I‘m going there. I figure if I live in the suburbs, I might as well embrace the lifestyle, sweatpants, Costco, and all. It means I’ll be posting, and scrapping, documenting every single day of the month of December a la Ali Edwards. So this weekend, I culled together a few items from my scrapbooking room and created a page for each day in December, leading up to Christmas. I figured if I composed all the pages over the weekend, I could simply print a few photos and do a little writing or my version of "journalism" each day, which seems manageable enough.
As an author, photographer, blogger, and now TV writer, it’s all really storytelling–now I’m adding "scrapper" to the list (even though this is only my second scrapbook ever). The first one captured the first year of the beans’ life. I still have to compile their "year two" book, considering that they turn TWO this Sunday. I’m excited that my mother with be here for that. That’s when we’ll get our tree! I genuinely cannot wait to celebrate and share it all with her. I only wish Lea and Linus could be here, too. She has to work, though, as ski season is picking up in Montana.
I like the idea of documenting it all, capturing the moments while still being able to live them. I also like that now that I’ve given it some bones, I only need to flesh it out with quick daily additions. There are boundaries set, with a limited amount of space, so I don’t feel too much pressure to do too much with everything else I have going on. I also know the sprouts won’t remember this time in their life, but they might think they remember it if they see the pictures. And who wouldn’t want to remember getting her ears pierced? The tears. The shock. The popping sound. The "I’m not letting you do the other ear." I totally plan on getting Abigail’s ears pierced next week. I do NOT believe in holding out, using it as some bargaining power later. Not my style. I’m more a believer in getting as much of the painful scary stuff over when you’re young enough that you needn’t remember it happening at all. Unless you want to flip through one of your mama’s scrapbooks.
So here is the book (blank). I still need to create a cover, and do yesterday’s page. For now, I’m only focusing on capturing the days as we live them. Each day (the day after it happens), I will try to post the new page.
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Love this idea and I am also following it on Ali Edwards blog….can't wait to see what you do :)
I love this idea.
The scrapbook is beautiful! Just a quick question, in no way intended as a criticism (I was a Jew with a Christmas tree too) but aren't you Jewish? Do you celebrate Chanukah? I see no reason why you shouldn't celebrate both, but to commemorate one so carefully with no mention of the other…do you plan to incorporate it into your holiday scrapbook somehow?
FROM SK: Hanukkah is part of the scrapbook. It's there. I grew up celebrating both holidays just as our kids will.
Wow! I was proud of myself for already having my Costco photo cards of the kids done. I feel so inadequate. Well done! You should be proud.
FROM SK: I haven't even considered holiday cards yet if it makes you feel any better.
My daughter`s ears will be pierced when she`s old enough to decide if she want`s it – or not. My parents did it the same way with me and I`m thankful for it. My ears, my decision.
Nice book.
great start. can't wait to see it finished.
With one of my kids being seventeen and the other fifteen, I look back and wish I had documented every single minute of every single day.
Scrap your heart out, Stephanie!
I like the polka dot ribbon. Cute.
I was thinking of posting every day in December, then came to my senses. You're a better blogger than I to take that on.
I have so Freaking Much To Do!!!
I better start with pouring some wine to brace for it.
FROM SK: Wine is the great salve, I'm finding. I'm drinking right now, despite the fact that I have a work conference call soon enough.
Looks great Stephanie! Ali is a wonder – don't you think? I saw the project on her blog, but was realistic enough to know I didn't have the time to do it this year. Sigh.
I pierced my older daughter's ears when she was three. My second daughter is too scared… so we're waiting with her. Abigail's a good age for it. Make sure they do them both at the same time.
P.S. We celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah here too – the kids (four of them – 10, 9, 4 and 2) love it!
