Our Life Without the Wii

My life is crazy.  Four kids, two jobs, and being married to the church pastor, keep me running and forgetting.  I might be guilty of taking away an electronic privilege or two and then forgetting until my child asks me days (or weeks) later about when they are going to get their ... back.   One time last year, we were packing for a trip and I told Sam to grab his Kindle.  He couldn't find it and I was furious.  I gave him a long lecture about how much things cost and that he would be buying the next one.  Trent suggested that I check our hiding spot for grounded electronics and sure enough it was there.  I had removed it from him and completely forgot about it.  Oops.  Sorry Sam.

That brings us to today. Trent and I were making breakfast when Sam came down stairs.  He went straight to the office where he started playing the piano.  He does that a lot.  Like plays the piano, in 15 minute increments, 5 times a day, a lot, unprompted.  I commented to Trent that he sure is playing the piano more than I have seen him playing the Wii in a while.  Trent responded, "that's because we took the Wii away from him in January."  Oops again. I guess we haven't missed it.  Come to think of it, when he is not playing the piano, he is playing outside like we used to do when we were kids.

I am not opposed to the concept of the Wii.  We bought it because of the movement component and I don't let my kids play it sitting down (when I am watching).  We don't own any of it's competitors and we don't play games where you chat with people outside of our home, BUT even with all of those parameters, taking it away has served us well.  Our life without the Wii is like, well, our life before the Wii, and that is a good thing.

This is my family and our friends chatting with a friend who is on the Space Station.  He took this picture from his view. This too is way cooler than the Wii. :)