Valentine's Day

I love holidays and love putting forth at least a little effort to make them special for my family.
For valentines day this year, we started the kids off with heart-shaped waffles and heart-shaped fruit kabobs.  Lunch was heart-shaped sandwiches, and dessert that night was heart shaped chocolate chip cookie bars (a favorite of both Kevin and the kids.)

My favorite thing that we did this year started the week before Valentine's day (which is when I found the idea. Next year, I'll start it on the first day of February.)  Every day or so, Kevin or I would post a paper heart on the kids' doors with something that we love about them.  Each day, they would get SO excited to run and see their new heart with what we loved about them.  It was such a great and concrete expression of what specifically makes each of them special to us.

What was even more touching, was when Caroline took this idea and pasted this on my door.

She cut out the letters M O M M Y and wrote something she loved about me on each letter.  It was the most special and heartfelt gift I have ever received!

After a day of school valentines parties, we visited Winchester House, a nursing home in Libertyville, and handed out valentines to the nurses and residents.  I was SO proud of my children for bravely handing out valentines to elderly residents, many of whom were in wheelchairs, and eating or being fed dinners that maybe didn't smell quite so appetizing.  It was more challenging than some of our past outings there, but they really pulled through.

Valentine's Dinner

Heart Alphabet Game

 Exchanging Valentines!