P.P.S. Tiny Prints has great holiday cards
1. a tv writer – if the show makes it to air
2. a blogger – anyone who scribbles words online
3. a scrapper – finger art for adults
4. author – your are that
why do you always have to "add stuff" as if quantity trumps quality? should we therefore be more impressed….your insecurity shines when you do that…..just like being without a man did.
and to start the convo again, there is no separating christmas from the concept of "religious celebration"…it just is
My mom had my ears pierced around 3. Looking back I cannot believe she actually did it. Pain, risk of infection…you are having holes pierced into your daughter's ears for what? So you can hang decorations of them? She may not remember the pain, but so what? That does not mean she does not feel it.
Sorry Stephanie, but this seems like a bizarre choice to make for someone as smart as yourself. Let her make the decision at a later point.
And what bargaining power? It doesn't have to be if you don't want it to be. I think there is a middle ground between piercing her ears now and using it as a bargaining chip when she's older.
BTW the scrapbook is amazing.
Seriously, don't pierce her ears now. For the simple physical reason that her ears aren't even close to being done with their childhood growing, and you don't know HOW they're going to grow. That perfectly centered hole now is likely to end up in a weird spot on her earlobe or at a funny angle by the time she's an adult. I've known 3 or 4 people who had this happen from under age 5 ear piercings, and while it wasn't the most horrible thing ever, they were all annoyed by their wonky earrings and the fact that their parents just hadn't waited until they were closer to adult size (like age 10+).
Thanks Stephanie – you have just given me an incredible injection against the apathy of my photos. I have done some scrapbooking, but LOVE the idea of preparing the book ahead of time and then writing and putting photos in when they happen.
BRILLIANT – thank you – now it doesn't seem as overwhelming because I have a starting block.
Love your writing and your organizational skills!
K
Good luck with the ear piercing, I would be scared but I don't think she'll be scarred, mentally at least :)
I totally agree with Lisa and sjj about ear piercing. Well said.
The scrapbook is beautiful. BTW, even though people get all up in arms about babies or toddlers with pierced ears, I happen to think it's downright adorable.
I gotta agree w/ the ear piercing comments. My ears get irritated and infected easily (no idea why — otherwise my skin isn't sensitive at all), and getting my ears peirced at 6 was a disaster. They were constantly infected and eventually I had to let them heal up. I may not remember the pain of getting them peirced, but I definitely remember stinging them with hydrogen peroxide.
Also, I agree — her ears, her decision.
Love love the book! I need to get back to my various scrapping projects that are half finished!!
For all its worth I had my ears pierced at the age of six by my 14 year old sister with ice cubes and a sewing needle in the kitchen of my childhood home. I was sworn to secrecy and told if I cried it was all over as my father was sitting in the living room and he was adamantly opposed to pierced ears. I survived it like a trooper and my father took it in stride. In 1966 it was unheard of for six year olds to have pierced ears. Unlike one of the poster' comments regarding the holes being centered mine are centered and they never became infected or closed up. I feel naked if I don’t have earrings on. Good luck.
Love the scrapbook and the fact that Abigail is the only one interested (your first scrapbook too)! lol
Also…not that you care what people say. But just to those that tell you about what NOT to do with your daughter, you all need to realize it's her decision. I had my ears pierced within a month after I was born. I don't remember it and the risk for infection probably was less than it would have been if I had gotten them pierced as a teenager (teenagers tend to not be too careful about that stuff).
Needless to say I think it's a great choice and I wonder why more people don't do it. For me…it was a cultural thing. I am Latina. Also…no the holes in my ears didn't end up in some weird spot after I grew as someone suggested. I'm now 22 with perfectly centered piercings.
I thought you were going to post your pages each day? It's the 4th. What's up?
A bit late to chime in on the ear-piercing comments: My gran had my ear pierced when I was 3 behind my mom's back. I still remember picking earrings (blue heart shaped), the intense pain afterwards and I also have a vivid memory of the jewellery lady pointing a gun at my ears from about 5m distance – I know this couldn't have happened, but yeah, my memory's got warped I guess. The holes also got infected a year later, and I had to re-open them myself when I was eleven and wanted to wear earrings (nearly fainted doing that). I think waiting a bit untill she's grown will ensure they're more even, mine are pretty straight but on others they can be dodgy sometimes.