I have to confess, that as a grandmother, I've become a little obsessed with the things my grandchildren do whenever they're around. I started creating picture books of gazillions of the pictures that have been taken, and now I'm including funny stories of things they said and did. In my mind I'm creating a
"gift" for the future for them.
A few years ago I created a pictorial
book for my daughters, of the many pictures I had
taken of them. The pictures started out in albums, but between wear and tear, and maybe a little neglect, I found that they were falling apart. Not wanting to lose them all as time marched on, it seemed the best way to preserve them was to utilize a service that would help me not only organize them, but display them creatively and for many years to come they would each have a keepsake of their lives. So began my quest to create for them, a permanent record of their moments in life......and when my grandchildren came along, I began anew, creating little glimpses of their lives, that someday I hope they will treasure.
Companies like Shutterfly have me as one of their biggest fans, because I
can create books with the pictures I've accumulated, and I know they
won't fade over time. An added bonus is, that once you've uploaded your pictures to their server, you don't have to worry about losing them on your own computer or phone....they are preserved as long as Shutterfly exists, and I have no doubt they'll be around for a long time.
My latest venture into book making has been including short excerpts of my grandchildren's adventures. It dawned on me that there were so many
precious moments in my daughter's lives that I've no doubt forgotten.
One of my fondest memories is the day I was took my youngest daughter to kindergarten. Jessica had a favorite little stuffed leopard called "Boo Boo Kitty" in the car with her. When we got to the school she had it
tucked under her arm, and I told her to leave it so it wouldn't get lost.
She was adamant that "BooBoo Kitty" should go to school with her......I wasn't in the mood to argue, so I let her go with it.......fully expecting her not to come out with it that afternoon. Well....you know those times you thought you knew the outcome and the universe had to prove you wrong? This was that day for me. That afternoon as I sat in the carpool lane waiting for Jessica to come out, I saw her little face smiling as she marched, rather triumphantly towards the car. Much to my surprise little "BooBoo Kitty" was still tucked under her arm. As she got in the car, she announced quiet proudly that everyone was so excited to see "BooBoo Kitty", that they picked her up on their shoulders and marched her around the school. It was one of those moments when you wanted to burst out laughing....but I could see how determined she was to prove her point.....and, there was no reason in trying to point out this might have been a slight exaggeration. She was just proud that she didn't lose her pride and joy, and wanted to emphasize that to me with her slightly over-embellished story.
One of my fondest memories is the day I was took my youngest daughter to kindergarten. Jessica had a favorite little stuffed leopard called "Boo Boo Kitty" in the car with her. When we got to the school she had it
tucked under her arm, and I told her to leave it so it wouldn't get lost.
She was adamant that "BooBoo Kitty" should go to school with her......I wasn't in the mood to argue, so I let her go with it.......fully expecting her not to come out with it that afternoon. Well....you know those times you thought you knew the outcome and the universe had to prove you wrong? This was that day for me. That afternoon as I sat in the carpool lane waiting for Jessica to come out, I saw her little face smiling as she marched, rather triumphantly towards the car. Much to my surprise little "BooBoo Kitty" was still tucked under her arm. As she got in the car, she announced quiet proudly that everyone was so excited to see "BooBoo Kitty", that they picked her up on their shoulders and marched her around the school. It was one of those moments when you wanted to burst out laughing....but I could see how determined she was to prove her point.....and, there was no reason in trying to point out this might have been a slight exaggeration. She was just proud that she didn't lose her pride and joy, and wanted to emphasize that to me with her slightly over-embellished story.
You'd have to know Jessica to fully appreciate this story.......Jessica has and continues to be the child with the vivid imagination, and quick thinking
that just defies logic. She has had
us all laughing till we were
in tears.....and for that I am blessed. My grandchildren seem to have
that same "genetic gift", so I've decided to record as many of them as I
can for them to appreciate their own creativity when they get older and
life might be heading in directions they weren't so happy with. Lilly is the story teller, Leila is the singer & "in charge" kid, and Calvin....he's wickedly smart and figures things out way before he should. I want
them to be able to look back, and realize how loved they
were........how we all appreciated their unique talents and
gifts.....and that they created some of the most amazing moments in my
life.
My advice is, don't let life get in the way of remembering those precious moments that will fly by. If you don't have a video camera.....GET ONE! You won't remember their sweet little voices when they're 16 and have turned into snarky teens! If you haven't started writing down the silly sweet innocent things they say and do.......START NOW! You won't remember many of them when they're standing in front of you demanding the keys to the car so they can go "out"......besides, cameras come in a huge variety of sizes and prices, making them affordable for virtually everyone.....don't wait.....the holidays are coming and you'll never regret it!
As a mother,
and now a grandmother, I have this enormous desire to soak in all those
memories......to remember the things they said and did that made me
laugh--that make my heart feel as it will explode with love. Don't miss out......start today, and create a legacy of memories
for your little ones.
They went from
this
<---
to this
---->
---->
in the blink of an eye!
Dedicated to my little pookie......Jessica x0x0
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