Valentine's Day Boxes and Cleaning Bathrooms

An activity-free Saturday. Nothing on the calendar. No events. No parties. No games.

It's potentially a fourth part all day.

(I mean we have laundry and grocery shopping and feeding children. And, making beds. You know, the life stuff.)

Oh, but wait.

G headed out early for a high school coaches meeting. (The most exciting part was he heard my new Baylor football coach speak. I asked if he took a picture, shook his hand, introduced himself, mentioned I'm a Baylor alum, told him we are season ticket holders, said we love Baylor football. Can you picture the glance I received?)

I have to clean the bathrooms. As part of a cost-cutting measure, we no longer have our housekeeper. First-world problem, I know. But still. Oh, and when I write 'clean the bathrooms,' I mean pulling out some Clorox wipes and going at it with vigor.

We have to negotiate our Sirius and Time Warner, now Spectrum (I mean how many times do we need to see that commercial) bills. I still remain a bit confused that all of these bills are negotiable. It's like buying a car. I mean, if you pause long enough, say you are going to cancel, tell them you are switching providers -- they start knocking off dollars. Why. Don't. We. Start. There.

And, this is the real event, we need to make Valentine's Day card boxes. Two of them. Boxes for the cards they receive from their classroom friends. Boxes. Decorated. Pinterest-like activity. The already-turned-in boxes (they aren't due until February 10 people) are as grand as a box decorated with the Marvel superheroes and an elephant with a 3D trunk.

Pause.

Where are the days gone by of brown paper bags with a red paper heart and a few marker-drawn hearts? Or a red wrapping paper wrapped box with a doily heart?

Nope. Not this year.

Count my sleeping past 9 a.m. as my fourth part because we moved full on into box decorating and bill negotiating before noon.

Box number one was designed by my traditionalist with pink tissue paper and hearts. The flourish is a six, 'count them again mom,' six pipe cleaners with paper hearts attached flying out of two very large paper hearts glued on to the ends of the box. Done.

Box number two was made by my artist. No simple hearts and pipe cleaners here. She chose an under the sea theme which requires cut out fish, seaweed and a hand-drawn, will be cut out later, mermaid. This box is wrapped in sparkly seafoam green tissue paper that we had on hand. And, my little sweet creative found the one piece of green construction paper from which we (yeah, I helped) cut out three little fish and the seaweed. She carefully drew fins and eyes, which were hearts (remember, it is a Valentine's Day card box), on the fish. Almost done.

The bathrooms are calling to be cleaned and that feels like something I would rather be doing and then my artist says . . .

'I love these kind of mornings.'

Pause.

The bathrooms can wait.

My girls shared scissors and glue sticks. It was nice and peaceful. And, we've got some boxes mostly complete.

'This is what I like as a family.'

Pause.

The girls willingly cleaned up their work area and changed into play clothes.

When I asked for a few uninterrupted moments to take care of the bill paying and negotiating, I received a 'yes m'am' in two little precious voices.

Pause.

I love these kind of Saturday mornings. This is what I like as a fourth part.