Posts Tagged ‘memories’

Family Fun

Thursday, July 13th, 2017

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
The boys and I are in Pennsylvania for the week visiting family. Summertime is really the only time we can travel without too many scheduling conflicts. So we flew home using our non-revenue passes with my husband’s airline employer. 

My grandmother and great aunt both passed away this year, so my family has been going through their old photo albums. We did a slideshow of some very old photos of my family from the last 50 years. Jack and Tate couldn’t believe their eyes. They were amazed when they saw pictures of their grandparents and great grandparents when they were only kids. It was fun looking at pictures of myself as a kid, too. I had never seen most of the pictures, and I was surprised how similar Jack and Tate looked as children.

We also spent a fun day with my husband’s family, including my sister-in-law and her husband and two children. We are rarely together in the same place, so it was great to get the cousins together. Despite the age differences, the kids played well all afternoon. There was plenty of laughter and fun. 

We’re all looking forward to more fun over the next several days. Unfortunately, my husband is working hard at home and could not join us. He wants our boys to have great family memories. I’m glad we’ve made plenty already this summer. There are only a few more weeks to make more. I hope you and your family find time to do the same.

School Picture Day

Wednesday, August 31st, 2016

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
For years, I dressed my children up in whatever I pleased.  When the boys were toddlers, I liked to dress them up for our outings in cute little button down shirts, plaid, belts, ties, and shoes of my choice. It made me feel accomplished during those long days by actually getting us ready for the day. No matter what they wore, it never phased them.

As the years passed, Jack and Tate got more aware of their attire. They liked certain fabrics, and disliked many others. They had aversions to buttons, collars, and “handsome shoes.” It was a little heart breaking for me since I loved to dress my guys up from time to time.

School pictures over the last several years were easy. Jack and Tate’s former school had a uniform policy. All school pictures had to include their uniform shirt. No big deal, it was like every other day of the year.

This year, they don’t wear uniforms. So, I got to pick the outfits for school pictures. I was reliving my dress-up days with my kids for picture day. I ironed two shirts and two pairs of shorts. I let them know this was what they were wearing for picture day. In the back of my mind, I knew there was potential for concern. I was ready to see some eye rolls at the thought of wearing buttons to school.

The boys were not thrilled to dress up for picture day. It’s hot here, and a long sleeved shirt wasn’t ideal. However, I wanted them to make an exception on picture day. After some negotiating, we settled on wearing the nicer outfits and taking a change of shirt for after the pictures were taken. I thought that was a fair trade.

On the morning of school pictures, I dropped my parents off at the airport. I hugged my parents goodbye while my husband got the boys ready and took them to school. I tried to make sure my husband knew to tame the bed head and dress them appropriately. I know he is capable of making himself look nice so surely he can help his kids look picture perfect.

I can’t wait to see how the boys pictures turn out this year. Will their hair be a mess?  Will their shirts be buttoned? Whatever the case, I just hope sweet smiles are on their faces.

 

Summer Memories

Monday, July 18th, 2016

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Planning warm-weather activities for Haley and Hudson has gotten me thinking about some of the really fun things I did with my family as a child. Interestingly, I don’t have many recollections from when I was under six, aside from hazy memories of ice cream and sprinklers and fireflies. Our days weren’t extravagant, but they were fun. I can more easily remember being a bit older, enjoying traditions that were unique to our family.

We loved getting curled up in my parents’ bed to watch old James Bond movies, especially those starring Sean Connery. He was James Bond, and to say anything else was considered sacrilege!

We always went to a local professional tennis tournament, a satellite to the US Open. We sat really close and always got to see the top players. It was thrilling! And it was the only time my mom and dad allowed us to get those expensive Haagen-Dazs ice cream bars.

Speaking of ice cream, homemade summer meals were often topped off by my mom’s signature summer treat, mango milkshakes. They’re just fresh mangoes, vanilla ice cream (always Breyer’s), some ice, milk and a dash of sugar, blended. Somehow it’s still the very best thing in the world.

It’s so nice to look back on your childhood and figure out what experiences you want to introduce to your own kids. I’m realizing that we have a lot of summers to go, and I have plenty of time to get it all in (though I may not feel that way in a few years!).

I hope everyone is having as much fun as we are getting tan, blowing bubbles and just being silly with our loved ones.

Making Memories

Monday, November 30th, 2015

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
I always dreamed of seeing the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. I grew up in the New York City area but had never gone. It’s one of those things that is so accessible, you think to yourself, “Oh yeah, I’ll definitely go one day,” but it just never happens. Once I had Haley, I figured the show was something she would love. This year, I felt that she was old enough to sit through the performance and appreciate it. We went last week, and it was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season!

