The Tried and The True...

Boy, after so many years of parenting, I think I tried just about every idea I ever heard and thought was worthwhile...some worked for me and others just didn't fit. When it came to celebrating the new year of school for my kids, I went through many 'traditions'...often wearing myself out, trying to do the 'perfect' thing...and getting too overzealous. Keep that in mind when you are endlessly trying to 'remember the moment'.

THE TRIED...
making a special dinner on the first night of the first day of school. That went by the way-side as the years progressed because life got busy with other babies and other demands. I also tried to make fresh chocolate chip cookies that first day, but that didn't last

THE TRUE...
what I found was true was that something special needed to be done to commemorate that first week of a new year of school. I settled on rice krispie bars! I didn't win the mother of the year award, but I was there to hear about their first day and I had a treat for them. The 2 essentials!

THE TRIED...
I tried writing letters to each child. I LOVE the idea and know friends who did this with HUGE success. I never carried through with the plan

THE TRUE
what I did instead of ME writing a letter was to have each child write/print out their name, teacher, and grade for a small album I had for each child. That recorded their handwriting and maturity in what they wrote. At Christmas, they added highlights from the year so far (activities they were in, etc) and at the end of the year, they listed their friends, books they read, etc. It is nice to have that to look back on, but a letter from mom would have been priceless. Again, do something to mark the passing of time.

THE TRIED...
I tried to catch the kids each year going into their classrooms in a photo. As they age, they didn't appreciate me showing up everywhere with a camera.

THE TRUE
Instead of photographing their classrooms each year, I ended up taking pictures of each child in their bedrooms. It captured the color that they surrounded themselves in for that year, the posters, memorabilia and each child would stand wearing their back-to-school outfit showing what the style was like.
I took a picture of all 3 kids by a small pine tree as well. Same kids, same tree...different year. Boy, the tree grew tall, the kids grew tall and I remained behind the camera...growing older!

All this is to say, make this week special and lasting for your kids. If you can't keep on doing what you chose to do, change up and try another idea. You will land on something that will be special and will speak volumes in the years to come.