we had a 15th birthday.
it is pretty awesome to watch a boy turn into man-size right before your eyes.
the have him still lay his head on your shoulder waiting for his dinner from the waiter.
and even let you play with his hair.
at a restaurant!
it's always fun to celebrate together.
and i never make cakes except for birthdays so i enjoy that too.
he requested chocolate with chocolate frosting.
he also wanted to light his own candles.
after cake craig put on a video of them when they were little….scott's 4th birthday.
it was the highlight of the night.
their little voices…. sean's pacifier… the way the boys couldn't say their L's and C's…
the birth order traits showing up loud and clear even 11 years ago…and little baby talby just beaming in the swing while the chaos goes on all around her.
awesome.
we are so mad that we didn't take more video.
and now that is gone. G O N E.
SO here is my Public Service Announcement for today …. take video of your kids.
TODAY.
of nothing.
of everything.
of them eating dinner.
playing with their toys.
singing a song.
reading a book.
playing dress up.
taking a bath.
sitting in the yard.
playing soccer.
swinging on a swing.
being tickled.
CRYING.
LAUGHING.
SCREAMING.
because when it's gone then IT IS GONE.
you WILL NOT remember the voices.
you won't.
i promise.
your little boys with drooly lips, new teeth and chubby cheeks will get deep LOW voices and be taller than you and you will not have the ability to remember the sounds of them squeeling about the new "P-eeece Tars!!!" they got for their birthday (police cars)
i am NOT kidding around here.
take video today and all the time of nothing special.
because it's ALL SPECIAL!!!
it is gone WAY too fast.
now stop crying and get out your video camera.
🙂
Abigail Gossard - I’m finally catching up on your blog after about a year because of my two boys, one w special needs and a 6 month old, keep me busy! I found myself randomly taping them today and realizing how quickly they’ve changed in 6 months! Thanks for the reminder and for the sweet photos of your family. .
Alison Joy - Yes, crying! Thank you for a beautiful post.
Kasey - Yep, crying. So sad to see them grow up so fast.
Michelle - HOW did you know we would cry? Spooky! I say to my husband at least every other day, “I could listen to Ted’s little voice all day long.” And I do. He’ll be three in July. His little brothers are 5.5 months – yes, twin boys. Life is good … And I LOVE that birthday cake! Happy Birthday Scott! xoxo
Whitney - I don’t even have children and I agree! For Christmas I took all of our family videos and put them on DVD… and I accidentally erased one of my favorite videos of all time 🙁 Now I wish we had more of that Mother’s Day! Memories are so important!!!
Lora - AAAAAAAA-men!
My baby is 13 and just lacks a smidge being as tall as me. I DON’T like it! He still holds my hand sometimes in public, but probably not for too much longer. Shoot those videos and take lots and lots of pictures!
ArielW - in tears…. you are so right.
and as I sit here and type this crying,
I have one girl in time out
and one boy watching veggietales,
and I know I will miss this.
off to charge the camera battery.
Rachel Reeves - I’m in tears.
I posted a video of Frankie this morning, singing, and I realized how I don’t do it enough.
I totally forget what K sounded like.
Great. I’m in tears again.
mpoggie - This made my heart beat irregularly.
Earlier today, I recorded three different phone-videos of the same bathtime and felt like an idiot. I said to myself, “This is ridiculous. Calm down with the videos, maybe.”
…Nevermind, Self. Keep up the good (obsessive) work.
Kerstie Pederson - 😉
Wendy - Amen, sister! Thanks for the reminder!
jen - Perfect post!!!!!
amanda - Needed this reminder – thank you! And I have a young man in my house with a birthday this weekend and I’m going to bring out some videos for the family to see. I’m already looking forward to it 🙂
Sierra - OH my. I just cried a little at work. I did a lot of videos when they were babies, but I haven’t been doing many lately. I definitely need to. I would hate to forget the way my 5 year old talks right now. Thanks for this public service announcement! 🙂
Heather - Oh Meg! I love you and your blog!
