Collecting Memories

Memories are so important to me. I take photos of my children all the time but the things I really want to remember when my darlings are grown are the types of people they were, the things they learnt, the sweet, cute and humourous things they said to me and the amazing thoughts that floated around their spongy little brains. I suppose that's one of the reasons I like to blog. It helps me to record the story behind the pictures.

Another way I like to document these things in my children is by keeping a diary of sorts. I don't write in it every day. In fact I can sometimes go more than a week or two before I make an entry. There is no format to it. Some days I write about what we did that afternoon, others, what we ate or what's growing in our garden. Sometimes I just write what the boys' favourite songs or stories are at the moment. My favourite entry is one I have been working on with little D throughout August. It is a mind map and something I used to do in my early childhood career pre mumhood.



I sat with D and asked him what he wanted me to draw and he came up with all sorts of ideas. His instuctions gave me a real insight into his vivid little mind. He loved watching his ideas appear on the paper and it gave him a great opportunity to expand on them and articulate the details. One minute he was telling me to draw a purple star wand, the next he was telling me the lady needs that purple star wand. He asked for a cup of Milo and just as I finished drawing it he said "Can I have milk in it"

Another thing I have used the diary for is to add a few little thoughts about what is important to me at this time in our lives so that when the boys are older they can get a bit of an insight into what sort of thoughts were running around in my head. Today as I was sitting drinking my coffee out of my favourite cup I got to thinking what a shame it would be if it ever broke so I wrote down in our diary this little note.

"I have this special mug that I made with D in 2009. We made a tea pot & mug for Mick (with D's footprints and one tiny hand on the tea pot lid) for Father's Day. We made an extra mug for me and I use it every day, usually more than once.
I love this mug and one day it may break and I will be sad but I believe that using it every day for nearly two years has brought me more joy than 30 years of it sitting on a shelf ever will.
I love my mug."


(Proud mummy moment) This is my mug.

Collecting memories of my children is so important to me but I think it's really important for us as parents to remember that maybe collecting memories of ourselves is just as important to them.