Lately J and I have started to talk about our future kids. Now, we are no where near ready to have kids (we just got married), but that doesn’t stop us from imagining the future family we’ll have one day.
Take, for example, last week: We were on day six of our Harry Potter marathon and started watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. We noticed before starting the movie that it was rated PG. We then proceeded to watch the movie in horror to find blood, dementors, dark magic, skeletons rising from a lake, deaths, and scenes that even frightened me. All in a PG-rated movie!
“There’s no way our kids are watching this,” J said during a scene where a witch has been possessed.
“Uh, absolutely not,” I responded.
In addition to our already-strict parenting, I also have started making little crafts for our kids:
Back when we were engaged, I delegated little tasks to family members to ease the wedding-planning stress. (Remember, it’s good to ask people to help.) I gave my dad the task of collecting visitor guides to go in the out-of-town guest gifts. Well, not only did he provide visitor guides, but he had the Visitor’s Center print out our wedding date on an illustrated map of Greensboro, the city where we got married. I squealed when I saw them—what a sweet and thoughtful gesture, and of course I saved a few as a keepsake from our wedding.
Fast forward to now, and the maps have just been sitting in a drawer, along with other items that have no home or purpose. I thought about framing one and hanging it as a memento around the house, but it’s a little cartoonish for that. Then I had the brilliant idea—turn them into placemats for our kids to eat on one day!
So last Sunday I took my six maps to Staples and got each of them laminated. As I was reviewing them in the store, I had a that romantic future-mother thought, picturing our happy family of (4? 5? 6?) smiling at each other as we enjoy a delicious meal on the lovely placemats. (Of course, in reality our kids will probably be fussy and spilling food everywhere, but a girl can dream, right?)
I came home and showed them to J. “Hey, those look pretty good.” he said.
“Yeah, they turned out well! Although, it cost way more than I thought it would. $15 to laminate just six small posters?!”
“Oh well, it’s for the children!” he said semi-sarcastically. “Think of it as an investment. Imagine what the cost of laminating will be in ten years after inflation.”
Good point.
Aren’t they cute? :)
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Have you ever found yourself buying or planning things for your future children? Or did you before you had kids? Or am I just a little unusual? :)
those are fabulous, and what a great idea!!
I LOVE this; so cute!!!
Adorable! That’s such a great idea!
You’re not weird at all! Even though I’m not entirely sure I want children yet, ( I mean, I’m 25 so I feel I have plenty of time to decide and get it together), I have put certain things aside in a memory box for a nursery if I want them. I have things saved that I think would look adorable and I make sure not to tell anyone my nursery ideas or names. People steal that stuff! Lol.
Very cute! You are definitely ahead of the game. I’m 38 weeks pregnant and have no such cute placemats for my future child! In fact, I really didn’t start planning or stock piling anything until the last few months because I had no idea what I’d need or want. Luckily, it’s all come together. But I think it’s so sweet that one day you can tell them, “Mommy made these for you long before you were born!”
OMG, I love these!!! They came out so cute and what great keepsakes! Lamination may have been expensive, but it’s sort of like protection. Like a screen protector for your cell phone. It will help preserve them for years and placemats are an awesome idea!
Super cute idea Ginna! I always think of fun things to do with our kids- especially when it comes to holiday baking. I already told hubby that I was going to be “that mom” who makes heart shaped pancakes for Valentines Day, dyes tons of Easter eggs, makes green food for St. Patrick’s day… and the list goes on! But then I think about newborns and I get freaked out again about having kids. :)
SO cute! And what a great idea! : )
This is weird… and you don’t know me, but I am the artist who did the map illustration and I was searching for Greensboro maps and I saw this… too funny. What a great idea! I might have to laminate some and use at my house…LOL