The Backstory
{in the following true story, the names have been changed and faces hidden to protect the innocent}
It happened the first day they went outside to play after Christmas. They came in with cold chapped faces and forlorn little hearts.
“Mom (in a pitiful, woe-is-me little voice), guess what such-and-such got for Christmas”
“What?”
“Well, Sally got a DSi, Myrtle got a cell phone, Hattie got a laptop and EVERYDODYYYYYYY in the whole neighborhood has a Wii except for us. {voice gets decidedly whinier} I’m not saying I don’t like my doll and my new underwear because I do—-but why would Santa not at least bring us a Wii too. I mean I know it wasn’t on our first list but nobody’s ever gonna want to come play at our house ’cause all we have to play with are dolls and stupid legos. (uncontrollable sobbing ensues) And I hurt my leeeeeeggggggggggg. Can you {sniffle} make {sniffle} me {sniffle} some hot chocolate {sniffle} and read Harry Potter?”
So that’s how it started. And from then on, everytime we were gonna see new friends, we had THE talk. You know the one.
“Okay girls, now we’re gonna see some friends that we haven’t seen since Christmas. Ask them if they had a great Christmas and maybe something fun they did—but don’t ask first thing—‘what did YOU get for Christmas’—–remember, Christmas is about the birth of Christ and being together with your family. And when they tell you what they got, be thankful that your friends were blessed so much and had a great Christmas. ANd then move on and talk about something else. K?”
And I don’t come down too hard on them about being ungrateful little wretches. And it’s not that I’m against electronics. I happened to be completely infatuated with my MacBookPro. And my amazing iPhone. {which my 7 year old can navigate better than me—-I knew I was in trouble when she set my ring tone to a quacking duck and I had to ask HER to change it back. } But somehow I’ve managed almost twenty years having kids that were only very minimally into electronics. So, I’m holding out as long as I can. But, I’m the same way when it comes to coveting. We all are. Which is why we all desperately need the forgiveness that only Christ can give.
“I wish I had that car. I wish I had that house. I wish I had that figure. I wish I had that hair.” We all do it, don’t we. It’s the curse of being human. I just snuggle with them on the sofa, dry their little coveting tears and find a multitude of things for which to be thankful.
Two Weeks Later
We’re almost finished with book three of Harry Potter so we spend a lot of time in front of the fire reading—-and while I read, they play stupid legos.
Imagine the inner laughter I had to contain when I took notice of their lego houses. It’s a veritable house of electronics. This family has a Wii–stocked with plenty of games—-an xbox and a DSi. The lego kids even had laptops and tv’s in their rooms. And not one more mention to me (at least not yet) of how dreadful it is to live in our house sans electronics. This is a win-win all around. I get to be amused listening to them make rules to the lego children about how much time they’ve been playing Wii—–AND I don’t have to buy a Wii. I love legos. And apparently my children do too.
Love the story. My kids have way too many electronics and most of the time they spend using them instead of interacting with us. So, hold strong as long as you can. By the way, we did spend last evening watching home videos, which is a great family thing to do. Caiti and Taylor at Christmas, funny. I know you rememember, a box of crayons were the most exciting thing to them, then a shirt, underwear, etc., whatever they were opening at the time was fabulous. We will all have to watch them one of these days. Love ya sis!
Love the Legos! I am sorry that they were feeling left out, that’s the biggest bummer about the commercialism (consumerism?) of Christmas…
We pretty much stick with “one gift each”, which, honestly, is often something electronic (this year the single gifts were: A cell phone, a new trans-tube amp, and an Air-hockey table (shared)).
I love legos but my sons won’t play with me, LOL!! I admire you for not giving in, we all could take a lesson from you!
This is hilarious!!! Love the lego Wii! My husband and I feel the same way about electronics…and we hear the same cries! We did FINALLY (using the word of my dear 7 year old) get a Wii Fit…and the only games we have allowed are the Wii Fit, Wii Sports Resort, and any “game” that has physical activity involved…bowling and tennis are favorites at my house!
