A couple of evenings ago we were stuck in traffic, and we noticed that the van in the lane next to us had not one, not two, but three mini TV's playing inside it. I guess so that each kid would have an unimpeded view of the screen. Academically I can see that a DVD player in the car might be nice for long car trips, but - ugh. It just seems wrong to me. Car trips are for playing number plate games, car cricket, I Spy, listening to music or books on tape, and even - gasp - for being bored on occasion. Boredom can be quite useful, actually - sometimes it forces one into creativity. Whereas blobbing in front of some Disney DVD is more likely to kill off brain cells than stimulate them.

We barely watch any TV at all these days - there just doesn't seem to be time. I'd happily get rid of the TV altogether, except for the fact that I had a TV-less childhood and I didn't like the left-out feeling I had when other kids discussed their favourite TV programs. It was considered odd enough to be TV-less in South Africa in the '80's; it'd be beyond weird for most 21st century suburban Americans. Though the homeschool group would take it in their stride, and the Waldorf group positively expects it. I had to laugh - well, half-laugh, half-cringe - when our realtor very happily told us that she'd used her own initiative to put in a clause for us stipulating that the seller leave the TV and bracket that they have outside by the pool. She was delighted to let us know that the seller didn't quibble at all. I couldn't bring myself to tell her that we absolutely, categorically, did not want to watch TV outside while we swim, and find the whole idea quite distasteful. Stephen of course thinks it's fantastically wonderful : "We can watch the basketball from in the pool!"

Though we don't yet know what's happening with the house anyway. As of yesterday, the realtor seemed to think that the seller was going to take care of the roof (to the tune of about eight grand) and the A/C - but we haven't got anything in writing yet. I refuse to get stressed about it, though. In the greater scheme of things, where we live is really not that big of a deal.

Bobby and Emily just called : they are safely in Sacramento. They say it's really pretty - smallish and green and leafy. Their flights were fine, the cooler with the growth hormone in it made it through the airline security no problem (sometimes they get dubious about the needles, apparently) and the two of them are having a ball.

I took Steve and Soph to see The Terminal this morning. We all enjoyed it - it's a real feel-good movie. Certainly much more upbeat that the true story on which it's loosely based. Tom Hanks (who I often dislike) was excellent. We went to the library and the grocery store afterwards (could my life be any more exciting?) and this evening Sophie and I started reading The Magician's Nephew together. Yet another of the books that I read to the big kids before Sophie was on the scene. We alternate reading pages aloud. It's fun. Soph's reading seems amazingly good to me. I need to get a homeschool evaluation done in the next couple of weeks. It'll be interesting to see what the evaluator will have to say. Stephen enjoys listening to the story too, thought he'd never admit it.