Happy Valentine's Day!

In high school and college, Valentine's Day was my favorite holiday.  I loved sweetheart candy, giving and receiving cards from others, and most of all, the color pink.

Valentine's Day has long since been replaced as my favorite holiday, but I can still relate to my kids' excitement and anticipation for today.  Our day will call for sprinkles on cereal for breakfast, special heart-shaped sandwiches for lunch, and heart-shaped brownies and whipped cream for dessert after dinner.   We have been busy for the past week, making valentines for friends and classmates and valentine boxes to collect cards during school parties.

G-Bear's valentine box

E-Bear's valentine box

A friend once asked me why I like Valentine's day so much, and my response was, "because it is a day for handing out tokens of love, which is appropriate, because love isn't love until it's given away."  You can spare me the sensationalized, sexualized hype of consumerist America over Valentine's day.  But, I appreciate the chance today affords me to teach my kids that sharing little acts of charity like handmade cards and thoughtful notes can truly make others feel special.

Yes, we made our valentines this year.  This is not because I have any artistic talent.   I simply calculated how much time it would take to get three kids in and out of Target on the weekend and compared that with the supplies I already had in our art cabinet.  The art cabinet won.  I was so proud of how diligently both G-Bear and E-Bear worked on their valentines.  G-Bear made cards with mini-muffin wrapper flowers.  The "flowers" pull off to reveal hidden cinnamon candies!  So fun.

G-Bear's valentines this year

E-Bear made lollypop flowers with our mini-muffin wrappers and wrote his name on each green "leaf" label.  Way to go, buddy!

E-Bear's valentines this year

The time we spent making valentines together will tie as my favorite part of today.  My other favorite memory will be how T called E-Bear on my phone on his way home from work to ask him for his help.  T honked the horn when he arrived home, and the boys ran out to help him as he brought in surprises.  T brought a big bouquet of red roses for me (always special, because I never got red roses from him until we got engaged), and E-Bear and Buddy Bear presented G-Bear with a big mixed bouquet.   G-Bear loved every minute of helping me arrange her flowers in a vase.  Talk about making two girls feel loved.

Happy Valentine's Day from all of us in Happily Ever Johnson Land.