Balentimes

I love the way my littlest one says that word as much as I love that day.  I love Valentine's Day almost as much as Christmas morning.  It is one of those days that fit the magical formula for moms.  Remember the formula?  The amount of joy it brings divided by the number of hours that a mom works to facilitate that joy. The higher the number the better.  Christmas morning has a a high joy dividend, but also a high number of hours to create that joy, so therefore the quotient is reflective of that.  Make sense? Too technical? Sorry, it's in my genes.  Let's just say Valentine's Day fits the formula perfectly!

It all started when Lance was a few months old and we decided to buy him a Valentine book.  The tradition has continued every year since and every Valentine's morning the kids are simply giddy to come downstairs to see the Valentine's table laden with a fun breakfast, and at their place setting a small box of chocolates and an exciting new read.  I love that I have a bunch of bookworms here and that every moment they can they are stealing away to some corner of the house or hidden spot in the yard to let their imaginations take over their reality in the form of some delicious smelling pages.

This year we finished our day with a fondue feast.  I make a mean Wisconsin Trio cheese fondue that could give Melting Pot a run for its money.  It was capped off by a chocolate fountain cascading with layers of the finest Belgium chocolate.  Seriously, my love language.  But can you guess my signature dipper that is missing from the platter of chocolate dippers at the Melting Pot?  Potato chips! A salty Ruffle dripping with milk chocolate -- holy yumminess!

After we had sufficiently gorged ourselves we let Bridger have his chocolate fondue time in a way that is appropriate to him - with his hands!  He giggled at the excitement of poking at it with some skewers, but then was in full exploration mode with his hands . . .and I may or may not have just sucked his little chocolate coated fingers clean.

I love this day. I love simple traditions. I love chocolate. I love that my family knows love, and not just on a particular day in February.  Happy Balentimes!