Tag Archives: Memorable Moments

On the Sixth Day of Christmas Jib Jab gave to me…A Fun Video with My Daughter and Our Puppy

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Christmas in Hollis!

On the Sixth Day of Christmas Jib Jab gave to me…A Fun Video with My Daughter and Our Puppy!

I’ll never forget the excitement I had when I saw Run-DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis” music video. My siblings and I would rap and dance along, and my mom, who’s never been a huge fan of rap, even enjoyed the song too. So when my sister texted me a link to a Jib Jab video she created with her, my nephew and niece, I couldn’t resist creating one with my daughter and “puppy son” too.

Though I’ve played the song around Christmas time, Quinn didn’t really know the words, especially considering that it debuted when I was just ten years old, three years older than she is now. But as result of creating our video, she just loves the song and wanted to create more Jib Jab videos including the entire family. I do too!

All the best,

Tanya

Never Tabling a Montage of Memorable Moments

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I enjoy spending time and doing projects with my daughter. I especially love when those projects are meaningful and double as DIY home projects. Most recently, we worked on repurposing her old table by doing a Mod Podge of colorful pictures. We talked, laughed and reminisced as we prepped pictures, cut them, decided which ones we wanted to go where and adhered them to the table. It took a few hours, but the finished product is perfect and a constant reminder of what matters most.

Family, friends, joy, love, togetherness: a montage of memorable moments over the years will never be tabled. Thankful Quinn and I will always have our project to remind us of what’s most important.

All the best,

Tanya

“Rememory:” Stories to Remember with My Little Girl

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“The cards are a secret, parent and night. Ooh, I got a good story for this one!” my six year old exclaimed. A little bit before the coronavirus lockdown was enforced, I came across the game “Rememory” and thought it would be an excellent way to strengthen my family bond.

Each evening for dinner, Quinn enjoys opening that little box, filled with hundreds of cards. Little did I know she would have so many stories to share that I would be hearing for the first time. I look forward to not only reminiscing but sharing my memories with my daughter and husband too.

Actually, Rememory has offered me comfort in knowing that this lockdown will one day be a distant memory and story that we will share with our future generations.

Until then, I’m enjoying the stories and memories I am currently sharing and building with my daughter.

All the best,

Tanya

Celebrating School: My Daughter’s 100 Days Smarter!

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“Guess what, Mommy! Mrs. Moore said that we’re all 100 days smarter,” my first grader told me upon getting home from celebrating the 100th day of school. I have a sharp memory, and I do not recall ever celebrating the 100th day of school, just maybe the last day when everyone was eager to start summer break. While some parents may think the projects and hoopla is overboard, as a professor and parent, I think it’s awesome!

There’s so many goals students must complete and achieve. For some, it may be a cinch, while for others it may be overwhelming or extremely difficult. Either way, showing up and trying one’s best must be acknowledged too. It helps keep up morale and motivation. It also allows both parents and teachers to reflect on how far their students have come without it necessarily being about a grade or milestone that must be achieved.

Within that 100 days, Quinn hasn’t only gotten smarter intellectually but socially and emotionally. She’s gotten a little taller, developed new interests and even decided that she might want to be a teacher as her profession instead of a dancer. Indeed, I do anticipate more changes to come in the next 100 days, but I’m glad we both had an opportunity to rejoice in the time that’s passed thus far: she with her teacher and friends, and me as her proud mother.

All the best,

Tanya

Treasuring Life, Moments & Positivity by Accident with My Daughter

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It happened within a few seconds. Yesterday, a car speeding down the highway hit my car and kept going. With my six year old in the back seat, I was shocked, flustered and upset but at the same time grateful, grateful that we were okay and that I was able to handle our car and not lose control. Quinn immediately focused on the positive saying, “Maybe we can catch them. Maybe there’s no major damage.” She even wondered if it was a male or female driver based on how reckless they were. Luckily, we have a dashboard camera, Garmin Speak, (I highly recommend having a dashboard camera) which caught the entire accident along with the driver’s license plate because as residents right outside of Philadelphia coming from Delaware, and I was a bit shaken and really just wanted to get home.

As I contemplated on the drive home, I thought about how our lives could have changed within seconds if the hit was a more serious accident. I thought about how we could have potentially hit another car if we were hit hard enough to be forced into another lane or a car in close proximity.

But rather than focus on the negative or allowing this incident to set the tone for 2020, I’m rejoicing in knowing how important it is to not only treasure life but the moments we have with our loved ones. Though my car has some cosmetic damage, I am so grateful that my daughter and I walked away with no scratches just treasuring life, moments, family and friends as we move forward in 2020.

