Celebration of Love

This was the first year in I don't know how many years my own children and I didn't make Valentines together for the grandparents. That's always been a fun tradition, but somehow we forgot until it would have been too late to send to get to their houses on time. I believe at various other years they have been late because we sometimes send ones that need to be in more oversized envelopes that would take longer to deliver. We did think about all the grandparents and Erik composed some virtual ones for me to send to their email addresses through Punchbowl, so all was not lost, but it made me think about all the different directions my kids are going in.

This is Erik's last few months in elementary school and his last Valentine's celebration at school. We typically don't go all out to make Valentine's boxes to collect the valentines in, usually opting for a basic box with heart stickers on them, but this year, Erik and I, with some help from Kai, made a collection toilet for him to bring. It was pretty fun! He brought in Valentine-themed fruit snacks to give out. 

He wrote, "Dispose of your goods here!" They could put them in the top or the bottom, though.

I barely see Victoria and she's the one I've been making Valentines with for the longest, so it's good I'm getting prepared for her to move out. Kai was very helpful in creating the toilet with her artistic ability to make something out of nothing. Austin still had his cast on till yesterday, and while he did very well with his non-dominate hand, he still needed help with various things. Now that his cast is off, he'll wear a brace for two weeks straight. It's less protective, so no horsing around like he was starting to do with his cast on! His right arm is noticeably thinner than his left, even after only 4 weeks. He'll have a virtual appointment in March and then an in-person one in July to make sure his growth plate is still on track. 

It's harder to tell with the watch, but it's definitely thinner!

Besides making Valentines with my students and doing all things Valentines with them, my Primary girls made Valentines to give to friends and teachers, as well as some for me to deliver to the local retirement home. Erik helped me deliver those and it was very rewarding!

They had these little shelves outside their doors that we put them on.

Erik choose the shelves that had no decor on them.

Yesterday, Jason and I got lunch to-go from Levant Kitchen, a Mediterranean Restaurant, after I returned home from work. It was yummy and relaxing! I made shrimp stir fry for dinner that we ate in shifts when everyone was available to eat. Jason got me chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert- my fav!! It was great to still celebrate with those I love!

Tomorrow, to show our love for Michigan State and the recent shootings, everyone is wearing green to school, no matter their school affiliation. A lot of people in our area, including us, are Michigan fans, some more die-hard than others. The rivalry will be set aside tomorrow to show support for "Little Brother", where we have friends who were directly involved in the incident.