As someone who moved every year growing up, I romanced a vision of home stability in which a happily married couple lovingly etches their child’s height in a door frame every birthday for 18 years (eventually comparing their child’s growth marks with those of future generations who inherit the house and continue the cherished tradition).
True, the only person I ever knew who laid claim to such a door frame was the illustrated boy in the 1970s Golden Book “How Big Are Your Baby?†Still, a part of me felt sad when I realized this probably wouldn’t be my son’s story either, as it appears we are destined to carry the torch of the gypsy tradition in my family. Yes, my son’s milestones are on record at his doctor’s office. But it’s not the same. And that might not even be true anymore, as our pediatrician’s office recently burned down (no joke!).
But now, thanks to my Measure-Up Portable Height Recorder (here comes the commercial), my door frame fantasy has found a home in this nifty little keepsake gadget we can bring with us wherever life’s journey takes us. Seriously, I love the idea for this “vertical scrapbook†which is easy to use and rolls up nice and small. The level is a bit much – a carrot for the control freak inside us, or a diversion from the somewhat dubious quality of construction. The plastic is rather thin and flimsy, and when the 6’6″ tape measure is first unfurled, you might squawk, “ordinary, flimsy paper?!†However, upon closer inspection of the fibers (or after doing a rip test, as I did), you will see it is made from that clever, impossible-to-cut-without-scissors paper stock used for festival wristbands (good for writing on and durable). I hope the next iteration improves the plastic apparatus, but otherwise, it’s a keeper.
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