This is the last day of classes for the Claudia Beeny School of Keep-Saking and we have final details that need to be wrapped up. Today I will introduce Step #4 and then, one last time, walk through how the system works together. Posts today and Friday can be used to pose questions or seek clarification.
In the interest of time we'll keep on moving, though know I could do this with you all day. A couple of final thoughts regarding Scrap Journaling...
While I started with the big picture on Monday, I could very easily have started with today's step. Today's step, after all, is the cornerstone to the system. The fourth and final item you will need for this system is a calendar - not a blank journal - a calendar! I'm so excited to share this part, I'm not even sure where to begin....
Here it is... Instead of focusing on filling scrapbooks with pictures, we fill a calendar with words that create pictures! Basically take scrap booking and turn it on its head! For the purposes of today, we'll call it Scrap Journaling.
Again... the focus of my approach is short, one or two lines sentences in a calendar describing notable events... ON THE DAY THEY OCCURRED. Occasional pictures or scraps of paper can be glued inside help supplement the words. This is an inversion of the typical scrap book which is filled with lots of pictures but very little narration (which in the end is probably what your kids care more about). It is, in a sense, the difference between saying to your children...
"Look, at this scrap book. This is what you used to LOOK like." and
"Look at this scrap journal. This is what you used to BE like."
I don't know about you, but the older I get (and especially now that I have kids), I wonder more and more about what I was like as a kid (and by the way... so do my kids! They love hearing stories about me when I was little). I would LOVE to have an annual calendar I could flip through that told me things such as: my favorites - foods, colors, toys, t.v. shows, etc...; the names of my friends; stats on things like height and weight; how I spent my time; funny things I said; what I shared as my dreams and goals for the future; names of boyfriends and all the silly antics that go along with that; important current events; the cost of my favorite possessions, and the list goes on and on. Pictures are good (and we have them built into our system), but they only tell a fraction of the story!
I want to feel you feeling the coolness-factor of Scrap Journaling, so let me insert a couple of examples from Matthew's...
This was last October, while still living in Louisville. Notice the short entries, with lines and arrows pointing from one thing to another. Neatness is not important when Scrap-Journaling. I find it is actually more fun to read when you have to hunt for the information. Pictures and "scrap" items are added for the fun of it. P.S. To better understand "Fun in a Box Friday" see February, 29
Pages at the back or between months can be used to hold items that wouldn't fit on a normal day. The foot print and the leaf are art projects made at school that I want to keep (he might like to see the size of his foot at 3 years old). Also, notice on the right page a picture of Matthew standing below the sign at his old preschool. I can see him calling the number one day just to see if the school is still in business.
Other points of interest. Bottom left page. Sometimes I just note the temperature (82 degrees on Halloween!). Middle of the page... a small drawing he made. Bottom right page. Black marker. I let them color and scribble in the book. Remember, neatness does not count. He will get far more pleasure out of seeing his own handwriting than a perfectly pristine book. Bottom right... a picture of Matthew helping to move things into our Texas home. Also, bottom right page... a clipping from the newspaper informing us to "fall back," for day light savings time. Clippings from newspapers are a GREAT way to remind them of what society and American culture was like when they were younger.
- A dear friend of mine has three children with the hope there might be another three sometime in the future. Obviously six journals would be impossible to keep up with. Instead how about one journal with a different color ink for each child? Will they fight over it later in life? Maybe, but better to bicker over who keeps the Annual Scrap Journals than to have no Scrap Journals at all. That's just me.
- Nothing of note to write? So what! I have whole weeks with nothing written. It's o.k. Out of 6,750 potential days to Scrap-Journal, who cares if you miss weeks, even months, at a time. Imagine how much fun it will be to look back on even just 10-12 entries a year! That's 10-12 more than you would have had.
- Sometimes I walk around the house taking pictures of their favorite toys or I bring it to school and take pictures of friends they talk about (or his favorite things on the playground). Those pictures do not get one of the 60 coveted spots in a photo album. Instead they are cut out and put into his Scrap-Journal (again, commemorating a particular point in time!).
Now a quick review of the whole system... only this time we'll talk about the items in reverse.
