Valentines Cards

This year our children will participate in a Valentine's Day card swap in their classes.   The past two years they were in toddler classrooms and didn't really have the maturity to grasp the concepts behind the tradition.

The teachers of each of their classes sent out specific instructions on what each child should bring for the card swap.  First of all, no candy should be included in the cards because, "when candy has been distributed, the focus of the celebration has turned from friends to treats."   I like this plan.

The children are suppose to make a card for each of their classmates, twenty-eight in all, and draw, put stickers on, write, stamp, etc. on each of the cards.    At this point my children can't read or write but because they're in a Montessori school, the class they're in is multi-aged.   Some of the older children will write names on the cards, but in our case it will be doodles and scribbles all the way.

On the day of the swap the children will put one card into each bag.   The bags will be stapled shut and sent home with the children at the end of the day, to be opened and shared with their families.   I'm rather looking forward to looking at all the cards.

But what should my children do?  They're not going to write their names twenty-eight times and their artwork is not that impressive.    Besides, they need to have the attention span to decorate twenty-eight cards and even I don't know that I personally have the patience to do that as an adult.  

My husband and I decided on making cards for them to decorate.   First, I cut a large red heart out of a piece of paper.   Then we had them hold the heard and smile for a picture.   I took the one where they were smiling the least-goofy and put the words, "Happy Valentine's Day 2014" and then the child's name in a document.   And then I printed and cut up a stack for them to decorate.     The picture and words took up half the 4"x8" page so there is just enough room for doodles, stamps and stickers on the remainder.

Tomorrow they're going to start making some.   I wonder how many they'll get through before they decide it's not fun any more?   I wonder what the other children will be making for their Valentine's cards?

The Big Boy Update: It's not poop.  My son and daughter were getting into the bathtub and I saw a lot of brown somethings floating around in the filling tub.   "Oh hell," I thought.   (My husband fairly freaks out if poop gets anywhere.)   My son said, "it's not poop."  And he was right.   It was mulch and dirt from a toy he'd brought inside that he decided to sneak into the tub without letting me know so I could clean it first.   We got their little toy fish net and had fun scooping the bits of leaves, mulch and debris out of the tub.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  This was one of those "turn and laugh" events where a child says something so funny that the adults have to turn away and laugh because the situation isn't funny, but the words the child says make you laugh nonetheless.   My mother and I were outside with both children this afternoon.   I noticed my daughter had a small wet spot on her crotch, indicating she was trying very hard to hold it even though she needed to go badly.   I said to her, "You need to go to the potty.  Do you want to go inside on the potty or outside on the pee pee bushes?"   She answered, "tomorrow."