Haley was excited when we got to the venue, as it was decked out for the holidays. Once we got to our seats, the complaints started, right on schedule. We were in the front row of our level with a great view, but she whined that there were seats closer and wanted to move up. I had to calmly explain to her that it didn’t work that way. Early in the show, a screen descended with a quick 3D clip. Haley didn’t want to wear her glasses. She soon became fussy and slumped in her seat.

Next she said she wanted a snack—not the goldfish crackers in the Ziploc bag in my purse, of course—a snack “from Radio City Music Hall.” I knew this was my ace in the hole. If she got to buy a snack, she’d eat and watch the show intently. Never mind that a small popcorn, hot chocolate and Coke were over twenty dollars! Once she was settled with her treat, she watched every number, asked great questions and clapped with the audience. When we got home, she was even practicing her high kicks!

I look forward to bringing Hudson to the Christmas Spectacular when he’s old enough, too. Despite the bumps in the road, we all had a great time and really got into the Christmas spirit. Sometimes kids need a little push and a little coddling to be convinced to enjoy themselves. It’s so worth it to see the look on their faces when they finally do.

Stash or Trash?

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
My boys come home with homework folders filled with artwork, practice sheets, assignments, and other miscellaneous papers. When they bring home completed projects I struggle deciding what to stash and what to trash. I’m a sentimental person and love hanging onto meaningful things, but at what point do I draw the line?

When Jack started preschool, I built a giant portfolio by taping two large pieces of poster board together. I preserved every precious handprint, foot print, art piece and coloring page he ever made. I loved going back and looking at all of his masterpieces. I stored this sacred folder in his closet and would look at it from time to time. I continued the process for several years, even with Tate’s work. While these folders keep multiplying, our storage space is shrinking. I am running out of room.

In the digital age, there are a handful of apps available that allow you to take a picture of the artwork to store, catalogue and share. My fear is the site crashing and losing everything. I think it’s a great idea, but I’m old fashioned and like the idea of physically holding the art piece in my hand.

As a compromise, I went through each folder and made a stash pile and a trash pile. I separated the works by keeping unique illustrations, hand/foot prints, writing of letters/numbers progression, and a few other favorite pieces. I trashed the remaining items that weren’t as treasured. In the future, I can re-evaluate the collection, but for now, I’m happy to have a little more space for future creations.

 

Fleeting

Friday, September 26th, 2014

From Friday Mom – Erin:
As our heads hit the pillows last Sunday night after a long weekend of traveling to visit with our extended family, my husband whispered about what a wonderful time he had had watching me play on the expansive lawn of our rental home with Rory and his cousins. The boys had spent hours of their mornings, afternoons, and evenings running themselves ragged up and down the field, hiking up the neighboring hillside, and gazing into the cool blue mist of trout-filled mountain ponds. Rory giggled, cried, tried to flee, and snuggled close to family.

“It is in watching those moments that you realize that all of this is so fleeting,” he said. “And you want to do everything you can to soak it all in.”

My voice quivered as I choked back a silent tear.

“Yeah,” I responded. “I know.”

In the constant quest to “be a good parent,” I often find myself not entirely focused on the present and focused, instead, on next steps  – whether large, like looking out for the next developmental milestone, waiting for single words to become longer phrases, and hoping for signs of potty training readiness. Or small, like waiting desperately for bedtime on the trying days, or crossing my fingers that he agrees to give up his pacifier before heading out the door to school. I am guilty of viewing at least a portion of my role as a mother as being a chief logistician. Is the laundry clean? Are the lunches packed? Do we have enough diapers? Have I purchased groceries? Did I return the picture order form to school? Is he running out of diaper cream/shampoo/lotion/wipes/etc. The to-do lists and questions can be distracting and all-consuming.

But every once in a while we pause and allow ourselves to take in the joy and excitement with the world through the eyes of our young children. We look with glee upon the tinge of red on the maple leaves dotting the lawn, run at full tilt between rows of apple trees, and collapse at the end of it all in an exhausted, contented sleep. We can take pictures, shoot video, and do everything we can to try to document such moments. But try as we might, they shall remain fleeting.

So, in those blissful moments, such as those spent surrounded by family last weekend, we must remind ourselves that our time is best spent being entirely present and focused on the here and now. Because those moments will be gone before you know it.

MOMents

Wednesday, May 7th, 2014

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Over the last seven years, I’ve shared some amazing (and not-so-amazing) moments with my children.  I have many memories of my children; little ones, forgotten ones, and cherished ones.  I recently went through some old photographs of my kids and I’m feeling nostalgic about Mother’s Day.

Watching my children grow, learn, and discover the world is what keeps me motivated when laundry and chores pile up.  When I sit down and help Jack with his homework my mind wanders sometimes.  I noticed his focus and determination with his homework, it reminds me of when, as a toddler, he worked so hard to stack several blocks.  Even today, Jack is not happy until he gets it right. A couple years ago, Tate would wobble along trying to keep up with his big brother and now he runs faster than me at times.  When my kids are growing and developing, I get to relive my childhood vicariously through my own kids.  I’m happy I have a lot of these moments captured on my camera, but more importantly, in my heart.

