Ohmystinkinheck

Now, before I begin today’s post I would like to go on record as saying that I do not, for the life of me, ever want to be placed on any pedestal of “green-ness”. I make efforts that befuddle some of my friends and family; cloth diapers, cloth pads, less this and less that, BUT I do not profess to living a 100% waste-free, footprint-free environmental lifetyle. I own plastic bowls, I currently drink from plastic water bottles, I bought gifts made in China for Christmas, and on occasion I bring home leftovers in *gasp* styrofoam containers.

Now that I’m sufficiently knocked-off any possible pedestal, I want to say that we are slowly making wiser decisions and those that emailed or commented with good suggestions, thank you. There are truly green blogs out there with wonderful granola gals who are fighting the good fight. I’m into slower changes - changes that I can sustain and my family can sustain.

Now, on to today’s post.

Yesterday, I decided the kids and I needed to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. We had some returns/exchanges to make, so we picked up my little cousin, Olivia, and we headed out of town for the land of more cars and big malls - which thankfully, is an hour away.

Now, here and there on this blog you have probably heard mention that we do not do television. Let it be known that we do actually own a television, but we don’t “do” television because we don’t prefer to pay for cable. There are many good shows on cable, yes, but there are many more shows we don’t want streaming into our home, so we don’t want to financially support the industry until we can hand select what stations we do want.

Plus, we’ve found that without cable, and with the nearest real mall being an hour away, the kids have less of the “I wanna’s”, which we are told is a disease that often is contracted by the disgusting virus, commercials.

BEFORE SOMEONE WRITES ABOUT HOW MUCH OF A HYPOCRIT I AM, please note that I’ll clearly lay out my faults for you here. We DO rent movies (LOTS OF MOVIES) and we DO have high speed internet (AND I LIVE ON IT).

We are not technologically challenged, in fact, all living beings in this house have to keep our technological “I wanna’s” in check. OMSHville is a family of computer geeks and video gamers. There are three computers in this wee home of ours, one Xbox 360, (2)Nintendo DS’s and now, (1) well used Leapster. If you are considering breaking in, remember we have a VERY BIG and protective DOG.

Jeff is thrilled to death that Kenny loves computer games; he hopes to grow Kenny to be his wingman for all of the games Jeff plays into the night on his Xbox.

What kind of games does Jeff play? WAR GAMES. Games where soldiers purposely track and shoot each other. Am I sufficiently knocked off any pedestal now? Would you like to hear about my stance on Iraq? Yes? No? Good, because I’m not gonna tell you (I want our boys home.) Oops.

But back to yesterday and the mall. Part of my job as a Mom and a Cousin is to indoctrinate the young into the world of computers and computer software. There is a perfect place to do this in The Woodlands Mall - it is called the Apple Store.

There, the amazing Apple marketing team has wisely set up a fabulously kid-sized round table, with sweet little kid-sized round balls to sit on, to quietly draw in the next generation while their parents spend all their college savings on the newest Macbook Pro (not that I would know anything about that).

After a very long car drive, this is the perfect first stop. I think if the girls had asked, “How much longer will it be?”, “Do you know where you’re going?” or Kenny had said, “I think you passed the street back there Momma.” one more time I would have turned the radio to an all Spanish station and turned it up until their ears bled. Because, THAT would have been a more agreeable alternative.

See how VIOLENT computers and computer games are making me?

There are about 12 games to choose from once the kids sit down. It is a bit overwhelming. Here Kenny helps his cousin settle her choice.

Just click here…right here. Yea, that’s the right one.

I have to admit, I wasn’t at all suprised by her choice of games; Olivia is CRAZY about Dora, The Explorer. Look at that smile. This only cost me one-quarter a tank of gas and delivers up Disney World proportion happiness. I think I’m getting off pretty light, don’t you?

Then, Kenny looked for his own game and settled on a Legos version of Star Wars. Legos sure have changed since I was a kid.

Meredith couldn’t find any Barbie or dancer software, so she decided she would play the same as Kenny because, “HELLO! Dora and I-Spy is sooooo NOT 2nd Grade!”

Emelie was in a draw program of some sort. “Hey mom, check out this feature.” Oh my, she’s already speaking my language. We’ll be starting her html and CSS training soon.

And then in 3 years when she passes me up in knowledge, I’ll put her to work designing and programming creative sites for clients.

What was I doing during all this? Well, after taking photos and sending them to friends and family stored on my iPhone, I got online and caught up on a few blogs.

I know, I know…the irony is I could have done that AT HOME. But? I couldn’t have put all 4 kids on their own computer at home with new iMacs and scrumptious software, right? Right.

Still, I felt a bit guilty.

So, off we went to get cookies and take Carousel rides.

And around and around they went, defragging from the Apple store.

Emelie and I watched from the side. Hey, check out the mirror in the shot above, I caught Emelie in it! We didn’t even notice it until I was downloading shots last night.

Okay, one more carousel photo…

And $5.00 was gone. Yep, it was $1.00 a 2 minute ride.

The Apple store was cheaper and lasted 45 minutes.

