How Did You Spend Valentine's Day?

I spent it shuttling children to and from lessons and stuff. And making heart pizza -- from whole wheat natural yeast dough, of course.. :) -- for the kids' dinner.

The kids spent it learning at school, piano lessons, basketball games, and delivering cards to their friends around the neighborhood.

Grace kept asking me, hopefully, if I had anything special planned. I mean, I tried. I did make valentines to put in their lunch boxes, and  special valentines cupcakes for dessert...but I felt a little guilty telling her that we weren't making Valentines Day THAT big of a deal. She was bummed that they did not have the day off from school, feasts and presents and ceremony Anything more exciting than the nearly normal day that it turned out to be. Sorry G. You'll survive.

My parents spent Valentines exploring the wilds and legends of Death Valley, and other desolate places on their first post-retirement vacation. A little bit ironic. Retire, and immediately make tracks for Death Valley. To each his own. They played some golf in Death Valley and toured Scotty's Castle and visited the Ale'Inn (read: "alien") Cafe near Area 51 in central Nevada, drove through deserted mining towns, hiked around weird geological features (my dad loves a good geology trip)...all the stuff that dream vacations are made of.

Mike spent Valentine's Day evening working. He had to teach that night. (He did call me. And he brought me an awesome, clever, personally-authored card when he got home later.) Mike and I went out to breakfast the next day for our official Valentines Day observance. After which, we dropped over to the kids' school to watch my Russian sister, Elena, talk to Jessie's class about growing up in Soviet Russia. They have been studying the Cold War. That was fun. Mike was impressed with some of the kids' questions, especially the one who asked about inflation and currency exchange. He wished some of his adult students were as bright.

Bendy and Roy spent part of their evening doing a good deed. That is, they took pity on me slogging it out at home alone, and brought me chocolate covered strawberries and grapes and half of Beth's giant heart shaped cookie to share. How cool are they?! Thanks, guys.

Hope you all had a good one too. :)