I was listening to the radio this morning on the way back from morning drop offs and on the radio they were having a call in poll.  The poll was whether or not you prefer a “meaningful” or “extravagant” Valentine’s day.  I thought about this as all the people called in to boast about their grand plans or their deeply sentimental expressions of love.  And I just smiled a sad little smile for every one calling in.  You see.  I know my husband loves me, he tells me so every day.  He goes to work and improves his career so I can do what I want to most - raise my children.  He makes me laugh constantly.  And best of all he thinks I can do anything.  So why on the 14th day of February do I need anything extravagant or overly meaningful?  I don’t, grand gestures just aren’t necessary on this Halmark holiday. 

I have a husband who doesn’t really like holidays and who has even on occasion forgotten a few- or ignored them all together as the case maybe.  For him I need to keep it simple.  I ask for the same 2 things every year.  I want a bouquet of flowers from Kroger (NO CARNATIONS!)  and a box of chocolates that DON’Tcontain caramel.  Simple and perfect.  For me it was about getting to the essence of what made me the happiest on the holiday of LOVE.  But it wasn’t always so clear cut.  It took years to come to this happy resolution to Valentine’s Day expectations.  The moment that turned it all around for me happened 7  short years ago.

We were living in Louisville then, Todd was with LeapFrog and I was working a paper route every day.   This left us with very little time to spend together.  And as Valentines Day approached I became more and more agitated knowing that he wasn’t thinking about Valentine’s day gifts and plans at all.  I was determined not to mention it to him this year because it was “his job” as my husband to remember and spoil me.  I had quite a chip on my shoulder that got larger and larger as the days passed. 

Finally Valentine’s day arrived.  I gave the girls their customary boxes of chocolate and went about waiting for a surprise I knew wasn’t coming.  Valentine’s fell on a Saturday that year and so Todd was home all day to feel the full effects of my wrath.     By around 2 in the afternoon I had had enough of waiting and resigned myself to vacuuming and not speaking to him.  How could he have forgotten when every retailer between our house and the Atlantic ocean was decked out in pink and red? 

I don’t remember now why I sent Todd out to Super America (a local gas station) that afternoon.  I imagine it was to get some ice, or gas up the cars for Sunday.  All I remember is that he went.  And I began to cry, heartbroken, as I moved through the house with my vacuum.  When I was just finishing the master bedroom (the last room to be done in the house) Todd appeared in the door way.  I turned off the vacuum and he sheepishly looked at me, smiled, and said. 

“I know I screwed up.  And so I went to Super America and tried get you something.”  And then he showed me a convenient store plastic rose he purchased while out.  “But this is all they had.”  And then he handed me a bottle of blue Gatorade - my favorite flavor. “And I know you like the blue kind.  I am sorry.  Happy Valentine’s Day.” 

“Is this the best you can do?” I asked.

And with all the sincerity in the world he replied,”Yes.  Yes it is.” 

And here came the tears.  Only this time they weren’t angry tears, they were tears of joy and laughter.  In that moment I realized that it wasn’t the grand gestures I needed.  It wasn’t extravagant amounts of money spent or poetry written.  I needed to feel like a girl.  Not a mom, wife, hard worker, chauffeur, cook or any other title that comes along with this job.  Just a  girl who has a boy - who loves her enough to bring her flowers (even plastic ones) on Valentines day.

And so from then on I got specific.  Specific and simple.  Conversations leading up to Valentines day now go like this.

“Remember I like white oriental lilies but if they don’t have those or those are too expensive anything that’s not a carnation will do.” 

“Honey don’t forget, its tomorrow.  Do you need to go to the store tonight?”

Calls at work the next day, “Its Valentines day, stop and buy me flowers on the way home.”

And sometimes he even replies, “Will you go with me to buy them?”  and I say yes.  Because I get to be a girl who loves a boy who doesn’t like to go anywhere with out her. 

Todd was putting on his work boots this morning to go out and trudge through the snow and mentioned that he was wearing 2 pairs of socks.   Why two pairs I ask?  Because he said, “All my boot socks are being used as heating pads!”  LOL!!  Too true my dear.  I have stolen all his boot socks over the years to create the best heating pads ever.  Socks you say?  How do you make a heating pad out of a sock?  Here’s how!

Materials:

1 of your husband’s boot socks.  (just one, you can leave the other in his drawer for use at a later date or to drive him crazy cause he can’t find the match.)

A Funnel or piece of paper you can shape into a funnel.  (I am cheap, I use the paper.)

3-4 cups of uncooked rice (depending on the size of your husbands foot).

A Microwave.

Directions:

Sneak into your husbands sock drawer and “borrow” one of this thick boot socks.  Preferably one without holes unless you want to add needle and thread to the materials list.

Later remember the excuse…”The dryer must have eaten it honey!”

Turn the sock inside out.  Cause the inside is all soft and fuzzy (We like them soft and fuzzy!).

Use funnel/paper to fill the sock with 3-4 cups of uncooked rice.  Use the cheap rice, cause its not like you are going to eat it later…though I suppose you could count it as food storage…. eeeeewwwwww!

Tie a knot in the end of the sock.  This keeps all the rice inside. Duh.

Pop it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes depending on how warm you like yours to be.

Ta Da!  HEATING PAD!  Its reusable, disposable, and all around enjoyable!  And no sewing was needed!  They are great if you need one on the fly because you can make one in just a few minutes.  And if it one day gets a hole, guess what?  You go and find its match and make another.  The kids love them, especially when they are sick, or have come in from a cold play day.  Here are a few pictures of them I found online.  Make one!  You’ll thank me later.  :D

Last week Todd had to go to Frankfort on business for a few days.  While he was gone I received a newspaper clipping from my Grandma who lives in northern Kentucky. It was a picture of Todd at the annual Kentucky Farm Bureau conference.  She put it in a card and sent it to me.  She thought it was pretty cool to see Todd in her local newspaper.  So the clipping came in the mail while Todd was away and when he called to see how everyone was doing that day Tatie answered the phone.  The following is an excerpt from that conversation.