Trish - um… this totally made me cry.
Beth - I’m getting my video camera out when I get home. You’ve just scared me straight!
beth larson - AMEN SISTER!!!!! I could not agree more! We did video tape quite a bit when the kids were little…but now we’ve quit! What’s that all about? I have to add one other thing —print photos!
print favorites every few months- just having them stored digitally will never be satisfying in the future because the mode of storing them changes every decade or so and you kind of loose the means to print or see them easily.
In 25 years you’ll be so excited and thankful for albums full of family photos- and your kids will thank you too!!!
(the photo of the birthday boy in black and white- directly behind his cake is a-mazing!!!!!)
xo
denise@victory rd. - my son turned 15 {gulp} 2 weeks ago. crazy… where did the time go?
like yours he is still loveable. best thing about him.
my three always ask to watch videos from when they were young on their b-days. i think they like to see my ugly-cry-face.
Tonya - My oldest just graduated from college. how did you know i was crying! i cry over every little thing. I DID VIDEO TAPE AND SOOOO VERY HAPPY I DID.
tonya - happy birthday to your boy! and thanks for the reminder to capture these fleeting moments!
Routhie - Awesome photos of him blowing out the candles! I am so glad we took videos of our girls. It’s funny to look back and hear them. My oldest still had a British accent when she was 4 (gone now…sniff sniff) and we all roar laughing listening to the weird things she said.
Eryn - I’m bookmarking this post in the hopes that one day, evntually when I have my own kids, I will always be able to remember these words. Thank you Meg! 🙂
Kristine - Crying….so. Much…..my 13 year old changed his voicemail message and it broke my heart…he had a little voice and now…so deep…
Digging out the video…thanks for the reminder…and the tears…
Gina - Happy Birthday to your man child!!
kathy - Sometimes I find it is almost too much to watch the videos. I have to be in the right frame of mind or all I do is cry. So much emotion tied into it all! Love your pictures~ it is crazy to watch our babies transform right in front of our eyes.
christy - You know your audience too well. I was totally crying until I read that last bit & started to laugh. I was just thinking yesterday that I have a video cam & never use it. I will now.
Maria M - We spent last Christmas break pouring over old VHS-c tapes of the boys…so funny. Those little voices crack us up.
Tiffany - What a great public service announcement. My camera fund is almost there! You are making me want to find more ways to make a little extra money so I can finally make the plunge and get the Mark 3. Videos on my phone will have to do for now. Today Olivia was rolling down a hill and requested I take a video of her, so I did. She was wearing my old first communion dress from when I was 7, princess crown and jewels.
PS- You take the BEST birthday cake blowing-out-the-candles pictures, EVER! I have so much to learn!
Vicki Esh - How do you feel about arranged marriages? I have 3 daughters (all beautiful!), and I’m always on the look out for nice young men from Christian families. Let me know if you want to set something up. 🙂
Mia - you caught me… i was crying. and, i will now go video my babes. 🙂
Kirsten J - Oh man, you got me….I’m so totally bummed that I didn’t take more videos. Have plenty of hours of my big boy, but my baby girl? Minutes. Seriously. Only minutes saved.
tracy fisher - i think we had the same happy tear for our kids birthdays! i just blogged about our little girl growing up. 🙂 -tracy
Gale - AMEN. Well said 🙂 Happy Birthday to your cutie!
Tiffany - Very handsome, what a killer smile! The time goes by so fast, too fast!
Georgia - The pictures are awesome!
Wendi Siyajuck - I remember reading a letter from you telling me the news about Scott. I was in my college room :)Your pictures are fantastic!
Andrea - My oldest just became a teenager last week. A teenager. Sigh. Can still remember the day she was born. When they put her in my arms and the sun came through the window and lighted on her. The rush of love and protectiveness was unbelievable.
You are right about the videos. I have quite a few pictures but not many movies. Need to get the kids on that – they are the ones with the video cameras!
kristin - LOL…. you know your readers well. 😉
Amanda - Small Home Big Start - The picture of him blowing out the candles is awesome! What a great way to commemorrate his 15th birthday!
jennifer - Totally crying. And sending to my husband!
