Let's backup for a moment...

In my rush to post my menu this week, I completely forgot to mention Valentine's day! We started a new tradition this year with the kids (I mentioned this before) by setting up a mailbox for each of them on February 1st. Each night Cupid came by and left some little Valentine sentiment in them. The kids couldn't wait to check their boxes each morning! Over the fourteen days they received chocolate hearts, Valentine pencils, a heart-shaped pencil sharpener, sweethearts, a heart shaped tea cake, pink and red M&M's, love notes and on the last night the boys got Valentine Hot Wheels and the big girls got a Valentine charm bracelet and the younger girls got a necklace with a pink heart pendant. For Valentine's day I got .....A COLD! I had grand plans of serving my family an amazing dinner of steak, homemade potato au gratin, wedge salad and chocolate lava cakes with strawberries....well, you know what they say about the best laid plans...
To add insult to injury, I am a world-class germophobe ( even though I prefer to think of it more as an ounce of prevention). I have spent the entire flu season sanitizing light switches and door knobs, upping everyone's vitamin C intake and dousing my children in Purell every time we go out and basically, touch anything. Well, the kids are pictures of health while I am sitting here with a red nose and I'm pretty sure that I am coughing hard enough to dislodge an important internal organ. My four-year old brought out his doctor kit and introduced himself as Dr. Cutiepie (I have to agree...why didn't we think of naming him that when he was born? It makes perfect sense!). After a full examination, Dr. Cutiepie announced that the problem was that my heart wasn't pumping. Oh, is that all...at least now I know the problem. I was given a treatment plan of eating a large meal consisting of plastic play food. I feel much better now!
Despite not being able to breathe, Valentine's day was wonderful and full of love and I wouldn't trade a thing. Here is my Valentine to you...

Be a Fan