This year for Valentine’s Day, Ian went all out — babysitter, fancy dinner, executive box seats for the Tragically Hip concert in Toronto, reservations at the swanky Royal York Hotel…not for me, mind you. This was all for work. I, on the other hand, chaired my first ever church committee meeting. But I’m not bitter. Not at all. Jerk. Is what I would call him if I was bitter, which I’m not. At all.

All joking aside, we don’t generally do a whole lot to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but he enjoyed being able to straight-face it at work when people gasped, “Isn’t your wife going to kill you for going out on Valentine’s Day??” And he did send me very beautiful flowers:

My beautiful Valentine’s Day flowers!
©PicklesINK 2013

Sadly, I have found that lilies give me migraines, so this morning I performed a lily-ectomy and I think they’re just as lovely without them!

My flowers, just as lovely post-lilyectomy.
©PicklesINK 2013

On my end, I wanted to do some art with Ben and Molly for Valentine’s Day presents for Ian. For the last little while any time I’ve given Molly paints she has happily sat for ages painting her fingers and making prints, so for a Valentine’s Day craft I figured I would tap into and fully sanction that hands on technique! My idea was to make a fingerprint garden with a “Bee Mine” theme.

Ben and Molly’s Valentine paintings for Daddy.
©PicklesINK 2013

Ben was right on board and caught on immediately. I helped him with the stems and started him off on the flowers and he took it from there — “No, mommy, don’t worry. I can do it. I know what I’m doing.” After he finished his flowers I painted the bee on his thumb and we stamped that, and he took it from there, drawing the speech bubble for the bee, the butterfly, and the sun. Can you figure out Ben’s secret trick to drawing butterflies?

Close-up of Ben’s painting of a row of flowers, bee, butterfly, and sun.
©PicklesINK 2013

My independent-minded Molly, on the other hand (heheheheh) made it very clear that she wanted no help, so her version reflects her non-conformist nature! (Didja see what I did there with “nature”??). The “printing” on the easel, I’m told, says, “To Daddy, This is a garden and a bee, Love Molly.”

Close-up of Molly’s painting of a garden with flowers and a bee.
©PicklesINK 2013

Not to be outdone, I also did my part for Valentine’s for Ian — weeks ago I found the perfect card, bought it, snuck it into the house and carefully hid it, and just as soon as I figure out where, I’ll give it to him!

Valentine’s Day swag: My flowers and Ben and Molly’s paintings. Pretend that you can see my card too!
©PicklesINK 2013

I hope that you had a good Valentine’s Day, however you chose to celebrate (or not)!

~ karyn