HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!
John and I are having a very close low key day. We are relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

This past week the girls and I got together for old fashioned valentine making!! These girls are prepuberty and some can only talk about boys when they are here. It is so cute to listen when they get all wound up.
I was asked to keep several valentines until friday morning so they could pick them up on the way to the bus stop!! How funny is that?
This one is made by a 7 yr old that is madly in love with her best friend ALEX. She said her dad would be really upset to know she likes boys!!

Tiffany is all excited about giving her valentine, complete with closing pearl clasp, to her main squeeze.....her DAD.

Korbyn says she will 'never tell' who she likes but HE knows

And daylon is one luckly boy to get this beauty!! It even had an envelope of heart candies to go with it.

The girls love pulling out containers of 'finds' to decorate anything and everything .

DId I mention I LOVE garage sales/thrift stores?

The usual game plan is to have everything they need at their disposal and let them just go for it.

A year after we have started these get togethers I see interesting things.

One girl is so sweet and so solicitous of me. She wants to hurry through her projects and cuts corners and is always left with poorly constructed or sloppy art work. Most of the others have evolved and have taken their work more seriously. At least they take their time and try to make their projects nicer. Since our main rule is we cannot criticize our art or anyone else's I have to tread lightly around One to encourage her to maybe take a little more time. I suggest maybe gluing gaps closed, trimming messy ribbon etc etc.

I say everything short of 'why settle for a sloppy end result.' I do pick times that everyone is busy and talk about the taking pride in one's work even if no one else will see it. I also tell them when they work on 'quality rather than quantity' when making art it will spill over into other areas of your life.

So we will plod on. I will stay positive for them and support and encourage the best I can.

I have learned so much about each of them. I know their family stories more intimately and the bonding is so special. They all know without saying that this a always a safe place .

I was so touched a few weeks ago when two of the girls stopped by to 'talk'. One was really quiet. I could tell she had something on her mind. So we grabbed sodas and lounged here in the living room. I finally said H why don't you tell me what is going on. Her response was she had started her monthly 'hell' as her mother put it.

She wanted some straight answers because they were not forthcoming from her own mom.

I was happy to answer and offer support. I know now that I am making a positive influence on these girls. It goes without saying that they are making a positive influence on me as well.