- Step #1, Scrap-Journal: The purpose of the Scrap-Journal is to capture fun facts and things your children talk about ON THE DAY THEY OCCUR. No pressure to be neat. Draw arrows. Let them write in it and add pictures, mementos, and newspaper clippings to your heart's desire. The key here is that a calendar only allows for a few sentences at best.
- Step #2, Photo Album: Unlike the Scrap-Journal where we might include close up pictures of favorite toys, hiding spots, items of clothing, daily routines, etc..., our photo album is reserved for photos of your child and his siblings or friends. I include pictures such as: first day of school, summer camp, each holiday, me and Richard, their brothers, cousins, and grandparents. In the end they will have 18 albums to look through and to compare pictures from one year to the next. That's over one thousand pictures. How many do you have from your childhood?
- Step #3, Plastic Folder: At the end of the year (August to August), the photo album and Scrap Journal go in the folder, along with any other items you've decided to keep. Examples of what we might store in a folder are things such as: pictures they've drawn; a letter to Santa; special cards they've received in the mail; class pictures; or a tooth that fell out... to name a few. As Ricky has gotten older I've been able to include papers he's written; love notes he's received (found in pockets while doing laundry); certificates he's earned; DVDs of him running track; and his school agendas.
- Step #4, Plastic Tub a.k.a. Treasure Box: Once labeled with the year, the plastic folder is neatly tucked away in the plastic tub (referred to in our house as a Treasure Box). My boxes get stored in the top of my closet until next year when I take them down to put in the next year's folders.
A final thought... Where do I keep the folders, photo albums, and Scrap Journals during the year? The key is easy access. It must be easy for you to get your hands on them at the time of day when you are most apt to make an entry or store a photo. For me, that's night time... right before I got to bed. I have a dresser with four drawers....
- Top Drawer: Pens, glue, and stickers, (the only real way to embellish your journal), and photo labels.
- Drawer #2: Ricky's folder, photo album, and Scrap Journal
- Drawer #3: Matthew's folder, photo album, and Scrap Journal
- Drawer #4: Jack's folder, photo album, and Scrap Journal
This is important, because I can't always put things away immediately. Each child has his own drawer, so I just stick the keepsakes in their respective drawers and go back to it when I have time. No stacks. Stacks are the kiss of death.
That's it. That's the process. Hopefully you'll find it as useful and as stress-free as I have over the years. We'll open the posts for comments or questions. If you are currently using the system - or a part of it, as some of you are - please feel free to post your enhancements to the system. I know of at least a few.
Signing off until tomorrow...
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26 comments:
Love it! May just have to run out and get the photo albums and datebooks today....School starts Aug 6th...good time to get started..kids are a little old but I guess it's better than nothing!
Received my prize from the pickle hunt...way too cute! Can't wait to put it on my tree! Took notice of the purple you incorporated! Thanks!
I find it funny how inter-related life can be when you least expect it.
Dr. B, your process, laid (did I get that one right) out here seems, dare I say, flawlessly manageable. I think what I like most is the emphasis on what is occurring day-to-day, rather than just commemorating large events. I enjoy that life philosophy and like to think that is one that I tried to live by.
My roommate's parents gave me Randy Pausch's book "The Last Lecture" this past spring when I graduated. Within 5 hours last night, I had the book read and had watched the Dateline special that ABC did on his story. One of the main points that I took from the book and the Dateline special was living each day for that day to create joyous memories for each of his three children.
I went to bed thinking about that, and I wake up and it's reinforced here.
I hope this makes sense to at least someone out there.
Claudia, I dont know if I am envious of the time you are able to find or the stamina. I dont have either!!! I think its the journaling that pushed me over the edge. I would have to put aside over an hour a day to do it right. Maybe one day this winter when "cabin blues" set in I will pull each of the kids boxes out and use your method. It is really cool! I wish I were as capable as you. But I do have all the keepsakes!!! So my kids wont hate me too much.
You would be proud of me ....when my kids were born I purchased a notebook and wrote about them each night. It lasted for about a year then went to each new event. I just didnt keep up with it. My life is so chaotic..... I wear tooo many hats in my family. I am so invloved physically that at the end of the night I pass out.
Maureen and others. Time and stamina is a misnomer. The whole point of the system is that it takes virtually no time and very little energy. I don't write in the journals every single day and I certainly don't write in each of their journals every day. Maybe one day Jack, then Matthew, and another day Ricky.
