WFMW -- how do you measure up?

Time passes so quickly that I try to find any simple way possible to hold on to the memories. Not to keep time from moving, but to not forget where we have passed together, to capture the moments that have built who we are as individuals and as a family.


A wonderful garage sale find nearly five years ago now helps us record the simple passing of ages and growth in our children.

We have one for the boys and one for the girls.


Each birthday and half birthday we measure them to see how they have grown. We all gather round, grab the nearest book, and put a new mark on the appropriate panel.

My oldest son now likes to make sure that this gets done first thing in the morning, since you are tallest right when you wake up. :-)

Although I did not have to create these boards since I found them very inexpensively, you could easily make these yourself. I love that they are simple, sturdy, provide plenty of room for each child, and when we move, we simply take them with us, and reinstall them in our new home.

Here's the specs:

• They are four feet long (from 2 feet to 6 feet) and just about three inches wide.
• A simple yard stick, ruler, or tape measure can help you mark off the inches.
• Then, either free hand if you are able, or grab a couple fitting stencils. Remember not to pick anything too babyish if you want to use them for years to come. Or you could do progressively "older" graphics as you go up the chart.

Simple memories in the making. Definitely works for us.