How Much Do I Love You?

Since I get quite delinquent on posting, especially on our busy weekends, I will post our HAPPY VALENTINES DAY post right now while I have time and am thinking about it!

It really is funny how celebrating v-day changes after kids. Patrick and I NEVER celebrated the holiday, we would make dinner or go to dinner sometimes but there were no gifts or flowers or cards (except one year when I was having a mental breakdown during busy season on Duke and I got flowers as a "please don't kill yourself" gift).

This year, however, Madelyn and I have:
1. Picked out the perfect valentines (sparkly princess ones...these only won out over Mickey because they sparkled and came with stamp pads and stamps)
2. Colored these valentines for all of her friends and family

Here is just a sampling

3. Made a big deal about going to mail the valentines for our out-of-towners (she checked the mail box 5 times to make sure they were still in there)
4. Baked cupcakes for Daddy's work (white with chocolate frosting and white with pink buttercream and sprinkles)- Madelyn loved adding things to the mixer and watching it spin...then she loved eating the batter (2 cupcakes worth) and the results (1 whole cupcake with extra frosting)
5. Today we baked cupcakes for Daddy (strawberry with cream cheese frosting)

Got our stuff all ready! Like the valentines day cupcake liners and spatula?

Just a little taste, Daddy won't notice...

Are they done yet?

All done, strawberry with cream cheese frosting- yum!
Maybe we will make some strawberry cream cheese frosting now...

6. Finally we went to the store to buy food for a special valentines dinner for Daddy and a dinner for Daddy, Grandma and Uncle Jeffrey this weekend- we are making a fondue party for Daddy and a tenderloin roast with sides and apple crisp for Grandma/Uncle Jeffrey- yum!

This holiday just got so much more fun with Madelyn. To commemorate this new found enthusiasm I thought I would quote one of Madelyn's favorite books right now...it just says it all...

How Do I Love You?
P.K. Hallinan

How do I love you? Let me count the ways.
I love you on your very best and very worst of days.
I love to see you laughing and dancing in the rain.
And even when you lose your shoes, I love you just the same.
I love to hear you singing, I love to see you smile.
I love the way you take each day in your own unhurried style.
I'm happy when you're happy, I'm sorry when you're sad.
And even though it may not show, I love you when you're bad.
How do I love you? Well now let me see...
I love the way you act so brave when you fall and hurt your knee.
I love to watch you sleeping, tucked away in pleasant dreams.
I love to hear you whisper all your giant plans and schemes.
I love the way you wear your pants, with the front part in the back,
And the way you walk around sometimes with your head inside a sack.
I love to see you deep in thought, I love to watch you play.
And though I'm sure you'll never know, I love you more each day.
How do I love you? It's impossible to say.
For if I had a million days and time enough for all the praise, I couldn't tell you all the ways...
I love you.

Here is Madelyn last year on Valentines Day
Here is Madelyn mixing her Valentines Day cupcakes for Daddy this year...so big!

Happy Valentines Day to everyone and all your Valentines....big and small!

~Kristin, Patrick and Madelyn