Homemaking Tip -- Love, Love, Love

 

            

Last week we poured white chocolate over popcorn, pretzels, corn chex, and cheerios, and then sprinkled red, white, and pink M&M’s over the top.  

We also made Valentine packets.  Grace made 14 of them for her nieces and nephews. 

            

On Monday I was switching the laundry around and Grace said, “Mom, are you happy today?”

            

I answered, “I am happy today, Grace.  Are you happy?”

            

Grace sighed.  She did.  She sighed.  Then she said, “Yes.  I’m happy.”

            

I asked her why she was happy and she said, “Because it’s the season of love.”

            

She sighed again and I laughed.

                       

Later it was time for family night.  It was my turn to be in charge.  First we sang Love at Home and then Grace said the opening prayer.  Next I told the Valentine’s Day story: 

       Claudius the Cruel was mad because no one would enlist in his army.  Claudius couldn’t be cruel or conquer without enlistments.  Thinking that it was the men’s wives and girlfriends that were convincing them to stay home, Claudius the Cruel banned marriage.  Just like that.  

       Valentine was a priest.  He believed in families.  He married people secretly.  When Claudius the Cruel found out what Valentine was doing he imprisoned Valentine and starved him to death.  Valentine died on February 14^th but was later sainted for his heroic efforts to save the family.

       Years later, Christians tried to turn pagan holidays into parties with a purpose, so they turned the pagan winter fertility festival into Valentine’s Day.  And there you have it.  Nobody remembers Claudius and everyone remembers Valentine . . . which just goes to show that love is more lasting than cruelty. 

After the story we decorated mini Valentine mailboxes.  When Calvin saw me pulling out the tin boxes, mod podge, paintbrushes, and paper scraps, he audibly groaned and said, “We don’t have to do knick-knacks do we?”

            

I told him it was my turn to be in charge and that yes, we did have to do knick-knacks, and that we would be happy about it, too.  I explained we would leave little notes or treats daily in each others' boxes until Valentine's Day.  He dared to let another little groan slip, but I pulled out my secret weapon to distract him:  a label maker my sister gave me for Christmas.  I told him that he could paint his box, or mod podge hearts on his box, or make labels for his box . . . whatever he wanted.  Grace and I started mod podging paper on our boxes while Calvin tried to figure out the label maker.  It didn’t take long until he was cursing under his breath at it.  

Grace said, “Remember dad, this is the season of love.”

            

The side labels say "Fill me up . . . please"  

After we decorated our boxes we sang As I Have Loved You, Calvin said the closing prayer, and we had angel food cake with whipped cream and blackberries.  It was a fun little family night.

          

   

Last night Calvin came home from work and I reminded him that we’d be checking our mailboxes at supper.  He squinched his eyes tight, shook his head, and quietly cursed (it seems to be a pattern in this post).  I reminded him he could always write a note if he forgot.

            

At supper I told everyone it was time to check our mailboxes.  Calvin and Grace both hollered, “Not yet!” 

            

A few hours later when it was time for family prayers and bed, Calvin finally said we could check our boxes.  I opened my tin and there was a sweet note wrapped around a caramel . . . and a carrot.  I’ll let you guess which one Grace gave and which one Calvin gave.  

Oh ho.  I can hardly wait to see what he finds for tonight.  I hid the butter just in case, but he's been gone to a farm conference all day so I'm guessing a free calculator, pen, notepad, or chapstick.  Can't wait to see.