Celebrating and Documenting

Smile and Say "Cake!"

"Every year, the day before school starts, we bake a First-Day-of-School Cake," says Vivienne West. The Maplewood, New Jersey, mom uses icing to write the year and the initials and grades of her two children, Thomas and Lucy. The next morning, she takes a picture of them with the cake. It's a mouthwatering way to celebrate the beginning of that first day, and later, its end. "When the kids are both home from school, we eat the cake and talk about their day," says Vivienne. The ritual is also a chance to celebrate the passing years. "They both love to look back on the pictures, remember what each cake tasted like, and laugh about how much they've changed."

Garden Variety Shot
"Our flower bed serves as a reminder to my kids that they are growing and changing in wonderful ways," says Jill Nogales of Nampa, Idaho, who photographs her kids in the same spot in their yard every year. "It's fun to see how the plants and trees are growing along with the children."

Sign of the Times
For the Moore-Gordon family of Bothell, Washington, there's no squinting at first-day photos trying to recall when they were taken. Every year mom Mary-Leah snaps pictures of the four back-to-schoolers (Hayley, age 14, Hannah, 12, Arlie, 9, and Harrison, 8) in a variety of locations, holding up a dated sign. The family's favorite shots are the ones of the kids mugging with their new teachers: they guarantee that these significant people will also be remembered with every turn of the scrapbook page.

A Ride Down Memory Lane
Looking for a fun way to show off your first-day photos? The Cote family of Belllingham, Massachusetts, drew and framed a school bus, and each year they add the latest picture to an open window.