Idea of the Month: Love Notes

Looking back over the entries, I'm touched to see how we both have grown over the years. It's also fun to have a record of how Lauren's writing has changed. Her letters, which once spanned two or three lines, are now petite marks that fit neatly into the designated spaces. She occasionally writes in cursive, a skill that was quickly covered in third grade, but that she rarely uses anywhere else. I?m glad she practices it in our notebook.

When we began our journaling project, there was no such thing as texting. Today, when my sixth grader has something to say, she definitely prefers to text her friends. But she still turns to the journal, a perfect way to balance the tech-y socializing. With her teen years just around the corner, I hope she holds onto the urge to grab a pen and express her thoughts on paper.

Only time will tell if Lauren's four younger siblings will be as open to the idea of journaling as she has been, but I plan to try it with all of them. Even if we don't answer any of life's great questions with our musings, I'll be certain that the kids know how to punctuate a sentence.

Stephanie, her husband, Isaac, and their family perfect their punctuation in Augusta, Georgia.