Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  I gave my little Valentines goody bags when we all got up this morning:

Madeleine gave me a gift as well:

She made it herself.  It's to tuck behind my ear.  Madeleine tried it out so she knows it works.


Julia got nothing for any of us.

JULIA: I totally forgot about Valentine's Day, so I don't have presents for anyone!

I assured her that it doesn't matter, because really I just like to treat my three Valentines on this day. 

Inside the girls' bags were: a book (for Julia: the next book in a fantasy series she has been reading, and for Madeleine: a biography of Ruth Bader Ginsberg), turquoise earrings, new bathing suits, and lots of candy.  Madeleine got to reading her RBG book right away.

MADELEINE: Hey, Mommy!  I think this is one of Clara's nicknames in my book!  "A-cloo!"

(Clara, Auntie Shannon's teacup chihuahua, has about a million nicknames.  What once began as Clary-cloo morphed into all sorts of variations, from Clooey to Cloo-cloo to, at least according to Madeleine, A-cloo.)

ME: Oh, yeah?
MADELEINE: Yeah.  Except...I think it would be A-sloo, because "Civil" starts with a-
ME: Oh.  Oh.  ACLU.  It's pronounced by saying all the letters.

Madeleine even brought her RBG book to school today to read during the class Non-Fiction reading time, and was so inspired by it that she wrote about RBG for her Non-Fiction writing project.  I guess I hit the jackpot with that gift!

Our after school time has been less Valentine-y, with Madeleine going to an allergist appointment after school, Julia going to choir rehearsal, and both kids having swim later this afternoon.  Madeleine was kind of incredulous about there being swim on a "holiday."

MADELEINE: Wait.  Mommy?  Do we even HAVE swim on Valentine's Day?
ME: Yeah, you still have it.
MADELEINE: Okay.  I asked Coach Bob and he said we had it, but I wanted to check with you and make SURE.

Yeah, you don't cancel things for Valentine's Day, honey.  It's kind of minor league when it comes to holidays.

Regardless of our busy afternoon, we will get to have one final celebration before bed, since I made and frosted heart sugar cookies for dessert.  At least we get to start and end the day in a Valentiney way!