Here is how I apprised my technological world of this change (via text message of course):
"So the Hall's are going old school....tomorrow is our first day of 'No Technology Tuesday' if you need to get a hold of me on Tuesday's call me on the land line. The good news: we still have call waiting."
Here are a few of the responses:
"I love this! If I need to send you a message, just keep your eyes on look oout for my carrier pigeon"
"What the H Tammy? Your one dress away..."
"...From living in the compound known as Colorado City or is it 'Breaking Amish/Draper City?"
"I love it!!! Go Halls!!!"
Love it! Good luck entertaining your brood!"
"Wow you guys are rich. My parents turned off call waiting years ago to save for retirement. And P.S. that idea is fabulous!"
WEEK 1
I woke up and began my morning ritual: turned on the Today Show to hear the top stories of the day as well as the morning banter and sub par jokes from a sugar/carb deprived weather guy. Jim came running out of the bathroom to remind me of N.T.T. UGH! I turned it off and successfully got everyone off to school.
Soph and I got ready (she doesn't have school on Tuesday making this a bit more difficult-how to entertain a 4 year old all day) and we ran some errands. Then we went to the farm and spent the afternoon enjoying "All you can ride, Pony Rides" I'm fairly certain that Thanksgiving Point is now re-thinking their "Unlimited pony rides for members" rule.
After school everyone did homework, read and practiced-without complaint, thank you very much!
After dinner all 4 of the girls took a bike ride together.
7:00 Jim, Anna and Kirsten left.
Soph, Lilly and I took a walk and ate ice cream.
By the time everyone got home it was 8:30-so we all hung out in the living room and talked for 30 minutes.
N.T.T.=very successful!
WEEK 2
After getting everyone to school Soph went over to play with Glory May. I cleaned and did the little girls laundry.
That night mutual was cancelled so we found ourselves in a bit of a quandry: what do we do for the next 3 hours.
Lilly and I started doing some puzzles.
Anna read.
Soph and Kirsten rode bikes... and that all lasted until about 6:30.
Then it began.
Anna hit the wall and complained of being "miserably bored".
Kirsten found a constructive way to use her time by teasing her sisters.
Lilly began crying over how hard the puzzle was and that 1000 pieces was just too many (I may have gotten a bit overzealous)
Soph hit the wall hard and managed to get on every last nerve of every living/breathing organism within a 10 mile radius.
N.T.T.= not so successful
WEEK 3
I hit the wall.
Mutual was cancelled again except for the men. Jim left to help a hoarding woman move. At first I thought "LUCKY!" but after hearing the stories I'm not so sure.
Honestly I have no idea how Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy did it. Do you think they ever got in fights? I mean real fights? It was a rough night here at the Hall house. No play's were acted out. No poems were read. No sing along's as I played the piano. Let's just say for the sake of my reputation as well as my children's, bed time moved up by 45 minutes and when Jim got home at 9 everyone was in bed and momma bear was ready to hibernate.
What I find amazing is how much I rely on technology. There was so much to do and respond to via technology that I was in a frenzy just thinking about doing it all and counting down the hours until I could.
Ok, I'll admit, I cheated. As soon as the kids were in bed I got online-it felt so good. My heart stopped racing. I felt peace-it was probably the spirit or something. :)
N.T.T.= Brutal but not giving up!
Stay tuned for more updates and wish us luck!
