This bookshelf says a lot. It may look like an overstuffed jumbled mess but it tells a story. It's the story of where my girls are right now. As I stopped by their room this morning to collect their laundry, I was struck by how much of who they are is explained by the things on this shelf. I wish that I had taken more time to chronicle these things. Because the bittersweet thing about having children is that they grow up. And as they grow the shelf changes. A doll today will be gone tomorrow replaced with something else meant to fit their changing personalities. So today I'm pausing to write down who they are in this moment. It's a twist on the normal "this moment" Friday post. This moment is one I want to savor, for I know how quickly it will pass. So let me tell you what's on the shelf.
- Tumtum and Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall by Emily Bearn. This book is simply lovely. It has been our bedtime reading for the past month. We're all very much caught up in the stories and all very much sad that we're nearly done.
- Meet Kit: An American Girl 1934 . Analiese got Kit for her birthday this year. She has begged for an American Girl doll for a few years now, but I had a hard time paying so much for a doll. I finally broke down this year and bought the one she wanted. Watching her love that doll has made it worth every penny. And, an added bonus is that it opened up a new book series for both girls which makes me love it even more.
- Dork Diaries by Rachel Rene Russell. Analiese has struggled for a while with reading. She just wasn't a huge fan. I felt like that was largely because she couldn't find books she liked. And then we stumbled on the Dork Diaries and everything changed. I was hesitant at first, for the same reason I was hesitant to let Chris read Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It just seems so dumbed down. But both series hit a comedic nerve with this age group. And most importantly, it got my girl reading. She has now discovered that she loves graphic novels. Maybe its the artistic side of her merging art and reading. I'm just glad she's reading. I think she just needed a kick start with something she really enjoyed.
- Ivy and Bean. Sicily has read every single book in this series at least three times. She loves it! Now she's started on The Boxcar Children and Dragon Slippers which she is loving. Of the three sprites, she is the most likely to sit down and read for pleasure. She just really enjoys reading. Sometimes on Saturday mornings I find her sitting on her bed with a stack of picture books, reading through the whole pile. Her favorites right now are Curious George (a long time favorite) and Berenstain Bears.
- Baby Beluga has been on our bookshelf for years. It may seem a funny book to still keep around given the ages of my children but it has a funny magic to it that we can't get over. When Chris began preschool at Montessori, his teacher would play the Baby Beluga song right before nap time. I picked it up about that time and occasionally I would sing it to him at bedtime. About the time Sicily came along, I began singing it to the girls at bedtime as well. Now, many years later, when the girls are very tired, one of them will pull the book off of the shelf and ask me to sing Baby Beluga. I've sung it to them the last three nights. We are all very tired as the back to school schedule is starting to wear on us. Last night, as I finished singing, I found the boy curled up, just about asleep, at the end of the girls' bunk bed. He had crawled in silently when he heard the familiar melody from his room. I'm telling you, the song is magical.
- Legos. Every room in our house contains Legos. Legos are just awesome. They never get old. We have recently starting purchasing the Friends sets, which are geared toward girls. Though the girls love the Creation sets as well. That way the Friends can have fast cars and airplanes too. I love seeing the creations that come out of those buckets of multi-colored bricks.
- Lalaloopsy. Those funny little dolls are a hit with both girls. They save up money just to buy new ones. Each doll comes with a poster and those posters fill the walls of their room. And to think, everyone thought those dolls looked so weird, if not a little creepy, when they first came out.
- Acting Out, a charades type game. Dramatic girls need dramatic games. Need I say more.
- And finally, a word about the giraffe. Analiese won the giraffe at the fair this past weekend. But she gave it to Sicily almost immediately. Why? Because, "she's sad that she didn't win anything. And I had fun playing the game so it's OK." I thought it was a sweet sister moment. Now it sits on the shelf for them both to share and remember a fun afternoon.
There's so much more that I could unpack on this bookshelf. The Eiffel Tower, Strawberry Shortcake, other books, a bug microsope. There's just so much there. I fear I could go on for hours trying to describe every item. But I feel I've hit the highlights so I'll leave the picture to tell the rest.
It is a picture that captures this one moment in their lives. Next month the shelf will look different. New books will be the stars. New animals will be put in the place of honor. New Lego creations will be laid out before the books. As parents we have to stop and capture these moments while we can. Otherwise we'll turn around and they'll be gone with no record of their existence. And time will wear down the memory so that we can't remember the special books and beloved toys and most importantly the story behind them. This is why I take pictures of "stuff". Events and holidays are certainly important photo-ops, but sometimes it's the daily stuff that tells the story that corresponds with the growing portraits of their beautiful faces.
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