I have no other (alliterative) word to use to describe our Valentines Day than VOLCANO.
On Monday it was business as usual. Of course, we had worked on the requisite Valentines for the kids’ classes for DAYS. A four-year-old with a NINE LETTER name needs a little lead time to sign all her Valentines. So does a certain other four-year-old with a three-letter name.
Sadly, Sam and Elisabeth were not able to get them all signed before I had had enough of the whining, (“Hmm…maybe you could sign ELLIE, sweetheart?”) and dawdling and crying and drama about signing ALL THOSE CARDS and finally sent them to bed on Valentines Eve. If I had known what an eruption Valentines Day would be, I may have gotten to bed a bit earlier myself. Instead M and I signed Valentines in handwriting messy enough the other moms might believe our four-year-olds did it. I’m so ashamed.
Even with the days of lead time signing cards, the eruption of Valentines Day took our kids completely by surprise. There was no advent calendar or Lenten countdown or birthday party planning to prepare them. And Hergenrader kids don’t do great with surprises.
Sure, they loved the cards from mom and dad. But the complete meltdown of their normal routine led to, well, meltdowns. Parties at school? More candy than a Willy Wonka factory from their friends? Flowers from Daddy? Aaaaaaaaaaa. They could barely tolerate it all.
Catie handled the festivities a bit better than her siblings. Her class held a Sweetheart Tea for the moms that included poems written by the kids, songs about how much they loved their mamas, and tons of homemade gifts (picture above).
Catie loved doing every bit of it.
She loved Valentines Day.
Even if her mommy is still dealing with the aftershocks.
