A while ago my sister told me about an article she'd read about something the author called The Forgotten Milestones. What they meant by this was all of the things in your child's development that you missed because you didn't realize that it was the last. Like the last time they crawled, or sucked their thumb, or snuggled a favourite toy. I know, right? Like parenthood isn't loaded down with enough guilt as it is. I'm reminded of this every time I scroll through Pinterest and notice another childhood keepsake craft that I've not made. But then I remember that childhood isn't about me getting the right experiences, or me getting the right photo opp, or me getting the right keepsakes. In fact, my boys' childhood isn't about me at all. It's about them and the experiences that they have, which we've tried to document in various ways. I love witnessing their little blossoming lives, and am humbled by the influence I have on them. I might not catch it when Eliot sets Yellow Bear down for the last time, or when Peter says "Gek" for the last time. But that's okay. It'll just mean that my boys and I have been too busy living.
Eliot hosted a Christmas party for the bears. Complete with paper hats.
Peter, trying to get a drink from the bathroom sink.
Sharing a book with a friend.
If you're not making a huge mess, you're not playing hard enough.
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