Happy Valentines Day

Our Valentine's celebration had three lovely phases this year. On Friday morning the girls giddily pranced to school loaded with Valentine cards and treats to share, and came home laden with more cards and treats than they knew what to do with. I love to see them excited about holidays and traditions!

On Saturday, flowers arrived at the door and mom and dad went out for a gourmet Italian dinner followed by visiting with friends at the church dance (which is more of a social for non-dancers like us:). I love being with Luke no matter what we are doing, and I love that we're in love.

On actual Valentine's Day we had our first ever family dinner in the dining room and even took some of the formal china out of the original wedding-gift packaging for the occasion. The girls each received a kit for growing an amaryllis with a heart shaped card that said, "We love watching you grow," from mom and dad. I love being home together as a family. Pot-luck dessert with cousins followed at the Spangler's house that evening and according to one little person, the basement was "exploding with kids." I love that we have cousins so close by and so much family to share fun times with.

Monday was President's Day (and no longer officially part of our Valentine's celebration, but still lovely all the same) and there was no school, so we spent the day at home relaxing, decorated our flower pots and planted our amaryllis bulbs, and ended the day with a "pizza-picnic" in the family room while watching "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs." The kids liked it, although Beth was put out that it deviated from the book:) I love having a day off now and then to spend however we want.

Sure, I totally blew my diet and the house is a mess and I'm still picking up candy wrappers, but after a weekend full of doing things I love with the people I love, how can I not love Valentine's Day?

PS. I love this picture

Making "Melonade" (October, 2009)

I've decided to start a separate blog to chronicle our "adventures" with Beth having dyslexia. There's only one post so far - I've got a lot of catching up to do. Feel free to read along at http://adventuresofadyslexiamom.blogspot.com

One Day

One day I lay looking out at the sleeting gray sky listening to you coughing from the other room.

What will we do on a day like today, with no sunshine, no friends, no going out to play?

If only we could get away, somewhere warm with lots of sun, where you could run.

We could leave today.

One day to get there, one day to play, one day to come home.

Is it really it worth it for just one day? Yes, it is.

On the plane, on the way, with you beside me. Coloring, singing, holding hands, playing games, watching movies. This is actually fun, to have you here by me on the plane today.

Here we are. Lots of colored lights, the ocean rolling to the shore, all of us together in our room.

And now it's morning, a brand new day. A day with no hurrying and no homework. A day with no rushing and no time table. A day with no coughing and no crying. A day to feel the sand, smell the ocean, hear you squeal, and see you smile. Just you and me and the sun and the sand and the pool, all day.

One more frolic in the ocean, one more splash in the pool, then hop in the shower. We're going home today. Back on the plane you sleep on my shoulder. I hold hands with your dad. I watch you play your games and you sing so loud the people near us smile. Home so soon, but it seems a little easier now. And in my heart I hold your smile, and the warmth, and the fun to look back on fondly one day.