JFF - Valentine's Day

I bought my 22 mo. old his favorite snacks/candy (Pez, animal crackers, M & Ms) along with new PJs, a coloring book, new crayons, a ball, plastic books that can go in the tub...he will be very excited tomorrow!

I'm taking my son up to play in the snow... and then we're having some deathcake royale http://www.cupcakeroyale.com/deathcake-royale.php and if we're still awake, we'll make some valentines cards. My son's decided to be goth this month (last month he wore a suit almost everyday, the month before he was shirtless guy in flip flops)... so it will be a purple/black/red glitter explosion.

I went to the dollar store and bought my 3 kids and husband a card (2 cards for $1!!) and then got one son a notepad (I don't know why but that boy ALWAYS carries a notepad around and takes notes, it's cute!) and the other son a word find book. Both were $1 at the dollar store. Then I got them each a small bag (3 chocolates) of Lindor Chocolates. I also got them each a cute 2 bite decorated brownie from the bakery section at the grocery store. Cute, small little things that cost me $3.50 per kid. For my husband I got him the card and was really sentimental and mushy in it about all the reasons I love him (especially since I rarely say "I love you") and a big bag of peanut M&Ms. lol
L.

I am surprizing my grandson tomorrow and meeting him in the lunchroom, his mom is coming too. Gonna stop by the Fresh Market and buy about 6 of those huge strawberries dipped in chocolate. Then swing by Chic Filet and get him chicken strips and us salads. I have a handmade small cedar chest (20"hx28"w) that I am giving him to keep his treasures in...I had a gold name plate made at Things Remembered. I am putting a heart of candy and a stuffed dog inside along with 3 balloons that will float out when he opens it. I tell you, I am running out of ideas for this kid...he is the first child in our family...and he is growing up to fast.

last year I found these adorable blankets , fleece with hearts all over.
FUN ! They love them.

Dates. :)
This weekend, I took each boy separately on a mother / son date. Joseph (5) went with me to see Star Wars in 3D. My husband took him on a breakfast date that morning though, and taught him how to do "dates" and gave him 2 twenties for his wallet, etc..so he was able to order our tickets, pay, hold the door open, and ask me what drink I would prefer with our popcorn. SO cute. We had a good time watching the movie, and I gave him the gold heart with R2D2 and C3P0 in it (some pin the theater has been selling for charity, but also gearing up for us Star Wars nerds). He wore it proudly into the theater and posed to let the ticket taker see it. Then we walked over to Outback for dinner with the rest of the family (Jer and Vic met us there)---I was planning on just burgers and shakes, but Jeremy wanted to have a good dinner out, and I wasn't going to argue. I feel very lucky to have a husband who would actively help me teach the boys how to be a gentleman and have nice conversation on a date, even this young when it's "just mom".
Victor (2) went with me the next day to Waffle House for a pecan waffle (his favorite, and we eat there just a couple times a year so it was cool for him). We sat at the bar so he could be big on the stools. (Those kinds silly, simple of things rock little boys' worlds). Then we went to the park and rolled down the hills, fed the ducks. His gift was a batman figurine so he doesn't keep fighting with his brother over the one we had. A very simple morning, but we both had fun!
TODAY: we're going to take pictures because we walked out of our appointment at Christmas time and it's just "time", then Chuck E Cheese for lunch/play because we have coupons for it, tokens already, and it's 1/4 mile from the portrait studio (ha). Then they're done and go to the sitter's so "mom and dad" can have OUR turn for a great at-home date. Yay!
A good weekend, fun, and nothing "Hallmark" about it. I think it's a little bit of a copout to not celebrate things just because you "love" everyday. But that's just my opinion.

i got a little red monkey and a "Valentine, You ROCK" candy filled heart (small) from the Dollar Tree weeks ago. he's a boy so all the frou-frou stuff is hard to navigate around lol...we don't do big Valentine's Days. and we've been so stinking busy i forgot to have him to his for school...nothing like last minute!

My kids love crepes so we will be having a crepe bar for them where they can pick all the fillings and toppings they like for them. We will also have cards for them with little "I love you and like you because..." letters as well as goody bags, games and movies. What will you be doing for your children? :)

This afternoon my kids and I (ages 5 & 2) made V-Day cards for my oldest son's class, teachers, and one for daddy.

For them, I have chocolate-covered strawberries for tomorrow :)

I usually lay out their stuff on the couch after they go to bed so they wake up and find it, kind of like the Easter bunny does. But this year, we don't have my step dtr so we gave them most of their stuff on Sun when we had all 3 of them over the weekend. I got each of them some "fun" valentine stuff, bracelets for the girls and erasers for my son, some boxes of candy, etc. I wll give them another box of candy tomorrow morning and a stuffed animal. But my big surprise is that I got a fondue choc pot and will surprise them with that for dessert after dinner. Dipping lots of yummy things in choc, doesn't get much better than that and hopefully it will start a new family vday tradition for us. =)

I just baked my 15 year old son chocolate muffins and decorated them with icing hearts. Stashed them in the microwave for him to find in the morning.

And that's it - Valentines Day, while cute, is to me a holiday made by Hallmark to increase sales. LOL

I make them their own valentine cards, tell them daily how much i love them and appreciate them, give them a little gift to open and some candies. Its a nice little suprise when the get to open something. **** I do believe that EVERY day is or should be valentine's day---so i try to make it so for them everyday--not the candy part but telling them how much I love them etc.

spurting heart meatloaf, and cupcakes.
:)
khairete
S.

Nothin'. I consider it a Hallmark Holiday. ^_^