Tiny Prints sent me an email asking the question, "how do you make valentine's day special for your kids?" I realized that I have never shared our valentine tradition with Josiah.
Jonathan and I have never been huge on celebrating Valentine's since it is mostly a "Hallmark holiday." My mindset changed with regards to our child when I thought about my own childhood.
One of my best childhood memories with my grandparents was from Valentine's Day. My grandma cooked a nice dinner for us. Grandpa bought us the big box of Whitman's Sampler - a big deal to a 7 year old! He also bought us a stuffed goose with a straw hat. It was a simple moment. It didn't involve spending lots of money, a fancy restaurant, or expensive flowers. That is all part of what makes it my favorite Valentine's memory. Grandma and Grandpa spent quality time with us and showed us their love for us.
We decided to show our love for Josiah on Valentine's Day through the gift of books. Surprise, surprise, right? (it's no secret we are HUGE book lovers here!) Each year, I scour tons of children's books to find the perfect one. It is always a book that talks about how much we love Josiah. I also try to find a book that emphasizes similarities to Josiah's personality or developmental stage. Once the perfect book is selected, I write a letter to Josiah inside the front cover explaining why we chose it and how much we love him! I figured he would appreciate that part when he is much older. To my surprise, when I get those books out to read, he wants me to read the inscription to him repeatedly before the story. He will have these books to hold on to and always know he is loved!
Some of the titles we have chosen include: The Yummiest Love, How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You, Wherever You Go My Love Will Find You, and I Love You Little Monkey.
What about you? Any fun or special Valentine's Day traditions?
*Thanks to Tiny Prints for inspiring me to share these thoughts! You can find tons of unique and creative Valentines for something extra special this year by visiting their site. You can also follow them on twitter(https://twitter.com/#!/TinyPrints), facebook(https://www.facebook.com/tinyprints), or pinterest(http://pinterest.com/tiny_prints/)!
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