All the best,

Tanya

The Fear of Picturing Lost Moments with My Little Girl

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img_0790-1“For how much longer will you be working on your class work, Mommy?” my five year old asked with a sense of urgency in her voice. This past Wednesday was a snow day for the both of us: no school! But that did not mean the work stopped for me. I had to send out an early morning email letting my students know how to proceed and started working on modifying the course syllabus as a result of losing a day of class. I also had to still work on reading and grading essays. It pained me that it couldn’t just be a “snow day” for my daughter and I to have some fun, and I had to explain to her that work sometimes still goes on, and work has to come before fun.

Though this was just one day, I am finding more and more that I am telling Quinn, “I need to do work first, and sometimes it takes much longer than I anticipate. She seems to understand, but there are times when I just feel guilty. Yes, we have fun together and do many activities that I even talk about on this blog. Yes, I know it cannot be all about having fun all of the time. My daughter knows this too. But when she looks at me with those brown eyes simply wanting my undivided attention and to spend time with me, I feel horrible wishing that I could just drop everything and enjoy everyday moments with her.

There are so many more years to go in her childhood, and I do fear the idea of picturing lost moments that I will never be able to get back. I don’t want to get in the habit of saying, “We’ll see. Maybe this weekend. Or give me twenty minutes that turns into sixty minutes or turns into maybe tomorrow.” Being a present mom, in general, is not easy, definitely while working full-time, but I’m going to continue to try my best to perform the balancing act and create as many memorable moments as possible with my little girl that we can both close our eyes and picture for years to come.

All the best,

Tanya

Special Moments: My Little Girl’s Pre-K Move-up Day

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“I’m excited but a little nervous, Mommy,” my five year old told me. Interestingly, my daughter and I are ending her pre-k experience the same way it started two years ago: both “nervscited!” (A combination of nervous and excited) As she ends this chapter of her life and prepares for kindergarten in September, it has been such a wonderful experience watching her make friends, learn and grow not just physically but emotionally, mentally and cognitively, and it has been a great experience for me interacting with her teachers and playing a role in her educational experience.

Yesterday, we not only attended her special pre-k ceremony acknowledging her achievements and moving on to kindergarten, but we also attended the kindergarten orientation at what will be her new school in September. My little girl is growing up so fast, and at times I struggle on an emotional level to keep up. It’s such an overwhelming feeling, but I will be there supporting her all of the way for every milestone and cherishing memorable moments like this one and many more in the future.

All the best,

Tanya

What Would We Do Without It Wednesdays: Moments of Reminiscing with My Little Girl

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24web“Can I see the book with you and the big stomach, Mommy?” my three year old inquired. At first, I thought she was remarking on the current size of my stomach, and then I realized that she was referring to the photo book I created to celebrate her birth. Actually, I’ve been chronicling her different milestones in the form of photo books since she was born, and every so often she wants to leaf through one of the books, look at the pictures and ask questions.

Yesterday evening, she asked if she was really  in my stomach, and when she saw pictures of the baby shower, she wondered, “Why am I not at the party too, Mommy?” To which I replied, “You were still in my tummy, honey.” No matter how many times we look at this book in particular Quinn always has new questions or comments. A new and quite interesting one was, “How come I came as a little baby instead of a big girl like I am now?” Being pregnant with my daughter, who is also my only child, will always remain with me. What would we do without revisiting those memories together? It truly is special and makes me that much more grateful to have her in my life as a healthy, sweet and smart little girl.

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy Memories of Memorable Moments Mondays: How My Little Girl Has Grown!

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Quinn at One Week
Quinn at Five Months
Quinn at Two and a Half Years Old

Though I have only been a mother for a little over two and a half years, I can confirm that the rumors are true: the time from infancy through toddlerhood (and probably beyond) really does fly by. If you’re not a picture taker, I’d urge you to become one because even as a person who has a fairly sharp memory, short term and long term, I find that some moments I consider to be memorable (Who and I kidding…all of them are to me!) are not only fleeting but blurring together.

Every once and a while, my little girl will do something that conjures up one of those memorable moments. One in particular is when she squeezes her 39 inch long body into her infant to toddler rocker and will insist on keeping the pull toys on which make it even more difficult for her to fit. “I love this chair,” she exclaims. I then can’t help but think about when she was just a week old relaxing in her infant seat and how excited I was when she started reaching out for the toys in front of her and spinning them around a few months later. It was our “go-to” chair when I was grading papers, and Quinn wanted to be nearby but not necessarily held.

Of course, I love watching my little girl grow in a multitude of ways, but I also love just reminiscing and thinking about how much she has grown and how much we have grown together as mother and daughter.

All the best,

Tanya