A Valentines Day Tale

I had big plans for Valentines Day. But lately my plans don't seem to be working out. Note I am posting this a week after Valentines Day) I had plans to get up early and make a yummy breakfast for the family, set the table special, with gifts for each of my Valentines, to wrap said gifts, to make it a special day.

Instead, I woke to no breakfast food in the house at all, the dining room table covered with laundry that needed to be folded, gifts unwrapped and no card for my husband. After a week of "up all nighters" with sick kids, I had fallen asleep on the couch and awoke totally unprepared for Valentines day.

So I ran to the store to get bagels, cream cheese and juice. That was as special as I could get at the last minute. When I left, William and Lilly were still asleep, James was reading on the couch and I told Aaron to sleep as long as the 2 littlest still were.

But when I came home, everyone was awake, and the first thing I saw when I walked in the door was this:

I burst into tears.

That's quite a reaction for a cuckoo clock, you say.

You don't understand. I have wanted a cuckoo clock since my first trip to Switzerland and Germany when I was 16. I was on a mission trip and far too poor to afford a cuckoo clock. Each trip after, I wanted one more, and always I was too poor.

He remembered.

He said the boys told him when he asked what they should get me for valentines day. When they both said, "cuckoo clock," he knew that was it.

I love it and I could not be any happier. The gift is all the sweeter because of the thought that went along with it.

It also made my lack of planning or preparation appear even worse.

Oh well, I think they were all still happy.

First, James and William gave Aaron the clay sculptures they'd made earlier in the week.

A rocket and a pencil cup. Designed and built by the boys. (William got a teeny bit of help from Mommy after he smashed 2 previous sculptures in frustration)

Aaron liked his gifts.

They also picked out these cups for him because they were orange and they stacked. We found them at a thrift store. Lilly liked them a lot.

Maybe we should have given them to her.

We presented these to Aaron in the plastic bag that we brought them home from the thrift store in. So romantic.

My gift to Aaron was this deep sea diver. Again, found by the boys, but they were right, it had Aaron written all over it.

He has quite a collection of odd things in his office at work. Some of the themes are space, rockets, shriners, vintage trailers, and now, underwater exploring.

He's so weird. I love him.

The boys were thrilled with bagels and juice. It was treat aplenty. No one asked, "where are my heart shaped pancakes? Why isn't the table set with a red cloth and party napkins? Where's my hand drawn card from Daddy? Where's the Valentines Day spirit?"

They just opened their gifts, ("wrapped" in their hearts made a few days before) and were happy as clams.

Not like I planned, true. But perfect none the less.

So, one week later, I still want to wish you a happy Valentines day!