To quote my idol, Ferris Bueller:
Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
Every once in a while, I have the cognizant thought that I need to mentally record how the girls are right at this very moment. And it is with that thought and in the spirit of having written memories of their childhood, that I created this list.
At This Very Moment, February 2012
Kate, Age 6
- You’re learning to read and doing very well. You’re moving through books so fast that 2 or 3 are sent home with you at one time.
- You just lost your first tooth, and a second tooth is wiggly.
- You still love to draw. You’ll walk away from the TV and sit down at your little white table to work on your art.
- You’ve been getting “lippy” lately. We noticed some changes in behavior once Kindergarten started, and while we don’t like them, we know it’s all part of growing up.
- You take forever to do things like get into the car or get your shoes on because you are SO worried (and nosey!) about what everyone else is doing.
Madelyn (Age 3 1/2)
- It’s a fight to get you to wear pants. In related news, you remove your pants as soon as you can in order to put on a white tutu skirt. This happens Every.Day.
- You say “a-cuz” instead of “because”.
- We’re hearing hints of “hillbilly” in your words. Daddy especially does not like this.
- I showed you how to be a “human blanket” a la Mike Myers in So I Married an Ax Murderer. You have taken this to an extreme, needing to “blanket” each of us before bed at night, and have even created your own variation that you’ve named the “Maddie Quilt”.
- You eat extremely slow. This is a good thing, but we always have to sit at a table for an extra 15 minutes once the 3 of us are done just for you to finish up.
Girls, these are your “highlights” at this point in time. For good or bad.
Moms and dads, do you ever try to capture your kids at the current age and stage?
I love this post! I need to do things like this more often. Just write down everything they’re doing then. I fear I will forget all the little details someday.
Yes, definitely. Love this!
I forget to do this. Thanks for the reminder.
I had to laugh at the fact that Madelyn is speaking with a little bit of “hillbilly.” So funny! My oldest pics up really bad speech from school. I’m constantly correcting him…”No Buddy. We don’t say ‘Ain’t'”, or, “The word is doesn’t. He DOESN’T go to school. NOT, he DON’T go to school”. Grr. It feels like proper English is a lost language.
Kate doesn’t have one at all, so we’ve determined that it is tied to where they live around age 2. Kate was in Boston from 16 months to 2.5, and while there we mostly spent time with other transplants, so there wasn’t a “Bahston” accent. But Maddie has grown up in Memphis, and is now making 1 syllable words into 2. For example, she says, “me-ulk” for milk.
Gah!
Awesome! I think I will take this idea and move it on to my blog today. Just a snapshot in time.
Do it, do it!
I scrapbook.
Don’t judge me.
Over-achiever.
What a wonderful way to record those things happening at this moment in time.
This is such a good idea. I should do this for The Dudes! Although the 10yr old’s would read: You’re ignoring me when I try to talk to you about the girl in your class who keeps sending notes home. I know you hear me in there. And I WILL find out who this little hussy is!
OMG, my coffee started coming up through my nose! HA!
I now know to not be drinking or eating when reading your comments.
This is something I should do but just don’t. Do pictures count because I really do take a lot of them?
I know, I take tons, too. But it’s all the little things they do that I wanted to remember.
Oh my gosh that “hillbilly” line cracked me up. I get it though. I’m doing my best to not allow my son to have “Bahston” speak either. It’s frustrating since my hubby sometimes forgets and slips back into that weird New Englander accent.
I have a series on my blog called “That’s what he said,” where I chronicle the things my son is currently saying, but this is a neat way to remember more of him. I’ll have to remember to do this version as well from time to time so I can remember what my boy is like in this moment.
I’m not a fan but Craig is all, “We need to move out of the South so Maddie doesn’t grow up making 1 syllable words into 2 syllable words!”
I did this in Monkey’s first year, more so than the second year. I think I need to do this more now that he’s in his 3rd year and progressing fast on so many fronts!
This is such a great idea to do. I love the fact that you basically froze time here and capture them in a moment to remember forever.
What an absolutely wonderful thing to do!!! Gotta catch these fleeting moments….
Does it feel like just yesterday, you were saying things like, “You took your first step.” ?
I think it’s so important to record these memories. I love the “this moment in time” thing because it makes you realize how fast they change.
This is a great thing to do!
Dylan got “lippy” right around the age of 6, too. No fun, but we’re dealing!
This is a great idea and I’ve done it every once and a while too, on my blog. I need to do it again though.
I love the “human blanket” thing. We do that at our house too! And we do the back scratching thing too… “Coit tower…” ;-P
I “captured” Lil’ Bit at age 2 right after her second birthday and think I’m going to do a post every year like that. Even almost three months later, she’s already changed so much!
On an unrelated note, I get totally squeamish when reading about loose teeth. I don’t know how I’m going to handle this particular aspect of motherhood. It might have to be a Hubs area.
This is lovely…
I do the same. With journals and birthday letters…but it’s hard to keep up and I worry that I’m not doing enough!
What a good mom! Journals AND birthday letters! Your kids will thank you when they are older, and you’ll thank yourself for making a point to do it.
I haven’t done this, really. We have pictures that are dated, but I haven’t really taken the time to sit down and do an “in this moment” snapshot in writing yet. The girls are only a year though, so I’m sure I have time.
I love love love the details here;
These are such a great peek into their personalities.
It’s not sugar-coated, and yet infinitely sweet.
So good job, Mama.
For capturing the moment and for raising such awesome little people.
I have no short term memory so I have to write everything down! I think your girls will enjoy reading the highlights when they are older.
Like, Kim, I scrapbook. But I am soooo far behind, I try to make sure I record stuff as it’s happening by writing letters to Eddie via the blog. About once a month or so. I feel like that way, he can have copies of those letters someday too, if he wants them. Especially after I am gone.
So sweet! I am particularly enjoying my three year old son who seems to always want me right now. I know that won’t last forever.
D1 was meticulously tracked. D2? Not so much. ?3? We don’t even know how many weeks along he/she is unless we look it up.
Thanks for the reminder to stop and reflect. Time is flying by way too quick!
Thank you. I have both Oh Yeah AND Matthew Broderick’s voice in my head. Great.
I do love this and need to do this b/c things are happening pretty fast around here, things I don’t want to forget.
Also, I’m w/ Craig on the drawl.
I mean, is there anyone out there who, when given a choice, wouldn’t pick white tutu skirt over pants?!
I think not.
Oh I love this so so much!
I love how you captured your children at the very stages that they are in and their unique quirks.
Beautiful!
I love this idea. My little ones are brand new (2 month old twins) and I love writing notes into their baby calendar. Definitely will have to pick this once our year is complete!
Well, you KNOW I idolize Ferris too…and that is my favorite quote ever! And I love this little snapshot in time, because even though you totally think you will remember it all, reality takes away those brain cells.
You will love looking at this later.