Great post Eddy. It’s amazing that no matter how old we get Christmas is always about Christ AND other idols. As long as I’ve been a Christian I’ve sensed the struggle whereas before I knew it was about SOMETHING (family time, being thankful, who knew at the time?) more that presents but it didn’t matter so much if I leaned on the side of gifts once in a while…
We’re about to have our first baby and we’ve often thought about how we’ll deal with the holidays and making Jesus the true meaning of Christmas amidst a culture that is obsessed with STUFF (and all the more in the month of December!)
Thanks!
I simply love this post! Your words are precise and well said. Thanks for sharing the reality of life!! God bless!
Now that is funny, sister!
That’s great!
My brother (who was never allowed to have toy guns) made guns out of Legos!
Could that little lego house be any more HILARIOUS?
I think not!
How creative {and absurdley ironic} of them to build such. I love it =)
I doubt all the kids with Wiis and XBoxes could be so creative with stupid leggos. Congratulations! You’re doing a great job.
Hilarious! We never let our kids have all that electronic stuff either and they turned out just fine, keep up the good work!
Oh…I miss the days of reading Harry Potter to the kids while they played. Our house is full of teens and tweens now and no one wants Mom to read to them anymore. Love the photos and the story..enjoy every second.
That is so great! I feel the same way…go play outside instead of being cooped up on video games. There will be plenty of time later in life for sitting on your bum in front of electronics!
The pictures of the gaming system are cracking me up!!! Thanks for preaching to my coveting heart. And doing it in such a gentle way!
God’s blessings,
Sarah 😀
I love the creativity in your children. I cherish that in my own as well.
Children learn from their parents. And clearly your doing the right thing, we limit our children’s electronic intake as well. But when I read the part of your MacBook Pro and iPhone, I cringed alittle. I can tell my child why they do not need the latest greatest phone or computer or game system, but when I live it, it means more to them. That is why when I give my son the speech that he needs a cell phone that receives calls, lets him calls someone & that’s all he needs….in my mind I can not do that effectively when I have an iPhone in my hand. I hope this is coming out right. I am not criticizing at all. Maybe just more of an outsider looking in. I don’t want my children to think I am perfect, I am not. Just a sinner in a fallen world. But I do think our actions have more effect on children than our words. Hope that makes sense. 🙂
I love that….still smiling. 🙂
I love their creativity. Too bad my husband won’t settle for Lego electronics. We have a whole room just for that stuff at my house.
Our tv is only hooked up to a dvd player. Santa got us a Wii last year, after much thought. it has worked out well since we already dont do alot of screen time. My boys earn tv/dvd/computer/Wii time based on free reading during the week (we actually started this when they were still in public school) They earn 5 minutes for every 10 minutes of reading. They love to read so it adds up fast. Then they are so busy playin, huntin, or fishin on the weekends they tend to forget to cash in their time.
LOVE this!! You are so right! And once they start- it’s a constant BATTLE!!! It makes me so happy when I see them playing outside with nothing but a stick and their imagination! Love the new header too! 😉
although I will miss seeing the cool photos of your house on the right 🙁
that’s hilarious! I’m usually just a lurker around here, but this one is too funny. I love kids and the things they do! 🙂
If you guys lived in my neighborhood, you wouldn’t be the only family without a Wii because we don’t have one either!!!! I have always been against video games in my home. I just don’t like them. There are so many other things that kids can do. If there are video games around, that’s ALL they want to do. My two younger kids wanted DS’s so bad this year. If I could have afforded to buy them, I probably would have. Then I would have fallen into the trap as well. *sigh* I can’t say they won’t get them for their birthdays. That’s all they ever ask for. Anyway, the lego house is hilarious.
P.S. Harry Potter Book 3 is my favorite one!
Ooooh, love the Wii Lego…you gotta give it to them for creativity. 🙂 I haven’t dealt with the “look what she has” thing with my kids yet, but they are only 4 and 2. I struggle with that feeling ALL the time, and I don’t want to pass it on to my children.
THEY HAVE A MAMA WHO READS TO THEM? THEY ARE SO VERY BLESSED INDEED CAUSE THATS A RARE THING NOWADAYS! THEY HAVE ALL THEY REALLY NEED AND THEY WILL REMEMBER IT TOO AND TAKE INTO THEIR HOMES TOO! COME SAY HI 😀
OMGosh.
The photos are FAB.
I covet your new blog. {I covetted your old blog!}
It has all those cleans lines and space we spoke about…
love it, love it, love it!
