Passage of Time

Tick tock. Tick tock. Do you hear it? It's time passing.

When I was in the classroom, it was so easy to recognize the passage of time. A new school year started with fresh supplies and kids. There was a break between terms and I entered my grades to mark the completion of that segment of time. Summer was summer - so unlike the rest of the school year.

Since leaving the classroom, the last five-plus years with my own kids are a blur. Every parent wonders, "Where does the time go?" I do too, but the former teacher and student in me want to recognize the milestones.

This has been easy in only a few ways. My daughter is in the same classroom with the same teacher as my son, just two years later. Or I distinctly remember my kids in a certain phase during a long weekend in Sunriver. I keep the kids' photos from each Halloween in our storage box so I can look through them and remember the years that have passed.

For the most part, though, most of my time as a parent is indistinct. I can't recall what we got our daughter for Christmas when she was one. The pumpkin patch trips with my son blend together. What was it like when they ate purees?

I don't have many photo albums from my own childhood. My mom didn't scrapbook. I'm trying desperately to capture these memories for my kids. 

One way I'm doing this with a personal family blog I've maintained for about four years (sorry--no link to that one). I also create photobooks for my kids each year. It's true that these are a significant amount of work, but they are also something that documents the holidays and milestones in a tangible way. It's a kick to look through them - especially years later. My photobook of choice is through Shutterfly. You can make them as simple or complicated as you want.

Maybe the most important way to mark the passage of time is to stop in the moment. Notice the little things. And be present.

How do you keep track of the passage of time?