New Year ... New Rule ...

I am the queen of copying.

Really. 

I don't have the creative

or mental capacity to come up with good

ideas on my own.  

And I don't mean that to sound like

I'm downing myself.  

I'm not.

I just do better to see an idea

and then run with it.

Guess that's the visual learner in me.  :)

I was the queen of this as a teacher.

And was so blessed to work with other amazing

teachers that could come up with great ideas

from total blank slates, so to speak.

Anyway, at the beginning of the new year, 

I was talking to a friend and she was telling

me how their family had implemented a 

'no TV, no Wii, no electronics'

rule from Sunday evening until Friday afternoon

each week.

I was intrigued.

She said it had done amazing things 

for the family, such as ...

*cause more together time

*force the kids to be more creative

*lots more game playing

and the one that grabbed my attention most:

*caused her boys to come to love reading

Bowdie and I talked.

We had already noticed a growing trend,

especially with Jacob,

to get totally sucked into Wii playing

or his Gameboy.  

And we weren't happy with that at all.

So we instituted this rule with our family.

We talked about what we could all do instead.

We listed things out on our easel in the playroom.

And we dove in.

Bo even went to Walmart and bought a card

table so we could play games easily in front of

the fireplace.

Guess what?

The boys have adjusted amazingly well.

They have not complained.

They have not pitched fits.

They have not railed at the system.

Guess what else?

It has created more family time.

More intentional conversations.

More game playing.

New skills.

(they are becoming EXCELLENT dominoes players!)

And even more reading of books - YAY!

(although I can't say quite 

yet that they are totally hooked on it!)

So, thank you Rucker family 

for the idea.

And for letting us copy it!

Our first family puzzle ...

my parents gave the boys 2 of these 500

piecers for Christmas.

Jarrett pulled this out one evening ...

It took about a week to get all finished ...

here are the boys putting in the final pieces.

And here they are looking at the completed work ...

Bowdie's showing them where Aunt Becky lives,

where he's traveled, where we vacation ...

they were so amazed!

May the Lord continue to make us

intentional in investing in our family!