Loving It.

Valentine's Day is barely celebrated around here. I always get a good laugh when I hear the annual news bit on the average amount that Americans spend on Valentine's Day. I think it was $86 this year. We collectively probably are at 10 percent of that number and only because the schools force the holiday on me. If I was a cool mom, I would be on Pinterest and would have made clever personalized valentines for each of my kids 90 classmates. But I never claimed be cool and am anything but crafty, so it's store bought for my kids. You have to do it for the Kindergartener so I knew I was on the hook for Sophie, but was relieved when the boys assured me that they were too old to have a party. I believed them and was further convinced because this year Arizona's 100th birthday falls on the same day and thought optimistically that maybe that would trump all the cards and candies. Sophie's class celebrated early - on Friday so I checked the holiday off my list for 2012 and was on to the next. Until I found a crumpled up half piece of pink paper in Jake's backpack with all his classmate's names listed at 8:30 last night. You know what that means..that my kid will be the only one with nothing to pass out and I'll be that mom. I went to the Fry's to find this scene...

There were some giant candy bars, but I found a bag of Jolly Ranchers and that was going to have to do. Sure enough, all the other kids brought valentines.

I've had a couple other things to worry about so I'll cut myself some slack on it. I'm taking online real estate license renewal classes racing against the clock to get it done by March. I'm attempting to get our taxes in some semblence of order, which can best be described as a giant heaping mess. I am still subbing periodically, and finally got to sub for Sophie's kindergarten class. (It takes a very special person to teach Kindergarten and I'm just not that special as it turns out, although it was fun to teach her for a day.) I'm doing some side PR/marketing work a bit and I'm dealing with a medical issue that will likely require surgery in the next couple weeks. Life is busy and full of twists and turns, but not a day goes by that I don't feel extremely blessed for such a supportive, amazing, and generous family. You all are such a blessing to me and us. Happy Valentine's Day to all!