I covet your sweet girls and their likeness to my daughter.
I covet your discipline in sticking to the {stupid} legos and not giving in to the peer pressure about, theirs and ours!
More, more, more please!! 🙂
too cute! can’t wait til mine are old enough to play with Legos…my brother was addicted!
I love your blog. You keep up the good work and stick to your guns. My kids are grown and gone and we never had to many electronics and they are just fine. In fact as adults they have very few electronics they prefer to read or work on thier hobbies. My kids loved legos and can hardly wait for thier kids to get old enough to play. You are giving your kids a very great gift even if they don’t see it yet they will someday believe me my kids have thanked me offten for not buying them all those fancy things.
Holly
Love It! we have a wii and my kids are coveting legos. go figure.
what a funny story! 🙂
we’re huge lego fans here…but we’re also huge wii fans, too.
Our kids have massive amounts of Legos, and although I hate stepping on them with bare feet, I love the creativity they inspire. Our family has never had a game system… until this Christmas when my parents bought us a Wii… we bought the accessories… and my hubby bought me a Wii Fit Plus. I have to say, we love it. BUT, there are still limits and rules and “Mom can I play the Wii?” “After you read for 30 minutes.” “Okay!” I’m hoping we’re the balanced family.
(Btw, I’m in love with my MacBook Pro, too.)
Well, you can tell them you know someone else who doesn’t have a Wii . . . . or an Xbox360 . . . . or a PS3. ;D
We do have a Nintendo GameCube and a PS2 ~ but, they never seem to be able to play on either of those because the game room is such a disaster.
Oh that’s good! We don’t have a Wii either and I’ve lived this too. Minus the lego part. 🙂
Hey Edie,
I am holding out for as long as I can too! We don’t need one, nor do I feel pressured to buy one, so we continue venturing out of doors, creating with paper, drawing, painting, reading etc!
But we do enjoy playing them when we go to other people’s places, but my children haven’t asked for one, so for now that’s how it stays!
Cheers from Mallacoota, Vic Today’s temp 29c!
Love Sarah xxx
We love legos too. We have those electronics but they prefer to play legos and listen to audio books.
Oh Edie, I am LAUGHING SO HARD at this post because my BOYS did the EXACT SAME THING last year!!!! And I was the SAME as you, a TOTAL hold out on video games!!! I do not allow them a tv in their room. And actually my kids watch VERY little tv anyway so it’s never an issue. However, I DID buy them a Wii last year (not for Christmas). I was pregnant with my DD and I had a GIANT garage sale (can you say nesting???) and I told my boys that if they willingly got rid of all the toys they did not play with anymore I would buy them a Wii. They kept their legos (wink wink, lol) lincoln logs, cars (they LOVE any vehicles) and all the toys that were important to them. They sold or donated the ones that had been either in the basement or sitting around for a few years. Then when it was time for ME to hold up my end of the bargain I couldn’t find any Wii’s!!!! Finally after a few months I found one and bought it. I held my breath and feared I would have to limit their time and referee them on it. And guess what? They hardly play it, LOL! I have to say sometimes PLAY YOUR WII, lol! I will say my one son LOVES the Wii fit and does yoga on it! I won’t say it was a waste of money because they DO enjoy it. But they aren’t obsessed with it (which I was so afraid they would be). And we go through the SAME conversations as you. So and so has a phone and so and so has a laptop and so and so doesnt’ have “chores or rules”. Then I remind them that I am not so and so’s parent. And then remind them of the orphans we give money to every week at church. Then it gets quiet (which means they are thinking). And I have even heard “well it’s stupid to have a cell phone if you are always with your parents” and then I say NOW YOUR TALKING! 🙂
Kristi
ps- which webhost do you use with word press? I’m intrigued 🙂
ok another PS lol! I JUST got a cell phone (after 10 yrs without one) and not just a cell phone, my hubby got me an iphone (he was sick of not being able to reach me LOL) and I LOVVVVVVEEEE IT! I take it to bed with me, ROFL!
ok I promise I am not psycho!!! LOL If you ever do get a DS, get the DS lite NOT the DSI, DSI can go online. I’m not too keen on that 🙂
Kristi
Beautiful post… beautifully handled situation.
Speaking from experience, it will/does pay off in many, many, many priceless ways.
