Good Monday Morning: Valentine Week

Good Monday morning, friends!  I hope everyone had a good weekend.  I really do not have a lot to blog about this morning.  My weekend was productive but not exactly eventful.  On Saturday morning I had breakfast with my friend.  We do this once a month and it is a highlight.  Goodness but there is so much to chat about after four weeks – ha!  Then on Sunday morning, there was quite a bit of Valentine fun in Junior Church.  That was exciting!  The rest of the weekend was rather routine.  This week there is more snow in the forecast.  Sigh.  But I am hopeful temperatures will have risen by Friday as my hubbie and I are hoping to enjoy lunch at one of our favorite restaurants.  That will be our Valentine “celebration.”

I mentioned last week that we used to have a lot of fun on cute days like Valentine’s Day but I think that era has also come to an end.  I think I’ve typed that phrase several times lately.  The end of an era.  I must be getting old.  No more mornings of kiddos coming downstairs to a heart-filled kitchen with pink milk for breakfast along with  something shaped into a heart.  Pancakes, cinnamon buns, or – their favorite – toaster strudels with heart icing.  You can tell, we were (we are) simple folks but the kids loved it.  I also remember the parties the children would have in their classes at school.  I worked at their school and, yes, I remember those parties too well.  The cupcakes.  Usually a movie (VHS, of course).  Way too much candy and so much excitement.  I would be exhausted.  Then, we would usually come home to a little bit more fun (and more sugar) at dinner.  I often made a heart-shaped cake from one square pan and one round pan.  Have you ever done that?  I would ice it and the kids would decorate it.  If there was time, we would watch another VHS tape with Dad.

I do not remember having parties at school when I was a child.  We might have and I just don’t remember it..but I do remember exchanging simple paper valentines.  We would decorate paper sacks which we sit on the edge of our desks – just waiting to be filled with fun notes from all our classmates.  Honestly, I think it was just as fun and exciting without all the extra sugar. But I know my children really enjoyed their class celebrations and I enjoy the memories.

During our fun in Junior Church yesterday, the children exchanged valentines.  Each year, we also make a craft that includes the kiddos’ picture somewhere and then make a “surprise” display on the pastor’s office door.  We have done snails, fish, puppies, etc. (all the ideas you can find on Pinterest) and the kids really look forward to it.  This year, it was ice cream cones.  They were super easy (no small pieces to cut out) and turned out cute.  On the top of the door, it said, “Here’s the scoop…our pastor is really cool.”  Cheesy but that’s valentines.  When I told the kids what it was going to say, the response was complete and total blank stares.  Nothing.  Apparently, “cool” is also part of an era gone by!  Good grief:)

Whatever your week has in store, I hope it is a good one.  I hope the weathermen get it all wrong around here.  My friend, in North Carolina, sent me a photo from her walk yesterday.  A picture of daffodils!!  Blooming daffodils.  Hooray for signs of spring.  I am hoping for a few signs around here soon.  Thanks for stopping by today!!