My Funny Valentines

We are not just having Valentines Day, we have had an extended Valentines weekend. Actually, I'm not that into this Hallmark holiday, and when Darren asked me a couple of weeks ago what I wanted for Valentines Day, I said, "Nothing. I really don't need anything; it's no big deal. Just make sure you never forget my birthday though, dawg." (He never has.)

But with little kids, V-Day is a huge ol' deal as I remember all too well, and the first event was last Thursday, Lucy's Brownie troupe had a Mother/Daughter Valentine tea party. I don't have pictures of it, but it was so sweet. They had set up tables and made placecards with their pictures on them and served us tea or lemonade, grapes, cupcakes, and Girl Scout cookies. Then the Brownies sang, "Skinny-ma-rink-a-dinky-dink" (you know what song I'm talking about) to their moms or grandmas. After that, they gave us hand massages with lotion and back massages. Hello, that needs to be a feature at all future tea parties.

Then on Friday night was the first ever Dad-Daughter Valentine Dance for grades 1 through 5.

Dad and daughter. I wish you could see Darren's second grade pictures. He and Lucy could be fraternal twins.

Here is Dad with both his girls. Elaine and I planned to go out that night so she could have something nice to do, too. I let her pick--she said she wanted to go to Perkins for chicken noodle soup, then come home and make Valentines together, then put on our pajamas and watch "That Darn Cat" in my bed. I even conceded to playing her Kindermusik CD in the car on the way to the restaurant. It's so precious to hear her sing along, but after a few hundred times of "Hammer and Saw" or "Peanut Butter and Jelly," I want to remove my eardrums with one of those serrated grapefruit spoons.

Darren and Lucy went to India House for dinner (her pick) and then to the dance, which she said later was the most wonderful ball she'd ever been to. Also, she and Daddy did the Chicken Dance, of which unfortunately, I have no pictures.

Saturday was the day we'd been waiting for for ages. Every year my dad takes all of us out for lunch on Valentine's Day, and we exchange cards. We went to Wildwood in Geneva, and then we went to a performance of what, if you've read this blog for any length of time, you know is our family obsession--Riverdance. Here is an account of when we went previously.

Though I still did not have gum this time around, Rome did so everyone was set before the show even started. Elaine sat on my lap (and bounced and tapped her feet) through the whole thing, but at one point she whispered to me, "I dropped my gum." Oddly enough, I saw her chewing it again later on, but I didn't research into that too much.

Sunday we spent all afternoon, cutting and pasting and coloring, because the girls decided they wanted to make all their Valentines this year instead of buying them. Kill me. But we did it and finished about 45 homemade cards.

This morning, Lucy woke up extra early for the big day and because she couldn't wait to give me what she'd made for me.

Elaine had made me a Valentine at Cubbies last week, and she showed me right away but then ordered, "Now, you forget you ever saw that so I can give it to you again on Valentines Day." I promised to forget, and she hid it. I don't have a picture of it because in fact, while I was writing this post, she produced it from where she'd stashed it--one of the cat's beds. I also dropped by her school party this morning. Yes, she insisted on wearing her tutu to school today.

Then, when I got home from teaching this morning, this is what I found. Even though I told him I didn't need or want anything, after almost 20 years he's still a smooth operator.


Last of all, I heard this song on the radio this morning, which I think is the ultimate Valentine anyone could ever give. I got tears in my eyes just listening to it. At about the 2:18 mark is where it really gets cooking.

Happy Valentine's Day!