Life Without T.V.

Although we do have a computer, and therefore games can still be played and DVDs can be watched, the kids have gotten very creative with their time without TV. They have come up with a variety of games as well as money-making schemes. Maddy decided to create a "Girls' Store" in our storage closet in which she placed items that she made (eg. paper fortune tellers for 10 cents, paper kites covered in stickers for 20 cents) and articles that she found around the house (scarves for $2, bracelets for $4, etc.) to sell - to whom we are not quite sure yet. She even included a sign noting that she had a 5 day return policy. She then created something similar for boys, mostly using things of Zeke's as well as some toys that friends lent us for the kids to use while we are here. Jordy decided that she would help out and create a general "Children's Store" to bring in more money. The girls also worked out a plan to give each other and Zeke lessons, even wrote out contracts that we (the parents) had to sign agreeing to pay for them. Maddy was very reasonable, only charging 10 cents for a half hour lesson of Hoola-Hooping. Both Jordy and Zeke were signed up to take lessons 5 days a week. Jordy then tried to think about what she could teach to earn some cash. She remembered that she had caught a couple of flies that were in the house a few days before, so she decided that she could give Fly-Catching Lessons, though she decided to charge a bit more than Maddy at $2 per half-hour lesson. Fly-catching lessons turned out to be a bust since Maddy and Jordy just ended up fighting with each other, so instead Jordy decided that she would create a Fly Observatory (with the flies she had caught) that people would pay to go to, with a Day Care conveniently attached so that children could play at the day care while parents went into the observatory. As I recall, the day care was a bargain at 5 cents a kid. Unfortunately they have not had tons of business, save the occasional friend who comes over and then asks Tony or me for 20 cents, a dollar, etc. to be able to buy something from one of the stores or to take a lesson (not a lot of requests for money to go to the Fly Observatory). Despite the fact that they have not made the kind of money they were hoping for, these projects have kept them extremely busy during which would have likely been TV viewing hours.

Zeke decided that his fourth birthday was the right time to share the true story of his origins.

Video Link

Click the page icon on the linked page.

Talent Show

Maddy and Jordan used the school talent show as an opportunity to introduce a little American culture to their New Zealand mates. They were rewarded with a third place prize – a Hokey Pokey candy bar. Watch the video.

October Pictures

To see recent photos of the kids click the linked slide show.