Valentine's Day

This year for Valentine's Day, I decided to do something special for both the kids. And since I use this time of year to spread awareness about congenital heart defects, I ordered custom valentine's for them with facts about CHD's on the back. Kyler told me he didn't want me to talk to his class or his friends about the fact that he and Caden have CHD's. But he told me I could give facts about CHD's as long as it didn't include their names. Caden on the other hand, wanted me to talk to his class about them. But I didn't think preschool was the appropriate age to do that. So, instead, I used Caden as an example in one of the CHD facts I listed on the back of the valentine.

In addition, I thought it would be fun to make a special treat for the kids to take to school and hand out along with their valentine. So I made chocolate covered pretzel rods with valentine's sprinkles on them. I was happy with how they turned out. It was relatively simple, although it did take a fair amount of time. 

Here are the valentine's both the kids took to school. I am really happy with how they all turned out! :)

In the morning, I got to go to Caden's preschool for their valentine's party. The kids got to eat snacks, watch an episode of Clifford the Big Red Dog, and hand out their valentine's to the class. Caden had so much fun and is really loving being in preschool. 

In the afternoon, I was able to be in Kyler's class for their party. His classmates decorated paper bags for their friends to put their valentine's in. Then, they went around the room filling each other's bags. After a short recess, the kids went to another part of the school and had some fun activities to do. They played a game, made brownies in a mug, and did a fun craft project, all while eating some yummy snacks. It was a lot of fun and I'm glad I got to be there for it. 

We had a really nice Valentine's Day and I am glad I got to spend time with each of the boys in their classrooms. It's amazing how different I see this “holiday” than I used to. Not that I don't enjoy spending quality time with my hubby, but realistically, it's not always easy to do. And, I would rather spend time with him throughout the year, not just on one given day. So my focus for the day has now turned to our children and raising awareness about congenital heart defects.