I literally give it about 7 minutes a day and maybe 14 minutes on the weekend when I'm putting photos away. This process is more an issue of discipline than time or stamina. Slow and steady wins the race!!!!!
Note: The reason I squeezed this topic into this week is because Friday starts a new year. I will put folders away tomorrow night and break out the new calendars on Friday. If interested, I wanted you to be able to join along with me.
Oh my, I feel like biggest geek right now. Because I absolutely love this whole scrap journaling idea.
I don't have kids, but I would sure like to be able to look back at the past two years of my life in journal/photo format.
Ya know, I started a LiveJournal online back in college, and started updating it occassionally just recently. But that thing's been around for 5-6 years now. Perhaps I just need to take it to the next level and start adding photos and doing it all by hand.
Scrap journaling is right down my alley... writing PLUS photos.
Just the distraction I needed BEFORE my work day. Ha!
I love this system!
On a trip last year to Texas Claudia told me about it and I went right out and bought one. I started in the middle of the school year and have used some of those missed pages to glue pics, notes or even write a short story about their dad and I. I'm telling you THIS SYSTEM ROCKS! It's easy. It's fun and a great gift for you and your family.
I ask you would you ever scrapbook about your son's body noise? Well with this system you would. I did!
Bryson my three year old put a toy up his nose and I glued the toy into the book. Much more real life than a scrapbook.
I will also admit that I don't always find time to write daily, weekly sometimes not even montly but I do note in the claendar so I can go back later. Did I say I love this system!
Come on Guys get the movement strted!
Also, those invite to a party, thank you cards. all the random junk that comes though your home I gule into their books. How fun for them to see a party invite and the thank you. Never in a scrapbook!
I could also go on all day but I'm not running late....Thank you HLA!
I really like the emphasis on non-perfection! I am just not the scrapbooking type, so this is a nice halfway point between that and doing nothing.
OK, this is brilliant. Really brilliant. I think I could pretty easily go back and highlight major points of interest over Lucian's past (almost) 5 months. I'll have to get a calendar and photo album. Thanks so much for introducing this while my kid's young enough for me not to feel entirely overwhelmed by trying to make up for the lost time!
Quick thoughts: I'd like to try a birthday-to-birthday approach, but I know school year calendars are easy to find. I might be too OCD to allow myself to use only a chunk of a calendar. Don't know how I'll manage that... will have to get creative. Perhaps a DayRunner type thing where the pages can be removed and then put together in a notebook. Then pages from two different calendar years can be combined. I wish I could get a spiral bound one instead, but I'll figure out something.
Maureen- I agree with you that Claudia has the stamina of... of... I don't know but the girl goes all day! But, I agree with Claudia that this system does not have to be complicated or require much stamina at all.
I'll have to pick up the photo albums to round out this project. The photos from the past 7 years are either in a photo box, a shoe box or a bag so I have nothing to lose. Can't wait to see how it turns out.
sorry for all the type Os. I was running very very late. I even had someone at the door wonder when we were going to come get her.
Oops!
I do love this system!
Come on get it started!
Stacie brings up another important point when stating she would like her calendar to go birthday to birthday...
Consider this...
Right now (when they are infants) birthday to birthday seems to make the most sense. BUT... begin with the end in mind. Eventually Lucian will start school and then everything you acquire papers, report cards, art, programs from school performances, athletic awards will be on the academic cycle. From an ORGANIZATION stand point school year to school year is the easiest to manage. Whatever you do, in the end you are looking for a system that can be maintained most effortlessly.
Another point. My children were born January, April, and March. Because it is irresistible to compile "The first year" of a child's life, I always collect what turns out to be the first year and a half in one photo album (i.e. March 2007 to August 2008) and then start the annual cycle in August (that makes Jack 17 months old when his 60-sleeve album kicks in. As for Jack's journal... I went March 07 to August 08 (six months) and then started his annual cycle in August 08.
Hopefully that's not too confusing. If so, tell me and I'll clarify.
something else.
It's nice for your kids to see your handwriting. To see you make mistakes and to see you are human!