Motherhood has its challenges, but the rewards outweigh the negatives.  I am so thankful and privileged to have two healthy boys.  It’s an honor to help guide them during their youth and I can’t wait to see who they become.

Happy Mother’s Day

 

Sad Times

Monday, February 24th, 2014

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Over the weekend, my family suffered a profound loss. My grandmother passed away. Even though you mentally prepare yourself for things like that happening, it’s always tough to deal with in reality. I’ve been through difficult things before, of course, but this challenge took on a whole new meaning as I navigate it as a parent.

Haley was very close to my grandmother, whom she called “Great-Grandma.” She has definitely noticed her absence, and I’ve tried to explain it in the most simplistic terms. It’s probably a conversation I will continue to have with her in the coming months. I worry about what will happen weeks from now when Haley sees a picture of the two of them together, and it really starts to hit her that my grandmother has not been around.

Yet I’m so grateful that I have those pictures; that Haley had three precious years with her Great-Grandma. In our culture, it’s considered a special blessing when one is lucky enough to reach the title of Great-Grandparent. I know it meant a lot to my grandmother to get to know my daughter, and it was an absolute joy to see their close relationship develop.

Like every loss, this one is a reminder that our time together is finite. It’s difficult not to take your loved ones for granted. As painful as it is to say goodbye, it’s a wondrous thing to have had a life full of joy and laughter. And if you are very fortunate, as Haley and I are, you will have amazing people there to help you get through the sad times.

What a Difference a Year Makes

Friday, January 31st, 2014

From Friday Mom – Erin:
We had professional family photographs taken last week to capture Rory at the one year mark. Even though mommy’s iPhone is chock full of snapshots of the little guy, we wanted to be sure we had some nice pictures to look back at when he gets older. The photographer who shot his newborn pictures was unavailable, so I researched and located a reasonably priced photographer in our area who specializes in newborns and families.

Despite switching photographers, the juxtaposition between last year’s images and this year’s images is remarkable. Some of these differences are to be expected: he is taller, heavier, and older; he is more attentive to the world around him; and he is more active and more present in every moment captured with the open-close-open of the shutter.

Yet, in other subtle ways the photos are still very much the same. For example, because our house is so small, our new photographer did not have a lot of space to select from when selecting poses, camera angles, and backgrounds. That is not to say that the photos are identical; rather, there are certain similarities in composition.

Taken side-by-side, the photographs, together, reflect with eerie perfection the subtle yet enormous differences of a year’s time in the life of a child. Whereas Rory’s newborn photos capture the timidity of two parents fearful that they might “break the baby” and the awkward, yet loving care of a family of three still very much in the process of getting to know their latest addition, Rory’s one-year photos capture the excitement of three personalities united by the unbreakable love parents and children share for one another. The eyes that stared with somewhat empty newness last year are lit brightly with energy and spunk in this year’s shots. The timid, gentle, and uncertain embrace of last year’s images are replaced by warm, tight squeezes around a wiggly, wrangling toddler. And the visible silence of a soundly sleeping baby is drowned out by the visible laughter of Rory’s gleaming smile.

What a difference, indeed.

Reminiscing

Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
This month marks four years since I’ve been contributing to this blog.  Four years ago I lived in a different state, cared for one child, just learned how to use my iPhone 3g; I was patiently awaiting the return of my husband who was on a seven month deployment; enjoying play dates with my friends, shopped at Target whenever I wanted (Target is ninety miles from me now); and would soon find out I was pregnant with Tate.  Goodness, that seems like a lifetime ago!

Fast forward to today- I have two precious boys, schedules that keep me busy, a husband who works hard to provide for our family, an iPhone 5, kids who can navigate said phone faster then I, lots of family time, a few hours of “me” time on weekdays, homework hassles, random tantrums, solo trips to the grocery store, and two kids who are potty trained.  Life has surely changed in the last four years.  It’s different, but a good different.  I truly miss the baby stages.  However, I love listening to my kids play nicely together, hearing Jack read Tate a book, watching Tate put together puzzles, and am proud of all their successes.  Each stage of growth is exciting to witness.  I look at my nephews who are several years older and wonder what my kids will be like at their age.

Today, I scrolled back through my previous blog posts over the last four years and shed tears of sadness and laughter. Posts I read include Jack’s obsession with Thomas trains, his first crush, school, sports, vacations, Jack shoving play doh up his nose, potty training, Tate’s time outs and his love of music.  Every now and then, I love to pick a month in the blog archives and see what we were up to back then.  I laugh at some of the silly quotes and word translations from the boys.  My kids are growing up so fast.  I know I say that a lot, but it’s true.  When I started this blog, Jack was learning his letters and now he is reading and writing sentences with those letters.  I look forward to the next four years (and beyond) and all of our future accomplishments.