The beauty of keeping journals for the kids is that periodically I can read back and remember the cute or hilarious things they did. I'm thinking this will come in especially handy when they are teenagers and I can't stand them.
I hope that these journals give them a sense of what they were like and what their childhood was like once they are adults.
People have asked me how I have time to journal and blog. Since I don't watch television and don't play games online and don't send texts or talk on my cell phone, it leaves me plenty of time to write.
When I only had N, I definitely wrote longer entries about the things she did. With 3 kids, I sometimes only write a sentence or two.
Here are some of the things I jotted down. It is funny to see how their words and language has changed over time.
5/10/06--N's journal, she was 2-and-a-half
You noticed Daddy's "equipment." He was getting out of the shower and you gave him a quizzical look. I asked what you were looking at and you said, "Daddy's ponytail."
5/21/06--N's journal; she was 2-and-a-half
Just now I put you down for your nap. You said, "I love you lady."
5/31/07--N's journal; she was 3-and-a-half
On Sunday morning daddy was grinding coffee beans. You said, "Mommy, tell daddy to stop---he's giving me a headache."
7/23/07--N's journal; she was 3-and-a-half
To encourage you to throw your clothes in the hamper, we tell you to shoot a basket. Whenever you do so, you say, "I made a shoot."
7/6/10--G's journal; he was 2-and-a-half
You love watching the Thomas the Train movie, "Hero of the Rails." But you call it "Hero of the Handrails."
10/28/10--G's journal; he was 3
You started eating a cupcake but then got distracted by something else and left most of it on your plate. So I gave the bottom part to M. You eventually came back and said you wanted your cupcake, so I gave you what was left...basically the icing with only a little cake underneath. You looked at it and said,
"It's.....(pause)
"It's dead." With a look of utter disbelief on your face.
12/6/11--G's journal; he is 4
Today while you and Nana were playing in the basement, I heard you call her a "meddling door-rat."
12/16/11--G's journal; he is 4
Today you wound chewed bubble gum around your neck in a thin strand like a necklace and couldn't get it off, although you did get a washcloth and tried to do it yourself before you hollered for me. It took some serious scrubbing and baby oil to get it off.
11/13/11--M's journal; he is 2
The other day we were talking about Christmas and N and G were telling what they wanted from Santa. I said to you, "What do you want, M?"
You pointed to the top of the kitchen cabinet where I have the Halloween candy stored in a Winnie the Pooh bucket and said, "POOH!"
I hope that these journals give them a sense of what they were like and what their childhood was like once they are adults.
People have asked me how I have time to journal and blog. Since I don't watch television and don't play games online and don't send texts or talk on my cell phone, it leaves me plenty of time to write.
When I only had N, I definitely wrote longer entries about the things she did. With 3 kids, I sometimes only write a sentence or two.
Here are some of the things I jotted down. It is funny to see how their words and language has changed over time.
5/10/06--N's journal, she was 2-and-a-half
You noticed Daddy's "equipment." He was getting out of the shower and you gave him a quizzical look. I asked what you were looking at and you said, "Daddy's ponytail."
5/21/06--N's journal; she was 2-and-a-half
Just now I put you down for your nap. You said, "I love you lady."
5/31/07--N's journal; she was 3-and-a-half
On Sunday morning daddy was grinding coffee beans. You said, "Mommy, tell daddy to stop---he's giving me a headache."
7/23/07--N's journal; she was 3-and-a-half
To encourage you to throw your clothes in the hamper, we tell you to shoot a basket. Whenever you do so, you say, "I made a shoot."
7/6/10--G's journal; he was 2-and-a-half
You love watching the Thomas the Train movie, "Hero of the Rails." But you call it "Hero of the Handrails."
10/28/10--G's journal; he was 3
You started eating a cupcake but then got distracted by something else and left most of it on your plate. So I gave the bottom part to M. You eventually came back and said you wanted your cupcake, so I gave you what was left...basically the icing with only a little cake underneath. You looked at it and said,
"It's.....(pause)
"It's dead." With a look of utter disbelief on your face.
12/6/11--G's journal; he is 4
Today while you and Nana were playing in the basement, I heard you call her a "meddling door-rat."
12/16/11--G's journal; he is 4
Today you wound chewed bubble gum around your neck in a thin strand like a necklace and couldn't get it off, although you did get a washcloth and tried to do it yourself before you hollered for me. It took some serious scrubbing and baby oil to get it off.
11/13/11--M's journal; he is 2
The other day we were talking about Christmas and N and G were telling what they wanted from Santa. I said to you, "What do you want, M?"
You pointed to the top of the kitchen cabinet where I have the Halloween candy stored in a Winnie the Pooh bucket and said, "POOH!"
1 comment:
I love going back and reading some of the funny/insightful/surprising things my kids have said over the years. I almost always have forgotten the original incidents, and am so grateful that I took the time to record them.
Just a hint - I don't remember if I ever told you this before - but for longer stories or quotes, since I usually have my computer on, I often write them up in an email and send them to my parents, and then file the sent email in a folder marked with the child's name who the story was about. It's much quicker for me than digging out a notebook and hand writing stuff like that. I try to do it within a matter of minutes of an event happening so that i can get all of the details and nuances right.
Just an idea!
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