New Years Time Capsule

We started a super fun tradition New Year's Eve 2005 when we hosted a party with a group of families. We gave each family a shirt box to decorate with stickers and markers... their Time Capsule for 2006.

We still use the same box and keep each year's capsule items in it.

We handed out sheets of paper for the kids to work on. The current year was at the top followed by fill-ins to complete about the year. It started with their age, height, & hair color. Then it went on to their favorite food, candy, animal, sport and so on. The questions have evolved over the years, but one thing has never changed, a square for them to draw their self-portrait. We have had more laughs at how the kids drew themselves. Here is a sampling:

Every year Reagan puts a disclaimer by her portrait about her drawing abilities...

and every year she says she wants to be able to fly in the next year.

I'm so glad Whitney let me post this drawing. This picture makes us laugh every year. She'll be the first to admit she looks like a puppy in her drawing.

How cute is that?

Tennison's drawing that same year.

Looks like we have a puppy and an alien.

There is also a sheet to fill out as a family, we call it Family Dreams. These are items we hope to accomplish in the new year. The year before last Tennison's dream was "Fresno". We all cracked up because he was referring to the movie Monsters vs. Aliens when the man said they were moving to Fresno. Surprisingly enough we got close, we went to Los Angeles and did our big Disneyland trip! I put World (Family) Peace... who doesn't want their kids to get along?

We've started to include that year's Christmas picture in an envelope with the year marked on it. That way we can see what we really looked like! I store the time capsule with my Christmas decorations so it comes up from the basement in time for New Years.

Here is what the time capsule sheets included this year:

· I am ________ years old.

· I am ________ tall.

· I have ________ hair.

· My favorite color is

· My favorite food is

· My favorite sport is ____ because

· My favorite teacher this year is ____ and my favorite subject is

· One of my favorite things to do with my sisters & brother is

· The most fun thing about summer was

· In the winter I like to

· My favorite movie is

· My favorite game to play is

· My favorite thing to do outside is

· My best friend is ____, I like to________ with him.

· One thing I remember about my birthday this year

· I like to _______ with my dad.

· I like to _______ with my mom.

· When I am alone I like to

· I wish I could

· Next year I want to learn how to

· My favorite Christmas gift this year was

· My favorite thing to do over Christmas break was

You can always start a time capsule anytime you want, like the beginning of the school year (I started the girls doing them in middle school). They are so fun to look back on and this year we are starting something new. We are going to make a copy of the Family Dreams to keep our sights on some things... like climbing Horsetooth once and for all! World Peace will have to come another year!