Photographs and Memories…

I have two days left of summer and I’m soaking up as much lovin’ as possible. Even though I’ve worked WAY more than I wanted to this summer, I’ve cherished every single second with my boys. As much as I enjoy my job, I still would choose to stay home with my boys in a heartbeat if I could.

See how sweet they are!

Ok, let’s be real too. They bicker…a lot. They’re 15 months apart so I guess that should be expected. But they play nicely too. Quite often actually. And sometimes, they’ll even let their momma sleep late ’cause they know how much I LOVE to sleep. Sometimes, they’ll even bring me breakfast in bed… (see pic) Sweet boys! Sometimes, my heart feels so full, I think it might just burst. Actually, that’s most of the time!

I can’t believe how fast time goes. My babies aren’t babies anymore. I get scared that I won’t remember how these days feel. I worry that I’ll forget those little things that make my heart happy. The way their hand fits just perfectly in mine. The way my youngest combs his fingers through my hair when I’m telling him goodnight. The way my oldest can talk nonstop to me about absolutely nothing at all. The way my youngest will yell “momma” through the house and when I answer, he just says he’s checking on me. The way that they’re truly happy to see me when I get home from work. The way they hug me so tightly each and every time. And I could go on and on, just as every parent could.

So, how do I preserve these memories? How do I not let them slip away right along with the years that pass us by so quickly.  That’s always been my question…
I’m not a good scrapbooker. I tried a few times but pretty much failed. I envy all those out there that do this so beautifully and timely. But it wasn’t for me.  Finally, I’ve found a couple ways that work for me and my family. My husband even gets credit for one! 🙂

Calendars
Every year, I make a calendar (we use snapfish.com). I use all photos from the previous year. I try to keep the photos in the same month. For example, all Halloween photos from the year before I include in the October pics. And all year long, I write all over the calendar. I have it hanging in our kitchen so it is easy to jot something down quick. I try to write everyday but that doesn’t happen…at least a couple times a week though. I include things that the kids say/do, events, trips, etc. (see pic) I pulled out my calendars from years past and read through them one evening last week. I laughed, smiled, and even cried.  There were so many things that I had already forgotten!

A good idea would be to create a “calendar” folder on your desktop and drop pics in it throughout the year then it wouldn’t take so long to create your calendar in December. (I really need to take my own advice!)

Email
My husband actually came up with this fabulous idea! First, we set up email accounts for our boys. The husband and I email them pics/videos, stories, etc. as often as possible. Of course, the boys have no idea we’re doing this. One day, not sure when yet…when they graduate or when they leave the “nest” or when they have kids…but one day, we’ll let them know they have an email account chock-FULL of memories. We also cc’ed ourselves on all the emails and created a folder for them so we’ll have those memories too. I try to email often but what usually happens is I get stuck somewhere waiting on something with down time so I just go through all my pics/videos on my phone and email them individually to the boys with captions and sometimes an entire story. I try to add the date (or close to it) in the email since a lot of times when I actually get around to sending the email isn’t the same time as the pic/video. Also, I attempt to be very specific in the emails since they won’t be reading them for another 15-20 years. I’m soooo very excited to share this with the boys one day…

Photo Books
And last, I create photo books. Not scrapbooks. Remember, no good at that. Photobooks are much more my style. Upload photos to site, drag and drop on page. Add captions if desirable. And then place my order. 🙂 Yay!
More specifically, I’m organizing my photo books by their school years (Kindergarten Year, First Grade Year, etc.). So in the end, the boys will have 13 each (at least). I include all photos from that time period, not just school stuff. I also save their work, projects, etc. from the entire year. At the end of the school year, I photograph it all in sections so that we’ll always have the keepsake but not all the clutter. (I do hand-select a few items to keep.)

I still worry that I’ll forget but at least I know that I’ve preserved quite a few memories.

One of my absolute favorite songs, “Photographs and Memories,” written by my husband, Daniel Justin Smith, seems to go perfectly with this post.

Carowinds!

So, I bit the bullet…bought tickets to Carowinds.  I decided about 10pm the night before.  Bought the tickets online and started planning/packing.  I knew we needed to go this week because many schools were still in session and I was hoping it wouldn’t be crowded yet.  I packed clothes, sunscreen, meds, etc. I assigned the hubby lunch and snack duty.  He’s awesome like that. 😉

The park opened at 10am.  We headed out right on schedule at 8:00am.  Arrived at 9:30am.  Waiting in line for the gate to open for us to park made us feel a little Griswaldish.  The gates open, we park, sunscreen up and head to the ticket gate.  Actually we pass the ticket gate since I had already printed them AND no bags to check.  You see, we had a plan.  Roller coasters and any non-wet rides first.  Then we’d head back to the car for lunch, rest, and change into our water gear.  Water park after lunch.  Good plan, huh?  Well, believe it or not, it actually all went incredibly according as planned.  Unusual!?  I know!

The weather was absolutely perfect as well!  Overcast all day!  But no storms and maybe 2 minutes worth of rain.  And it wasn’t crowded just as we hoped.  We had to wait in line for one ride and that was it!  Yay to an incredible day!

A few things I hadn’t anticipated though…

1) the day after would be a completely and utterly wasted day.  Well, for the adults anyway.  The hubby and I were so incredibly exhausted we accomplished very little.  Anything we did accomplish took an amazing amount of effort and concentration.  The kids were fed, though.  I call that an accomplishment.  We won’t mention that they might have had cereal for breakfast…and lunch!  And for supper, we managed to make it to my parents house.  😉

2) the kids getting up before 7am the next morning!  Once again, I am reminded of the resiliency of children.  We got home after 10pm but yet they’re up with the birds the next morning.

3) my oldest being terrified after about the third roller coaster.  I have the most hilarious yet pitiful video of him on a coaster.  My husband took video of the ones that didn’t go upside down. I haven’t taken the time to get the video off of his phone yet but when I do, I’ll add to this post. (*Added)  So pitiful yet hysterical at the same time!

Yay for a great day with the family!

The Beginning

My first blog post…what to write, what to write…
 
I’ve been wanting to create a blog for quite some time but it never seemed to make it to the top of my to-do list until tonight…at 10pm.  I have to be at school early for our last day of EOGs.  Yay!  So, not sure that tonight was a good idea but here I sit.
 
This will be my tenth year in education.  I began at a traditional K-5 school in the piedmont of NC.  I didn’t realize until later how spoiled I was!  An awesome first five years at an incredible school with amazing administration.  After moving “back home”, I accepted a position at an alternative school (for behaviors).  What a transition!  Lots of professional growth took place over the next few years with some very challenging students…all of which I would’ve taken home with me in a heartbeat!  (Well, except maybe one.)   😉
 
Currently, I serve as an instructional facilitator for my county.  I wear many hats but the one I enjoy the most is being a support for teachers with resources and curriculum.  Data also drives many of my days as I try to help others see the importance of using data to drive their instruction.  I do miss the kids but I am enjoying working with so many different, wonderful teachers!
 
And as with any job in education, there is never a dull moment!
Thanks for joining me on my blogging journey.
-RedFern