The Scoop on Valentine's Day

Well we survived another Valentine’s Day. I say survived only because by the end of the day I felt a bit like I’d been run over by a bus. But other than that it was a perfectly nice day. I volunteered in Amanda’s class to help out with their party and there’s just something completely exhausting about trying to keep up with 18 5 and 6-year-olds PLUS Alyssa.

I swear it’s the addition of Alyssa that kills me. I volunteered without Alyssa only a couple of days before that when they celebrated the 100th day of school and it was no problem. But try to supervise the making of 18 heart-shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while chasing down Alyssa and I’m wiped out.

Also whose bright idea was it to start all kinds of fun little traditions for my children and why didn’t anyone tell me that not only would I have to remember what those traditions are but then also follow through with them in a somewhat timely manner?

After making a last minute trip to the grocery store for Kindergarten party supplies, then overseeing the folding, signing, and envelope stuffing of the Valentine’s for Amanda’s classmates (Hello Kitty for the girls and Ratatouille for the boys), then putting together mini goody bags for each kid (which included mini tubs of play-doh among other things because just because my kids aren’t allowed to play with it doesn’t mean her friends shouldn’t) I had Amanda’s back-pack packed and was ready to call it a night when I suddenly remembered that I always make a trail of Hershey’s kisses to lead the girls to their Valentine’s gifts. And of course I didn’t have any Hershey’s kisses. And what’s a trail of kisses without kisses? It’s just a trail, that’s what it is. So back to the grocery store I went.

Then on Valentine’s Day I told Amanda she could open her gift as soon as she finished her homework, hoping this would inspire her to work quickly instead of piddling around like she usually does. Well it didn’t work. She goofed around and finally finished her homework just as Scott arrived home with dinner, a heart-shaped pizza (another Valentine’s Day tradition that is far more wildly romantic than it sounds simply because the fact that Scott is paying the same amount of money for less pizza almost kills my painfully practical husband. To show you how difficult this was for him he said next year he’s going to buy a regular pizza and cut it into a heart-shape himself and eat the remnants when I’m not looking.). I suggested to Amanda that we wait until after dinner to open our gifts and her lip started quivering.

“But you promised…”

So that’s why I presented my children with a boatload of chocolate only moments before dinner. Just another brilliant move on my part. And that’s why I never bothered with tradition #3, these Choco-Hoto-Pots in cute little heart shaped ramekins. Luckily it’s also a tradition for me to be scatterbrained and forgetful and I’m frequently known to extend holidays and birthdays by doing stuff late. I will eventually get around to making my dessert, hopefully tonight. Happy Valentine’s Day to us.