Katie S - Thank you! I got a new video camera for Christmas because my old one died right after/before(?) my third baby was born. I have not even had a chance to read about it and get it up and working. She is 9 months and crawling and I keep thinking I need to get the “good” camera working. Luckily, in this day we always have an iPhone at arms reach so she has lots of little videos, but I know those little snippets will not be enough for my heart in the future! My nap time project is to get that camera up and working!!!
lauren - You speak the truth! My favorite video is not of the ‘events’…the graduations, or awards ceremonies or Christmas pageants…it’s just of them being goofy doing nothing. Oh to have had an iPhone when they were little!
Kelly - I just shot a little video of us at dinner the other night all because of the antics of my youngest. Antics I know won’t last. 🙂 Thanks for the reminder!
Molly - getting the video camera out when we get home!!!!!
it is hard i try to walk the line between documenting things and living in the moment.
Ana - I’m at work now and crying with your words because I did not take vídeos… I now all I can do is to think: Where did all these years go? Was I sleeping or something? Now, I got adults around here and can not remember the sounds they make…You are so right…Thanks for sharing…
Angela A - My father-in-law brought some videos of my husband and his brother playing soccer when they were younger. And I realized at the end of the season that I should have recorded at least ONE soccer game from this season. He even brought those early enough to make me realize this in time but no. Or the piano recitals that my mom couldn’t attend–did not cross my mind. I will just stalk them with it all summer.
Lora - OH, you made me tear up. I haven’t visited blogs in MONTHS and this is what greets me! Thank you! 🙂
Southern Gal - We have the old videos that I need to convert to DVD. The kids love to watch themselves. I feel sorry for our baby who has lots of video when he was little and then I became a bad video mom. I try to catch it now even though he’s 11 and almost to that man stage. Ah. yes, you make me tear up reading all that.
Bethany - My little ones are sleeping right now but I promise to capture them on video when they wake up. Mine are only 4 and 2 but even those years have gone by so quick.
Mel - How it all goes by in the block of an eye. Great pics!
jamie - OH MY GOSH how did you know i was crying??!!!?? so true! it just goes by so very fast!
Kate - Love everything about the post but I can’t get enough of the cake! a simply beautiful!
Lane - Ahh…thank you. I’m out of video tapes and I need to order more! My 2nd son didn’t make his debut on our video camera movies until he was 8 months old…sooooooo SAD!!! I have to take more videos. The few that I’ve taken of my 4 1/2 year old talking about nothing are the favorite things I’ve ever laid my eyes on.
amber - Geez. That was rough! Now I HAVE to go video my 3 year old. On the couch. Eating dry cereal. Watching Woody. Thank you. You are so right.
Meredith - I have six saved voicemails from my from my first son who is now 9. The first one was when he was 3 and they go up in years. We love listening to them. I think I am 3 phones later and still have them. Love to watch and listen to videos and movies.
Sheila - STOP IT. Just stop it now. Waaaaaaah!
Analia - Such a good reminder! I love your outlook on life! and your photos! that cake!
Shari - I am right there with you! I soooooo wish we had had the modern convenience of a cell phone with a video camera back when mine were smaller. I would give ANYTHING to have those sweet little voices again. 🙁 I have been trying to video little snippets here and there, but it is so much harder when they are teenagers and dodging you at every turn! 😉
Jenn - You are so right. Mine are still young, but I think about how I should have videoed more. Love the cake…its perfect!
Tracy - Sobbing! Such a good reminder! My kids are close to yours in age. We have videos from the very young years, but so many years lost!
Terrie G - I’m with Christine!! It’s too late for me, but not to take video of the grandson!
And you are soooo right!
I’ve got him covered with photos…I need to take more video.
I was just thinking of that this morning as I was going through my photos.
I don’t take much video…need to record!
Thanks for the reminder!
And Happy Birthday to your young man!
Christine Ishmael - How’d you know I was crying??