Valentines...

Valentines are a month long process here.  We start by deciding what we want to make.  I started years ago when R was in 3yr old preschool giving her a choice as to what she wanted to make.  Since then we have continued(with the exception of last year where I gave them an idea and went with it).  Kb & Kg started preschool and that made three choices to be made (past Valentines here and here are a couple) This year we discovered Pinterest and it was fun to find ideas there and let the kids choose.  I also like that they chose easy to make Valentines;)

After the decision was made we shopped for the supplies we needed.  Now, a more detail orientated mom would have noticed that Kb's would have looked better on white card stock rather than letting him pick a color.  Ow well, he likes them and they are cute!

Then we spent two days cutting out 16 Valentines each(one day for R, she didn't mind cutting that many at once.  Kb and Kg got bored half way through and finished the next day).  

Then a week to write names for Kb and Kg.  They wrote their name on 2-3 Valentines a day.  That was just enough.  R wrote her name and her friend's names in two days.  What a difference a couple years makes!  I remember her not wanting to write that many names at once two years ago in preschool!

Finally, we assembled!  This is what they made...

Kb wanted to make "superman" Valentines as he refers to them.  They say Have A Super Valentines Day

R said she didn't want to give candy because she can't eat a lot of the Valentine candy usually given now that she has braces.  We found this cute idea with bounce balls.  Valentine You Make My Heart Bounce

Kg loved the flower Valentines.  They say Happy Valentines Day

(R made these in preschool too:)

I saw this cute jar idea on Pinterest.  You take mason jars and make them fun colors with modge podge, food coloring and water.  They are harder to make than they look(at least for us).  First time, we didn't use enough modge podge and second time we used a little too much I think(the top rim didn't try completely clean).  Kids love them and are using them as teacher gifts!  They decorated some pencils to put in the jars and wanted to use Valentine M&M's(I tried for the candy hearts with sayings, but was voted down).  

Happy Valentine's Day!!!