Before my graduation open house my parents laid sod in the backyard after years of dirt. And old neighbor re-sided her house and put in new landscaping before her daughters graduation. This always seemed silly but I am already thinking about what we need to do. Next summer we will be getting the house painting out of the way and have been talking about a few other projects that should keep us busy over the next few years. Keep watching this blog for an exciting one that will be happening after the holidays...:)
I have decided that the graduation party is not really about your child. It is really about you, it is a representation of all that you have accomplished over the last 18 years raising him. It reflects your journey of maturing in parenting, as a person and a successful member of society. It says I have been doing stuff during the last 18 years, I have been keeping up my home, my family. I have been finishing projects!
Therefore, I must present my child to everyone from birth through high school in photographic form. I must prove that during the years I was responsible for him I documented it, I did things with him, he was involved in sports, took piano lessons, had birthday parties, "won" awards, went to Disneyland and in general lived a full life under my guidance.
While the full life must be represented at graduation I have attended a few Eagle Scout ceremonies that have me realizing I need to at least complete the scouting portion of his childhood within the next year. Something that indicates he actually did go on all those camping trips, earn all those badges and do all those service projects.
The great news is that we live in a digital world. I have learned to make photo books with relative ease. The bad news is that Jake was not born in a digital world. The first 10 years of his life sit next to me in only vaguely organized albums. I will need to go through and determine age and choose the relevant photos from his life and then learn to use my scanner and scan all the pictures in.
The next question is how do I organize them? One big book like my grandma made for us that has a birthday and Christmas picture from every year of my life and maybe a couple others just to fill the page? Simple and shows my growth throughout the years. She even put in a few captions. But really she mainly saw me at Christmas and birthday parties, I see Jake every day. I have thousands of pictures of him. I have documented everything he has done over the years that had even minor significance. I have 2 book shelves and a full memory drive on my computer to prove it!
Should I do a book for each major activity? One for each year? One for pre-school years, one for primary school years and one for high school (this is how I am leaning) A giant book of all 18 years?
So much to think about! Good thing the thinking is my favorite part. I love to think about these projects, consider how they should go and imagine them completed. Now if I could only find someone to do all the actual work for me...
OH I just started thinking about all the open houses I will go to and the gifts I will need to bring. Shopping now that is something I could enjoy starting right away...
The Man-Child
I'm thinking a lot of books because everyone will want to look at the pictures. If they are in one book then people have to wait in line (I hate lines). Also, how about this, blowups (like 24 x 36 size) of special times posted along the long fence wall in the back yard (that is assuming the weather is great and you intend to do the party outside).
ReplyDeleteOh, and you should have put in a picture of him as he gets up from the pile of leaves.
Dad