celebrating

I've decided that Rachel loves any excuse to celebrate.  Christmas is the epitome of celebrations, but she was almost just as excited about Groundhog Day, for goodness sake.

So Valentine's Day was no exception.

Rebecca did her usual wake-up-for-no-good-reason at 5:15 this morning (after waking at 4:00, also for no apparent reason), was quiet after I told her to go nigh night some more, but at 5:30 started screaming, until I got her out of bed at 6:00.

So imagine my surprise, at 6:00 AM, when I opened my door (which I had closed at 5:15 because I knew Rebecca's screaming would begin at any time), and saw Rachel standing in the dark hallway, with both hands behind her back, waiting for me, exclaiming, "Happy Valentine's Day, Mommy!"

 I don't know how long she had been standing there waiting.  But she just couldn't wait to give me my valentine, bless her little heart! 

Then she went and got Daddy's to give to him, and then Rebecca's.  Then she said, "Now the only Valentine left is ME!"  So I told her to wait upstairs and come down in a few minutes.  I came downstairs and got her stuff ready, and called her down.  I gave her a valentine card, a chocolate heart, and a plaster heart magnet that you paint (she loves that stuff).  She got her smock, started painting, and was done by 6:30! 

All morning before school she kept saying, "I'm just too excited, Mommy.  I just can't wait for my Valentine party."

Part of her excitement was that I was going to be at her party.  I hadn't gotten to attend one of her class parties all year because I had no one to watch Rebecca.  On the day of the Christmas party she was really sad because I couldn't come to the party, so I decided then and there that I would find someone to watch Rebecca for Valentine's Day so I could be at her party.  So today I finally was there.  It was nice to finally put faces with the names I hear every day when she tells me about school.  I also found out from another mom about a boy that supposedly likes Rachel. 

(She has no clue that he likes her--we asked her tonight what she thought of him and she said she didn't really like him.  We asked why and she said, "Well, his hair kind of sticks up, not like the other boys' hair."  (Yep, my daughter is deep like that--basing her opinion of people on their hair.)   But, she also told us that Caleb wants to marry her.  I guess Caleb's hair must be okay, because she didn't seem to have any objections to that.)

I made heart shaped pizza for dinner--completely for her sake.  I knew no one else in the family would care, but she, of course, thought it was awesome.  So that made it worth it.  Several times today, Rachel told me, "This is the BEST Valentine's Day EVER!"  

She'll probably say the same thing about President's Day next week.  That's my girl.  All she needs is a reason to celebrate.