Back before it was popular, back when I was little, back before stores sold 'scraps', my grandma collected scraps of ribbon, and the fronts off of cards that people sent to her, and colored papers, and little ribbon roses, and heart shaped doiles, etc. Every year the kids would gather at her house and get creative making extra-special valentines. These works of art were not for all the kids at school - they just got the boxed grocery store variety. No. These were for the people we truly loved, our parents and grandparents, and less often, each other.

This is probably a huge reason why I love Valentine's day. I love getting out all of our 'scraps' and doing this same project with my kids. I love making the giveaway kind for all the school kids. I love the tradition of giving the kids little gifts in the morning. This Valentines day we exchanged our homemade valentines, had heart-shaped pancakes with decorator sprinkles in them (they were a hit, thankyouverymuch), and had surprise gifts left for the kids on the porch (a fun knock-and-run).

Later Ryan gave me a very sweet card and flowers. I LOVE FLOWERS! Some of you ladies married men who think about giving you flowers on random days. Not over here. We need an occasion (and by 'we' I mean 'he'). So I was ecstatic to get them. My mom very generously had the kids over to her house to play Wii and have their own Valentines dinner while Ryan and I got to go out and spend some time alone. Three blissful hours childless. It was great.

And then at 4am Aile threw up. It was a fun Valentines day.