Creative School Pages and a Pleasant Surprise

This is a cool idea I saw a few years ago.

On the first day of school each year, take a photo of your child holding up the number of fingers that represents the grade they are in. One finger for first grade, two for second grade and so on. For 11th grade have them hold up one finger on each hand…..12th grade, one finger on their right hand and two fingers on their left. I created this layout even though my son was already in middle school when I learned of this fun idea.

Now for the surprise…

Most of the time when I create pages, it’s about an occasion or moment in time I want to remember. I realized while making this layout that not only did it represent my son’s middle school and high school days but it really told much more about his personality and the many changes he went through during these years. When I look at each photo, I remember and recognize things I may otherwise have forgotten. I see the somewhat shy and many times moody 8th grader that believed life was for the most part unfair , the boy who realized that being a freshman was all about working your way up from the bottom…again, the sophomore who was convinced he couldn’t survive without an ipod, the junior who was starting to find his place in the world, while at the same time struggling with the things he couldn’t change, and the senior who has overcome. The young man who  is full of faith, love and goodness and overflowing with confidence.

These are the things that I want to remember.

This is why I scrapbook.

All this from a creative school days idea…..what a pleasant surprise!