Renee Chou: Celebrating - and recording - those little kid moments

Like many parents of my generation, I take a LOT of photos of my little girl. They capture her many expressions, her cute outfits, and her experiences. They are a quick postcard of where we’ve been and what we’re doing as each season comes upon us. My camera roll and iCloud storage are loaded with still images.

Now I’m making a conscious effort to try and record more videos as well. Recently, I had lunch with another mom whose children are tweens. She said to me, “One thing I wish I did more of was record videos of my kids when they were younger. I’d forgotten how they sounded with their cute little kid voices!”

I don’t ever want to forget that cute little kid voice.

Pictures are great, but videos truly allow you to relive those memories. Some videos I recorded when Elsa was only a year or two years old pop up periodically on my Facebook memories. I laugh when I play back her crazy giggle at the time, that sounded (quite honestly) like a mix of Daffy Duck and a hyena. Or when she was still in her high chair, and flipped a plastic bowl on her head, and shouted “Hat! Hat!” so clearly and proudly.

At 4.5 years old, Elsa is quite the conversationalist. She talks to her toys. She muses out loud. She makes up songs. And she is pretty darn funny.

My phone is not always at the ready when she unleashes her zingers—but I try to keep a running list of “Elsa-isms” on my phone.

Her self-proclamations: “When I was born, I was the cutest baby in the whole world!”

Her hilarious questions: “How did Daddy become your wife?”

Her pointed statements:

Me: “Let’s not be bossy now.”

Elsa: “I’m not bossy. I’m just telling you what to do.”

Her inventive creations:

We’re about to play superheroes. Elsa asks me what I want to be. I say, “Supergirl or Batgirl.” She says, “How about Hot Girl?” You see, “hot girl,” according to Elsa, uses fire as her superpower. I told her that when she gets older, she’ll realize how that phrase is used as a compliment.

And then there are her pep talks:

“Mommy, why do you wear makeup?”

“Mommy is old. My skin is not as smooth as yours. I have more scars, marks and laugh lines on my face.”

She puts her hand on my cheek, looks deeply into my eyes, and says, “Mommy, you are still beautiful because God made you special.”

WOW. She has an incredibly sweet soul.

One year ago, I launched my monthly blog for “Go Ask Mom.” I’ve always intended to keep a journal to record these moments more diligently. But who has time for that?

Instead, some of those moments or experiences are transcribed in these blogs which have been a blessing -- causing me to stop, reflect and savor these memories. I thank you for taking the time to read and to marvel with me the journey of parenthood. I’m eternally grateful for my little girl who continues to amaze me.

And as long as that cute little voice keeps talking, I’m listening. Laughing. Maybe even doing a little recording… so I can always remember how much I love this stage.

Renee Chou, WRAL-TV morning anchor, is the mother of one. You can find her monthly on Go Ask Mom and all of the time on her Facebook page.