Winter Olympics, here we come!

N.B. The subject of this post should not alarm the reader: this is not a post about our recent snow days or near-blizzard conditions here in North Texas. (Don't worry, National Weather Service, we've been wearing our hats and gloves just like you told us in your Winter Weather Advisory.) But while we're on the topic, I do have this to say about "snow days": When you are a stay-at-home mom of a toddler, a snow day is more akin to a harsh (and wholly undeserved) grounding. And it's no fair. 

Okay, that's it for the snow. Now on to the important stuff.

Television.

Now, as you know, the kid experts agree that children under 2 years old should not be exposed to "screen time" - television, computers, video games, and probably iPhones. And we all know how very simple it is to abide by that restriction.  *cough*  Well, anyway, I have striven to at least keep Luke away from TV-watching during this early time of his development, and it is indeed trickier than one might assume. Nonetheless, we've been pretty successful at it overall, I think.

However, there has been one exception in our house: football. Let's face it - we're Southern Americans (and my husband is practically West Texan) - it's what we do. So when the game is on, we allow that family time in front of a football game "doesn't count" in stunting child development. (Let's just not talk about commercials, shall we?)

Fortunately, our team has had a dismal season, so we really haven't watched as much as usual anyway. But apparently, we've done it enough because this particular habit has created an entirely unforeseen phenomenon: Luke now associates television solely with football. It's as if he's decided that our only reason for having this big contraption is to watch the Big Game (not too far from the truth, actually) - or that the television is simply capable of showing nothing else.

Shoot.

I mean, I like watching our team on Saturday afternoons in the fall, but any more than that, and I'm out. Does this mean that I've created a football-watching monster? Will he (like so many before him in my family) garner such affection for the sport so as to have interest in any game, no matter how minor, showing on any channel that money could possibly buy?

[Silent scream of despair.]

When I realized that this was happening, I made immediate compensatory action. So last Sunday afternoon, when I sat down on the couch in a way that must have suggested to Luke that it was Football Time (he instantly pointed over at the TV and asked, "Foo-ball?"), I made my move. Sitting him beside me, I switched the TV on to one of the major networks just to see what we could find, and lo and behold - Men's Figure Skating Championships!

And before you begin to think me cruel beyond measure, please know that Luke loved it, I swear. Lately, he's discovered the pure joy of the Spin in Place. He does it when dancing, when excited, whenever - even in the middle of storytime at the library a few weeks ago. Anyway, when he first caught sight of those figure skaters spinning IN THE AIR, he could hardly contain himself. "Spin Around! Spin Around! Spin Around!" he screamed (while jumping on the couch) (for real) (and no, we don't normally let him jump on the couch, and screaming is strongly discouraged). Before long, he was up close to the TV, practicing his own spin-arounds, happy as a clam.

So there, Football.