The End of Summer - Thursday

The first thing I remember about being on my own was that I could do things without asking permission. Not living with my parents meant that I was in charge of my life; however it didn't mean I stopped asking for advice, recipes, and help now and then.

I remember the fist time I wanted a Coke and all I had to do was open the refrigerator and get it. There was such a sense of freedom. Cokes were a treat growing up. And since I didn't work when I was first married, the first thing I did each morning was turn on the TV. And the last thing I did at night before going to bed was turn off the TV. Something we were never permitted to do growing up.

Today I have a TV in the kitchen, den, and two bedrooms and rarely do I watch it. Yes, it's off and on throughout the day, but never on ALL day.

But I find that is changing when the grandkids are at the house. It came to me on Thursday, when baby Hayden was with me. He likes the noise of the TV and really likes Play With Me Sesame Street or Fox News. At almost six months, he's trying to sit up by himself. So we sit together on the afghan I have on the floor and he struggles to play with his toys in front of him or look up and watch TV. It is so funny, but I'm happy to say, the toys usually win out.

I didn't realize how much TV I was watching with him until my husband and I sat down in front of the TV to eat dinner (a habit I hate) the other night, and I found myself talking out loud to the commercials, responding to the questions before the actor could. Pretty sad...I thought to myself, I have to stop watching so much TV.

But here is the funny part. My husband tunes the commercials out and so when I talk he thinks I'm saying something to him and we go through this routine like Abbott and Constello's "Who's on First":

Him: What'd you say?
Me: When?
Him: To me?
Me: I don't know
Him: You just said something
Me: I did?

Well, you get the picture. And then I am suddenly reminded again that I've got to stop watching so much TV. So when my husband came home on Thursday, instead of sitting in front of the TV with baby Hayden, we walked outside and sat on the stoop of the porch and watched the cars go by, birds dart in and out between the trees, and squirrels dance around and around the trunks of the trees or throw their acorns down to the ground like bombs. Hayden just loved it, laughing and giggling and smiling.

And when his daddy drove up and got out of the car, his face lit up and he reached for him with such love. I knew that he would have a pleasant drive home to N. Georgia after spending time outside in the fresh air instead of inside by the TV.

Maybe I should follow my own advice and go outside instead of sit by the TV....who knows what I might see. After all I am in charge of my life!