Our day of love

It started with a demonstration
on the use of a Bible concordance.
Of course love was the word of the day.
The girls looked up a few of the familiar verses
in their own Bibles.
They each picked a favorite
or one short enough to be age appropriate
and turned it into a poster.
I even let them use paint
because it was a holiday, after all.

We did some school.
It was warm.
The girls played outside,
if making beds on the deck and cuddling
with the kitties in the sunshine constitutes playing.
They stripped off all their winter clothes
and went searching in the basement
for their "summer" shoes...
crocs and sandals.
It wasn't THAT warm.

I spray painted some old frames
out in the melting snow drifts.
I made a pound cake
without the butter....
I discovered today
when I went to warm up my coffee in the microwave.
Hello, bowl of butter.

There was an inappropriate facebook comment from Steeb.
I was not surprised.
He likes to be inappropriate in public venues.

I helped Josie make red jello for our special dinner.
We didn't give it enough time to set
but it still made for a pretty topping
for our butterless pound cake.

We each cleaned one room
so Daddy would be proud
and we could relax during the evening's festivities.
Addie set the table.....
removing a leaf for a more intimate meal.
There were candles
a tablecloth
valentine napkins
pretty china
and our very last bottle of 75% off sparkling cider.

There were love notes at each place
from Mommy
and the girls decided to wear their girliest pink dresses,
the chiffon kind,
not the Gap kind that I prefer.
Hair was still sort of in French braids from church,
something I was quite proud of.

Steve grilled burgers and brats
because it was so warm,
making me very anxious for the real spring
and all that goes with it to arrive.
Afterwards, the girls wanted to recite their love verses.

It got quite silly
and turned into a dance party.
The inappropriate kind.
They are their father's daughters.

Next were games on the Wii.
Have I mentioned we love our Wii?
Ella and I sneaked off to my cozy bed to cuddle and read.
There was talk of possibly piercing her ears
and she asked if I remembered when she was "2 or 3"
when I would pick up her pink blankie with my toes
and throw it over my shoulder
before carrying her upstairs for her nap.
Of course I remembered.
It was yesterday.

Gwen and her Daddy and the chubby cheeks she has become quite proud of.

Gwen, in all her rambunctiousness,
found us in our hide-out
and crawled way down under the covers
ripping apart my bed.
She pulled of my socks to give me a foot massage
but ended up trying to pick the fuzz from between my toes.

The Wii games ended.
Daddy came to find us
but we were fake sleeping
like we always are when he comes to find us.
Ella stayed "sleeping" even as Daddy threatened
her belly with zerberts
again and again and again
he counted down
breathing right on her without actually zerberting.
It was torture to watch.
But she stayed there
still as a rock with a little smile peeking
from behind her strategically placed
sleeping hands.

And THEN,
I got a homemade Valentine!!!!
Admittedly, it had taken him several attempts
to correctly cut out a heart.
The scraps he left on the table were proof.
But it was homemade.
And he was so proud of himself.
Like a kindergardener bringing home
a special gift for his mommy.
I melted.

Counting my blessings this Valentine's Day!

I found an old $10 frame for some of my new letter press art!