Our schools were out for Friday, Feb 13th this year. The last day for Valentine's fun (at school) was Thurs, Feb 12th. Two weeks earlier, 7 yr old Jenna started cutting out paper hearts and announced that she was making Valentines for her class. This was all fine (and un-noticed) until she ran out of paper for her last three Valentines.
I brushed it off, day by day, until 3 days before the Valentine's Day party in her class. I glanced at the home-made items, and impatiently said, "No problem. We'll go to the store and get the last three. It will be so much easier." She made a little pout and set me straight with, "But mom! I don't want them to think I was lazy!"
Wow. Good point. I took a deep breath and remembered another stack of red construction paper in my files. She was thrilled. This is how simple those heartfelt Valentines turned out.
Now if you think I could just let them leave my house in that sweet, simple style---then you don't know me very well. I begged her to reconsider and add a note. Add stickers! Add more color! Add a piece of candy--for crying out loud!! She added stickers to a couple of her Valentines to appease me, but then Jenna wisely left the rest alone with a simple, handwritten, "Love, Jenna" on the back.
