Sorry about your messes. But thanks for the compliment. We should discuss!

I have a timer above my computer. Because my computer is a big sucking vortex that once I get on…I don’t resurface for a looooong time. So I set the timer. When it goes off, I get up. I do one other thing. I tell myself “just one thing…and then you can go back to reading blogs…just one!” but I am also kinda scatter-brained. The one thing I go to do gets done…but so do about three other things that I saw needed doing and hey! I’m already there, so why not? Helps a lot.

As for the kids, we have a “five toys” rule. If they want to do something fun like watch a movie, get out a board game, have chicken nuggets for lunch, etc. then they must both pick up five toys. Doesn’t matter which size or whose they are…just five and then they can have fun. Good thing my youngest can’t count. He usually picks up 10 before his sister is done.

What messes? Well, my house is a disaster. I have sickies and quite frankly, as long as they aren’t whining at me, I am happy.

Computer and tv time? I am on the computer and that limits their time. Once they get on in, I set a timer. They get 30 minutes of PBSKids, and that is really it. My oldest does like Encarta Encyclopedia for kids. I don’t like to limit that because she is learning. The tv is raising them right now. Normally it isn’t like that. They get one hour of tv a day (when they aren’t sick). Once it is up, it is up. We also don’t have cable. That helps.

Messes… I’ve been fairly blessed that Gabriela is not a terrible mess maker, though she’s pretty good at getting lots and lots of her toys (small items) out and spreading them across her room, the living room and my bedroom (wait, that’s the whole house)

Computer and tv time… ugh. That’s a hard one. I have really felt like since we moved into the apartment with cable included we’ve become much bigger tv junkies than I’d like us to be, plus with us both so busy and spread out, we use it as an entertainer way too much, plus she’s at that age where she can whine for it way too good… It used to be the rule of one select video/movie per day. Now, it’s much more, but I try to intersperse it based on what the parents’ needs are for quiet. As a family we watch one show per day together (our brasilian soap opera). I’ve let her do the games on pbskids.org more frequently, and that is often while I am preparing a meal, and hope it’s a little more educational than simply watching Snorks. (though, they do have some good social lessons too in the stories)