Happy end-of-the-craziest-week-that-has-to-be-even-crazier-than-the-week-before-Christmas-at-school, RMT’ers! Or, Happy Belated Valentine’s Day! Seriously, what didn’t happen this week?! And to think that I forgot all about Groundhog’s Day earlier this month, too. Oops!
Anyway, here’s a Valentine’s recap of how T spent the last several days preparing for all the day’s events (and many other additional days surrounding).
Happy Valentine’s Day 2013!
It was a gorgeous afternoon for a pick-up soccer game at our play group Valentine’s party!
First we had a Valentine’s Day party on Tuesday with our play group. It was very lovely and at the home of some of our nearest and dearest friends (double lovely!). T had a blast. Actually, everyone did. The kids played harmoniously, and all of the parents got to visit with one another virtually uninterrupted for a change! I don’t think us moms could ask for a better afternoon or early Valentine’s gift than that really!
In T’s words, “I’m a machine!” He’s talking about how he was able to work through his list this year for Valentine’s Day cards.
T’s class Valentine card this year was a paper airplane along with a free pass for a gymnastics trial class at his gym. Most give candy, and we give the activities to help burn off said candy, I suppose!
T got to give this card in person last weekend. We put the others into the post Tuesday. We hope they made it in time!
This is a card T made for his friend by his Grandma and Grandpa’s house. So cute!
We also had a lot (no, a LOT) of Valentines to sign, make, etc. T had 22 cards for his class alone (which all he had to do there thankfully was sign those with his name). He gave out some paper airplane cards (yes, cards that have instructions on how to make a paper airplane!) along with a free gymnastics class pass. Then add to that another pile of cards for family and close friends (and teacher, etc.). We had a pile of leftover cards from years’ past that I somehow had compiled together in a recent clean-out, so we just took the cards from the stash on hand (RMT’ers, I totally recommend this reuse approach with the leftovers, do not recycle!). I asked T to make his own Valentine list this year, which was 17 people in addition to his classmates. I apologize if you weren’t in the mix this year, but trust me when I say T loves you all, and perhaps you’ll get one either later this year and/or next season. The card madness had to have a limit at some point, and to me 39 cards for a five-year-old to complete is quite a lofty goal (and accomplishment).
This was T’s card this year for Great-Grandma Hazel. In his words, she is sitting in her wheelchair looking out the window. It’s so amazing to see life through T’s eyes.
This card was for one of his play group buddies that we’ve known since T was just three-months-old.
T told me what he appreciated most about his teacher, Mrs. W. I then added those words to her card and had him address, sign, and decorate it. I suppose I could have had him write the words also, but this was card 38 of 39, and he was growing weary (understandably!). I gave him a pass there since really he did a knock-out, “machine”-like job overall. I mean, do you send 39 Valentines, RMT’ers?!
And when I say for a five-year-old to complete, I mean he did these cards all by himself over the course of a week-plus. He made the list, and I was sure we started early. I guess you could say I am training myself (and him) young that his work will be his work. There’s no arts-and-crafts department in this house for T to outsource to if anyone knows me at all! I posted a few of my own favorites above to show some of T’s handiwork (which is getting better every day, both the writing and the artwork).
T had a homework assignment this month to draw, cut, and paste hearts. I provided the “inspiration heart” there (lower left) for T to look at as he drew.
T cutting out the hearts he drew free-hand. The safety is already off the preschool scissors, folks!
T’s finished heart homework. I was quite impressed. These are all free-hand and cut 100 percent by T!
As for gifts, our family really doesn’t exchange gifts for this holiday (we are lucky enough to get cards out to each other!), but I did bake for the school office staff and his teacher. I made more of the bite-sized, candy-coated cakes I mentioned earlier this week along with a batch of the peanut butter cup, salted caramel blondies from Super Bowl Sunday. Yum and YUM… and EASY.
T’s Valentines from school this year. He’s a happy camper because there are Skittles.
Now why didn’t I think of this “super” idea? It sure doesn’t “suck,” that’s for sure!
T’s stuck on you this Valentine’s Day!
When we got home from school, T went through his Valentine haul from his classmates. He had something great to tell me about each one (seriously), and I was very impressed with the creativity of some of his classmates, or their parents at any rate. The “super suckers” were my personal favorites, and I think T loved the sticky hand. Who doesn’t love a sticky hand though (other than my white cabinets, I mean)?
Our half pep-half meatball pizza from Long Beach Pizza Company. Add pitcher of beer, a five-year-old, and his transformers for a perfect family Valentine’s Day dinner out (no, really, it was fantastic, including the great food along with fab service).
Last night C, T, and I kept dinner simple: Pizza out at one of our favorite (and non-romantic and extremely kid-friendly) local restaurants. I know… normally we don’t even go out on holidays like these because it’s such madness, but we tried this low-key option and were happily surprised. New tradition perhaps?
According to this book, T loves: Angry Birds, Doritos, Cars (the franchise), trains, nothing (there was a blank page), Peppa Pig, and Skittles.
My Valentine from T. Aw!
Oh and speaking of Valentine cards, before I go I’ll share this funny. So yesterday morning T was up early, but after C left for work. I think he was hoping to catch Dad before he left (at 6:20 a.m.) to give him his Valentine, but he was too late. I, however, was in the shower but the second I got out, T HAD to give me my card. I HAD to have it first thing in the morning when he saw me. In fact, T tried to give us our cards on Wednesday evening before bed (because as all parents know it’s impossible for young kids to keep any secrets). Anyway, I consider myself lucky that T “waited” until 6:45 a.m. Thursday morning to present me with my Valentine. I just wish I was wearing more than a towel.
I hope you had a lovely Love Week, even if overly busy! Enjoy your maybe-three-day-weekend, too, RMT’ers!
Real Mom Time (RMT) 