Oh! Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays!

I'm just not really sure what makes it a favorite.  

Maybe it's the colors.  Pink and red and white are so pretty and cheery...especially when they are displayed in marshmallowy, Krispy, buttery goodness.

                              

Maybe it's all the hearts and love and sparkles and glitter.  

I really love that stuff.  It adds light to cold, wintry days.

Maybe it's being able to count cookie-making and crafting and reading Valentine's Day books as a school day.  Or two.

For the past two years, I have decided not to make Christmas cut-out cookies.  There are so many other Christmas goodies to make.  And to be honest, even though these cookies aren't difficult to make, they are hard.  There are so many steps.  Make the cookie dough.  Refrigerate the cookie dough.  Roll out the cookie dough.  Cut the cookie dough.  Bake the cookies.  Cool the cookies.  Frost and decorate the cookies.  All before they can be eaten!  And the clean-up!  Yikes!

To get out of having to make Christmas cookies, I have told the kids that we will make them on Valentine's Day instead.  Last year I dropped the ball and forgot.  This year I remembered.  I enjoy making Valentine's Day cookies so much more than making Christmas cookies.

And did I mention how pretty Valentine's Day colors are?

I can't complain too much about all the time it takes to decorate cookies, because there really aren't always that many cookies to decorate when you have a 7-year old helper. The dough scraps just seem to disappear before I can get the dough rolled out again.

And naked cookies are pretty good.  Not as pretty and sugary sweet, but good and not as messy.

I just had William pull out the February box yesterday.  I try to get it out at the beginning of the month, because it has all the February books in it...including the Groundhog Day books.  But I usually forget to get everything out until after February 2nd.  And this year, I'm especially late.  But the red lights and sparkly garland is in the front window, and the books are ready to read.  I'm perusing Pinterest this morning for some fun craft ideas, and as I do that I realize again that I love the idea of doing crafts with the kids, but it's not my favorite.  I'm thankful that Grandma likes to do art and crafty projects with the boys.  I am not gifted in this area, but she sure is.

Valentine's Day has snuck up on me this year, but I guess we really don't need books, lights, and cookies to celebrate love.  We need the constant reassurance that Jesus is Lord, has died for our sins, and has risen so that we may die to our sins and live!  That's the real celebration of love!

Jesus loves me, this I know.
Jesus knows me, this I love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

In The Box...or Out of the Box...or Wherever

 In The Box

In The Box

In The Box

In The Cabinet

 In The Tram Car

 In The Box

In The Bucket

In The Roaster

In The Crate

 In The Sink

In The Box

In The Frame

Out of the Box

In The Bag

In The Basket

 In The Box

 In The Frame

In The Frame

Out of the Box

Out of the Box

In The Box

In The Box

In The Box

In The Box

Out of the Box

In The Field

In The Corn

In The Outlook

In The Box

In The Fort

In The Nest

In The Leaves

The Ind

I mean End

The End

Laughing's My Favorite

Each of my kids has a pretty unique sense of humor, and yet they share some common qualities.  And even more fun...they all "get" each other;  they are funny corporately and individually.

They were funny as little kids, but I've noticed that as they get older, their humor gets more advanced.

Matthew is still in the funny little kid stage, but I can see him moving into the more advanced category of humor like his older sister and brothers.

He got a little stuffed hamster for Christmas that he has named Waffles.  It has been so cold here lately, so Matthew decided that Waffles needs a sweater.  He took one of his black socks and asked me to cut off the top and put arm holes in it.  The perfect turtle-neck sweater for Waffles.

A paper plate and a drinking cup?
"Snackeez!"
Sometimes Most of the time it takes me a little while to figure out the kids' humor...especially the boys' humor.  They are a little more dry.  The Snackeez reference was one that I didn't get immediately.  Plate on a cup.  Oooooooh!  Now I get it!

And sometimes it's not meant to be humorous.
It's just the way he looks at the world.

We were on our way to basketball practice a couple of weeks ago, and we passed by the local lumber showroom turned fitness center.  There are big windows upstairs and downstairs on the building, so you can get a glimpse of the exercise equipment...or the aerobics classes that are taking place.  That evening, there was an aerobics class in progress.  Matthew saw the people involved and asked, "Why do those people have to take jumping lessons?"

Why would you have to take jumping lessons?  It's all in how you look at things.

So...do you laugh when they don't mean it to be funny?
I do.  And Matthew is the type of kid who doesn't mind.  He laughs along.

Over the weekend, Paul, Matthew, and I were sitting on the couch watching TV.  Matthew stood up to get a toy that was close-by, and as he stood up he announced in a frustrated tone, "I have to pull down my underpants sleeves!"  I looked at Paul, laughing, and asked if he could guess what kind of underwear he was wearing.

I guess boxers do have underpants sleeves.  It's all in how you look at things.


Not all things are funny.
This has been a month of the smashed toe...

and breathing treatments...

But laughing, and inviting everyone to laugh with him, is definitely his favorite.

One more.
I promise...just one more.

Last night he was trying to say "depth perception."

Here's how it went...

     "Death perception."
     "Depth procession!"

You can see where this is going, right?

     "Death procession!!"

The great thing about Matthew is that he knows how to laugh.
Even at himself.