Don’t Miss It!
Note: I wrote this article ten years ago. And yes, I had forgotten these things again. Parents, this is exactly why we need to write our stories down! . . .
Recently my children pulled out their memory books to show to a friend of ours. These are journals that I have used for writing down some of the cute and funny things my kids said and did when they were babies and toddlers. As we skimmed the pages, I was surprised at how many things I had already forgotten. My children are very young, so I guess I expected to still be able to recall all of those moments.
As all mothers probably would, I read the entries with mixed emotions. Happiness, because of all the wonderful memories. Sadness, because my babies arenโt babies anymore. But mostly I was just glad that I had written these things down for all of us to enjoy. My children love reading about themselves and about each other. I think they treasure the stories just as much as I do!
Some of my favoritesโ
- When I took a shower, I would often see two-year-old Callieโs little hand come around the curtain and drop the Little People floaty boat and all of its accessories into the tub for me to play with. She wouldnโt even say anything when she did it!
- After Callie (4) tattled on Caleb (2), Caleb came to me with his head hung low and said, โI spitting again.โ
- When Callie (5) first held her new baby doll, I said, โShe feels like a real baby, doesnโt she?โ To which Callie replied, โYeah. Itโs hard trying to feel like a real mommy.โ
- During a visit to the doctorโs office, a nurse asked Caleb (3) if he drank alcohol. Calebโs response: โNo. Chocolate milk.โ (I regret that I do not at all remember the context of this conversation!)
- When Katie took her first steps, she was wearing fake glasses and a moustache!
Of course, I wasnโt as faithful about writing down all the cute stories as more babies were born and life just got busier. (As a second-born myself, this makes me angry. But I canโt deny now why it happens.) Thankfully, writing this “Growth Spurts” column forces me to document my childrenโs lives at least once a month, and it encourages me to slow down and reflect on my family. Thatโs a good thing, since I so easily get caught up in my tasks for the day. Not that tasks are bad; they just often distract me from the little faces in front of meโthe faces that will soon be quite grown up.
I donโt want to miss this time with them. Iโm ten and a half years into motherhood already, and itโs flown. So even if I donโt take the time to write down all these memories, I at least want to make sure I donโt miss out on the making of them.
Pictured: Young Caleb, Callie, and Katie Partridge, after Dad told them to pretend they were riding a roller coaster! The photo never ceases to make me smile.