Warmly,
Tracey
P.S. Love your 2009 reading list. It reminded me that I want to re~read “The Great Divorce” as well as “Eight Cousins” and “Rose in Bloom” (my youngest daughter was named for the main character, partially)!!
And I thought we were the only ones without a WII….or an XBOX….I know just how your girls feel though…I felt a little like that when the little neighbor kid came over right after Christmas gloating, I mean telling us with great excitement about his WII (i am JUST KIDDING!! he was really really cute in his excitement – besides I am a grown up and I know better…right?). Those feelings are so human aren’t they. Great post and I love your new blog! And I LOVE your pictures and I LOVE how big they are! Keep up the great work in all you are doing!
You are so great! I had the SAME exact experience last Christmas! WE were the only ones… I am not against electronics and games either…its just I did not want to loose them to the wii…I guess selfishly. This year we did get the Wii…after much disscussion with my husband… Little did I know how much fun this thing is! It has just become part of the fmaily games rotation…I have to say waiting really did teach my kids (especially my 9 year old son) about being greatful for what we do have-and that just cause someone else has it does not mean we are getting it and life really still is fun! Love to you for the joy you so freely share witht those of us who love to read into a little piece of your family! Blessings!
How funny!
We were the same way about electronic games, etc. My two older children had a Nintendo 64 with three games: fishing, Nascar and baseball. It was bought for them by my grandmother.
Now my parents bought a Wii for our family (read my youngest)for Christmas. I can see the older two exchange looks when we’re playing. Yeah.
i am loving the new blog!! beautiful.
we are the same way with electronics. my kids did THE SAME thing after christmas.
we are the only people without a wii i think…your family and ours.
🙂
how are we possibly surving?!
I about died laughing when I saw the lego photo. That is just hilarious. I’m still laughing. I’ll probably wake up in the middle of the night to deal with a hot flash and start laughing again. I kid you not.
I love this Edie and just love the new look. It is so fresh and fab!
I love this post! We do covet all the time, I am guilty myself. I have to sit back and ask God to forgive me and thank Him for all the blessings He has bestowed upon my family. Your girls are so creative with the Legos wii, hopfully you can hold out a little while longer on the electronics. Have a great weekend! I just read your list of books you read last year and got dizzy. I read about 10 books last year, now I need to step up that goal 🙂 I got over the Christmas break the book Betsy in Spite of Herself and Heavens Betsy. It’s about Maud Hart Lovelace’s childhood in the early 1920’s. It’s 6oo and some pages long and I can put it down. She has many other books too about her college life and marriage, I can’t wait to read those. Happy Friday friend!
~Molly P
i just discovered your blog right before christmas. i am already an addict. i am in “awe”. love your style, your outlook on life, photos, and your words.
before you switched over, i noticed you mentioned you were from east tennessee.
we were just up in the tri-cities area visiting my parents. (bristol) to be exact. i am drooling over your kitchen. i posted a few pics of it on my very little blog & linked back to you. i hope that is okay. i left a comment on your blog right before i did so, but now i am not finding it. perhaps, it was my error. trust me i am not a savvy techy girl.
anyways, just wanted to let you know ~ i think your blog is amazing. wish i could meet you in person in nashville @ blissdom. perhaps, next year. my twins are too young to leave. have a wonderful time.
kellie
I can relate. we did go for an xbox this year, the grandparents went in on it, too. totally shocked the kids and ourselves in allowing it. we’ve no problems with it (other than my mental hurdle in allowing it in the house), it gives us something else to talk about and do as a family.
Loved this post – we try to stay away from electronics too – and they got the good ole gifts from US this year – a red ryder bb gun – a wooden doll house – boots – etc. BUT they had their own Christmas money from grandparents ….. and you guessed it – they went together and bought a wii… which I must admit for an electronic based “plaything” it really makes them play together. Love your new site btw… God bless
Hysterical! I love this, Edie! They are so smart with their coveting that it’s almost okay.
And I don’t know how to steer them clear of this. Mine already do it at 2 and 4. Ugh. As much as I try to tell them to be thankful for what they have, don’t always “want” SOMEthing, etc. But apparently I’m not as convincing as their friends and stinking Disney channel commercials. I think there are subliminal messages in there!!