{Made it Monday} Olivia's birthday album

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeey internets!

I'm so glad to be back in action!

My sweet lil' computer is back on track and we're ready to roll!

I finally got around to making Olivia's 6th birthday album right before my computer went away.

Let's keep it real here and understand that this is the *ONE and ONLY* birthday album I've ever made for her (or anyone else, for that matter). Don't get all judgemental on me and tell me about how you've never made even. one. album. for your child because up until now, I was in THE SAME BOAT, OKAY???

Anyhoo.

I like it. I think it turned out cute.

I used all the Instax pictures we took on the trip. The Instax camera was one of O's birthday gifts. She loves it. I love it even more. I love how cute and tiny the pictures are (the size of a credit card) and how you snap the picture and out it pops.

Instant gratification?!

I'm a fan.

So, here are a few pictures of the album. (Click each picture to make it larger.)




















While I was working on the album, Olivia glanced over at me at one point and asked, "Mommy, why are you spending time making a scrapbook for me? I know what my birthday was like."

I sat there for a few minutes wondering this myself. Why DO I spend tons of time putting together an album full of little memories of this, that and everything else during that one little trip??

Then it hit me. The answer.

It's because I have *NO* idea what I did for my 6th birthday. Or what I was like as a 6 year old girl or what toys I was "into." I remember my favorite friends (who are still some of my faves, by the way) and who my teacher was that year, but other than that, nothing. (Am I alone here? My memory is reeeeeeally bad.)

And, that's a little sad to me.

Am I okay despite the fact? Absolutely.

(Mom - stop tearing up. I'm okay. Really. Hey! By the way - do you remember what we did for my 6th birthday? Just wondering.)

So, that's why I do all this crazy scrapping for my kids (when I can). So they can remember. When they are older with families and children of their own, they can remember.

We can remember.

All the little details.

Not just pictures in a box, but the details of the good times. The details that are so quickly forgotten in every day life.

Will they still need therapy? I'm almost certain they will.

I'm okay with that.

What they won't need help with is remembering the details that are so often lost for me.

Hopefully, they won't need help with that.