Valentines Day 2016

On Friday Kiernan's class celebrated Valentines Day at school.

There were many rules about this celebration that did not exsist when I was in school. No food was the big one that threw me. I assume its because of allergies but no Valentine candy just seems wrong. So on my way home Thursday night I found myself in the dollar store with many other parents trying to find something that comes in a pack of +/- 20 that was cool from my child's perspective that his classmates would also like. I landed on some jumping frog toys and found some TMNT cards.

It was a big homework night because of all the time off for snow plus the short week upcoming for Presidents day. We did homework plus signed cards and taped frogs for about an hour.

We were told not to write any classmates name on the cards but just to sign them. This was to save time when handing them out.

After school on Friday he had a whole 2 sacks of pencils and toys and cards and seemed very happy, so overall it seems a better system than the one I grew up with in which only a few kids got cards or in which cliquishness seemed most painful.

I have decided (rather randomly) to play the Safeway Monopoly game. I am not sure how it captured my imagination but it did, so if you find yourself asked at Safeway if you want extra Monopoly pieces (and you wont use them yourself) please send them my way.

On Saturday we went to Ikea to find new bed slats for our new startling collapsing bed syndrome.

Megan got really car sick on the way so we stopped at Scearce's for emergency washing and hugs from Grandpa.

Once Megs was back to herself we proceeded on to Ikea to eat lunch (new veggie Swedish meatballs are not to shabby) and let the kids play in the ball pit and to pick up some cool art for our all to bare walls.

No bed slats...last minute DIY ideas...fingers crossed...

Then we went to celebrate Kalebs 2nd birthday.

It was fantastic. Aunt Pammy and her crew really went all out and made games and snacks and fun for a whole gaggle of little ones. It was funny to see my kids as the' big kids' of the group. They didn't care they loved it.

They both fell to sleep in the car very shortly after we left and Megan asked if Kaleb might have more birthdays soon.

Sunday was Valentines Day.

It was cold.

David and Mom and Kiernan all got flowers so the dining room table was a riot of color and scent and beauty.

Really just look how beautiful these flowers were.

There was more chocolate than you could shake a stick at and even a healthy fruit basket thanks to Opa's fruit baskets arrival.

Mom got us some cute bread.

Megan dressed as a princess pirate to steel out hearts.

Then she sat down to some serious chocolate eating.

We spent the day indoors mostly watching movies while David shoveled the driveway twice.

I took the kids to Scearce's again to give him some quiet grown up time (he did taxes) and he took the kids when I got home so that I could have some (I got my haircut and went for some warmer clothes that fit for Megan). 

It was not tremendously romantic in that sense but it felt very cohesive and familial and right.

When I got back from the store Megan was down for her nap and Kiernan was ready to do a little tobogganing.

It snowed so much thereafter that I got a long weekend and Presidents day off unexpectedly.

We did laundry and hung art and I cooked a big pot of butternut squash and ginger soup.

I think we are all ready for spring but it isn't as desperate as it was last year with all the snow upon snow upon snow.

I found out that a friend of mine (an ex-boss that I still see for lunches on and off and a longtime reader and commenter of this blog Greg McKain died over the weekend.

Rest in peace Greg.

I was very sorry to hear it and it has put a bit of a pall over my week.

To keep up my spirits I have been watching this video of Pax trying to herd Kiernan and his flying blue disc.