"Love" Valentines Day letters

    Sorry for the delay getting this blog up.  It has been such a crazy week.  Two of the kids and myself decided to become really sick this week.  That did not leave too much time for much of anything.  That was last week, and now I'm ready to write!

    Over the next week you are going to perhaps curse me because every blog will be about Valentines Day.  In our house Valentines Day is a BIG deal!  In the past it was never that big of a deal for me, unless you count all those many years ago when I did not have a boyfriend at the time (which I rarely did. It was usually after Valentines the most prized or depressing holiday of the single person's heart).  Valentines did not become such a big holiday for me until I had kids.  For me it's that special day to go over the top (like I need a special day) telling my kids how much I love them (Christopher not as much).  

    This holiday I've gotten a little creative.  I decided to make huge "LOVE" letters.  I made the letters and then I got the kids to help decorate them.  I used 4 sheets of red bristol board.  With ruler and pencil  in hand I began to make 3-D letters.  It really proved easier than I thought.  I cut out a large "L", then cut strips to use along the sides. 

    My final product did not look attractive, but that's o.k. because I was gong to cover them all up with tissue paper any way!  

    After the letters were constructed, I pulled out my guillotine and chopped up small squares of tissue paper.

    Next was the fun part.  I think we all remember making those tissue paper flowers and everything else in school.  It began as lots of fun, with me taking my time carefully placing each piece of paper.  By the end of the project I was just shoving handfuls of tissue on just to be done.  I then wondered why my art did not look as good as I would have liked.

    Gracie was at a sleep over the night we did the letters.  I knew that I would hear all about it when she got home, because all of my kids LOVE crafts.  She would be most upset that we had done something fun without her.

    I gave each kid their own letter and kept one for myself (why would I go to all of that trouble and then let them have all of the fun).  We even gave Christopher a job.  I'm not sure why, but Christopher hates crafts, avoids them like the plague.  I guess there must not have been a hockey game on, because even he came into the kitchen. We set him to work making tissue flowers for the kids.

    It was a beautiful night.  We all just sat around the table, laughing and talking. There was no ipods, no TV, no computer, just us.  

    When we had finished everyone was really proud of their finished product.  They had so much fun doing them.  When the glue was all dry (the next day) I set them up on the piano.  Now every time I look at the piano I remember that evening when it was just us.  Who knew that something as simple as bristol board letters would give so much peace... not me, but they did.