Happy Valentine's Day

Last week I was prepared to give up on helping my sons create Valentine cards for their classmates. Up till now they had only given hand-made cards. I can attest that some part of each card was made by them through the years.

But this year the idea of getting them to each make 19 to 20 cards was enough to make me want to run to the local drug store to buy pre-made cards that essentially advertise a show or movie.

Much to my surprise both guys wanted to make their own cards. One guy asked me to write Happy Valentine's Day on each heart while the other did it all on his own. All 40+ cards for the two kindergarten classes pretty much ended up like this one.

That lovely portrait is not Thomas with dreadlocks. It's me. I thought you would like to know how I've aged since my protesting days. After carefully making a rendition of me, my guy decided his friend wouldn't want a maternal portrait so he made another card. And those large things under my hair are ears. He worked very hard on that part of the portrait.

So what did my kids get? Candy (these parents have got to be kidding - obesity, allergies, the current trend to give children way too much crap - can't these folks just let kids give each other written words?), temporary tattoos (groan), stickers and cards like

Nothing says love like the green and red Power Rangers.

Of course, I am amazed that Hello Kitty is still around.

Or the one that gets the "I'm a better parent because I make the card for my kid" award:

Two different card stock, a ribbon glued on the middle with a puffy sticker on the middle. There was even a candy bar artfully tied to it. Of course, he didn't notice the card. He just tore off the candy.