The day before Valentines we made our decorations. Last year we hung paper hearts on the wall, this year I have other things hanging in that spot, but Drew still wanted to cut out paper hearts and decorate with them. So I thought about hanging them from the ceiling... then thought what about a heart mobile or chandelier... which led to the idea of using embroidery hoops, ribbons and paper hearts, which led to this adorableness :) A very in-expensive project (embroidery hoops are a dollar something each) and it can be customized for anything... you could make a mobile for a nursery, other holidays, change the colors or shapes you hang from it and it can be used as a cute addition to just about any party. We just hung it from the ceiling using scotch tape because it's so light weight. The boys had so much fun helping to make this too :)
We had a tea party lunch this year. I love the idea of a high-tea, and my three tiered stand was perfect for the occasion :)
One story about our day... Drew remembered that in years passed I have gotten them all heart balloons. About two weeks ago he started talking about heart balloons every day. And when he gets excited about something he starts drawing it and cutting it out and carrying the drawings around with him everywhere. Thousands of little heart balloons have been drawn with great care, cut out just so, taped back together if he accidentally snipped into it while cutting, sat on his bed side table at night so they could be near him while he was sleeping, carried in his backpack to school, taken to his grandparents to show them... he made one for everyone in the family and wrote their names on the back, he cut out big ones and small ones and some with short strings and some with long strings... the heart balloons were driving me mad, because they were all over the floor, the counters, the buffet, the table... but it was adorable so I tried not to get annoyed. ;) Then finally, Valentines was here, I made a special trip to the store to get our lunch supplies and pick up three balloons for my boys. When we had been at the store the previous week Drew saw that there was one heart balloon that was bigger than all the rest and said that was the one he wanted. I told him I was probably going to get him a normal sized balloon, but then when I went to get them I decided to surprise him with the biggest one. He was ecstatic. He ran all around the house with it, and pointed out all the sharp corners to Isaiah and advised him to be careful lest his balloon touch a sharp corner and be popped... Then while Drew was upstairs playing with his balloon, and I was in the kitchen making our lunch, all of the sudden there was a loud POP. And then there was Drew, walking slowly down the stairs, his lip quivering, his balloon dragging on the ground, and then came the torrent of tears as he begged me to go back to the store to get him another one and I told him I couldn't do that. Isaiah made me so proud, because as soon as it happened he told Drew that he could have his balloon. And then Drew made me so proud too, because I took him to his room, held him, and gently explained to him that he could let the popped balloon ruin his day or he could think of all the other good things that were happening and that he could be thankful for and he could make the choice to be happy anyway. And although it took every ounce of his will-power, he stopped crying and he made the choice to be happy anyway. We got out tape and we taped his giant balloon to the wall (it looked much less sad that way than when it was lying on the floor in a shiny popped pile). And so that is the story of the giant heart decoration you see hanging on the wall behind them.
Our menu:
fruit cup (watermelon, strawberries, raspberries and red grapes)
Sweet bologna & cheese rolls
Pretzels with strawberry cream cheese
chips
Hot tea
It was ADORABLE watching my boys drink hot tea for the first time. I got out my china tea cups, taught them how to let the tea bag steep, we used tiny cream pitchers and sugar bowls, they stirred so carefully and they sipped so cutely. The elephant cream pitcher was Drew's favorite and the photo below is my favorite.
Jaden didn't get his own china tea cup this time, but he happily stuffed his face with fruit and pretzels and cream cheese and generally just made a pink and red mess. :)
Everybody Sipping :)
I love my boys so much, so thankful that even though I don't have girls we can still have a tea party :) I hope they are romantic men to their wives some day and know how to always make her feel special and celebrate love. :)
The moose head was their valentines gift from us, Drew has been asking for a moose head to hang on the wall for awhile and was thrilled with that surprise. :)
That night we had a candle light dinner of roast chicken with carrots//potatoes//onions and green beans and apple sauce. We used heart plates which were super special to the boys and easier clean up for me. Win-win. The pretty roses on the table were delivered in the afternoon from my dad :)
I love celebrating love. After all that celebrating as a family Shaun and I put the boys to bed early and had our own Valentines celebration. It was such a beautiful Saturday together, making life at home special and memorable.
xoxo
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