The Gift

I think I have a healthy, albeit very boring, attitude towards Valentine's Day.  I help the kids get little valentines and treats for their friends, we make heart shaped sugar cookies and call it good.  Abe and I hope to continue attending the Regency Ball as part of our Valentine's celebration, but neither Abe or I are big into Valentine's gifts.  I expected nothing today as I am still reeling from the delights of the ball. 

But I was overcome with the gift that awaited me on returning from my morning walk.

My man-child had purchased me a gift. 

With his own money.

This is remarkable because, as of late, I have not been on the man-child's "Most Loved" list.  You see, it was my idea to sign him up for the swim team last week and he wasn't so keen on it.  But he was even less keen on the other options we gave him.  So swim team it was.  We missed the happy, contentedly tired young man we knew during football season when he was exercising hard several times a week.  After three grueling workouts since Thursday I think he is liking it okay--even though he's not likely to admit it.  Actually, he won't even come close to saying he likes it.  Perhaps he really doesn't like it all, but already the boy of last fall is returning.  So I'm liking it.


AND HE BOUGHT ME VALENTINE'S CHOCOLATES!!! He loves me; He loves me not; He loves me!

Now, onto a story of my youngest son.  We go through a lot of pencils at our house---boxes and boxes of pencils a year.  We go through more boxes of pencils than a homeschooling family with six children really should, and that is a lot already.  But we have a problem.

I came upon this very disturbing scene on the kitchen floor today.  "NOOOOOOOO!"  I yelled.
The children came running in and they too screamed, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!".

Why such distress over a few pencils fallen out of a box?

Because George bites the eraser off of EVERY SINGLE pencil he can get hold of. 

GRRRRR.  And there's no point in putting on those eraser tops.  That's makes biting it off that much more satisfying to George-- plus he'd probably choke on it.  I'll just have to hope that my pencil supply holds out until the school supplies go on sale in July.