So it was the day before (maybe two days before) Valentine's Day, and I casually ask my friend Janet what she's going to do (having no ideas of my own.) She tells me they have a special family dinner where they eat spaghetti and other red foods, drink from fancy glasses, give each child a small gift, and go around the table and tell what they love about each other. Sign me up! What a great idea!
So I pulled together a small scale version of my own and we had a fairly memorable family dinner. I also went with spaghetti, made heartshaped bread sticks, had cherry 7up and green beans. (Green beans!? Yeah, I know, that didn't really fit.) We used a table cloth and some festive paper plates and cups. I tied a mylar balloon to each kid's chair. Livvy squealed/screamed/shrieked in delight when she saw her Hannah Montana balloon. Her enthusiasm compounded Paul's recently expressed disappointment in his red heart balloon. (The only boyish character balloon available was Sponge Bob and since I'm not a fan...well, he got a boring balloon.)
On with the show...
After dinner each kid got a gift bag with some treats and a small toy. We had a little family night lesson (we'd missed Monday for some reason.) We read Mosiah 2:17 from the Book of Mormon and talked about service and how it is the best way to show love. I had made some simple "coupons" for everyone to fill in and give to each other. "To/From...This coupon is good for (fill in your service) because I love you." It went so-so, maybe would have been better if the kids, and Dave, were older. Olivia filled all of hers in with "LOVE" which was very non-comittal. Paul will be making everyone's bed (Dave and I had to share this service.) Faith is helping everyone pick up clothes in their bedrooms. Dave was having brain cramps and said he'd do his later. I offered both girls an at home pedicure and manicure, Paul an hour of playing board games together, and Dave a massage.
Olivia had been in one of her creative modes that day, so we were treated to a puppet show staring Three Paperbag Southwestern Havalina's (sp?) and a Farmer. (This was something out of her reading book from school.) Dave and I managed not to doze off too noticeably and with a small reserve of umph we all set out with a plate of cookies and took them to a family who may have needed a bit of cheering up-- their dad having just deployed a couple days prior. When we got home we ate some of the chocolate chip cookies and ice cream for dessert.
My decorating could have been better, and the dinner didn't look all that great, and the pictures of the puppet show just didn't do the little pigs/ havalina's justice, but these pictures of Olivia enjoying the spaghetti were worth sharing...
Sending my love!
5 comments:
Clair, the sentence about it going betting if the kids, and dave, were older totally cracked me up. I can't believe he couldn't think of anything! So funny. I think that is so awesome that you did that. The coupons idea is totally cool. I'll definitely be stealing the idea when my kids (and husband) are a little older
What a great idea! We made cookies for Justin to take to work for all the "guys" at his office on the 13th for our "school" craft project. Hopefully I will remember this great idea for next year!
Olivia's next books, hmmm just look on the back of her lesson books and it should show you what should come next, she might be at the age where she could move up to the next series. If she is in that bracket it will be on the book too. As far as where to get them, I can still have my mom go get them and mail them to you I think but the man who owns the store is in his late 80's and just lost his wife so I'm not sure he will be open anytime soon. Have you tried Amazon?
dave was probably heartbroken after you robbed him of his internet hindquarters debut by editing your last post. that's why he couldn't come up with anything.
ON WITH THE SHOW...
you KILL me clair! honestly. this post was hilarious. you had one witty quip after the next, and i love how totally real your family is... and how you portray that.
BTW... no spongebob in this house either. although i did break down this year and buy the boys winter hats with spongebob on them. and i hate them. the hats, that is, not my boys.
ps for the photo collages, check out picasa. it's a free download through google. it's fabulous. you can edit your pictures, make collages, and click the "blog this" button and send it straight to your blog. it's fantastic!
I'm glad the night turned out well the pictures are so sweet!
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