Happy Valentine's Day!

Hooray, hooray!  Today is - as Madeleine would say - Valentime's Day!

We Rowes started the day off by exchanging gifts and cards, as well as opening cards sent to us by our loved ones. 

I was the VERY lucky recipient of multiple hand-made cards from Julia; in fact, she even made a few for the WHOLE family to enjoy.

Like this one:

When Madeleine saw this, she pointed at the heart and exclaimed delightedly, "It's HARRY!"  And I don't know about you, but now I've got Hedwig's Thime stuck in my head.  "Don don don don don..."

The hole family also got this card:

I assured Julia that the pikshers DO look like us.  Julia disagreed.

JULIA: But I gave Daddy GREEN glasses!

I guess that's her reasoning for why the pikshers don't look like us.  Not the fact that Ethan and I are giants or anything.  Or, as Ethan put it, "Julia gave me child-bearing hips."


There was also a card Julia made at school for Ethan and I (this one melted my heart!):

Yep, this one's a keeper.  And a tear-jerker.


PLUS, Julia gave me a few of my very own cards. 

Aww! I love you too, Jules!  And I really love the montans and the trees you drew me.


I also got a hand-made bookmark!  Julia made one for all of her fellow family members.  Here's mine:

Mommy Rowe LOVES it.  Thanks Julia!


Meanwhile, the girls themselves received lots of special Valentines gifts and goodies, including mood bracelets, new earrings, coloring books, and lots of candy. 

As Madeleine put it, when looking through the Valentine bags I put together for the girls:  "Wow!  There's treats and treats and TREATS in here!"


Madeleine was especially excited about the card I gave her, because she could read what I wrote inside it.  What a big girl!

After reading my message, Madeleine decided to try and read the text that came with the card.  Boy, was she on the ball with her guess.

MADELEINE: (pointing to "Happy Valentine's Day"): Does it say "Let the world flower up?"

She was pretty close, right??

In addition to gifts and cards from Ethan and I, the girls also opened cards and gifts from Auntie Shannon and Nana & Gramps.  Madeleine was THRILLED to discover that her card from Nana & Gramps had a whole backside that she could color.  She sang her heart out while happily coloring in the picture:



Yeah, that's RIGHT, Madeleine.  Let it SHINE!

Later on today, after work, school, and swim lessons, the girls will get to eat their special masterpieces they helped me frost yesterday:

Heart cookies!  (Because they didn't get enough chocolates and candy and junk already.)

Happy Valentime's Day, everyone!