Valentine's 2014 (& the Vagabond!)

We've never put big expectations on Valentine's Day. JB & I have been together for 16 years, and our first Valentine's Day in the same time zone was 3 years in! (I was living in Germany & he at grad school in WI for the 1st; I was finishing Davidson in NC while he was still in WI for the 2nd.) I think b/c it's so "no pressure" for us, it usually ends up being full of surprising fun!

This year, JB invented a character: the Valentine's Vagabond. Yeah. :-P "He brings you things, but not necessarily what you ask for; more like whatever he finds available." :-D The sheer genius of this is that it's purely about fun, not "stuff". The kids don't need anything Santa-esque, but they're so excited for ANYTHING that shows up unexpectedly: a bag of Goldfish! Hershey kisses! A little flashlight! Cereal! Tic-tacs! Pencils! The Vagabond was a huge hit - and I love that my husband is that creative. ;-)

Rocking out to my Valentine's card from JB in the car line on the way to school:


As Homeroom Mom, I ran Will's 4th grade class Valentine's party, so I was able to take this class picture:

One boy gave Valentine cards that were punch-out paper animal mask glasses, so they all put them on - super cute! (Yes, I already submitted it to the yearbook. ;-)) Will's in the #11 jersey.

Friday night, the kids were thrilled to go to open gym (where Annelise takes gymnastics) from 7 PM - MIDNIGHT! :-O JB & I took advantage of the entire time slot by going out to dinner at Palma de Cera (outstanding Colombian cuisine!) and then to a movie (The Monuments Men - I didn't care that the reviews are blah. WWII movies are my ultimate favorite genre, and I love this cast, so I was happy to give it a chance! Best film ever? Nah, but we DID enjoy it. :-))