Here we go! I mean, there YOU go, TV!

So it's New Years Eve and I figure it's a perfect time to start this whole bloggy thing.  New beginnings. A fresh start at old beginnings. Our TV quit on us last week, no notice, nothing.  The repair man was supposed to come today to give us the gift of sanity, normalcy and salvation and wouldn't you know..he didn't show up.  I'm secretly psyched, though.  (very secretly because Kevin is bugging out with the whole $$$ down the drain, customer service doesn't exist anymore, you get the point)  But my family has been spending some awesome quality time together.  Some seriously sweet, lets all hang out together and do nothing but we end up giggeling time together.  I'm a little afraid for that to end when I have access to Real Housewives of East Jabib and we all scatter to the four winds of our tiny house.  So that's change numero uno.  No more TV.  ok...very limited TV.  I mean, we homeschool and I do use it in an educational capacity, and it's winter in New England and we can't play outside much,  but for the most part....the TV is OFF!  I've noticed such a difference in Max over the past week.  He's only had very limited access to certain shows, like kids nature shows PBS Kids. When I check on him in the middle of the night and he starts ratteling off science facts to me, like, which dinosaurs are carnivore and which ones are herbivore, or how bees collect sugar water called nectar and turn it in to honey, but we should never collect all the honey because it's their food, I know that he has lovely and educational things rolling around his head.  It makes me more resolute to dial it all the way back and keep the TV off. Sure I have been going through art supplies like crazy, but isn't that awesome? I want my kids to grow up with memories of us doing things together and creating and learning together. Is it a part time job for me to come up with projects, experiments and things to keep them busy?  Yup. It sure is, but that's what I signed up for. So there it is.  I'm sure with each passing day the memory of our  wasted time  watching vapid nonsence will fade. ( I mean it...I, in particular watch the trashiest of trashy TV)  I'm excited for the adventures we will have without our friend, the time suck.    How about you guys?  how much TV do you let your kids watch? What sorts of things do you have prepared to keep them busy?