Happy Valentine's Day

We had a lovely Valentine's Day! Our Valentine's Party is easy to plan now because we do the same thing every year. We usually have heart-shaped pizzas, popcorn, and pink punch. This year I wimped out a little and we got Pizza Hut. I was a little ashamed to have to do it, but very relaxed at having the night off from cooking! We usually decorate sugar cookies, but this year we had white chocolate mousse instead.

For entertainment, I write activites on slips of paper and put them in a pretty bowl for the children to draw out. This hear, these were our activites:

• treasure hunt
• exchange valentines
• eat dessert
• dance
• bedtime routine
• watch the funny show (America's Funniest Home Videos)
• pick out an e-card for O--- & E---
• play game - W---'s choice
• play game - C---'s choice

In the past we've also all looked out our wedding album as an activity. I always slip the bedtime routine paper in toward the end so we sort of trick the kids into getting ready for bed before it gets too late. That works really nicely!

Can you see the picture of Daddy holding a paintbrush? Pretty funny, because he really had just spent that afternoon painting.

I experimented with making real truffles for my husband's gift. I made peanut butter and caramel, and now I'm ready to throw away my old recipes that call for ingredients like chocolate bark. These "whole foods" versions were much better! The recipes are from Heavenly Homemakers.

W--- and C--- are on the treasure hunt.

The treasure was Daddy's valentines for the big kids!

J--- was a big fan of the white chocolate mousse!

The kids made so many valentines for us! I taped them on the wall as they gave them to me. Valentine's Day is so cheerful!