How we preserve those fastly fading childhood moments...

I need to face it. My kids are going to grow up. And that's already happening way faster than I feel ok about. It totally tears my heart out to think that Bronson will be in kindergarten. Gone all day. I am going to lose my Buddy. My errand buddy. cleaning buddy, story buddy, lunch buddy, (and my most favorite) my cooking buddy. Little "Bronsatouille" we call him (after Ratatouille). It is some of the most precious time I spend with him in the kitchen making dinner before we pick up Brooklyn from school. And I must say even though he is 5, the boy can cook! And has a passion for it too! I'm talking on the stove!! I love every second with him. And Brooklyn will be 9... nine! Where did my sweet little baby girl go? Where's the little one who used to help me fold laundry-"Mama, I'll be the pannie baker (underwear folder) and you be the clo baker." (fold everything else) Time goes too fast, I feel like I can't get enough! I guess that's why I latch on with all my heart to ideas I hear or come up with that will help me cherish the moment while they're young. Some of them I'm good at. Some of them I want desperately to be better at. Here are my ideas that helped me to soak in my "babies" for as long as they'll let me. I would love to hear your ideas...things you do with your own family.

1. Yeah, Lunch Dates!

I know there will be a time I'll need to take school time more seriously. Soon enough they will be worrying about jr high finals, SAT scores, and college applications. AHHHH! But this is only elementary school for now.So once a month I take them out of school for a lunch date. With how busy life can be it seems like a good time to squeeze in a little quality one-on-one time. They love that they can choose where they want to go, and I love to watch the twinkle in their eye at the fact that they can order whatever they want. I love that they beg for it to be their turn. I'm attempting to have a little interview with them during this time. I want to help them learn to set and accomplish goals, albeit very short term small ones for now. I love our alone time together, connecting with them. I know these lunch dates, as "gourmet" ...(not)... as they are, help my kids to feel so special and loved.

2. Real Date Nights

I am definitely wanting to work on this because I love it and I know the kids love it too! Every once in a while we take the kids on individual dates. My friend gave me this great idea to have a date jar with strips of activities to do-some as simple as going to the park, for a bike ride, or making a cake. Or other things like going to a concert, play, museum, baseball game, etc. With Brooklyn once in a while we will have a scrapbook night when Billy is working. She gets to stay up late with me and create, just us. She eats it up! So I will take Brooklyn while Bronson is with Billy, then the next time we switch. I feel sometimes like we can get a little "disconnected", just like adults need a special date now and then so do our kids.

3. "Can we have Movie Night?!!!!!"

With Billy being gone at night so much, after all homework, baths, etc have been done, yes even on school nights, we frequently have movie night. Many times it is just the kids watching a movie while I clean up the kitchen, laundry, etc. But I love to "snuggle" them on the couch ("snuggle time"... they just eat up!) and watch a good flick so we are trying to find a night to designate as "Family Movie Night." We pop popcorn, make cookies, and watch a movie. They usually choose what they want to watch-sometimes it's an amazing movie, the kind that makes you want to go and save the world, sometimes it turns out to be a dumb show we thought we'd try. But none of that really matters so much. What matters is that we're together. And we all LOVE it. Inevitably there will be a time in the future when our kids won't think it's so cool to stay home with their parents to watch a movie, but for now, we're superstars to them and we're eating it up while we can!

3. Sunday is Baking Day

Sunday afternoon is sacred at our house. I don't mean necessarily in a spiritual way, but it is sacred family time. This is the time when my kids love to bake. We don't do this EVERY Sunday, but pretty often. "Chef Lollie" and "Bronsatouille" put on their aprons, pull a chair to the counter, and what ever we make, even something simple, they LOVE it! I think it is the part about creating something grand from a bunch of ordinary ingredients, not to mention the anticipation of waiting by the oven door to get the first glimpse of the finished product! But if you think about it it is pretty magical in the eyes of a child. Mix in a pinch of this and a little of that and you have a yummy, spectacular treat!

4. "You've Got Mail"

No, not the electronic kind. I'm talking Pony Express, genuine US Postal Service delivered! EVERY TIME I get the mail both kids ask "Is there anything for me?" So I started sending them mail. Just maybe once or twice a month, sending a post card, a little note, even a picture I colored out of a coloring book. I LOVE to see how their entire face lights up at the fact that they just got mail of their very own!

5. Speaking of notes...

I'm know every mom does this...I used to love finding notes written on my napkin in my school lunch. I love the thought of Brooklyn being away at school and finding a little note hidden inside her lunch box. It is so precious, even makes me a little teary that she has saved almost, if not every one of the lunch notes I have ever given her inside her binder. Don't know how long she will do that but I am grateful it means that much to her.

6.The old Smiley Face on the hand...

When Bronson first started school this year, and kind of having a difficult time with the separation, I would every day draw a smiley face with hearts on his hand. He knew if he was sad, having a hard time, missed me, whatever, he would look at his hand and see me sending happy thoughts to him. Well, I thought after a few days, maybe a week it would wear off, but almost every day this whole year he has asked me to draw him a smiley face. It melts my heart I tell you! These precious babies grow up so fast! The day he is too big for a smiley will be a sad one.

7. "Terrific Ten"

Every day, sometime during the day we try to have Terrific Ten. When the kids, one at a time, get my undivided attention for ten minutes, at least. (Okay... life gets busy and sometimes you get carried away in the "to do list" of chores, errands, activities, and everyday tasks.) They get to talk about whatever they want and I will listen intently and enjoy snuggling them, oh... and kissing their cute little squishy cheeks.

8. Our "Tree of Goodness & Joyness"

(Okay this is kind of another subject but I thought I would add it in.) Everyday I ask Brooklyn to give me "5". Which means at school she will do 5 "good deeds". Not for her best fiends, but for others she wouldn't normally interact with, although it can be for a teacher. Bronson & I can do it too at home. It was something she looked forward to at first and then kind of lost steam. We started writing all the good deeds we would do in a journal-then lost lost steam with that. So now we have created our Tree. (The name came from this dumb YouTube cartoon that Lacey & Kole introduced us to. You know the dumb Napoleon Dynamite kind that are so stupid the first time you see it, but the more you watch the funnier it gets...here's the link in case you need a little amusement-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5im0Ssyyus ) Every day we add "goodness & joyness" leaves to our tree. It can be your good deeds for the day, things you are thankful for, things you love, characteristics you like about family members-whatever as long as it is positive. Fun to see all the "goodness" we are giving out to the world!

9. Birthday Letters

Being the fanatic about record keeping that I am I love to write letters to my kids. I love to keep every sweet note they give me, pictures they tape on my walls, many of which have remained in the same spot for years. Every time I pass by them my heart melts at the love my children show to me. it. I decided that every year on their birthday I would write them a letter. When they turned 18, 21, or when they get married, or have a baby of their own-haven't decided yet, I would present their letters starting from before they were born. I want them to forever remember how much I love them at every stage and what I've noticed about them each year as they grow and change.

10. Things I love about you

I got this idea from a friend- every now and then she will write on her children's finger tips. With a pen she will write the 1st letter of a talent, skill, or quality they have on each of their 10 fingers. (such as for good at playing baseball you would write a "b", etc). I do a letter for things I love about them. How awesome for them to look at their fingertips and know that with those fingers they can create/accomplish anything they want to. And to see all the things that Mom thinks they are really good at. What a great way to build self esteem!