Tatie: Daddy you’re in the newspaper!

Todd: Oh yeah, which one?

Tatie: You know, the newspaper.

Todd: Which newspaper honey?

Tatie: THE newspaper.

Todd: But which one was it?

Tatie: theneeeeeeeewspaper.

Todd:You know Tatie, there is more than one newspaper.

Tatie: There is?

Todd: Yes, lots.  So which newspaper was I in?

Tatie: The one with your picture in it.

Hahahahhaha!  Don’t you just love that?

Hey guys, its Nicole, this is just a quick note to all those Twilight lovers in the house!  When you go to buy your New Moon DVD, just like last year go buy it at Target.  If you are not buying BluRay - Target is the ONLY place to get the 3 disc version which contains all the same special features that the BluRay disc has.

Some people *coughmomhollycough* gave me a hard time last year for not telling them about the Target version before they went off and bought the one available at Walmart.  So I am announcing it now so that no one can blame me if they don’t get the 3 disc!  It comes out March 20th. 

You can preorder it at Target.com but I didn’t have any trouble getting it in store last year. 

Anyway.  I wanted to let you know.  Love you!

Nicole

I can not even remotely believe that I am writing this post right now.  But here goes…

Sydney signed up to do the science fair out of a feeling obligation to her Science teacher (who is her FPS coach as well).  I wasn’t overly pleased about her doing it because her plate is so full.  But she wanted to do it so we supported her.  Time was tick tick ticking away and she hadn’t done anything on the project yet.  Finally with about a week and a half to go we got the 15 - 2 liter bottles of  Coke for her to do her experiment.  Which was to determine if removing the additives of Sugar and Caffeine had any effect on the chemical reaction when a mentos is added to the Coke.  In essence if you are going to make a Mentos Coke fountain, which flavor of Coca-Cola should you buy?

My thoughts on the experiment were the following…

1. This is like the proverbial Volcano.  Everyone is doing this.  There is no way she is going to win.

2. Who can really turn down an excuse to blow up 30 liters of Coke in their driveway?  I sure can’t.

3.  What the heck.

And so we did it.  Here is the video of the experiment.  You will notice that its not the big explosion like you see on youtube.  The youtube versions require a lot more than one mentos per bottle and you have to create a smaller opening in the lid to allow for maximum height on the explosion.  We did on the last trial go for height by putting a small hole with a nail in the lid of the bottle.  But only Sydney was able to get the lid screwed on in time.

So the parents aren’t allowed to be there for the judging.  We just show up at Awards time and collect our little scientists and go home.  Kinsey Tatie and I loaded in the car to go witness a rare opportunity.  The rare instance when Sydney does NOT win.  And it is rare.  So we joked about this to Sydney while we were waiting.  And as we waited I was surprised to see that many of the science teachers in the room took an interest in Sydney’s project.   I thought at first is was that she had the “flashy project”…everyone loves explosions.  But as they kept coming and I listened in and noticed they were giving her tips on how to make it better.  I thought…that’s weird.  And then it occurred to me.  OH MY GOSH…SHE WON!  I leaned over to Kinsey and said, “if she wins I am going to crack up!”  And you know what…She did!  First place for Chemistry!  She has been recommended for regionals!  Color me shocked.  I am so proud of her!

We just got home from the District Academic Team award’s ceremony.  And we are so excited to report that Sydney and her team placed 1st in the Governor’s Cup Future Problem Solvers competition!!!!

Future Problem Solver’s is a division of Governor’s Cup where a team of 4 kids is given a futuristic problem to solve.  The only limits the solutions for these problems are their imaginations and ability to persuasively write.  The next stop for her is Regional Championships next month.  CONGRATULATIONS SYDNEY!!!!

As a poetry project this year Kinsey had to do a Free Verse picture.  Its when you take a line of poetry and express it in a picture.  It was a pretty cool project.  Here is her picture.  The verse is from “How to Save a  Life” by The Fray.

At the end of Holly and Seth’s reception Holly wanted to make sure she got some pictures with the girls since they weren’t able to come out to the Temple that afternoon (it was raining and the bride was late).  So while Todd was trying to snap some photos a dance remix came on and they couldn’t stop dancing!  It was so cute I had to grab the video camera.  It was one of my favorite moments all night.

If you haven’t seen them yet, here is the link to Holly & Seth’s Youtube page with all the wedding videos. Be sure to friend/favorite their page and make some comments if you haven’t already.

I received a few brief message updates from Todd while he was chaperoning Kinsey’s first church Dance. 

Message 1: We made it.  I think that is all we can hope for.

Message 2: There a lots of people here.  K is having a great time not dancing.  I have never seen anyone enjoy not dancing so much.

Message 3: Let’s not push her too far too fast with dancing.  She may want to ease into it after she graduates from college.

Message 4: She is dancing with a boy.  He looks suspicious.

Message 5: She is the prettiest girl here. And that is helping keep insecure boys away.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!  Poor Daddy.

Today is a very special day!  As you know Kinsey turned 14 this month and that marks a big year.  Its the year she finally gets to go to church dances!!!!  So she headed off about 15 minutes ago with her Dad to pick up a friend and then drive to her first church dance in Lebanon, KY.  We spent a whole lot of time this afternoon trying on outfits and taking pictures to remember them so that she could look just right.  I am so excited for her!  So wish her luck and tell her she looks adorable.  And tell me not to feel too old and try not to remind me that in just 2 short years she will be dating… O_o