Wednesday 29 August 2012

The { Not-Quite-So-High-As-I-Thought } Height Of Summer

Oh dear.  The whole of August has slipped by and I haven't managed to join in with Julie's Height Of Summer Series as I had intended.  Today is the last day.  So although I had ideas for pages of scrapping and posts full of amusing height related anecdotes, I will have to settle for a photo of the inside of our pantry door.  We've lived in this house a long time, ever since the boys were tiny tots, and over the years we've marked out their growing up on the paintwork.  When I say "growing up" of course I'm talking in terms of length rather than maturity which is a) difficult to measure accurately and b) even harder to plot!

Photo - heights on door

Child No.3, who has lived here all her life, has been tracked since she could stand.  When I checked today, she hasn't grown in the last 8 months.  I wish we'd been sensible and measured the children on their birthdays or each Christmas or at some other regular interval.  The dates are completely random - just when it occurred to somebody that it would be good to do.  This means it's hard to compare their heights at say 14 because somebody might not have been measured during their 14th year!  What I do know is that both boys are now taller than me (and Hubby too, since I'm taller than he is), but then I didn't really need the door to tell me that now did I?!?!

Photo - close-up of heights on door The door has told me something though.  It's come as quite a shock to me too.  It appears that I have been living under a misapprehension with regard to my height.

If Julie had asked me how tall I was, which she has, I'd have said 5' 10" - possibly rounded up from 5' 9½" for ease (I round down my weight to balance things out, don't you?!).

I'm sure I was.

Once.

Just not any more!

I measured today (twice in case the first tape measure was faulty) and discovered that I am shrinking!  That mark against my name is 174cm from the floor - yup, a measly 5' 8½".

Wait though!  We had ceramic tiles laid in our kitchen a while back so the floor is higher than it was.  Hmm - that might work for the children's older marks which will be need to have a lower floor level factored in, but, unfortunately for me I was standing on those tiles today.  So yes, the weight of all my years has begun to tell.  I am not quite as tall as I used to be.  Unfortunately for Hubby he seems to be shrinking at a similar rate!!

12 comments:

scrappyjacky said...

My DDs keep telling me I'm shrinking...and I indignantly assert that they must still be growing!!

Jo.C said...

I love how you have taken an accurate measurement. I just told Julie that I was 5'6". Don't want to check now as shrinking would be awful :0)
I blame my lack of heels if someone says I've shrunk!

Lisa-Jane said...

I "think" I am 5'2" but I do know for sure that I can't buy regular length trousers!

humel said...

lol - great post! But I would have agreed with you that you were 5'9 1/2, based on the scientific method of 'you looked a couple of inches taller than me, and I'm just over 5'7, so that sounds about right...' ;)

alexa said...

I smiled at your door - such a great idea. My parents-in-law marked the heights of their nine children and 21 grandchildren as they all grew up on the wallpaper by the door in the living room ...

Unknown said...

I wish we had done this with our kids. My mom did it for us, but we moved so often that it just never got done and as my husband never did it as a kid he just couldn't understand the reason behind it. I also have no idea what height my kids were at 10 or any other age. I measured myself for this series and I too have shrunk! It was a fun series that Julie ran :-)

Ginger said...

nice to see a few more tall ones!!

Maria Ontiveros said...

We have similar marks on our kitchen wall.
Rinda

Julie Kirk said...

I hope I haven't helped shatter your self image! ;-)

I love the door - a friend of mine has something similar and was sad she was going to lose it as she's having all her doors replaced - but I think she should cut it out and frame it. I wonder if you've had similar plans!

I'll go and add you to the chart - in your rightful place - and I've already pinned you on the board: http://pinterest.com/notesonpaper/the-height-of-summer-2012/

Thanks for sharing such a lovely post.

Julie :-)

Sian said...

Haha! You know what this lovely post reminded me of? That story about the ghosts of Roman soldiers in York only appearing from the knees up becasue of the ground being higher now lol

Razzled Scrapper said...

Oh these little milestones. We have one of these at my parents house that has both my kids and their first great grandchild on it. Sometimes I have to just set and reflect on how big they have gotten.

ComfyMom~Stacey said...

I ever remember to measure my kids at regular intervals either. They decide at random when they want to be measured these days