Valentine's Day

I like Valentine's Day again. From ages 12-22 I did not like it. It was always "single awareness day" until the year Justin and I were dating. Then we were more into anti-celebrating it by going to a taco shop instead of an Italian restaurant and secretly (or not so secretly) making fun of my college roommate that cried to her mom when her boyfriend didn't make reservations and they had to wait two hours at Carrabbas. That night we went to our favorite taco shop where there was no line, only a hot room cooled by a drafty door, sticky tables, and everyone spoke Spanish but me. Justin gave me a jar of Starbursts. My love for Valentine's was reborn.

But I still remember Valentine's Day during my elementary school years as my favorite. I loved making Valentine boxes. Now that we have three kids, I like to recreate the fun I had as a child. Paper hearts, cheesy cards, heart themed dinner at home.

Sarah brought home her loot from her class party.  She shared with her siblings because she's nice like that. She also read every card before eating the candy because she's thoughtful like that.

We made sugar cookies Valentines day morning but they turned out a little goofy so I didn't take a picture. Then Justin and I went all by ourselves to Home Depot to pick out a vanity for our basement bathroom because we're romantic like that.

For dinner we made pizza. I even let the kids roll out their own balls of dough and put on their own toppings. I rarely let them use the rolling pin so it was a big deal. We drank Martinelli's out the "fancy cups" and everyone gave me a goofy face for this picture.

Then we exchanged Valentines. From Sarah we all got handwritten cards and Skittles. Henry gave me his baseball wrapped up in Christmas wrapping paper. I gave the kids bags of candy and a new book.

Sarah likes the Mr. Men books I got them for Christmas so I got her a Little Miss. It's just a coincidence that the first in the series is Little Miss Bossy.

Henry got Just Shopping With Mom because he's my grocery shopping buddy. Erica got Blueberries for Sal because I think out of my kids, she's the most likely to follow a bear obliviously.

I gave Justin a jar of conversation cups. Reeses with sayings like "peanut butter breath" and things he likes like "Ebay" and "trucks". And that's all I remember. We probably watched an episode of Parks and Rec before going to bed.