You Matter to Me!

As much as I love recording life through pictures, journal-ing, or blogging...my ability to get pictures of my kids on the wall is nothing to brag about!

It usually takes my current 2 year old noticing that they are missing in the family pictures that we walk past every day to motivate me to get things up to date!  Sad, I know!

I improved when #4 was born.  I think I added one baby picture of her to our family arrangement by the time she was 6 months old.  Although she's coming up to 2 years old now and she still doesn't appear in the family pictures....gonna work on that this week!

Earlier this year, I found Alice (almost 5) taping a snapshot that she found on her wall.  It was a baby picture of Hayley with dad.  I used to print pictures for scrapbooking back when Hayley was younger so they are around!  I asked Alice if she knew that it was Hayley not her.  She said "Yes, but I like to pretend it's me!"

Knife to the heart!

Ugg!

Big old "F-" on that grade, Mom!!!

So I tried hard to compensate this Christmas.

I made these beautiful posters for each girl.  They are a collage of pictures from their growing up years.

They love them.

Each poster hangs above the appropriate bed.  I love how their eyes light up as we talk about how cute they were.

It's so important for them to know how precious their presence in our life is!

So anyways...I have to show off...

(from Paper Coterie: they sold coupons that were about 70% off last July...score!  Get on that mailing list!)

Then I was on a roll...so I created these journals for them.  

Hayley Journals: Front Cover

Hayley got the standard journal + a book to write her songs in.  

She's quite the song writer right now, and I don't want her to ever lose those songs!

Hayley Journals: Back Cover

This is a new idea that we're going to try out.  It's a pre-teen/teen journal.  I've heard this idea from a few parents and thought we'd give it a shot.  This is a journal for Hayley to pass back and forth with notes and conversations between Dad and/or Mom and herself.  We're hoping it helps to keep communication open as we embark on this exciting growing up time!

Maya Journal: front cover

Maya Journal: back cover

Maya will probably be the most consistent journal writer.

She's requested a pile of baby pictures (just loose 4x6s) for her birthday too!

Alice Journal: front cover

Alice Journal: back cover

When we ask Alice what her favorite Christmas present was--this journal is it.  Plus the pile of loose 4x6 baby/toddler pictures that we gave her.

The picture on the back cover is her absolute favorite picture in the world: Daddy happens to be her favorite person in the world.  And being silly is the #1 priority in her book!

She's so proud of her little smiling journal.  Takes it everywhere.  She can't write sentences independently yet but she finds things to mark, draw and copy in it.  I love that it makes her feel valued and important.

I thought I had learned long ago how important 'knowing their story' is in the life of a child.  But it was reinforced to me again this year.  I just don't think we can ever tell too many stories about the good times, or have too many pictures of our kids growing up!  What do you do to display stories in your life?