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I first learned about the idea of writing "transition books" for your kiddos at a mothering group I was a part of late last year. The mom who shared with our group showed us one she'd written when she and her husband had gone to Paris on a trip without their children. She had written a simple story about how much they loved and how much fun they would have when mom and dad were gone, where mom and dad were going, and that they'd be home soon. It had pictures and was such a sweet story. She said her oldest, age 3 at the time, was totally enthralled with it. He carried it everywhere he went when his parents were gone, wanted his grandparents to read it to him multiple times a day, and even wanted to share the story with grocery clerks and random people in stores.
I LOVE LOVE the idea of such books. Think of the all the transitions or changes that occur in a young child's life--potty training, daddy/mommy out of town on business often, staying in teh church nursery alone, moving to a new city/church/school/house, friends moving away, getting a new sibling, moving into a "big boy/big girl" bed, the list goes on and on.
I wanted to make one announcing the gender of the baby to Mags and Curren, so I got to work. It took me a little over an hour to put the entire book together--no time at all! I sat down and quickly scribbled out a story, listing each page and what I wanted to say. Then, I referenced the story and browsed my picture files for pictures that fit what I wanted to communicate and ordered them online. And in the case of this book, I had Aron take specific shots of me and the kids (me holding up "5" fingers," a belly shot [which actually belongs on the empty page you see, it ended up not fitting in the book, so I need to retake it], some close ups of Maggie and Curren's sweet face, etc). I used my cutting board to cut the pics to fit, adhered them to the pages with photo splits, and lastly, wrote in my copy. It really WAS that easy and Maggie loveslovesloves the book! She asked to read it over and over when we first brought it out yesterday and after her nap, went to find it saying, "I want to see the pictures of my sister!" How great is that?!
Transition books help kids to tell "their story" of a current big event in their lives, even though they are unable to communicate as effectively and articulately as an adult. And ultimately children LOVE to see themselves in pictures and in words in a story.
I ordered my blank board books from an Etsy seller I highly recommend (she is actually located in Richardson, TX for all my Dallas friends!). She has the lowest price I've seen and outstanding quality and service. I ordered 5 blank board books late last year to have on hand. Alas, she is currently overhauling her shop, The Bookie, so I suggest ordering from: http://www.blankslatebooks.com/
Aron graciously took on full-childcare the weekend before last so I could go to Bishop, CA to help my sister with her newborn, Stella. It was absolutely gorgeous, as seen from my car window here. I LOVED being able to have 2 days alone, away from life as a full-time mom. I don't think I realized how much of a break I had needed. I do take time each Saturday morning to get away, to refresh, and Aron and I get almost-weekly date nights, but there is something about being able to just be "me" for hours and days on end--not having to entertain kids on the car ride, or make sure they were fed, or dressed for bedtime. Of course, I love my kids, but I'm just saying the break was so incredibly refreshing. I was able to cook some for my sister, hang out with Jacob, and hold/change/play with Stella. And Shan and I were able to connect quite a bit, which was cool. I wasn't sure if she'd be super tired and want to nap a ton, etc. But, Stella is a super easy baby, overall, so Shan and I were able to leave her at home on a few occasions and grab coffee, run some errands, and get pedicures. Heavenly! Many thanks to Steve, too, for pulling childcare duty so we could get out and have some sister time. I hope to come back soon!
