If I Were Starting Over

So far, in child raising, I don't have many regrets.  The biggest regret I have is that I didn't quit part-time work sooner to become a stay-at-home mom, but am thankful that I only worked three days a week during those first five years of mommy-hood.  And my children stayed at my mother-in-law's house, for the most part, and enjoyed that tremendously.

Our children are 18, 16, 14, and the youngest is two days away from 10.  The time goes by very, very quickly.  Everyone tells you that, but until you've lived it, you don't really understand it.  The diaper days and car seat days and sleepless nights kind of seem to drag on and on and on.....but then it's gone.....and they're all grown up!

It's amazing the things that are available in childcare now that were not available when we were just starting out.  Amazing baby swings and high chairs!  Useful gadgets of all kinds!  But to me, the greatest and most special change for children and families now is photography.  There is an abundance of photography-inspired products and ideas to make your photographs special memories that will last a lifetime.  So sweet and so special.  We have some cute ones, too, but the ones today are just different....more personal and less "studio-ish".

So, if I were starting all over, I would make a book for every year of each child's life.  Shutterfly would be my choice.  I use them for photo prints, for vacation books, calendars, Christmas cards, and will be doing a Senior book for my daughter soon.  Very, very soon :(  (sad face).

I have written my children a letter for each birthday, and that will be special for them.  And after I began blogging (my devotional "Shine Like Stars" blog), I would write their birthday letter as a post and include pictures, so that is neat, but a book all bound together would have been extra-special.  Maybe I'll do that for my grand kids some day....unless their mom wants to do one.

If you were starting over, what would you do differently?  Anything?  Nothing?