We started our Valentine's on Saturday. Making cards for class and baking sugar cookies, it was a busy, tasty day! We sacrificed cute and classy on the alter of practicing fine motor skills. But why is it that when we do an all out baking day, someone gets the flu hours later? Hmm . . . This time it was Morgan and McKay with Ryan following on Valentine's Day itself. Humbug.
Mom, what are you making?
Cookies for us and our Valentines.
Mom, I be your makers helper, awight?
And a great "maker's helper" she was! She insists on pouring every ingredient in for me. Then she watched as I began rolling out and cutting the cookies. After my first go, she wanted her own space to make some. She loved playing with a handful of my scraps and it was just too cute! She had paid close attention to my process and I was surprised at how well she did! We pitted two favorite sugar cookie recipes against each other. Ryan has a favorite and I have mine. Both are tasty, mine has lemon extract in the dough and coconut extract in its icing. YUM!!! Ryan's favorite dough uses powdered sugar and almond extract. It's a tough call!
Here's our FHE and getting ready for giving cookies with their class Valentines. The kids were all about the frosting and sprinkles!
Jake turned 6 months old on Valentine's Day! Where does the time go?!!!
On Valentine's Day Morgan, Jake and I went to help with McKay's class. They did creative stations about magnets before decorating our cookies. Morgan loved joining McKay's class and it was very cute to see him lead her around.
That evening, we enjoyed a special red candlelit dinner all together and I'm happy to report it went off better than a sleep-deprived busy mom could ever expect. On the menu: Five cheese pasta, cherry jello, strawberries and fresh whipping cream, and Martinelli's sparkling cider. I forgot the spinach salad in the bewitching hour that surrounds dinner. Grrr. But everyone eagerly ate what was on the table and not one tear was shed over this meal. "It's a Christmas Miracle!" Alright, wrong holiday, but seriously, HURRAY!!! We went around the table spotlighting each person and why we love them. Besides the wonder created by eating by candle light, seeing the kids' big grins from feeling loved by their family members was my favorite part of the day!
