him over and let him know that S3 had gotten student of the month and not him. He took it in stride.

S3 was one of the last bunches of kids to come in. He didn't see us (being nearly blind without his glasses), we had to call him over, and then I told him the reason we were there was so that we could give him his glasses. I put his glasses on his face and then told him the teacher had told us that we could find him there. He sat with his class, looking a bit lost and wondering why he was there at all.

When his teacher stood up to introduce her student of the month, she began to describe a student who always smiles and is helpful and kind to everyone...and the whole kindergarten class pointed at S3. They just knew it was him. She called his name and he went up to collect his special t-shirt, beaming. I don't think a boy could smile much bigger than that! It warmed our hearts, it literally brought tears to my eyes. Here is my little guy, a big kindergartner, who is so sweet the whole class knew he should get the special reward.

It was a moment I will remember for a long time, worth everything that had gone wrong that day!