30 Responses to “Indoctrination begins early in OMSHville.”

1. Claire in CA

   We don’t “do” tv here, either, and I totally agree with your reasons. We do have a tv, and we watch dvds and videos, and my little man has a PS2 (which he tells me is archaic…we got it a year ago!).

   I wish I lived an hour from the mall, but alas I live about 10 minutes from one, and it’s a doozy - a double decker carousel in the middle, and I think it’s the same ridiculous price as your’s.

   Have a blessed day, Heather!

2. Nancy

   We’re the same here. We have a television, but do not have cable. We Netflix. We decided four years ago when we moved into our new apartment that we didn’t want to pay $80 a month for shows we don’t watch, nor want to. We’ve been very happy with our high speed internet, dvds, and games (pc and console). I love my PS2.

3. bethany actually

   We have DirecTV around here, though we have a DVR, which is a great tool for parents.

   We are about an hour from several malls, but somehow we hardly ever go to them. Living in a small town has done wonders to get rid of our case of the “I wannas”.

   Also, the thing about Emelie passing you up in three years cracked me up. Let’s get real, here…she’ll pass you up in a year, tops. ;-)

4. OMSH

   bethany actually - true, so true.

5. Liz C.

   Hoorah! Another family too cheap for cable!

   We do own a TV, but it’s ancient, and the picture tube died right before Christmas. Since we can run the DVDs we borrow from the library through the computer, we’re gathering nightly to hunch around our $10 thrift-store monitor, and revel in the Really Good Speaker Sound (far better than the Ancient TV ever gave)… and trying to decide if we’re going to replace the TV with the tax refund, or just get a really big flat-screen computer monitor instead. :)

6. karen

   Long live Lego Star Wars! You can get that for the xBox, you know. There’s also a sequel game, Lego Star Wars II. So, you know, if you need Mr. OMSH to do something that requires he not be playing xBox, you can stick Kenny on the xBox for a turn with Lego Star Wars. Not that I would know anything about getting a husband away from his xBox (except mine is usually playing the racing car games).

7. Mrs. Wilson

   My husband DREAMS of having 3 computers and an XBOX 360! The poor man only has 2 computers and an XBOX. He’s so hard done by.

   I’m with you on the little back seat drivers. My six-year-old drives me NUTS with the same antics. “MOM! THAT LIGHT WAS RED! And you’re going too fast!” No Kaylie, you’re supposed to look at the light in front of you, not the one out your window and no, I’m not going too fast, just faster than that 80-year-old over there.

   Kudos on the no TV!

8. Kim

   We have tv, cable, internet, neighborhood kids, water bottles and non-wooden toys. Bad, bad, bad. However we also give the kids an allowance - so they can buy anything they want. $4 at a time or they can save for 112 weeks to buy their very own Wii. Stopped the iwannas. They have the power!

9. Marcie

   I have cable. And I let my 5 year old watch Nickelodeon (Avatar! WooHoo). And my 5 year old also plays Call of Duty (I’m a WWII freak…sue me).

   Pedestal? That’s a footstool. Ha ha.

   So for my ‘brave comment’ yesterday, I’m going to get hate mail for the next week or so about how terrible of a mother I am.

   P.S. Jeff is the luckiest man ever, hehe. My husband is real jealous that he can’t play one thing while my 5 year old plays Star Wars Legos on the PS2. Maybe it’s time to finally break down and buy the 360.

10. OMSH

    Marcie - AACK! If anyone sends you hate mail I will be so upset! Your comment was fabulous and well put.

    For the record Marcie rocks my world. No one send her ugly email pretty please.

    Now, there were others who did not comment…and…well, they can shove off.

11. mommyknows

    Looks fun! I don’t think Georgia is quite ready for the apple store yet, neither am I brave enough.

    We resisted all ‘gaming’ until this year. DS’s for Christmas. We try to keep screens to a minimum. Sam is the type who goes into a deep trance when any screen is put in front of him. He has barely spoken since Christmas.

    Mr. MK and I are setting a bad example though … we have 7 computers between us. The shame …

12. Laurie

    Wow, I thought we were the only family that didn’t do cable! Well we can’t do cable - we live where you can only get dish.

    Now about those cloth pads, do you have a website for them or do you make them yourself? This may be a bit too much TMI to give out but how do you wash them and what do they look like after you wash them?

13. Shannon

    Um yeah about the war games on xbox 360. Hi my name is Shannon aka snafumommy for xbox 360 people and me and my hubby play Call of Duty 4. Mr. OMSH should find us and play some night!
    Star Wars Legos is available on xbox 360 mom and, cough cough, I play it! Coffee should be there tomorrow! Tomorrow tomorrow I love ya tomorrow your only a day away. The sun’ll come out tomorrow bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there’ll be starbucks. Just thinking about tomorrow my coffe cup start feeling the sorrow. When I am stuck with a day that gray and child filled I just stick out my coffe cup and say Filler up!

