Plugging in again, briefly

Well here I am, back again after our week of being "unplugged". Despite the fact that certain people didn't think I could do it, I not only survived without the computer and TV, but enjoyed myself in the process. Who'd have thought?

The first day of our little adventure saw me throw myself into trying a bunch of new recipes, after a morning of grocery shopping. Throughout the day I also did a few loads of washing, changed the sheets on the bed, tidied the house, played with and read to my little girl and just generally had fun. I went to bed exhausted, but happy, and full of optimism for this new week. I had plans that Peachfuzz and I would get outside for a walk every day (which we should do anyway), but the weather was not cooperating at all. Day two brought a little more cooking, a lot more playing and a lot more reading. By the end of the day, I'll admit I was starting to get bored, and couldn't wait for Papa Bear to come home. I wondered if we would really be able to do this.

Without going into too much detail about the rest of the week, I'll say that things started to look up. Yes, there were times when I wished I could jump online and check my email or look up a recipe. There were times after Peachfuzz was in bed that I thought it would have been nice to curl up on the lounge in front of CSI or Lost. But you know what, we always managed to find something to do instead. We all connected with each other a lot more over the past week than we have in a long time. I think I was a better wife, and I know I was a better mother than I had been for awhile. I might have been "unplugged" from the TV and computer, but I was certainly "plugged in" to the needs of my husband and daughter a lot more than I have been lately.

I was afraid that today would see all these wonderful new revelations come crashing down around me as we went back to life "as normal". I woke up and Papa Bear had the news on, and the peace that had descended over the past week was shattered... or so I thought. As he left, he turned the TV off, and it hasn't been on since! We are about to go watch a show we recorded last week (yes, that's probably cheating!), but I am proud that at almost 8:30pm, we've watched a total of about 10 minutes of TV today.

As for the internet, well, I was determined not to jump back into my old habit of "checking my email" while I made breakfast. This would always end up taking a lot longer than I anticipated, and despite knowing I had things to do, I'd end up getting sucked in for hours at a time. Today I saw Papa Bear off, then made breakfast for Peachfuzz and I. We ate quietly at the table together, then I got Peachfuzz dressed for the day. I put the nappies on to wash, wrote my shopping list, changed the sheets on both beds, spoke on the phone with both my mother and mother-in-law, then headed out the door to do the groceries. We shopped and ran a few errands, then came home where Peachfuzz went straight to her nap. I hung the nappies out, put another load of washing on, and put all the groceries away. Then, and only then, did I decide I had done enough "work" that I could come online again. It was just after 12 noon and I was logging on for the first time since last Sunday evening. After half an hour I was back to baking some fresh bread, making lunch, blowing bubbles outside with my girl, doing puzzles and reading stories. We made scones together and then got dinner on. I also laid out the pieces for a quilt I'm making and then came back on here to write this post.

It was nice to get back online and see what's been going on over the past week. But it was so much nicer to take that time off and re-evaluate what's important in my life. Surprisingly, I have actually enjoyed all this domesticity. I like being a homemaker. And while the internet will always be here, my Peachfuzz will not always be a delightful, curious, busy 18-month old who makes me smile every minute of the day. So yes, I'll be sticking around here, and trying to update often. But I won't be letting this online world suck away all my time so that I have none left for the people who really matter. I love my little family, and I'm so glad to have re-connected with them all once again.