love gifts

I'm staying up waayy past my bedtime for this, so it must be important. Today was a very special valentine's day. This year we decided to rekindle a tradition from Aaron's childhood-- The exchanging of handmade, homemade love gifts. We drew names of family members early in February and we've been working on them all month. (It's been a total pain in the butt if you ask me) but it all turned out pretty cute. We originally planned on exchanging these gifts for family home evening this past Monday, but no one was quite ready, so we waited until Valentine's Day and it was a perfect family LOVE night.

Aaron sent Luke (and his brothers) all around the house on a treasure hunt.   It was all rhymes and clues and fill-in-the-blanks and screams and laughter.  They went from the snakes aquarium to the trampoline to the toy room to the garage to Roma's crib and finally, the love gift was out in our mail box.  Luke found a cute laminated valentine (with a special note written on the back from Daddy..)  Not sure if Luke is going to use this as a bookmark or Christmas ornament, but it's a sweet keepsake.  Along with it was a gift-card to get a tropical smoothie... which they will use for a future date.

Simon drew Zack's name and he helped me make two felt hand-puppets.  We originally planned to make puppets of everyone in the family, but it was too time consuming and Simon was hurting the project more than he was helping (surprise, surprise.)  He did help glue on buttons and he the faces.  Zack was thrilled.  They've been using them to fight each other...

Ben was an overachiever this year and made Dad two gifts.  The first, a handpainted picture frame with shells from our Florida trip was too easy for Ben.  He finished it in two days and then wanted to do more.  So he made him a pillow from an old sheet and then glued #1 Dad on the pillow with felt letters.  The frame is darling (the backside has a personal message painted on too) and the pillow is going to fall apart any day... (hand-sewn with love!)

Zack worked SO HARD on my gift and although I am not sure what I am going to do with it, I truly do love it. What is it you ask?  A paper mache head of me!  It can double as a mailbox, so you can put love notes inside my mouth.  It's very fragile and came with instructions on how to care for it "do not let anyone touch it under the age of 5, thank you."  I will find a way to hang it somewhere in my home without it looking morbid.  (Why do you have a huge head hanging from the ceiling? our friends will ask..)

[and ps.  I had every intension of showering and putting on makeup for my husband on this day for lovers, but I was too busy helping a certain someone sew on arms to his stuffed monster...]


Simon is the proud receiver of this scary stuffed monster.  This idea was 100% Luke's and he did most of it himself, although I spent the majority of my day helping him piece it together.  He cut up a soft white towel, sewed it into a square, stuffed it, gave it arms, legs and claws, glued a face on it..  Today he decided it needed something else, so we put horns on it too.  It is darling and Simon went to bed cuddled up to it's angry face.

Roma drew Ben's name.  She bought him a BABYSITTING kit complete with glow sticks, microwave popcorn, band aids, kleenex, coloring activities, books and his own cell phone.  What?  yes, he can now take his phone on babysitting jobs and he's so super excited.  He started entering the parents names of the families he sees regularly and will use the calendar to book his appointments.  He was way excited.  Roma was pretty happy about it too.

had to add one more picture even though the flash nearly blinded them.  This girl is such a light in our family.  We love her and her nasty face.

I drew Roma's name and made her a dozen new bows and flowers for her head... but never had the time to put the clips on them.  They are way cute.  I also finally pinned her first little outfit in a shadowbox for her room.  Before I hang it on the wall, I want to take a picture of her round body holding this premie shirt.  I die every time I think about her fitting in it.  It's doll sized... and so cute.  I also want to add a picture of her wearing it, which I have but haven't printed yet.   Love these little keepsakes.

I think by next year we will be recovered from craft mess and want to do it again.  The kids were literally SO happy to give each other something they made.  It totally filled our home with love and chaos.

The rest of the day was fun too.  Aaron and I each wrote cards to each other.  He brought me home bright pink roses and helped me throw a salad together for dinner (yes, that's a gift)...  I bought him the NICEST set of fingernail and toenail clippers you will ever see.  He was impressed.  We had heart pancakes for breakfast, heart sandwiches for lunch and heart pizza for dinner.  We are all pinked out.  No Valentine's party this year with other couples... too much on my plate.  Too many kids and not a single maid to clean up after us!

Hope your holiday was filled with LOVE.