the Moore 4

I blame Martha. I was thinking of making our own valentines for Cali to give out at school. She’s made some really neat drawn and/or cut-out hearts that she put on Carice’s wall. There is just something about kids’ hearts that they cut out of paper that are so imperfectly perfect. Art in the raw. But then I thought maybe I should just let her pick out those valentines that come in a box to buy. I keep her away from so much ‘main stream’ consumer products; maybe I should give in this time. Then I saw Martha Stewart making homemade valentines…

Lucky for me, I can watch old segments from Martha’s former show, Martha Stewart Living via a Podcast. Loved, loved, loved that show more than her new show. It was like watching pure perfection in motion for almost a complete hour.

Anyway, Martha made some awesome (of course) homemade Valentine’s back in the day. Well, that pretty much cinched it. I just couldn’t bare to have Cali give out those pre-made Disney themed Valentines that we did buy. I know, I know, it’s not about me and shouldn’t have been about me, but there I was shopping the night before Cali’s Valentine Party at Micheals for paper and stickers to make a homemade valentine for all 23 children in Cali’s kindergarten class.

I had an idea of what I wanted to create. They didn’t quite come out as cute as I had in mind, but they were pretty okay. At least they were from our own hands. I affixed an organic lollipop to them and lucked out that I ended up having 24 valentines, one extra for Mrs. Yardley, Cali’s teacher. In her class, they don’t address valentines to anyone particular. They just sign their name so their classmate knows who it is from, so I had Cali put her name on them in her own handwriting the following morning. And she put on a couple of shiny heart stickers on each one.

I had the opportunity to be there for her Valentine Party that day. I brought a homemade Valentine Match Game and all the kids rotated out of other centers of activities. Cali got to decorate a cookie and then devour it, play Bingo with big conversation heart candies for game markers and play a fishing game. She came home laden with a bag full of goodies! I don’t think she received one valentine that wasn’t also attached to some kind of sugar treat. But, I was just as a guilty with giving out lollipops (and oops… Cali got one of her own valentines! Guess I had 2 extras.)

It appeared from her Goodie Bag she brought home Cali was the only one to give out homemade valentines. Well, besides a couple of goodie bags put together by hand. But that’s okay.

I didn’t give out homemade Valentine’s when I was a kid. I did the whole store bought box thing. And Cali probably could have cared and or noticed less about the whole thing – she’s 5. But I’m not sorry I stayed up late Valentine’s Eve to cut and tape and punch holes in red and pink paper. I guess it was about me this year. We’ll see what happens in 1st Grade.

We also made some valentines for Daddy

A happy shout out of Thanks to Grandma Bel, Gramma Shelly/Grampa Steve, Grandpa Moore and Cousin Abbi for giving wonderful Valentines to Cali and Carice! Thanks for thinking of our little sweet girls this Valentine’s Day. Love to You!

P.S.
And no…
I didn’t care
they were store bought…
I’m blaming Martha
Remember? :)

Posted by Shelley