Pinterest made my kid cry

There is a lot - I mean a lot - of pressure on the perfect everything for every holiday thanks to Pinterest. 

Now, don't get me wrong, I admire those women I really do. They are mighty creative and come up with some pretty impressive stuff. But the problem comes when I send my daughter to school for her first Valentine's Day party.

Pearl was so excited about Valentine's Day. {So was Fern boy... although he didn't fully understand the whole giving his Valentine's away idea} I took the kids to pick out their Valentine's at Walmart. Pinterest fail #1. Writing names on those Valentine's darn near sent me to the nut house. Cole was such a moody little turd! Thankfully Pearl can read and write so she was able to write her classmates' names on all of her Valentine's by herself.

They also decorated their own Valentine's Day boxes. Cole decorated his at school so there was little pressure to have some fancy decorated box. Plus, the kid's three so just the fact that he was able to glue some paper on the actual box... I'm happy. 

I found a box for Pearl {I knew if I saved that box long enough it would be put to good use} and asked her what she wanted it to look like. She said she wanted it white and to decorate it herself. So I found some white spray paint to cover it and let her get all her art stuff out to decorate to her heart's content. 

I thought her box looked perfect. She was so happy with it and very proud of her work.

Until she got to school and saw all the other kids' boxes. 

I remember those days.... my boxes were never that creative either. I guess I was hoping things had changed and Pearl wouldn't feel the pressure to bring a box that looked like a toilet {we saw a kid walking into school with a toilet box... it was pretty funny} or whale or whatever the Pinterest rage was. But she came home and said she liked her box until she got to school. She said her Valentine's box was the ugliest box in class.

It broke my heart. I didn't know what to tell her. I kept thinking, please not yet! Don't let her face this yet. We tried explaining that her box was special because she did everything herself but she just hung her head down and cried. I hate Pinterest. 

Luckily, we were able to cheer her up a little with a Valentine's Day surprise. I bought these mailboxes at Target last year and have started a tradition of filling them with a very small treat for the kids. They seem to love it. This year, Jeff and I decided to really surprise them though by taking the entire family to Pickleville Playhouse's Juanito Bandito Rides Again in Downtown Salt Lake. That perked Pearl right up! She loves Juanito Bandito! And... she knew she could probably talk me into a new mustache scarf. Especially after the stupid Pinterest tears earlier in the day. 

Poor Jeff though. He had been so sick the days before. With a fever and aches and sinus crap. He was miserable. I even made him stay home from work. But after getting turned down THREE TIMES by different alternative "dates" he took pity on me, put some clothes on, popped a few pain pills, and came to the show with us. He's a good man. {Plus, he likes Juanito Bandito}

I laughed so hard I nearly peed my pants. There were definitely tears from crying so hard. Pearl laughed and smiled and got that new mustache scarf she wanted. It was a perfect Valentine's Day date! 

And that's coming from a woman who doesn't expect {maybe hopes for a little} anything on Valentine's Day... my flowers come Presidents' Day.

Sewing Project

If you've seen the Disney movie Brave, you'll understand what Pearl and I's relationship is like.

Given the chance, I'm pretty sure Pearl would change me into a bear without much thought. 

And I fully admit, I am really hard on her too.

{By the way, if you haven't seen Brave, do it. It's a great movie. A little scary for toddlers... Cole doesn't like the bears... but it has a great message and Merida's hair is to die for.}

But on our home quarantine day, I decided to spend a few minutes with just Pearl. Teaching her how to do something she wanted to learn. Her first sewing project. {After how much fun she had, I should have gone back to Target and bought more of them... after Valentine's Day clearance for $2!}

I remember my Grandma patiently teaching me how to stitch when I was little. Every time I came over she had a little project for me to work on. We made cross stitch bibs when my Mom was pregnant with Kimmy, and little blue birds stitched on checkered fabric. And many, many other sewing projects. I loved sitting by Grandma as she and I would stitch together.

Pearl caught on really quickly. I just had to remind her if she she was supposed to be going "up" or "down" and she did the rest. 

 

We stitched, stuffed, and straightened. Side by side and hand in hand.

When we finished, we had an adorable Valentine's Day raccoon. We named her Roberta.

