valentine's day, how i heart you

this COULD be a ranting post about how it's absolutely ridiculous that numerous people feel the need to give my kids candy and chocolate just because it's a "special" day.  this COULD be a ranting post about how i think it's really awful that my kid goes to gymnastics, which i thought was a place that promoted healthy living, from 5:30pm-6:30pm (i.e. dinner time) and upon leaving is presented with not one, not two, but FIVE junk food items (including cookies, donuts and rice krispies treats) right before dinner.  this COULD be a ranting post about how it's not really fair for my five year old to have to make the decision about whether she should eat that crap before she's had her dinner (or at all for that matter).  this COULD be a ranting post about how kids don't need to get a "treat" for every little "holiday" or even "just because"--but that if someone DOES feel the need to treat my kid, perhaps a sticker, or a pencil, or a fun eraser or ANYTHING other than food (a term i use rather loosely as many of these "treats" can hardly be considered food) would be a much more acceptable option.

this COULD be a post about all of those things, but it's not.

it's a fairy tale post.  about how i brought in fruit to a school party for M's class, and when the kids were told they could choose two things from items such as two kinds of cupcakes and cookies, and fruit, THEY CHOSE FRUIT!!!!  

maybe it's because the fruit looked like this:

because, let's face it--that's damn cute, ain't it??!  but no matter--i made extras and they were ALL gone!  and there were cupcakes and cookies still left over!  and i even saw kids--who were told that yes, they could go up for seconds--get up and get seconds...OF FRUIT!!

seriously, it was like a dream come true.  because i admit that i was a little nervous that i was going to be seen as "that" mom--you know, the one who brings fruit to party on a day that's "supposed" to be filled with chocolate and candies made red with chemical dyes.  but those kids chose the naturally red colored food i brought and i swear my heart grew like the grinch's.

and they all lived happily (and naturally) ever after...;)

and as a ps, here's a gift i made for my cheese/valentine's day-loving husband:

that's right, folks--no chocolate for my man--that's a box of cheese.  and for the other cheese lovers out there, please know that no cheeses were harmed (i.e. wasted) in the making of this box--any and all scraps were saved for cheese loving man.

happy valentine's day, everyone :)