14. Laura

    i grew up in a house that did not do tv. we had lots and lots of movies, but no cable. there were times when i was a kid that i would get mad at my mom for not just getting cable. but now at the ripe old age of eighteen i am SO THANKFUL for growing up without the regular stream of cable and tv. she now has cable at home, but i hardly ever watch it. i am still a fiend for movies, and could care less about television.

    it is perfect really, because living in a dorm there is not really access to television. while lots of my friends whine about lack of tv i just shrug and open a book!

15. mamalang

    I really could care less if we had a teevision, cable, any of it. But alas, the hubby LOVES his TV. I’m a music junkie myself…and computer games and video games, and then throw in some craftiness.

16. MMM

    Nope, *I* will get the hatemail. My kids can watch TV all the live-long day, BUT! I monitor everything they watch!

17. Angella

    We have cable, but just DVR what we like. No commercials. Ever. Which makes me totally out of the loop for new stuff :)

    Tell the hatemail trolls to, um, shove off :)

18. Pam

    I refuse to pay for cable. We get only ABC, and it’s enough to get local news etc. Irony of that is, my friends pay big bucks for their kids to watch shows on the Disney Channel. My kid waits a little longer, and Disney runs them online for free. And I can screen what he sees a lot easier that way too, because he has to ask to watch a show because he needs computer access to see it, and he isn’t allowed free reign on here obviously. We’ve never had the “I wanna’s here” either. Small town + no cable works. If only the big city folks knew what they were missing!

19. Sleeping mommy

    We have cable–er, rather satellite. My husband would lose his mind if he couldn’t get his daily dose of TV.

    As for “greenness” that’s an ongoing debate in our house too.

    My children don’t get much time on the computer (rarely if ever) at this point. Some video games they do get–limited time there.

20. Dad

    Ha … you think you know computer games? Well, I’ll have you know your Dad had one when he was just a boy. In fact, I carried it to school but kept it hidden so a teacher wouldn’t take it away or a kid steal it. It was great but would get a virus often and clog it up. The solution was to was hold it upside down and shake it until it cleared. Yessir … Etch-A-Sketch, now that was something.

21. Kristy

    Okay…

    1.) You have really pretty hands. (I notice hands. Probably because I have chubby meathooks with short sausage fingers.)

    And…

    2.) You have on a rockin’ ring! I love it! Seeing THAT baby did not help my I-Must-Have-Cool-And-Fabulous-Sterling-Silver-Jewelry obsession. (You see, my sausages look better when disguised beneath something pretty and shiny.) =)

22. Kristy

    Oh, and…

    Emelie is gorgeous. She looks so fun and cool and friendly. And her sense of style is amazing. I would have totally begged her to be my friend in junior high.

23. jill

    do you have a WHITE golden retriever? other than one we owned i’ve never seen one outside of pictures. cool

24. No Gotta Have Its Here. Yet. « Heartfull

    [...] I wondered in my head why Bird doesn’t even ask me to go see these shows. Is she immature for her age? I dont’ think so - she gets along with the girls at school. She loves the original HSM (the second version - not so much.) She liked Hannah Montana songs, thought when I took her over to grandma’s last week to actually see the show, she didn’t like the show. Wait a minute (I thought to myself.) The fact that I have to take Bird to Grandma’s to actually see a Disney show is probably a big part of the reason why she doesn’t know about these expensive musicals and concerts. We don’t have cable, and the kids pretty much only watch PBS or movies. Basically, they don’t see commercials.  Apparently, I’m not alone as evidenced by this recent post over at OMSH. [...]

25. Holley

    Husband, shusband. Without my TV, I would not have been able to see all of the college bowl games I must see to survive. And where would I be without my 24 hour a day soccer channel. OK maybe that’s a bit much. We do not do TV during the week and most weekends we are to busy with soccer. I only see the news at ten most days and the monologue of the Tonight show, although I feel my IQ drop ten points everytime I watch Leno. The kids only play their DS in the car on long trips.
    I was starting to feel pretty good about my TV viewing there, until I remembered that Simon can rattle verbatim any disney show script at will.
    Don’t worry about your step-stool, I bet Joan of Arc would have watched Beckham if she could. Hubba-hubba.

26. Mr. OMSH

    Marcie–at the rate things are going, you might want to sit back and wait for the next big video game system to come out, and THEN buy a 360…once it’s “outdated.” but, yes, you will have to conform some day. I sold out recently.

27. Kristi

    It is nice to know there are others out there who have said NO to tv! No tv for us going on 10 years! Of course I always get the silly question “what do you do for fun?” my answer: I have three children!

28. moosh in indy.

    Indoctrinate me any day baby.

29. Sugar Creek Farm

    My mom sent me your link, because you have a Pyr :) Bruno is beautiful! Here’s a couple of pictures of our Pyr, Ike:

    http://www.osage.net/~themillers92/SCFBlog/2005/02/bwd.html

    http://www.osage.net/~themillers92/SCFBlog/2007/09/hawk-5-ike-4.html

30. Johanna in NZ

    We don’t have TV either - very cool to see so many others who don’t. I feel a little freaky where I live. But we do have three computers and high-speed internet, and a data projector so we can project movies up on the wall.
    I tell my children to go outside and play a lot. I’m hoping they’ll thank me for it one day.