We left more than family behind with this move. Much to my husband’s dismay, we also had to leave the big screen. Frankly, our lovely television just couldn’t take the voltage over here.
Due to the mass expense that comes with this kind of move (seriously, it’s kind of killing us right now–don’t believe all the rumors about getting rich off moving with the government, not true at least for us) we’re having to carefully plan where the money goes. Frankly, we could really use some lamps.
(Yeah, I didn’t find out until AFTER I sent seventeen of them into storage that lamps are one thing you can plug in with a converter and a euro bulb. I kind of wanted to stick my finger in a light socket when I realized my mistake.)
And so we’ve decided that until October, we will be living without a television. No videos, no DVD’s, no PBS–just us and the kids and our old German house (and the neighbors and their tramp and, hopefully, their television). We’ve talked to the kids about it and they are perfectly willing to go TV-free for a while. Harrison has decided he’s going on a “tv diet.”
So last night we went out to drop off some groceries and spend an hour or two chilling on our stick furniture. The house is equipped with the barest of necessities: a couch, a dining set, four beds and mattresses (no linens), six armoirs and a few night stands. It is emp-ty.
But would you believe those kids played hide and seek in our sparse selection of furniture for an entire hour? I don’t want to get my hopes up, but at one point it almost appeared that they were enjoying themselves. (Then again, Rex did punch June in the tooth once when she found him.)
I’m sure we’ll be breaking out the mini-DVD player as much as the battery will allow, and I’m sure that our ten pieces of furniture will get really old really fast. But I’m also feeling more and more sure all the time that this is the beginning of a really, really good time for my family.
I want my kids to try something different, be a little less plugged in and a little more aware of each other and just how great their relationships can be.
Something with a little less punching, you know?
This is my worst nightmare. I will pray for you.
You are a very brave woman. I didn’t even think to tell you about lamps & stuff. Silly the things we can & can’t use, isn’t it?
Our family went without tv for about 6 months when the kids were little. We really enjoyed it until someone took pity on us and gave us a tv. You’d have thunk we would have said “just keep your tv” thank you very much, because we LOVED being without one . . . . . . but haven’t been without since.
Great post as always Annie!
Catching up with your adventure – wow. Love the blessings. Love the hide-and-seek (it all feels a little Narnian to me, so watch where they come out when they step into those armoires…) I’m so glad that you guys Love Germany. Germany will love you right back. XO
Back to basics. Being forced to do that sometimes is a good thing. And, let’s be honest, for some of us, being forced is the ONLY way it will ever happen.
This is when you start to read my friend Rebecca’s blog As Simple as That {http://rebeccacooper.blogspot.com/} . They moved to a small island in the carribean so her husband could go to school. They couldn’t take much with them and yet she comes up with the BEST things for her kids to do….sure she has an ocean to play in every day, but you have stick furniture which can be made into forts, super hero caves, princess castles and we all know how much fun sardenes is!! Good luck!!