<p>Oh owlice, don’t give it a second thought. </p>
<p>We have scads of family pictures in practically every room of our house. I love being surrounded by generations of ancestors, from the Sicilians to the Swedes, DAR members to immigrant children. It gives my children a sense of who they are and serve as a reminder of how many sacrificed to get them to this place.</p>
<p>Pictures of the children? OMG. Tons and tons. From babyhood to teenagers. Big, small, professional, candids, framed, unframed, the gamut. I can’t seem to ever take any down, I just add more. It’s all well and good until I have to dust. Then I wonder if I’m insane. But I love being surrounded by them all through the ages. When my gothy girl’s dark clothes, dark eyeliner and dark mood get me down, I can look at the picture of her unpierced little girl self in front of the petunias in a floral sundress, pink bow in her pretty long hair, and smile. </p>
<p>The fridge is where the best stuff makes its first stop. If a report card, worksheet, award, or drawing is exceptional, it is deemed “fridge-worthy” and it gets hung up on a special clip until the next deserving piece arrives. Pictures of extended family and friends hang there, too. </p>
<p>All their awards, medals, trophies, varsity letters and certificates are in their rooms. Some of the kids choose to display them there, others don’t. Even if I had a good place to hang them, I think they’d want to have them in their own rooms to enjoy. </p>
<p>Our diplomas and professional certificates are in a box somewhere. If we had offices we’d probably display them, if appropriate. </p>
<p>One daughter is an exceptional artist, in my humble opinion. Her work is framed and hangs all around the house. The littlest is still in the art-project-a-week stage so his current masterpiece gets taped up in the kitchen to be admired during every meal. </p>
<p>I don’t think the soon 2BX is in a position to question anything you do, owlice. I’m so sorry about the circumstances. I hope you are not too heartbroken. I say surround yourself with whatever you need and like.</p>