Life interupted

So, our Internet has been down almost all week.  I have a love/hate relationship with that.  I love my Internet and my computer and all the blogs and fun online stuff there is, but I also hate the Internet and my computer and how much time it can take out of my day.  I am in charge--I can set limits.  And I am not the only one in my family who has this love/hate relationship.  Ben said the other night, "It is kind of nice not to have the Internet working then I don't feel like I need to check things."  I agree.  I just read a talk about how we talk to children and how important that is.  In the talk by Rosemary M. Wixon titled The Words We Speak, she suggested taking time each day to "disconnect from technology and reconnect with each other."  Amen.  She also said, "precious moments of opportunity to interact and converse with our children (and I would add spouse) dissolve when we are occupied with distractions."  This not only applies when you have young children, but also to your spouse and older teenage children.  My teenage kids are always running here and there, and their actual home time is very limited.  I need to limit my online/computer time/distractions when they are around.  That is my new goal.  No computer from 3-8 when the kids are home.  I often tell Ben, "save that for later, you can do that once the kids are in bed," and I need to apply my own advice.  So our household is starting a 'disconnect time' from 3-8 p.m. daily because our life is not on the computer, our life is our home and our kids, and we don't want to interrupt that.  Wish us luck!