VDay

Sometimes holidays are big.
Sometimes they are not.

I have made a conscious decision (one that I'm sure JC will be jumping with joy over) that 2011 is going to be a year of not-so-big holidays.
Does anyone ever feel that periods of time have personalities? I tend to feel personalities from most things from periods of time to plants to pregnancies to...well, you know, people. But, anyway, as 2011 came on, she brought with her an air of simplicity. Not the simplicity that existed for a few years ranging from like, 2006-2008/9. That was survival simplicity. This is simplicity by choice. Simplicity stemming from a desire to sit back a bit and do the work that beckons, drift through any rapids that come, and just really enjoy it all.
Yes, that sounds good. That is what 2011 said to me.
But, anyway, this comes into play this month because I love love love the idea of celebrating holidays. Celebrating the big and colorful and memorable. Not fancy, just memorable. But I know that with keeping up on other things that are priorities at this point and keeping a cool head and a happy environment, our holidays aren't going to be like that all the time.
(I am rambling on about this a bit to not only introduce our Valentine's Day but also talk myself down from a huge Easter. I love Easter so much.)
So, as Valentine's Day approached, I knew we would acknowledge the holiday, maybe celebrate just a little, but mostly just acknowledge and enjoy.

Here's how we did just that...

Bethany had to make a decorated heart for her kindergarten class.
So we all made them.
We glued things that we love to our construction paper hearts.
Flowers, beads, ribbons, crayons (yes, actual crayons), buttons, and toys (yes, toys) ended up glued to our hearts.

The older two made valentines for their respective classes. I started to help Ben make valentines for his primary teachers, grandparents, etc. so he would feel involved. He colored a couple lines of red on a heart and was done with the whole ordeal...ran outside to play and that was that.
Sounds fine to me.
Meet you back next year for more, my man.

The kids had fun at their school parties and came home with loads of candy. We went ahead and had some candy. Another one of those times that makes me want to cross myself even though I'm not Catholic.

After school on the day-o-love, we played in the backyard and each had a couple pieces of candy to get us nice and sticky and melty in the sun.
(This was the period of time in between the two cold fronts, so it was gorgeously warm)

See? Candy.

It's true.

The Ballards do eat candy.

It was a fun afternoon. We played together, and had a special dinner requested by Bethany for the special occasion. I don't even want to tell you what it was, especially since I just admitted that we eat candy.
But it rhymes with santaroni and sneeze.
Don't judge me.
It's not the holiday of judgment.
It's the holiday of love.
Love love love.

Just ask this guy.

He apparently wanted to commemorate VDay 2011 with a self-portrait with a stolen camera.
Charming.

As for JC and I, I gifted him all of his clothes washed, folded, put away, hung up, etc.
He gifted me a massage.
Pretty sure one of us made out better than the other.
Ah well, I'll give him some of that candy. :)