Providing and Preserving Family Memories

A good 25+ years ago, I listened to a speaker, my sister Jeanne Malnati, discuss the importance of being intentional about bringing family memories to the table as you raise children.  At that time, I wasn't married and the thought of a family was in the far distant future.  Jeanne's talk impacted me profoundly as I buried that piece of information back in my mind for future use.  Today, as a mom of a 12 year old, 9 year old and 7 year old, one of my top priorities in raising these kids is to see that thought through...providing and preserving happy family memories for my three children.

When we moved into our 1926 built/totally rehabbed spec home 8 years ago, my first project was to build a window seat in the empty bay window in our family room. My carpenter, Jim Christiansen provided an ideal spot for the family table!  This area in our house is the central nerve of our active being.  Here memories of family meetings had, 10 12 year old boys eating pizza and endless play dates of crafts and birthday cards and giggles have been preserved for when my kids look back at fun family/friend life around this table. Said one friend a few weeks ago, "When I sit here while it's snowing, I feel like I'm inside of a snow globe."

Through our church, Glencoe Union Church, we have had the opportunity on 3 separate occasions to host in our home orphan children of Uganda through the Watoto Children's Choir. These poster sized photographs of our family with these amazing kids hang in our mud room and kitchen hall as a daily reminder of the love we have for these children in need. The photos put a smile on my kids' faces as they pass by them daily. My children will always remember sharing their bikes and balls, kitchen table and prayers with these children when they stayed at our home in 2006 and twice in 2008. (See the upcoming performance of the Watoto Children's Choir at Glencoe Union Church on September 12 @ 7pm)

My childhood memory of playing the piano was not such a positive one. I was determined to change my experience into a happy one for my kids. When we moved to our home, our living room had the perfect spot for a baby grand piano.  I began searching the Pioneer Press Music Ad section weekly.  I found an ad for a one-time owned piano for sale from a family in Kenilworth.  I invited my friend and piano restoring expert Bill Holzinger (847-835-9814) to examine the piano with me.  The piano we saw was purchased in 1941 and was deep walnut in color and had only been played by these owners.  Bill gave it the once over and assured me he could restore it to how I wanted it to be.  All 3 of my children began taking piano lessons at a very early age.  My 2 girls continue to play today.  Our family memory is the hours of practicing, the pretend concerts we have on Saturday mornings, the nervous feeling preparing that last time before the recitals and our family gathered around at Christmas time singing carols and more!

In trying to make a newly restored home your own, it took many years to make each bedroom reflect who slept there every night.  After 5 years of my son sleeping on a small twin bed, piles of his treasures all over the floor and out grown Pokemon posters on the wall, I decided his room would be my summer project in 2007and without him knowing about it.  My 10 year old decided to go to sleep away camp for 4 weeks that summer (www.cheley.com) Not 30 minutes after his flight left for Denver, I had my painters (Ziggy Custom Paint-847.312.3637) in his room and the carpet rep. measuring for wall to wall.  I spent the next 4 weeks creating a Cubs haven for my son.  I missed him so much those 4 weeks but felt really connected to him as I packed away his ratty stuffed animals, conveniently lost his Pokemon cards and created a more age appropriate space.  I had a baseball collection box and trophy shelving made by my carpenter and enlarged photos of my son doing sports framed in poster size.  His new queen size bed was equipped with red and blue bed linens and the Cubs logo carefully painted on the slanted ceiling above his bed.  The afternoon my Cheley Colorado camper arrived home he tiredly walked up the stairs to his bedroom.  It was then a scene out of the TV show "Home Improvement" as I watched my son jump with surprise and excitement and scream joyous sounds at the top of his lungs.  He had a new room and that surprise will be forever lodged in his childhood memory bank.

One of my cherished adult memories and one that impacted my children was me traveling to Paris a year ago by myself to meet up with a friend to search the flea markets and the furniture shows for treasures.  My girls especially were in awe of the word "Paris".  The idea of me leaving them and flying to France was a bit more than they could understand.  All they wanted was a picture of the infamous Eiffel Tower.  The flea marketing in Paris was amazing.  I was lucky enough to purchase and ship back an antique chandelier, two horsehair filled club chairs from the 40's, a fireplace mantel and 2 metal tables I use as night stands by our bed.  My travels were empowering and even this month my daughter brought in the french money, an Eiffel tower picture and other Paris trinkets to "sharing" in her 3rd grade class...still a memory for the both of us.

Two Decembers ago, as the last gift was opened under the Christmas tree and the kids were taking it all in, our front doorbell rang.  As whenever our front doorbell rings, my 3 run to the door to see who is waiting behind it.  On this Christmas morning, the children opened the door to see a small pet crate with an 8 week old Jack Russell Terrier (www.qrkonline.com) peering out at them.  The screams, the laughter and the happiness exclaimed by these three to receive a puppy on Christmas morning was beyond their dreams and their reaction beyond mine.  Penny, our Christmas puppy, will be forever etched into their Christmas morning memories for the rest of their/our lives.