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Show & Tell: Captured

Last week I showed my documentarian tendencies.

When Tessa was born, my friend Juli (scrapbooker extraordinaire) gave me a beautiful handmade calendar that she designed especially for my daughter.

So it seemed natural that I would add my kids’ journal entries to my nightly routine. Call it a.nal-retentive, obsessive or rigid (as my husband jokingly has), but I am happy to capture each day of their lives until they are able to do so themselves. As Mel suggested last week, I plan to turn over documenting duties to them on their 12th birthdays.

Tessa has 9 calendars so far (Juli’s creations are the two in the upper left):


Reed has 7 (and yes, the second child’s is sloppier; what’s it to ya?):


Thanks to my mom for filling in on the overnights she’s had them. And yes, the kids LOVE scanning a month of their lives and remembering an earlier time.

See what the cool kids are showing and telling over at Mel‘s.

26 Responses

  1. what an absolutely lovely idea – not as onerous as a large journal – just a few words a day – I would do this if I had kids!

  2. That is so very cool. It will be intersting to see what they have to say about their own lives when they turn 12.

  3. such an awesome thing you are doing for them! I love the ritual, and I love that they can look back and remember. you are so amazing! fabulous idea.

  4. This is such a great idea! They are going to love having this to look back on when they get older.

  5. What a great idea! Seeing your post last week about your own journals just made me hate myself that I always tore up my own diaries but seeing this one inspires me to do the same for Evie 🙂 I loved reading your journal entries last week, though…how wonderfully soap opera 😉

  6. That is an awesome idea. I love the Fancy Nancy calendar too. We love Fancy Nancy and her fabulously fancy words. :0)So, now I am totally like kicking myself for missing this brilliant idea starting some, oh, 15 years ago . . .

  7. what a great idea!I wish I read this 5 years ago 🙂Well I guess it is never too late to start.Thank you for sharing!

  8. Hey you, I was going to come over here and tell you that Mrs. Spit had given you an award that Martha had nominated you for…but then I got to following a link and than another and a ‘nother and…well, you know. And before I knew it I got notification that you’d already gone over and thanked her.Aw well. Congratulations, though–you deserve it!Love

  9. I seriously could not be more jealous. I really wish I had thought to do this. With calendars so cheap right now, I feel like I need to go grab three and start this. Actually, four, and force Josh to do it too.

  10. Someone nominated you for a Toby Award. The Toby’s are a sunday award I run. Stop by and read the nomination when you have a moment.

  11. What a great thing for your kids to have. I bet they will be SO much more appreciative for them, as they get older. Good work and thank you for sharing.

  12. So fantastic! I’d love to borrow this idea some day down the road. How did I not know that there’s actually a real Fancy Nancy, with her own calendar and everything?! My mom’s name is Nancy, and we often call her Fancy Nancy. I had no idea.

  13. My heart is beating so fast with the prospect of them re-reading in years to come!!! I am also (borderline obsessed) scrapbook extraordinaire. However the daily notes ended after the first year. So sad I didn’t think to continue!Thanks for sharing – man – you are a GREAT mom!

  14. My grandmother used to journal in her calendars. We are now putting them together and making a timeline.But, I never thought of doing it for your children. This is a great idea! Good job!

  15. Great idea. I wish I had done that for my older DS. There is so much about his early years that I do not remember (and I never kept a baby book). Maybe I’ll start it for my newest addition.

  16. Lori, You’re raising the mom bar too high – ohmigosh, you rock! Is this what moms do?!!! I’m freaking out!

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