Keeping a Calendar... er, Journal

I'm SUPER excited to talk about this idea because I LOVE it!

One of my friends came up with it, so I won't take any credit for it. She posted on facebook a picture of a calendar, and she had written in each square something that her son had done that day (her son is 2), whether it was going to the park or something silly he had said...

At first I wasn't sold. I would go to the store but every time I was about to grab a calendar I talked myself out of it every time. What on earth would I write every day?? Finally, while shopping with my MIL, I gave in and grabbed a calendar. Even if I didn't write every day, maybe I would at least have some of his milestones written down (or new words, since he is just starting to say stuff).

I am SO glad I did it! It has been so much fun to remember silly things GB did or new words he said as I write them into the squares.

 (It's only pink because of February, I promise... No girly calendars for my boy! Haha)

I picked cats because he learned how to say "meow" over Christmas, and at the beginning of the year he got a stuffed cat that he is absolutely in love with (it went to the library with us this morning, for example.) My friend let her son pick his out, which is kind of a memory to what the kid likes at that time.

Ok, so what I will take credit for is that I took it a step further. I love calendars anyways, and we've always gotten one even though we don't even write birthdays on it. This year, however, that changes. I don't write every day (because let's face it, GB is what happens every day) but when someone comes to visit, or when we take a trip, or when there's a wedding/birthday/anniversary/funeral/etc. or even if one of us does something that just makes us feel awesome... I write it on the calendar.

And it's so easy that there's almost no excuse not to do it. I don't usually write every day, but I make myself do it at least once a week, filling in days past by looking at text messages or facebook posts. If I don't want to forget something funny he said or did, I'll make a note of it.

It doesn't eliminate journaling completely, though. If I have a spiritual experience, for example, maybe I don't want it on the calendar. But it does make it easier, and is also a weird exercise in teaching myself to tell stories in a concise manner...