Be Mine

Alyssa's class had their Valentine's Day party yesterday. At the beginning of the school year we went to the school and met her teacher. Alyssa was nervous and in an effort to ease her fears and let her know that I take her education and the world she has built at school, I volunteered to help out at all of the parties offered. I was there for the Halloween party, the Christmas party and the one yesterday.

The difference between the first two and the Valentine's Day party is that I was in charge of the party yesterday.

Ooh the stress of figuring out how to entertain 22 second graders for an hour an fifteen minutes.

I appreciated the fact that her teacher put me in charge of the last party, giving me a chance to attend the first to and see what was expected.

We did two crafts, decorated heart-shaped sugar cookies and played a game, putting us right up to the point where it was time to gather their things and go home for the weekend.

I had a list of other moms willing to come and help out. We gave away gift bags too.

It was fun.

It also confirmed my belief that I made a most excellent decision during October of my fifth year at Indiana University when I changed my major from secondary education with a concentration in English. Ohhh my goodness, I was not cut out to be a teacher.

Teachers are amazing. They maintain such awesome control and produce amazing results from such a huge diversity of kids. Those kids were all so different and their teacher is able to find the strength in each and work on that, while not letting the weaknesses go unchallenged.

Wow.

Speaking of strengths and weaknesses, Tom and I agreed a long time ago that we wouldn't make a big deal over things like Valentine's Day or that stupid Sweetes Day. Cards feel like a waste of money and space and candy? Well, I am supposed to be dieting, right?

And it's good. We're both left without the pressure of having to pick out the perfect gift/card and it's just another day, a day in which we try to remind the other that he/she is important in the other's day to day life. Which is what marriage is really about, right? It's not about the individual holidays or special occasions so much as the day in, day out living and appreciating each other.

I think that's one of our strengths, knowing that each day is important whether the calendar says it's February 14 or October 4th or any other random date.

Ahh, but now it's after 5pm on a Saturday afternoon/evening. Tom's at an auction, the girls are already in jammies and I'm settling in for a nice, quiet night.

Talk about living in the moment and appreciating the nuances.