happy heart day!

i remember always waking up to a little treat from my parents on each holiday. it might have been something tucked away in my lunch bag, or a collection of silly treats (pencils, plastic jewelry, etc.). in later years it might have been care packages sent to college, and in even later years, an unexpected check would flutter out of the envelope.

in the spirit of taking back the day, i wanted to make sure that everyone in my house woke up to a little treat. so before i climbed into bed last night, these little bags were assembled in the kitchen. little treats. stickers and gum and glittery pink accessories.



of course, the day would not be complete without valentines for school. last weekend, i picked up some cookie dough that was marked down to a clearance price (i have not ever been a proponent of "break and bake" cookies - these were a total impulse buy if ever there was one...) however, jack immediately decided we had to have MORE so he could bake them for his teachers. (we can't make home-baked treats for the kids at school, but apparantly, the staff isn't scared of a few germs!!)

i was exhausted last night, and when he said, "it's time to bake the cookies," i almost collapsed into a puddle right there on the kitchen floor. but he persisted. "let's just pre-heat the oven," he said, and before i knew it, he had "breaked and baked" (i couldn't resist) 4 dozen cookies, almost by himself.

i had bags and shred and twine, and he quickly set about counting out and bagging the cookies. and then, he jumped up and said, "we have to go turn on the computer! for labels!" (if you ever have wondered about the far-reaching effects of creative blogging, my friends, may i present my son, who absolutely appreciates the value of good packaging!!)





i sort of dropped the ball when it came to photographing his treats, but here are a few shots. the labels simply read "happy heart day love, jack" simple and RED (his favorite color).

they have decided to have a *dance* at school this afternoon. oh, my. jack is beside himself ("will i have to dance with girls, mom?") here's a shot of us getting ready to head to school this morning. they were allowed a free dress day (no uniform), so here we are, red clothing and all!



i must come back today and pen a few more words about how i'm feeling this holiday (inspired by april's tandem post, and amy's idea that she might tell a great love story.)

in the meantime, hope you have a happy heart day!

happy birthday, jen!! start a blog already ;)