Happy Valentine's Day!

It has once again been a little while since I have written - even though there are so many things that I have been hoping to write about. I guess a teething baby can really consume a lot of time and limit what can be done while in your arms!

We have also been spending quite a bit of time preparing for Valentine's Day. Now that Ewan is really starting to anticipate events and holidays I try to work in more themed activities around the house leading up to the day. Many of the ideas are very simple and easy to work into even busy schedules. I am still very much trying to work in more memorable moments in our family life to add special little memories, not just rely on big events.

Some of the Valentines Day related activities included making some pink, peppermint scented, sparkly play dough. Play dough is always a huge hit with Ewan and all of the nursery school children as well. I have been loving adding pipe cleaners as well as baking tools when the play dough is out - the children really get into making more sculptures instead of just breaking the dough into a million little pieces! The peppermint scent and colour also helps to create an activity that incorporates all of the senses. My favourite recipe uses 2 cups of flour, 1 cup salt, 2 tbsp of oil, 4 tsp of cream of tartar, and 2 cups of water; mix over medium heat until it sticks together and then knead (that is also when I add the scent and sparkles).

Together Ewan and I also made Valentine's to give out to all of his friends at school. We came up with a few ideas, but our favourite was making crayons. These turned out really well and were very simple to make. A Gym Tale has an abundance of broken crayons so we capitalized on that and peeled them and continued to break them into little pieces. We then sorted them by colours and then put them into heart shaped moulds and baked them at 275 for 15 minutes and then let cool. Ewan and Isla have both been having a great time colouring with their set of hearts.

We have also been reading books about friends and Valentine's Day - curious George is once again the favourite book, but Love You Forever was also a close second.

Tomorrow morning we will be celebrating Valentine's Day with a pancake breakfast, red streamers decorating the kitchen and a little gift. I have tried to stay away from chocolate and candy treats, so instead I bought them each a new book. Isla has a rhyme book and Ewan the new Oliver Jeffers book - This Moose Belongs to Me. If you have not read any books by Oliver Jeffers, they really are fantastic books for preschoolers - Ewan loves his stories, the characters and pictures. 

If Alan and I are lucky we will get the kids to bed early and enjoy dinner for the two of us and a glass of wine.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day!