Claudia and Cassie told me about scrap journaling about 6 months ago and I shirked away worried about anything that might take more time out of my day-I'm the one with three and hoping for three more! I couldn't stop thinking about it though and decided to try it and LOVE IT! I used to scrapbook, but am years behind. We used to say almost daily, "We should write that down" about something funny the kids would say, but then we'd forget it days later. Now we can always remember the silly and embarassing things the kids have said so we can share them on their wedding days:)
I take less than 5 minutes a day to write and catch up at the end of the week if needed.
Julie, I watched a special on Randy Pausch last night, I'm behind and hadn't even heard of him before he died. I agree, this is something to ensure that our children have a taste of what our life was like together if I'm not there to tell them. And lets be honest, who doesn't like to hear stories about themselves? They'll love it!
Erica
OH! I forgot to comment on the Randy Pausch discussion. He has a great message and if you have an hour I strongly recommend watching his lecture. Just go to youtube and search The Last Lecture.
The book is short and it recaps his lecture but it also adds some other stories about him and his wife, Jai. One of my favorites is how they leave their wedding reception.
On the Dateline interview, Diane Sawyer asked Jai something like, "How will you manage?" or "How are you managing?" and Jai's answer was, "I have all I need." And isn't that true for all of us. As I apply that to my own life, it helps me put things in perspective. I do have all I need. I job. Two wonderful and healthy kids. A cute little house. I can pay my bills. So whenever I'm feel myself start to pull a "Keeping up with the Jones'" I tell myself, "I have all I need."
The lecture and book are well worth your valued time. :)
See how passionate I am about RP... just read all those typos!!!
Cassie - just checking in with you to see if you're enjoying your brilliantly lit summer days. Perhaps you can share some of your current activities with me: jschnepp@daemen.edu. :)
THANKS :)
To my shell,
I love this mouse pad!
I love-love-love the scrap-journal idea. LOVE IT! I can't wait to have kids to get this started. Ok, I can wait...but when I do have kids, you better believe that I'll be using this plan.
I loved RP's lecture. I've never read the book, but would enjoy doing so. Maybe that is a good book club book!
I've pretty much fallen off the face of the earth for the past week but I think I'm back. It's been crazy, to say the least over the past week or so. Work has been crazy busy this week....Treye got a new job in Cleveland and leaves Saturday...I don't have a job and have been busy job searching. Whew...makes my head spin thinking about it.
OH! I thought I'd share with you that our very own JULIE passed her physical therapy board exam last week. That makes her DR. JULIE! YAY for my best friend ;)
Just quickly checking in from VA to say that I LOVE this idea, mainly because it does not have to be perfect and does not have to be done every day! I plan to document my 2 years of grad school in this manner! Even bought a calendar/journal for it today!
Back to unpacking I go!!!
And, congrats to Julie!
Congratulations, Julie! What a big accomplishment. Now you can begin reading all the pleasure books you want... guilt free!
To my Shell: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Both for the great handtowels and for the lotion. You must have a little birdie who told you that I'm ADDICTED to lotion.
To Claudia,
Alright I'm sold. Given that my first year has been deleted (though Bal says he can TRY to retrieve it) I need to write it down and FAST before I forget everything.
Luckily I did keep my fill in the blank baby book so most of the REALLY important stuff is documented that way and since I'm obsessive about pictures and videos I can pretty well figure out when she did other important things.
Maybe that is a task for this weekend.
Wow! An endorsement from Heather. That's something.
Reason #93487593 why Tera is my bestest AND why I love this blog ...
Tera, you may have hit the nail on the head when you commented that RP might make a good book club book ... you might want to think about buying it ... hint hint. Judging by the time stamp, you may even be about 30 mins ahead of Melanie and me!
Thank you to everyone for the well wishes, the prayers, and the congratulations! I am indeed enjoying guilt-free pleasure reading!!
I love RP's lecture. I watched it on YouTube when it first hit the Web.... I think I might have my Freshman Seminar class watch it this semester.
Congrats Dr. Julie!
Katie- get moved in and back to multiple hits on the blog! Glad you made it safe and sound.
I love the Last Lecture for the book club - especially since I've already read it and would love to again but this time with others!
darn! I meant to tell you about the journals... you remember I broke JB's heart by not having any pictures in his baby book and I showed him the new plan? Well, I told him that it started while we are on vacation (we leave tomorrow morning) and he tonight he asked me, "Do you have our Wimberley books so you can right down what we did?"
I assured him I had them and that statement has sealed the deal that failure is not an option!!!!
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