Our Valentines

Did your child have to make a Valentine card holder for school? Of course they did!! This is our first year making one and I'm going to be honest and say....I was excited! Someone check with me in three years to see if I feel the same way! 

At first T was going to paint a box, then he saw a Minion box and decided he wanted a Minion. I think we all know I am NOT crafty, but I told him we would do it. Guess what? We did!!!

I am officially that mom! That's right, T's box rocks! I wrapped a box in yellow (thanks to Mrs. Smith for grabbing it for us!) and other than the hole and tongue, he did the rest! Oh, I did the feet, too but he colored them. We had a little issue with the teeth, but T worked through it! I then made him take a picture posing like a Minion so I could prove to my little sister P that we did it! She was impressed!

Knowing that I am not a crafter, you will appreciate that since T was 4, he has made his own Valentine cards every year. This year, he wanted to make every kid a bracelet and card.  So he did. :)

I love this kid. I love his creative soul. I love his big, crazy no tooth smile. I love his tenacity. I love that he is my Valentine. I love that I am his Valentine, too....well, kind of. I'm second place to my niece A, and I'm ok with it. 

What is on your Valentine box or what would you put on your box? 

The New and Improved Valentine's Day!

I will be the first to admit that Valentine's Day is not my favorite day. My brother passed away seven years ago and we laid him to rest on Valentine's Day. Until we had T three years ago, I had stopped celebrating. I put on the happy face for my firsties, but that was pretty much it. My husband would still give me a card, but that is just because he is so awesome.  Even with my T, it took a little while for me to cross over to the world of V Day again. What did the trick? Last year, I looked into T's big brown eyes and saw a little of my brother. There he was-acting a fool and telling me how good he looked-J that is, not T. I decided that V Day was an opportunity to share the love I have for my brother with T. I can now officially say, I am ok with Valentine's Day. (I still don't love it, but I am ok with it!)


With that being said, here are the books T and I will be reading this year......
We gave this treasure to T's teacher this week. You just can't go wrong with Laura Numeroff! The little mouse creating his sweet card reminds me of my little guy (and the mess he makes!)


MY FAVORITE Valentine story! If you have not read this story, go to the library and check it out! Then go straight to the bookstore and buy it! Eileen Spinelli will leave an impression on your heart. Mr. Hatch is a rather a grump until one day he receives a mystery box of chocolates. His whole world turns around! He makes friends, smiles a lot, etc! Then Mr. Hatch comes to find that the box was not meant for him. Your heart break will break for Mr. Hatch! Will there be a happy ending? Read to find out!


It costs about $8 on Amazon if there is no bookstore within driving distance! T and I read it online at Story Line Online. This free site is AWESOME! If you are looking for another free online read, visit We Give Books! 


You can't go wrong with this one! Olive receives a mystery Valentine and his friends help him discover who sent it. The play on words with "all of my love" is fun and it gets me giggling every time! My firsties read and reread this one every year. It is about $10.


(Click on any picture to view book on Amazon.)


I wish you and yours a very Happy Valentine's Day! Celebrate the ones you love. Make it a day to share the love you have for others with our own little Valentines. 


Now for the big question....will you be making or purchasing Valentines this year?