Certificate Binder

What to do with all the papers your children bring home?! 

I have to ask myself, "Do I wish my parents had saved any of my kindergarten papers for me?" No.  So, into the trash they go. :)

Each child does have a small keepsake box with some special baby gifts, Awana vest with badges, etc. 

And on the top of our tall bookcase in the living room lives the Certificate Binder.  It's just a 1.5" 3-ring binder filled with sheet protectors.  

It started out when BK's teacher would send home a page of photos from special events at school or field trips.  We have pages with dozens of photos from bowling, a field trip to the University greenhouse, making apple muffins, visiting the apple orchard, and tractor day (both 2018 & 2019 tractor days!).  Attending a Listening & Spoken Language school, each photo page allowed the parents to ask appropriate questions after school so the child could practice using spoken language & new vocabulary. 

We started saving them in sheet protectors in a binder.  

Over time, we added random certificates that came home from school.  And then he started swim lessons and was given a paper to keep each coveted sticker on until he reaches level 10.  

BK graduated from his first school, but the Certificate Binder continues to keep awards from school, the class photo each year, the group photo that comes home from day camp at a local Bible camp, LM's swim certificates each summer, Awana certificates, LM's 1000 Books Before Kindergarten pages, etc. 

Both children delight in looking through the Certificate Binder, whenever I get it down off the tall shelf.  

What do you save for your children? Where do you save it?