Love, Addie

Dear Addie,

And then it was the week before one of my favorite holidays, Valentine’s Day! I know what you are thinking, “Mom… is it even a real holiday. And perhaps also? Aren’t ALL holidays your favorite?”

First of all, bite your tongue!

Second of all, yes. Every holiday is my favorite. Arbor Day? Love it, I mean, why not have a day for planting a tree?Groundhog Day? Meteorologist Rodent, can you say Iconic? Random Tuesday? Practically sacred. If there is even the faintest whiff of a theme, I will be baking for it.

And yes, you’re right, Valentine’s Day is not technically an official federal holiday. But it is an official excuse for heart-shaped everything, unnecessary amounts of pink, and cupcakes covered in sprinkles that will absolutely end up all over the floor.

It’s a celebration of love, friendship, and chocolate-dipped fruit, which, frankly, feels important enough to warrant buttercream in my opinion.

And if loving holidays and baking cupcakes for them is wrong… then I just don’t want to be right.

Ah, yes, Valentine’s Day, surely, and in lieu of the current Winter Olympics, known to every school-aged participant as the Annual Hand-Cramp Olympics.

It’s that magical time of year when children experience their first corporate-sponsored deadline. Armed with a glitter pen, 28 identical rectangles of cardstock, and don't forget the heart-shaped lollipop or the likes of to adhere to each card, because let's be real, it's always about the treat, but I digress...

Everyone starts off strong, and by the 20th card, the legitimacy of the name is questionable, resembling something more of a doctor's signature on a prescription pad.

Let us not forget the hilarity of what it is you are actually signing to! The cards themselves are aggressively affectionate. Some of the favorites I've seen are...

“You’re ROAR-SOME!” – A dinosaur wearing sunglasses, because surely they wore them, duh.

“I CHOO-CHOO-CHOOSE YOU!” – Nothing like Thomas the Train giving unsettling eye contact. Not creepy at all.

All joking aside, for us, it is a good time for you, my dear, to work on writing your name that let's be honest has taken on the look of some sort of graffiti art over the years. Your jam has slowly turned into stacking the letters on top of one another. It's giving reading optional, I'm just saving space vibes. Very unique! This year, you even added your own flair with a red heart. Nailed it!

Addie, this week we spent time participating in a school-aged tradition, writing your name and drawing hearts to show your love and friendship to your friends.

Oh...and I baked cupcakes ;) because, well, you know.

Great job, Ad!

I love you.

Mom