TV Turn Off Week - Day 1

I thought for sure there would be no way this would fly! Maddie without her cartoons? Me without my American Idol? Then the strangest thing happened when Andy and I got home from school today around 5:00. Maddie was upstairs playing with Ms. Zhou and when she heard us come in, she galloped down the stairs, screaming "NO TV MOMMY - NO TV DADDY - I SAID, NO TV!"

This week marks TV Turn Off Week or for the really hardcore folks out there, it's a screen free week, including computers. Hmf! I'm not that hardcore! Maddie grabbed my hand and told me that SHE wanted to read a book to ME. She read me a quick story about butterflies and took both Andy and I outside for some serious chalk writing on the back porch. While taking a break from the chalk writing, she ran around the yard through plants and managed to scare all of the little creatures out of their wits. She did find a frog which kept her entertained for quite sometime. She would make it hop and then run over to tell us about how it was once a tadpole. She's three and I'm amazed that she can remember this!

After some frog chasing, we all came inside to make cookies. Maddie LOVES to cook and measure things. She usually doesn't like peanut butter, but today was the day! She and daddy mixed the ingredients and then she helped me grease the pan with Crisco. She was an absolute star at rolling dough into round balls and then flattening them in a grid pattern with a fork! I suspected that she may be one of those kids that likes batter better than the cookie itself by the way she was devouring the uncooked dough - weren't we all like that at some point?! Sure enough, the end product came out of the oven and she dropped the bombshell - "I DON'T LIKE IT" she said with every "T" hit hard. Life is about the journey, life is about the journey, life is about the journey - now what I am going to do with all of these cookies?!

We then went into the den off the kitchen and listened to music while she danced for us. Before you knew it, it was time for books and bed! I thought for sure Andy and I would succumb to the TV's whispers of "Prison Break", but we went back into the den where he took the time to update his great blog, Sentiments of Common Sense, and I graded math papers. We're still listening to music and now Lester is dancing and rolling right in the middle of us.

Happy TV Turn Off Week! Even if you aren't participating - don't forget to take the time to do the things you think you don't have time to do!

April 16-20 Week in Review!

It was so nice to get home from Jingdezhen as I sure missed my hubby and my Maddie! I'm glad that I left though because I've decided that Andy MUST be a guest writer on this blog more often than not. I love to "hear" his voice on the blog and I hope that Maddie can "hear" that same voice when she reads this blog when she is 18!

Maddie is studying life cycles at school. I mentioned a few weeks ago how Malin's mommy brought in tadpoles and the children have been watching them turn into frogs right in front of their eyes. Now they are reading "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to study how caterpillars turn into butterflies. This is all so good for Maddie and she understands that there is a life inside of me that is changing and becoming stronger to be introduced as a new brother or sister come September. Since they have been studying butterflies, I thought it was appropriate to get her a vase from Jingdezhen that had beautiful butterflies all over it! The vase has been added to room that has pieces from all the places she has been. She has the Barbie in an abaya from Saudi, the lion clock from Prague, the green lanterns from India, the elephant tapestry from Thailand, the snow globes from France... just to name a few.

Maddie had her first show and tell at school which was a big lesson for her. She had her M day back in February and didn't mind sharing her M things, but this time she brought somethings she really, really cared about. She brought her stuffed pink "horsey" that she received from Astrid's daughter in Saudi Arabia two years ago, her daddy horsey which is a Bryer horse Andy and I bought her in Vegas and a small purple horse that Ms. Zhou gave Maddie for Christmas. She absolutely-positively did not want to share them with anybody. The day started off with an argument between she and Roqueya, but I left the disagreement in Ms. Preeti's very capable hands and went to start my assembly with my 8th graders. I love Preeti so much for sending me the following email just an hour later as my insides were churning at leaving Maddie when she was being so stubborn and "unlady-like"!

"Hi there,

Just wanted to share. The "problem" was resolved this morning. Maddie hadn't wanted to give her purple pony to Rouqueya since she was playing with it. But we discussed what "Show and Tell" was aboout- bringing in something from home that you were willing to share with your classmates. AND taking turns. AND sharing with friends. The pics were taken a few minutes after you left...

Have a good day!"

On that note, Maddie had a great week. We ended it with sending Ms. Zhou home on Friday night so that mom and Maddie could have a girls night. The girls night turned into all the Links kids from ages 2-14 riding their bicycles in the streets, stopping to play duck-duck-goose on the front lawns as the parents chatted away on a warm Spring evening. it reminded me of Leave It To Beaver. Living in China is just so cool sometimes!

Have a good day!