Eureka the TV show helps with reading!!!

We love TV and we watch a lot of it. I know that this is a bold statement and appears to be out of character from an ultra conservative Catholic Christian family. It is true that we follow the traditional roles: Dad works and mom stays at home. It is how we live our life. We even homeschool the kiddos. I know you are thinking we are a family dressed in long skirts, no TV and never touch meat. Well that isn't us. We love hamburgers, steak when we are lucky and love good clean entertainment.


We break away from that conservative mold to watch television, lots of it. We love several shows and always have that box on. I love the Fox News Channel and The Weather Channel (although it never changes in Houston - HOT, HOT, HOT oh maybe we have hurricane to watch out for, but it is still HOT.) We watch a lot of the news programs.

We do watch and often enjoy Disney channel and we love many of the shows (not all) and the movies are usually pretty good! I watch most of them with the kiddos while doing laundry and such. If something makes me uncomfortable we talk about it right then and there. The biggest issue I have with these shows is they give a very innocent idea of today's dating world. I have talked with many of the public school kiddos in the middle school and the Disney version just isn't what exist. It isn't pretty. So we spend a little time discussing why it might look cute on the screen but in real life it might be different. We also point out that the actors are much older than the characters they are playing. BUT seeing these less than perfect subjects has allowed a launching pad for wonderful family discussions on what we believe as a family. We have a chance to address issues before they come up in our lives. For my family avoiding the shows is not the best approach. We are trying to form the kiddos to be in the world and understand it but not to be drawn away from Christ because of it.

We also have a few family loves that are not "child or teen" shows.
We started watching Monk a few years back and love it. Then Psych was added just after Monk. These are both fairly clean innocent shows. Monk almost always begins with a murder. It is a detective show after all. For the most part Monk is OK for all audiences. Psych has had one or two iffy shows. I know I am really uptight about this stuff. Many would think it was fine but not us. So we watch both shows after the little ones go to bed. The bigger half stay up and we really enjoy the family time talking, laughing, eating, sharing. If the shows are clean enough then the little ones watch it the next afternoon or on Sunday with the rest of us. We are there to answer questions and laugh and explain if the younger ones want to watch it.

Anyway we have been delighted to find a new show that we all love. It is very clean, at least by our standards. We love Eureka. It is on the Sci Fi Channel so all of the commercials/previews are not that clean. We are right there to fast forward or pause with the DVR to avoid any issues. We even bought the first two seasons. Love them. In every episode their is danger to the world, the people of Eureka or the "fabric of the universe" because of some invention or experiment. The geniuses of Eureka always need the help of the common man, Sheriff Carter, to figure out how to save the day. As always they safe life as we know it and all is safe, that is until the next big adventure.

So my Bear came up to me this morning after breakfast shaking the news paper, demanding that I read an article. Try to imagine my shock that my dyslexic reading issue son is demanding that I read an article that he is waving in my face.
"Why, what is it?" I ask him.
"Just read it, I can't believe it."
"Have you read it?"
"Yes, Pooker helped me, mom this is scary."
It did flash through my mind just for a second, "Is having him reading really going to be a good thing?" I dismissed that quickly because his new confidence is an answer to many a prayer and lots of hard work.
So I began to read the article . . . Atom-smasher to ignite big bang hopes, black hole fears
By ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS Associated Press
Sept. 7, 2008, 12:41PM Now reread that title. Why was this 12 year old boy reading the Science and Tech section anyway. OK, I have to let that go he is reading after all, thank you GOD!
As I read the article I can see why he is upset. It is right out of an episode of Eureka. I mean right out of an episode.

It cracked me up that six months ago this same boy would refused to even try to read. It is crazy that now he is now looking over the newspaper in the science section and making connections to our favorite family show. Thank you, God!!!! and everyone for all the prayers to get us here. Take this an encouragement also for those that are having to think outside the box to get your child to read. Don't give up hope.

To all of you, check out this show. It is very cute! Tuesdays on the Sci Fi Channel.