Valentine’s Day

Five things I love…

With Valentine’s Day being a big focus during the month of February, we have been talking quite a bit about love, friendship and kindness at preschool. Focusing on these aspects of the holiday instead of the flowers, chocolate and wine (although greatly appreciated) helps to include all age groups into the joy that can be shared on February 14th. Teaching young ones the importance of expressing their feelings to others is so very important – and this is a great time of year to encourage this type of communication. Each year with my three year olds I do an activity that involves answering five questions. Basically, we talk about if you love something it is very special to you, something you would choose over everything else, something you treat especially well and something that can always make you smile. After we talk about these characteristics, I pull the children individually over to a quiet spot and ask them questions about specific things they love. I need to ask individually, because if we did this in a group, the first answer I received would be repeated 17 more times. At the age of 3, these tiny ones often have trouble talking about their preferences, and need help answering questions like this – although certain children had multiple answers for each question- which I happily accepted (you can love three foods, go ahead!) I let them know that I was going to ask them 5 questions and I would write down what they told me on a bright pink piece of paper that would be sent home for their parents to read. I asked about what they loved – 1. food 2. friend 3. place 4. family member 5. toy

FOOD– I personally thought this would be any easy one to answer, but it gave many of my little friends a great pause. I ended up with many different answers, but the most common two answers surprised me – broccoli and carrots (well look at you, healthy eaters – look at YOU!). The list also included crowd favorites such as strawberries, grapes, watermelon, chicken nuggets and bacon and eggies. One of my friends immediately shouted “CAVACADO TOAST” – I agreed that I also loved avacado toast!

FRIENDS– It was fun to hear how this one was answered as the concept of friends is still a bit blurry in preschool. I loved hearing them name classmates, cousins and siblings as friends that they loved. It was also fun for them to tell me a name and then hear how they knew this individual, “Bennett, you know, I play at his house”, or “Gus, he lives by my Grandma”. Friendships develop and mature with age, but my 3s all had answer for a friend that they loved.

PLACE– Having raised four children of my own who all had favorite places to go, I was anxious to hear what my tiny ones would name as their favorite place to go. Some of them were obvious and I completely agreed – Disney, the trampoline park, “that donut place” (more details, please!). Others made me laugh : Costco, Target, Kroger. Some were extremely specific “Glass City Metroparks (yes, Ma’am!) and “the Library Downtown”. I loved hearing about “The pizza place downtown” and now I need a name and address so I can try this pizza for myself!

FAMILY– This one was the easiest for them – I no sooner asked the question and they had an immediate reply. Nine of my 18 responded right away with “Mommy”. An additional three said “Mommy and Daddy” and the rest of the answers were siblings, cousins, and Grandparents. Their smiles were big as they shared with me their response and I could FEEL the love!

TOY – This was a no brainer. Each of my babes had an answer right away and most of them weren’t a surprise, because if you love something YOU TALK ABOUT IT. I was told about the usual suspects, Spiderman, Paw Patrol, The Ninja Turtles and The Hulk. Two little girls gushed about the unicorns they ALWAYS played with ,and one went on and on (and on) about her doll house that Santa brought her last Christmas. Other mentions included a dump truck, a blue car, and an Elsa dress and cape. I truly loved hearing about their most favorite toy because it gives me a bit more insight on their overall personality.

Even though the snow and ice kept us at home today and not at school for our Valentine’s Day party – it’s all good. When you are three, you don’t know the day of the week or the date on the calendar – so we can have a party any day! These bright pink sheets full of favorites will be sent home on Tuesday and will hopefully be enjoyed by the parents just as much as I enjoyed compiling the information.

Just for fun – I thought I would share MY favorites with you…

FOOD – Potatoes! Seriously – fries, chips, hashbrowns OH MY! This is a hill I will die on – sorry, not sorry 🙂

Friend – Steve, my husband – I call him my Prince for a reason. He is thoughtful, funny, loyal and the hardest working man I know. He loves me completely and doesn’t make me tuck in my crazy – win/win!

Place – Our lake house, Geneva Landing. When I arrive my blood pressure immediately lowers and we have created so many amazing memories there already. The fridge is always stocked with our favorite food and drinks and I will always treasure this amazing house by the water.

Family – My fab four. The 4 children we have created have made me proud, anxious, hopeful and exhausted and I wouldn’t trade a second of my time with our family to do anything else. They are generous, hilarious, intelligent and compassionate – I will sing their praises until my last days.

Toy – My Iphone. I love it more than I probably should. I have it with me all of the time and it helps me spell, stay organized, communicate with friends, figure out how much to tip the waiter, and calculate how much 30% off my jeans will save me!

So there you have it – more than you probably ever wanted to know about me. Now it’s YOUR turn! Please share your list of 5 favorites with me. Happy Valentine’s Day!

It’s a 2fer! Valentine’s Day & Ash Wednesday!

I love a good celebration. I think it’s super fun to decorate, find coordinating napkins, bake related food treats, and more. But this year – 2 special days for our family fall on the same calendar date! Wednesday is February 14th, both Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. A 2fer! I am personally thrilled that this day is being shared by two occasions that our family finds so valuable. If you think about it, these two special days have some very similar qualities – the importance of both love and sacrifice.

I know that Valentine’s Day has a bad reputation – often referred to as the “Hallmark Holiday”. There is history of this holiday of which many are unaware. St. Valentine lived in Rome, Italy in the 200’s. He was a Catholic Priest that secretly married Christians and otherwise helped others that were persecuted in other ways. He was arrested and imprisoned for doing these good deeds. He focused on love and helping those that needed assistance. In my mind, I think it’s important EVERY DAY of the year to focus on the good and open our eyes to the needs around us. Why not designate a special day each year to expressing our love and admiration to those who are important to us? Nope, I don’t believe it’s necessary to purchase a diamond or roses, or big boxes of rich, sweet chocolate – but who am I to turn such gifts down? Not a penny needs to be spent – words are free, written word is even better .  Write down your words of admiration, your thoughts of devotion, your gratefulness –  then it can be read over and over, and enjoyed forever. I have always loved the concept of Valentine’s Day and the Saint himself, I even went so far as to choose him as my Saint for my Confirmation! Every year in our house, we have a “Heart Hunt” for the kids – which I started when they were teenies. I place clues in the shape of hearts around the house and they search for the final clue that leads them to a small gift or gift for each of them. It continues to be a tradition that they enjoy each year. We also have tiny mailboxes that we put out in February each year. Many years ago they were decorated by each child and are used to collect notes from all of us. Notes that remind us why we are loved, admired and appreciated. When a new note is placed in the mailbox, the little flag is raised – creating quite a bit of excitement for the mailbox owner! We store the notes in the mailboxes and re-read them every year, laughing at the hand-writing, spelling and sentiments at times (“You are a good big brother and you always help me with my HARD homework” love his 3rd grade sister). We bought these mailboxes at Target in the dollar section years ago- and they carry them every year – it’s been another fun and relationship building traditions for our family.

Regarding Ash Wednesday, for Catholics, this day begins the Season of Lent for us. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter, when we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. During this 40 day period of time, our family focuses on preparing our hearts, deepening our faith and showing our love. Sacrifice is a part of Lent – giving something up that may take up too much of your time, thus making more room in our schedule to read a devotional, pray or listen to your favorite worship music. Whatever makes you feel closer to God – do it during Lent… and don’t stop at Easter – keep it up! Sacrificing for others requires love. Love is also the focus of Valentine’s Day – BONUS!!! In the end, if you are religious or not, I hope Wednesday is a special reminder for you to appreciate those that are in your life, and who have shaped you into the person you are today. Much love to you, from me❤️