“This Time Last Year…” A Family Reflecting Activity

“The days are long, but the years are short.”

When raising small kids, the milestones are much anticipated: the first time your kid sleeps through the night, first time to walk, first time eating an entire meal without help…

It happens so fast, and the celebrations are momentary before you move on to the next milestone.

Earlier today I was thinking about how pleasant it will be in a year or so when my toddler can communicate with me better, but I almost forgot how it wasn’t all that long ago he wasn’t even walking yet! It’s easy to lose track of how far your family has come, and also how much your family has changed during the year.

We’re so often looking forward to the next thing, so every once in a while, I like to practice looking backward.

We have a game we play in our family: “This time last year…”

This year we are living in Italy, Tom is learning to walk, Lane is looking forward to starting kindergarten, and my husband and I are spending a lot of time together.

This time last year, Lane was hosting tea parties and looking forward to being a mommy (so she can wear my clothes!) Tom was being spoon-fed cereal while wearing a cowboy bib, and my husband and I were patiently looking forward to everyone sleeping through the night.

This time two years ago, Lane was learning how to ride a trike, and Tom was making me buy swimsuits in maternity sizes.

This time three years ago, we lived in a one-bedroom apartment, Lane loved dressing up, and I was quietly hoping for the second child.

This time five years ago, I spent Mother’s Day weekend nine months pregnant, lying on the couch wondering about how my life was going to change forever once we added kids.

So much can change in five years, or even one! What was your family doing this time last year?