sweet memories

Before the girls were born I started writing in a notebook (I guess u could call it a journal) about their impending birth and how excited we were to become parents. After they were born I, of course, continued with the entries, mainly documenting how they were growing and new things they were saying or doing, or anything funny or sweet. I also documented unique things they did that I never wanted to forget, such as T always holding my ear as she nursed, it was so sweet and still brings a smile to my face when I think about it. I wrote these books fully intending to give them to them at some point. I thought about their wedding days, but figured they'd be too engulfed in THEIR day for them to really want to look at a book, and with a new husband around they probably wouldn't even get a chance to read it for many months and it may become forgotten before ever being read. I thought about giving it to them when THEY became pregnant themselves, but again, I figured that will be THEIR time, so they will want to relish in their experiences instead of reliving mine. Then I thought maybe when they turned 18 and went to college would be a good time. But if these books made them melancholy while they were away from home, it might actually make them miss home more and then not enjoy their new experiences of college. So... I wasn't really sure when to give them to them, but my friend Jen posted recently that she also wrote journals for her kids and that she was already reading them to them. That gave me an idea...
NOW is the time to share these thoughts and memories.
NOW is when they will most appreciate them, and the books will make them feel even more loved if they read them NOW while they still feel completely loved by us (not as a teenager that may have some separation issues with their parents-of course I pray this never happens, but still, now appears to be the best time to share them).
So last night T asked me to read her a bedtime story (usually she reads her own, while I read to W), so I told her I would and that I had just the story to read. That peaked both their interest and they couldn't wait to see what I had planned. When I showed them what I was going to read (excerpts from both their books) they were both so excited! They LOVED them! T had the biggest smile on her face the whole time I was reading hers, and W couldn't stop laughing during hers because she was so excited this book was all about her and her cuteness  :)
In fact, T took hers to bed last night and I have no idea how late she stayed up reading it, but this morning I found her up an hour earlier than normal, again reading through the book, devouring every entry.
I'm really glad I decided to share these books now instead of waiting till they were older. They both love them and are getting so much out of them. Plus, I get to read them again and be reminded of a few things I had forgotten (which is why I wrote them in the first place so that those precious memories would never be lost forever-glad its working).