Happy Valentine's Day to all my sweethearts.
Valentine's Day came a day early at the F. residence, when I learned today that Dan needs to go out of town on the 14th. No problem. Celebrating the big day is as easy as making the traditional heart-shaped meatloaf with potatoes. I don't know when we started this, but it has become an essential expression of affection on the big day. Becca, this picture is for you, so you can add to your meat fantasies.
Of course, no Valentine's celebration is complete without chocolate, so Hannah and I made the "Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake" a la Hershey's cocoa recipe. Hannah showed me how to make a heart-shaped cake using a square pan and a round pan. You cut the round cake in half, stick it onto the sides of the square cake, and voila!
Erica adores shapes of all kinds. She dearly loves and can identify a circle, square (quay), rectangle (eckle), triangle (treckle), diamond (eedoo), oval (ofle), star (tars), and heart (hoight). She also knows octagon and hexagon, and has a word for them I can't quite remember at the moment. Imagine her joy at a day full of one of her favorite shapes: hearts! She found every heart (hoight) decoration in the house today, hanging them on the cupboards, putting them in the toy garbage truck, and also using heart stickers to make valentines. She truly got into the spirit of the occasion.
We were lucky to have Jack join us also, who was here checking out a job in Chantilly (and it looks like he'll take it! Hurray! Jack and Cindy will be moving to VA!!)
So, on a day when expressions of love run rampant, please accept mine. I love you all, near and far, and wish you all a very sweet Valentine's Day . . . full of heart!!
7 comments:
It was a lot of fun! We've put up some hearts here today too! We have some heart lights, which is pretty exciting!
Wow, that IS THE most perfect heart cake. I love it. Way to go Hannah and mom. I love the meatloaf too. I won't be able to make it since we are driving to Cedar City tonight to see an SUU basketball game. Happy valeltine's day! We love you!
That is a spectacular meatloaf, Jill, and the cake sounds divine. What a stellar display of Valentine spirit.
I personally am Valentine'd out! After single-handedly running the kindergarten and 2nd grade Valentine's extravaganzas today (complete with ice cream sundae bars, crafts, and games), mailing handmade valentines to various relatives (which will of course arrive late), helping Heidi and Holly bake 50 Chinese valentine fortune cookies(which consists of tediously folding little strips of paper and getting them to stay inside a piece of lightly moistened dough until you can get them in the oven), helping Amy construct 20 candy airplanes (made out of smarties, a stick of gum,2 lifesavers, and a rubber band), and running to the store to buy flowers and a teddy bear for a girl that has just shredded my son's tender young heart, I'm pretty much done.
I was SO excited to happen upon some Webkins stuffed animals for the girls (this is a new fad, akin to the beanie babies craze only with an online component, in case you haven't heard). I thought they would be so happy. But alas, I failed Heidi, because last year I apparently created a scavenger hunt through the house for them to find their valentine surprise. What would have possessed me to do something like that? She told all her friends today that she couldn't wait for the scavenger hunt this year. Sadly, no one told me, and I just put the gifts in cute bags with pink tissue. This fatal error of mine was painfully extracted after many, many tears. I really don't know if I'll live thru the tween years. I bought my husband a gravy boat--something we have not owned in 20 years of marriage. And we both bought each other the same movie. This is romance at its best folks. We had a nice dinner at Grandma's with Jack--no heart shaped steaks, but we did have valentine cookies! Anyway, I truly LOVE EVERYONE--I'm just done with the day, and ready for bed!
Jan, you win.
Really, nothing could possibly top your Valentine's Day. Luckily, you have a year until the next one.
PS Thank you for your thoughtful Valentine, which we received in the mail ON VALENTINE'S DAY! Impressive display of planning and timing on your part!!!!!
PPS Please inform your darling heartbroken son that we think he's absolutely handsome, lovable, and wonderful, with many happy times ahead.
Jan, this is so funny. Poor Heidi with her lost scavenger hunt, and poor you for having to feel "mommy guilt" even though you were very thoughtful! I can't imagine trying to make those fortune cookies...it sounds tricky!
And we do all love Jeffrey and think he's a stud! Tell him I can relate because I had my heart shredded a few too many times...it's not fun!
haha, I love Jan's comment. Valentine's sounds absolutley crazy. haha. I don't blame you for being Valentine-d out! Sorry you didn't live up to Heidi's dream. How sad...why can't you just be a good mom Jan? JUST KIDDING. love you.
Jan, I thought of you on Valentine's Eve as I sat next to my children and encouraged them to keep signing their little names on their pathetic power ranger valentines. Our teacher, in a stroke of true wisdom and felicity, enacted a "no food or candy at all" rule on the Valentines. This meant that we just needed a $1.50 box of Valentines and a pen. I think that's all I could have handled, anyway -- but it was nice to know I was following the rules.
Mom, I like the addition of the potato "pillow" surrounding the heart-shaped meatloaf. It is truly a picture- and blog-worthy meal. And dream-worthy.
Love you all!
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