In Which Love Is Mentioned More Than Once or Twice

Do I hate Valentine's Day?  Um... No.  I've seen a few haters out there today, though.  So here's my two cents about why Valentine's Day is awesome.
February is the worst month ever.  Seriously.  It's still winter and we are all sick of it by now.  Snow is keeping us from being able to run outside and live with abandon.  Or, if you live here, it's been a pretty rainy month so far.  I love the rain.  I do, but I'm so tired of the horribleness of February.  We are desperate for spring to grace us with its presence.  A person can only take so much cold and darkness.
So why not celebrate a day all about loving others.  That's right.  I say Valentine's Day not just for couples.  It's for everyone!  Everyone loves someone.  I love my family and I love my friends.
Riley came home from school just now.  He gave me a white carnation that was left over from some science experiments he was doing today.  He told me to put it in water that we dyed red so it will turn pink in a few days.  Now he's sharing his Valentine's candy with me.  That's love.  I'm serious.  I don;t remember sharing my Valentine's candy with anybody.  I ate most of it before I even got it home.
Valentine's day is about candy and chocolate and cards and parties.  We focus too much on the need for a lover on this day.
I know, it's easy for me.  I have a lover and three kids.  All the things that make Valentine's Day fun.  If you don't have those, Skype your mom, or your nieces and nephews.  Or even just go out with a bunch of your single friends.  Today is about having fun and bonus!  It's on a Friday this year!  Woo hoo!  And if none of those things are possible for you today, then do something for someone else.  Donate to charity.  Volunteer at a boys and girls club, or just give that homeless guy $5.  Everybody wants to be acknowledged.  But sometimes acknowledging others is all it will take for you to feel amazing.  Let's all try to spread a little love.

 The carnation from Riley.

 We got a good deal on a GIANT cookie for the boys.

I'm excited.  They're excited.

This is the box it came in.  It made me smile.

 Kaleb got this valentine from one of his classmates.  He said as he laughed out loud, "It's creepy! The smile with all those teeth is creepy!"

 Oh and this happened, too.  It's darker than I wanted it.  I wanted to go back to my real hair color.

Maybe it will fade.

Riley's reaction when he walked in the door:  "You died your hair!"

Me:  "Yep. Are you upset?"

Riley:  "No, you just didn't say you were going to dye your hair, so I wasn't expecting it."

Me:  "Do you like it?"

Riley (shrugs):  "It's alright."

Kaleb didn't say anything and so I asked him if he noticed anything different about me today.

Kaleb:  "Yes.  You died your hair black"  It isn't black, it's supposed to be a medium brown.

Me:  "Do you like it?"

Kaleb:  "No.  I like your hair red better."

Zachary (when he walked in the door):  "You dyed your hair black!?"  And slammed the front door shut.  

I don't know what that means.  So I asked him:  "Zaaach!  Do you like my hair?"

Zach:  "Yeah.  It's black."

Kaleb:  "I don't."

So I texted Kurtis.  "Do you want to see how my hair turned out or do you want the surprise?"

Kurtis:  "Sure, let me see. :)"

I sent him the picture above.

Kurtis:  "Hey, you're gorgeous. :)"

Me:  "You like it?  All the boys have been shocked and Kaleb says he hates it."

Kurtis:  "Yeah."

I'm still not sure how I feel about it yet.

 These are the valentines I made for my family and grandmas.  If you haven't gotten yours yet, you will.  It's in the mail.

And last night, was a Stampin' Up! workshop and we made these!  I designed this card.  I found the directions for how to make the box on Pinterest, but the way it is decorated is my design as well.

*Update:  Riley just whispered in my ear that he does like my hair.*