Valentine's Day celebrations began well before the actual day. The week prior when we were basically trapped inside due to heavy ice and frigid (for Texas) temps the boys and I had so much fun making their boxes/bags and Valentines for family and friends. Jackson of course had to paint his box green and Colin loved scribbling all over his bag and adorning it with heart stickers. For grandparents, hand prints of course was the theme for their Valentines, but this year instead of me writing a cute little saying on Jackson's I let him do all of the writing. I have caught him recently sounding out words to right on his own. Just today after coloring Bryan a picture he wrote DADE on the bottom. Oh I just love love love little kids writing and seeing them be so excited and proud when they figure it out. It was my favorite thing to be a part of as a kindergarten teacher, but wow it's even cooler with Jackson. Friends from Jackson got Star Wars valentines, but it took many boxes of them ( I will remember to check in advance) to get enough that weren't violent looking. I mean I guess what says, hey you're a cool friend, better than a fancy looking gun in the hands of a sinister looking bad guy. Come on! For Colin, I cut out simple little hearts, attached lollipops and let him stamp his name on each one with me. It felt strange not staying up late working on my kids Valentines making them just so, but man did I do it right this year.
The boys had a blast at my friend Audrey's house for our annual playgroup valentine party held a week before the big day. The kids played hard in Ella and Evan's gameroom, enjoyed a pizza lunch, followed by many Valentine goodies, and then exchanged valentines. Unlike years past chaos, we got smart this year and let small groups of kids drop their Valentines in their friends boxes. While they were taking turns exchanging, we played big group games in the backyard. On arriving back home, we enjoyed opening all the special valentines and ate way too many candies. If you calculated the grams of sugar consumed in Halloween and Valentines alone by a typical kid it would probably be well over their allotment for the entire year. Luckily I let the sugar high wear itself out in the backyard before enjoying the wonderful sugar low marathon naps had by all.
Valentine's weekend, I'll call it that, was cram packed with goodness. I made more than I had anticipated at a garage sale that I did with three other families, had a blast hanging out with the girls, went on a double date that night with great friends to a tapas restaurant, then danced the night away at a cool new hang out. After our busy weekend I was glad to have some detoxing time with Colin while Jackson enjoyed a Valentine's party at school. When he came home wearing his very cool hat he made, we made snickerdoodles and brownies together. Reminiscent of my Steak and Ale dates with my parents every Valentines, I decided to make my own rendition at home and had grilled fillets, potatoes, and roasted green beans ready when Bryan got home. We exchanged our family cards over dinner and then let the boys open their pillow pets we got them. Jackson had been asking for the bumble bee one for probably at least a year and half so it was a big hit for him and Colin, because he is in love with everything puppy, immediately laid his head on it and giggled. Gordon Bumblebee now accompanies us on the trampoline, on car rides, and surprisingly Yoda has taken second place to the bumbly fellow.
Well, Valentines Day did get the full treatment like most other holidays celebrated at the Reece's, and why not? It's fun to make the most of things and to celebrate a holiday that is about love and caring for more days than just one. I kept thinking that this was Colin's first but soon realized that starting with Valentines all the holidays will be the second time he's been with us for them. Wow, time flies, doesn't it?
And here is an outtake of me trying to get a good picture of the boys together. What better way to show love than through a strangle, right? Actually this is how every picture of the two of them turns out. Jackson just won't keep his hands off of little brother. He is too crazy about him! We are too!
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