Messy Minded Momma

He has been counting down to Valentine’s Day since February first. I am not entirely sure what sparked the obsession. Maybe it is the promise of a love basket filled with toys and treats. Maybe it is because he is in school now learning about the holiday. His class made little brown paper mailbags decorated with hearts and their names for the upcoming celebration. The parents were encouraged to send something in for the party, so in addition to his monster truck valentines, my son proudly brought mini doughnuts and flowers for his teachers and principals.

When he came home from school, his brown paper mailbag was overflowing with valentine’s cards, bracelets, crayons, finger puppets, candy, chocolate, stickers, and heart patterned pencils. The parents each received a LOVE picture with their child’s hand print placed perfectly where the O belongs. He spent the evening cycling between lollipops, gummy bears, and Goldfish crackers like a tiny sugar fueled socialite. He stayed up well past bedtime and when he finally crashed on the couch, he was completely out. There was no negotiating with that level of exhaustion.

On Valentine’s morning, he came sprinting into our bedroom and immediately asked for his love basket before my eyes were even open. I told him he could open it after breakfast. In an attempt to stretch out the magic, I asked him what his perfect Valentine’s Day would look like.

Without hesitation he said, going to an arcade, having a friend over for a play-date, and eating chicken, green beans, carrots, and ice cream. I chuckled because he absolutely would not eat chicken, green beans, and carrots if they appeared together on a dinner plate. But in theory, on Valentine’s Day, they made the cut.

Then I asked him what love looks like.

As our dog smothered him in kisses, he told me love looks like a heart. It means giving hugs and kisses on the head. It means respecting your things. Taking care of your stuffies and your pets, your family and your friends.

Simple. Clear. Wholesome.

His answers made me smile. In his world, love is tangible. It is gentleness. It is care and responsibility for what and who you cherish.

His love basket this year included a few monster trucks, a monster truck puzzle, a Toronto Raptors blanket, gummy hearts, a remote-control car, Lego, Nerf guns, Valentine’s books and crafts, and a red foam Pogo stick that squeaks every time you jump on it.

The house was filled with flowers, chocolates, balloons, and toys. My husband took him to the arcade, fulfilling one item on his dream list, while I cooked a homemade dinner that he did not eat. Naturally. We finished the night with ice cream at Dairy Queen, because nothing says balance like vegetables in theory and Blizzards in practice.

It was loud. It was messy. It was sugar filled and slightly chaotic. And it was full of love.