Lily and David are in the kitchen early in the morning. The aroma of freshly cooked pancakes fills the air, mixing with the sound of sizzling as David flips another golden-brown pancake onto the plate.
David, dressed in a casual shirt and apron, hums softly as he moves around the kitchen. He's been up early, making sure there's enough time for breakfast before the daycare drop-off.
David: "Alright, pancakes are almost ready, Lily. Want to help me with the syrup?"
Lily, her face lighting up with excitement, nods eagerly, already grabbing the syrup bottle from the counter. "Yes, please! I love pouring the syrup on top!"
David chuckles and sets down the last pancake, adding a dollop of butter on top before turning his attention to Lily. "You know, I think we've got the perfect stack this morning."
Lily beams, her little hands carefully drizzling syrup over the pancakes. "I'll make mine extra syrupy!"
David shakes his head with a smile. "You always do. You know that's going to make it really sweet, right?"
Lily giggles, sitting down at the table with her plate full of fluffy pancakes, topped with syrup, butter, and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. "Yummy! I'm going to eat the whole thing!"
David sits down next to her, his own plate of pancakes in front of him. "Well, I'd say we're off to a good start today. Big day at daycare, huh?"
Lily nods excitedly as she digs in, her eyes shining with the thought of the memory book she's about to create. "Yes! I'm going to tell Ms. Choi my idea about the memory book today!"
David chuckles, taking a bite of his pancakes. "That's my girl. Always thinking ahead."
They enjoy breakfast together.
After breakfast, Lily and David arrive at the daycare, and Lily can't wait to share her new idea. Her eyes sparkle with excitement as she rushes over to Ms. Choi.
"Ms. Choi, I want to make a memory book! A place to keep all the best parts of my days here!" Lily exclaims, practically bouncing on her toes.
Ms. Choi smiles warmly, her hands resting on her hips. "That's a wonderful idea, Lily! I think everyone would love to make their own memory book."
Lily's face lights up. "Can we start today? I can draw Snowball in it too!"
Ms. Choi nods, turning to gather the other children. "Alright, everyone! We're starting something special today. You're all going to create your own memory books, filled with drawings, photos, and little stories about your favorite moments!"
The children cheer, excited murmurs filling the air as they chat about what they'll include in their books.
Joon, grinning widely, raises his hand. "I'll draw all my friends! And Snowball too!"
Hyun adds, "I'll draw some of the toys we play with."
The kids rush to the arts corner, eagerly grabbing crayons, markers, glue, and colorful sheets of paper. Lily carefully selects her favorite purple crayon, her mind racing with ideas. Joon grabs green—his go-to color for almost everything.
"I'm going to start with Snowball," Lily says, her voice filled with joy. "She was so soft!"
Mina looks thoughtful, tapping her chin. "I think I'll draw the swings. That's my favorite part of the playground."
Joon perks up. "Can we put stickers in our books, Ms. Choi?"
Ms. Choi nods with a wink. "Of course! Stickers will make your books even more special."
Just then, Ms. Choi surprises the children with a stack of printed photos from past daycare activities. She hands them out, and the kids eagerly flip through them, each one excited to find moments they can include in their books.
Hyun holds up a photo with a grin. "Look, this is when we built the giant block tower! That was so much fun!"
Lily gasps, holding up a photo of their pancake day. "And here's a photo of us having pancakes! My favorite!"
Ms. Choi smiles. "You can add these photos to your books and even write a little about what you remember."
At snack time, the kids sit together, their memory books beside them. They share stories about their favorite moments, each tale making them laugh harder than the last.
Joon bursts into laughter. "Remember when Hyun pretended to be a dinosaur? He scared us all with his roar!"
Lily giggles. "And then Mina tripped because she was laughing so much!"
Mina grins sheepishly. "Hey, that was a good laugh! We should definitely put that in the book."
After snack, the kids return to their projects, now even more energized. Ms. Choi helps them add their names to the covers and decorate with stickers and drawings.
Lily proudly writes her name on her cover, adding a small heart next to it. "Look, Ms. Choi! I made mine sparkly with glitter!"
Ms. Choi takes a step back, admiring her work. "Beautiful job, Lily! These memory books are turning out so lovely."
Hyun raises his hand. "I drew myself as a superhero! Can I add that?"
"Of course," Ms. Choi says. "Add whatever makes it special."
At lunch, the kids keep chatting about their memory books, excited about what they'll add next.
Lily takes a bite of her rice bowl, listening intently as Joon talks about adding a page about his favorite toy car.
Mina, with a grin, says, "I'm going to add more animal pictures. Maybe I can find a cat photo too."
Hyun, ever the robot fan, adds, "I want to fill mine with robots! My favorite memory will be 'robot day.'"
Lily beams. "We should share our books with each other when they're done."
Later, Ms. Choi gathers the kids and reads them a story about a young artist who captures memories in her drawings. The children listen intently, imagining themselves as artists creating their own stories.
"The artist in the story created a memory with each drawing she made," Ms. Choi explains, "Just like your memory books!"
Lily's eyes brighten. "I want to be like her. I'll make every page special."
Joon pumps his fist. "Me too! I'll even draw a picture of everyone in the class."
As the day winds down, Ms. Choi helps the kids carefully store their memory books on a shelf, ensuring they're safe until tomorrow.
Lily gives her book one last proud look. "I can't wait to show my dad! I'm going to fill every page."
Ms. Choi nods with a smile. "And we'll have lots more memories to add every day."
Joon, already excited for tomorrow, says, "Tomorrow, I'm drawing the playground!"
As David arrives to pick up Lily, she rushes to him, eager to share her progress. "Dad, look! I made a memory book! I added Snowball and our pancake day too."
David smiles warmly, his eyes soft with pride. "This is wonderful, Lily. Looks like you've got a treasure of memories already."
Lily grins, her excitement bubbling over. "And tomorrow, I'm adding more!"
After returning home, Lily eagerly asks, "Dad, can we have spaghetti with meatballs for dinner?" David smiles and agrees, adding garlic bread to the menu as Lily's eyes light up.
While dinner is cooking, Lily excitedly talks about her day. "I showed Ms. Choi my memory book! I added Snowball and our pancake day."
David laughs, "Sounds like a fun day."
Once dinner's ready, they sit down to eat. Lily digs into her spaghetti, savoring each bite. Afterward, they move to the couch, where David starts a cartoon movie. Lily snuggles next to him, her blanket wrapped around her.
As the movie begins, she whispers, "This robot is just like the one in my book!"
David smiles, his eyes on the screen but his thoughts with her. "You're right, Lily."
As the movie plays, Lily falls asleep in his arms, and David quietly whispers, "Sweet dreams," before the room settles into peaceful silence.