Teaching Pearl how to sew with her little, plastic {and bright pink I might add} needle was good for me. I had to bite my tongue, keep my patience in check, be encouraging, and not just do it myself. The whole experience taught me more than it did her. It reminded me just how much I love my sweet {and spunky} Pearl. And that I need to try infinitely harder to make time for special moments {and enjoy them} with her before she's all grown up.

Valentine's Day Bribery

I do declare that every day should be Valentine's Day.

And not for the reasons you are probably thinking about.

Oh sure, we should treasure every second of every day with our loved ones. But let's face it. Sometimes those loved ones drive us completely insane. Especially, oh let's say, for like the last five years trying to get their uncooperative (but cute) little behinds out the door in the morning so I can roll into work before noon. 

Just sayin'.

So as I was perusing Target for something I actually needed - and yet managed to bring home a whole bunch of other stuff I didn't really need - I stopped and stared at all of these moms picking out Valentine's Day gifts for their kids. 

And then it hit me.

I only have a few years of truly magical holidays with my kids. Pearl in particular is completely absorbed by every single holiday and celebration. She counts down the days until the next holiday and asks me what we get to do for it. She was so dang excited about Valentine's Day this year. How could I not do something to make it magical for her before she decides it's stupid or that mom and dad are behind the surprises. {Pearl if you're reading this, remember "if you don't believe you don't receive!"}

I may be a really crappy mom most of the time, and heaven knows I don't have an award winning Pinterest crafty bone in my body {see this post of a Valentine's party... a-freaking dorable! but who seriously does that?}, but I just couldn't pass up the feeling that I needed to make this magical. Which is a big deal in our house. My parents never made a big deal over the "little" holidays like Valentine's Day. And in the 13 years that Jeff and I have been together {dating + marriage}, we've never once celebrated this love day. Ick. Jeff will tell you it's because Valentine's Day is NOT a real holiday unless we get the day off from work. And, flowers are way cheaper after so we celebrate Presidents' Day. It's our fun little tradition that no one else does. 

Anyway back to the kids.

When Jeff saw me setting up a little surprise for the kids, he refrained from telling me I had just wasted my money on something stupid and instead suggested I make them hold out until they'd gotten ready in the morning. 

That man is a genius.

Bribery at it's finest. A little motivation to get ready without whining and in a timely fashion would be the best Valentine's Day present I can think of. So I left them a note taped to the oven so Pearl would see it the minute she walked out of her bedroom. 

Roses are red, violets are blue. 

There's a special Valentine's Day surprise waiting for you!

But first, you have to get dressed, comb hair, eat breakfast, brush teeth, make beds. And no whining!

It worked beautifully. I'm pretty sure the last time I got to work {without high blood pressure and ready to kill someone} with two kids by 8 a.m. was, well, before I had kids!

The pipsqueaks were thrilled with their little gifts. I found these adorable tin mailboxes at Target and put some fruit roll-ups and cute Band-aids in them. And I couldn't resist these little Valentine's wiener dogs. Pearl and Cole love them! Blu thinks they should be her chew toys... I guess next year I'll have to add her to the list.

Of course the fun was only beginning. Pearl was super excited for a day-long celebration at school, complete with Valentine's Day box making, card exchange, games, and treats.

Sadly, the fun came to an abrupt end when I got an email from the daycare director stating he'd just found out there had been a confirmed case of the mumps in the kindergarten class in January. Which meant that every kid who hadn't gotten their second MMWR shot had to be sent home on quarantine immediately until the incubation period was over. Well, seeing as how most kids don't get their second dose of MMWR until they are between 4 and 6 years of age, I knew Fern was on the "not clear" list and we'd be going home. The problem with this was I had a ton of work to do so both kids came to my office so I could try and get some things wrapped up before being sent home for a few days to wait out the mumps. {Get your kids vaccinated. They are safe. They save lives. There are very few valid reasons to exempt your kids. That is all.}

Let's just say the morning bribery had run it's course by the time they made it to my office. For at least the boy anyway. Even with a chocolate cupcake covered in a thick layer of purple frosting {see his cute face?}, treats, smelly markers, and some very patient coworkers, I ran out of there thinking it's a good thing they are so dang cute because I'm about ready to give them to the gypsies!