Valentine's Day Across the Generations

This is a little Valentine that I recently found in my mother's scrapbook (she was keeping scrapbooks, long before it was the "in thing" to do!) It is signed "Dubs" a nickname of my Dad's. They got married in 1932, and I think it is probably from around that period. The little boutonniere (thank you Spell-Check!) even comes out of the card, and it says, "I'm sweet on you."

This is Macy with her teacher, at her "Valentime's" party at her school yesterday. We all loooooove Mrs. B. Before the children came in from recess, she gave each one of them a squirt of antibacterial hand gel, and told them when they went in the room, to sit down quietly and begin eating their treats, but not to open up any Valentines yet. Macy saw one little girl opening some of her Valentines, and she got up, went over to her, and very nicely told her, "Mrs. B. said we are not supposed to open up our Valentines yet."

Here they are enjoying their treats, following instructions! That's Barbara Ann, on the far right, one of Macy's good friends.

Then, the teacher had all the kids sit on the little carpet in front of her and she role-played how to open Valentines. She told them that they were to read each card and then they needed to say "thank you," to each person before they opened another one. Macy and I were sitting on the carpet and I read the name of the person to her and then she got up, and walked across the room and told each person "thank you." (Her mom was helping Barbara Ann read her Valentine's. The room was very calm and orderly, thanks to Mrs. B.'s instructions, but Macy took it very seriously, and would not only say "thank you," but many friends got hugs.

After a little while, I told Macy she didn't need to walk over to the person, she could just say, "thank you," to them across the room. It was a little noisy, but also much quicker! Valentines have changed since Dad's Valentine from the 1930's. Every Valentine Macy got had candy attached to it, (the candy companies have gotten smart!) or special stickers from a current cartoon or movie.

Macy and her beautiful mom

Some of the beautiful flowers on Macy's teacher's desk!