The morning did not start off so well!
Of course I hate leaving my girl every day but usually she is beyond thrilled to go hang out with her Gigi and Poppy. However, this morning all she wanted me to do was hold her. And it was not that whiny kind of plea but more of the pull at your heart strings and rip your heart out kind of plea....are you familiar?! While it does not always happen, I do try my very best to always stop whatever I am doing and listen or hold her. Goodness knows the days are fleeting of her wanting me to hold her so I always try to embrace it. This morning, her Daddy took her to drop her off with Gigi and Poppy and as they were leaving the house she crying the big 'ole crocodile tears and looking up at me while holding up her "I love you" sign. The 3 of us have a thing where we always flip the sign language sign of "I love you" to each other when we are leaving whether it is to run some errands, go to school, or at bedtime. Ok, so already I am feeling like Mother of the Year (yeah right) bc all I want to do is forget work, grab my baby, and crawl back to bed into our safety bubble and you know - never EVER let her go EVER again. Then, as their car passes mine, I see her still crying and now with her arms spread across her body telling me "I love you this much" as she cries and they drive off. No kidding, at this point, I feel as though my wonderful and patient husband is about the equivalent of a CPS (Child Protective Services) worker ripping my child out of my arms and dragging her off in the middle of the night. What is a mommy to do next? Well, call her own mommy of course and then try her best not to ball her eyes out bc for one, that is not a flattering look on me as I head into the office and more importantly, I am not wearing waterproof mascara this morning. However, my mommy puts me at ease as she tells me that she just picked up Sophie and she is talking up a storm about playing with her BFF last night and acting as though nothing ever happened.Hmm, well it would certainly seem as though she has since totally forgotten being dragged out of my loving embrace but - of course good news to hear. The working mommy guilt never ends right - and Sophie is only 3! I do take comfort though in knowing that I am where God wants me be and doing what he wants me to do. I also find refuge in knowing that my girl thinks her Gigi hung the moon and loves spending time with her and of course the fact that my husband is not really a CPS worker!
As you can probably tell by now, I am all about making memories and traditions that will carry my family through the generations. Not necessarily memories like those I just shared above, but more along the lines of happy times. I love heritage and ancestory and all that good stuff bc in my world, besides God, family is first and foremost. That is how I was raised. Needless to say, I am ALWAYS trying to find ways to remember these days and soak up every single last second.
Some of my most favorite "ideas" are ones that I have found on Pinterest. As much as I would LOVE to take the credit for them myself...I can't. I am talented at along of things but being craftsy is certainly not one of them. However, I am extremely talented at finding great ideas and then copying them! Why recreate the wheel right?! My most fav idea that I have found would have to be keeping the Mommy Journal. The concept is that you record your thoughts, feelings, and happenings, (whatever you prefer) beginning when they are young. Then, on their 18th birthday, you give them the journal. Kinda serves as a neat little journey through their childhood for them to read and understand through your eyes. I bought a super cute pink one for Sophie and keep it next to the bed. Sometimes will just jott down funny little stories of something she has done or said, or maybe my thoughts on how proud I am of her bc she already has such a big heart. I am not going to lie - this is a VERY hard thing to keep up with but I try my very best and anything is better then nothing. I have been doing this for about a year now and there is already things I have forgotten that I do not remember until I look back and read them. Great way to remember all the little details of the day to day life as they shape into the adult they will eventually become.
My second favorite idea that I have borrowed/stolen involves the Dr. Seuss book "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" At the end of every school year, you have their teacher sign the book and write a little message. Once again, a great way for them to remember some of those special teachers and memories. On their HS graduation day, you give them the book.You can of course find the book anywhere but the price on Amazon is one of the best I have seen and wouldn't you know - better then what I paid for it. In case you want to check it out, here is the link -
http://www.amazon.com/Oh-Places-Youll DrSeuss/dp/0679805273 .
Yes, I know this is going to be alot of reading for my girl but she already loves to read, or at least loves to pretend that she is reading. Besides, if she does not fully appreciate it at 18, I know she will cherish it one day!
I have tried to keep up with the Addi 'isms" as we go along and I use a program that sync's with a cloud drive, and any where I am, I can make the note. So, I don't have to be at the home computer etc. Unless, you are hand writing them, which will be a lost art, and probably a little more special. You could always go back and do that though!
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