Valentine's Day 2015: Meeting the Expectation

Last year, I wrote about about being completely caught off guard by the elaborate Valentine's boxes my peeps' classmates crafted for the one-hour spring parties. You can read that post here. This year, I was a little more clued in, but offered the girls an option: decorated gift bag or create your own box? At first, they said a gift bag was fine (WAHOO!), but about a week before the party they wanted to create boxes (CRAP!). Each peep had t draw out her plan and write a detailed list of needed supplies ... without my help. The results were pretty amazing, I must say so myself. 

One sweet peep crafted a Minecraft Steve head all by herself. (I cut the slot in the head because I didn't think it was good parenting to let an 8-year-old handle a box cutter.)  The rest was her handiwork, and I thought it was spectacular! 

The uber creative peep wanted to create Laval, the lion from Lego Legends of Chima. her ability to choose projects that no one on Earth has ever attempted never ceases to amaze me, nor does her steadfast faith that mom can make anything happen. 

The child found the one Valentine's box idea that was not on Pinterest. Hooray. So, we brainstormed some ideas, and she drew up a visual. She needed help drawing and cutting, but that's about it. I think it turned out rather nicely. Each box took 30 minutes tops, and we we only had to buy a few supplies. 

Both peeps were thrilled, not to mention proud. 

So, yes, I caved to the school society's Valentine's Day box expectations. In My Ideal Reality, this stuff doesn't matter and I poo-poo this silliness. But in My Real Reality, I know this stuff does matter. I know how important it is for kids to feel included, and if that means making Valentine's boxes, I'll do it. 

But I think I found a happy medium. The girls wanted boxes, and I put the responsibility on them to draw out their ideas, decide what supplies they needed and make as much of the box as possible on their own.  

Now that the party has passed, we're onto the next thing. This morning at breakfast they mentioned the leprechaun. Sigh. (If you didn't read the post link above, that wont' make sense to you.)

To celebrate Valentine's Day, we are headed to a Theatre For Young America performance and an early dinner at The Brick. Then we'll return home and snuggle in because it is going to be a cold one in KC tonight! 

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing ... Keep It Real. And ... Happy Valentine's Day!

My Blog Writing Process and a Little Spring Break Action

Some of you may have noticed that I've gotten into the groove of posting something new each Monday. As part of the regular posting goal, I try to plan topics ahead of time. I sit down with a blank monthly calendar printed from here or here and jot down my topics. Usually, I'll have a blank calendar of the following month close by in case my brainstorming session gets out of control. I slide the calendars (printed double-sided to save a sheet of paper) into a plastic pocket protector and create my own dry erase board. That way, if I change my mind about a topic or want to switch things up, it's no sweat. Right now, I have topics through April. My next goal is to find a day each week where I spend a few hours several crafting drafts at once.

On a completely different note, the peeps went back to school today after a 10-day spring break. When I jotted down "Spring Break" on my blog calendar, I had in my head that our time together would be packed with memory-making excitement (Ideal Reality). I was like Julie on The Love Boat, dreaming up activities to amaze my little loves. I even created a Note in Evernote just to track my marvelous ideas.

Real Reality: The week wasn't all that excitement packed. For the most part, they just wanted to play on the computer. Yay. As for memories, both girls definitely remember the day I got lost in Kansas City's Union Station labyrinth of a parking garage. That was fun. Not really what I had in mind. We did manage to get in a few activities, including much-needed hair cuts, a viewing of Mr. Peabody & Sherman, picnics on the living room floor, attending Theatre For Young America's production of Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business, a rare breakfast out at our favorite diner, Kate's Kitchen, a tour of the Shatto Milk Company and a trip to The Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium for "Dinosaurs at Dusk: The Origins of Flight." We brought Spring Break to a close with a sleepover in the basement. Overall, not a bad haul.

How about you? Any awesome - or not so awesome - spring break plans?

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing ... Keep It Real.