After having a second child, the regularity of my journal entries took a dive. I couldn't ever find a chunk of time large enough to methodically record the day's happenings. My friend Lori Kay is responsible for getting me to attend to my journal again. She goes nowhere without her big black book. One day she accompanied us to the Steinhart Aquarium and made the most amazing drawings of the Ugly toads. "How do you do that?" I asked. "Practice," said she. Being a natural snoop, I asked if I could see the rest of her journal. Of course I wouldn't read it, just wanted to get an idea of how it was put together. There were magazine photos featuring particular colors she admired, juicy date scenes I didn't read (yeah, right), concert ticket stubs, and endless sketches. "I just put in whatever I want, doesn't have to be deep thoughts." The baby books may not be up to date in this house, but these kids will have recorded their lives. Inside the journals you will find golf tees from the driving range visit with Grandpa , a wild bunny tail chewed clean off by our dog, receipts from a saw mill tour, dead bugs taped-in, drawings, and of course thoughts about the garden's progress, our pets and life in general. They have become a place to store treasure, and therefore prized possessions. If you are organized enough, you could start this tradition when your kid is two. Write down a memory from each year of life your child has lived on the inside cover - a little love note. "At one year your favorite food was peas and you loved to help pick them, at two you learned to pedal a trike, at three you danced as a turtle in Peter Pan...". I like to think my kids will cherish these things one day, and forgive me for all the mistakes I am making along the way. Journalizing is an enjoyable way to develop a love for and mastery of writing, learn to read (pleasurable exposure to print, print and more print), and a record of self-discovery. Sometimes we don't know where we come from, or where we are headed unless we can see the roads we have traveled. Sketch books make good journals. They are of heavy paper stock (tear proof), have spiral binding so they lay flat on the writing surface (makes drawing and pasting easier), and come with attractive covers: • PRESENT your child with the journal and explain what it's for. This can be as simple as an inscription "Dear -----, write yourself down". • RECORD: While your child is very young, she will need assistance writing her life from people who know how. Of course this role will fall to you, but some of our nicest entries are from New Year's Eve guests who helped Zack write, “Sometimes the candle makes little smokes - smokee, smokee, smokee.” Take the journal to grandma's house. These entries will be appreciated later on. • COLLECT: Birthday invitations, dance venues, drawings, photos, soccer certificates, cool car stickers, vacation postcards (these are an inexpensive and attractive record of your trips), tickets (museum, zoo, etc.), dragon fly wings - basically anything which can be pasted or taped in. This method is an easy way of noting down life's travels, and makes rereading the journal a lot more fun. You may not remember the exact date you went to see the African Drummers, but that ticket stub you find later in a pocket can record it for all time. • ENJOY: Reviewing one's life is a pleasurable activity. It gives a sense of accomplishment. Though there is always the notion that "I could never forget this day!", you undoubtedly will. Human memory is an elusive thing, but the power of memory jolts are amazing. Write down one sentence worth of detail about a particular event, and it will all come back to you a year later when you read it. For a child, a life history becomes an incredible gift. As adults, the children we were almost seem like different people. How did they respond to their world? You can provide your child with a record of such things via scrapbook journalizing. Motivate your Munchkins to Write: Encourage pre-literate types to “write” stories too (pictures count!), invented spelling is a perfect lead-in to the “real thing”. So are scribble letters. You can demonstrate. • Quick-to-trace stencils are great idea prompters for tall tales which you dictate as kids do the telling. Around here trucks and dinosaurs are very popular. You can find stencil design books to suit any passion (dragons, prehistoric animals, midieval themes, ballet, butterflies...) for only a buck a piece in the Dover Children’s Book Catalogue. To get your free copy write: Dover Publications, Inc., 31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, NY 11501-3582. I trace a few stencils for my little guys and they’re instantly story telling. • Stickers and magazine pictures pasted on pages inspire dream telling, stories, and can enhance journal entries on what you did today. Check out the public library for free National Geographics or magazines on the cheap. Don’t forget poultry, seed and toy catalogues for fantastic visuals! And again: Dover does eclectic sticker books for one dollar a pop. Jump Start Your Own Journal • Record Phone Messages • Jot down movies playing at the theater which you may go see. Later put a star next to the one you watched and a sentence about how you liked it. • Write down book titles which interest you and you’ll know where to find them on your next library trip. • Put in phone numbers and addresses until you move them to your permanent book (this is a much better system than those little scraps of paper). • Scribble down the poetry which flows from your child’s tongue, “Mom, let’s get a thunder cloud and take it home for Lucy.” Make your journal your constant companion. Consider it an economical lap top. You are a powerful role model to your children, and the message you send when they see you write in your special book has mighty impact. Right now the journey of your soul may follow the path of grocery lists, reasons why toddlerhood sucks, or chore charts - things which seem of little interest to record for the sake of posterity. But it is a season in your life. It will pass, and one year you will cherish the ability to return to the days of playdough smashed into the carpet, and sticky finger prints on every surface simply by turning a page. Every stage of your life has meaning and purpose. Don'’t discount it. Write it all down. Dana Murguia wrote Easily Entertained: No-fuss, Natural Ways to Feed Children's Curiosity and Creativity, from which this is excerpted. If you are an agent or publisher, she'd love to hear from you.

From Meditations for Mothers of Toddlers
by Beth Wilson Saadevra 
 

There's often a big temptation for persons on the spiritual way to leave their ordinary life behhid and seeka greater involvement in "practie." But they have to realize that our practice is always done right where we are. Joan Rieck Few of us have the luxury of leaving our lives behind and devoting ourselves totally to spiritual practice. Although we may feel that such singular focus is beyond us, we can discover what Zen masters have always known: Begin where you are. Even the chaos of our daily lives can be the "stuff" that illuminates the soul. Just think of it. What better way to learn patience and perseverance than being a mother? We cannot simply give up when the lessons get too rigorous. Instead, we must learn to find peace in the midst of swirling food fights, discipline in the midst of rebellion, and compassion in the midst of criticism. What better way to learn about love?