Valentine's

 We had a fun Valentine's this year!  It all started early when we made the kids fancy boxes for their Valentines.  They needed something to collect stuff in at school and I was feeling crafty.  I poked around pinterest for a while and found these fun ideas.

Miya got a bird house.  The roof lifts up to put the stuff inside.  LOVE!  It's also fun for everyday play now.

Spencer got this fancy foil covered rocket.  We made it together.  We had a hard time finding something for the top cone and it's kind of wonky but I love it anyway.

Here's a closeup of Spencer's rocket.

Here's Miya bird house, complete with bird!

Each year Aaron and I take a picture of the two of us without the kids on Valentine's Day.  I set up the camera on a timer on the toy chest and gave it a go.  Too bad Aaron wasn't very into it.  His smile looked kind of dead so I made him go again and again until I was happy.  He got a kick out of it and lovingly puts up with my photographic torture.  Here's the first try.

Take 2: I tried a kissing one.  I love his little smirk in this one!

Take 5: He wasn't showing any teeth in the other ones and I told him it made him look awkward, well, not as awkward as this one.  Look at all those pearly whites!

Take 10: Look at that crazy face!  It's his attempt at looking excited to be taking his picture.  HA!

Take 11: To elicit a more genuine smile I decided to tickle him like I do the kids, it was so fun to watch him squirm!

Take 12: I think this one was in the middle of a cough or a sneeze or I may still have been trying to tickle a smile out of him.  LOVE!  I gave up at this point and figured I'd go back to the ones where he's close enough.

I always thought Valentine's was lame as a kid because my parents got stuff for each other and nothing for the kids.  I always thought, well if it's about love and you love me why didn't I get anything?  I wasn't too upset by it I just wondered.  Well, we decided to involve the kids in our valentines and gave them a little $10 and under present.  Spencer got a Lego helicopter.  Miya and Amelia got little dolls that rode on a dolphin and a turtle respectively.  Alex got a Timmy doll from Shaun the Sheep and Timmy Time fame.  It baas when you push it's tummy.  I love it!