Valentine's Family Dinner - February 19, 2009

We had our annual Valentine's Day Family Dinner a week late due to Ed and I having the flu on Valentine's weekend. We enjoyed the traditional fettucine alfredo, salad, breadsticks and chocolate covered strawberries. We can't forget the sparkling cider as well! The kids LOVE this and Jaren got to use a fancy glass for the first time this year! It broke not to long after he took a few sips! We love this tradition we started when Eden was Jaren's age!!!

"Oops... I Crapped My Pants..."

Saturday, February 14th, 2009

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Sooooo.... Ed didn't feel well yesterday when we were planning on having our Valentine's Family Candlelight Dinner... so today we thought we'd spend the day together and have our dinner some other night when we all felt better.

It was our first outing since my surgery down in Iowa City and so we split up for a while and decided that we would meet back up around noon to go to the Isle of Capri for their lunch buffet. Ed had promised Oliver that they would go and play Black Light Mini Golf at the arcade inside of Crossroads Mall.

So... Eden and I go through the mall and stop by an asian gift shop to buy my brother, Bryan a late birthday gift. As I was purchasing said item... a feeling rushed over me... like a voice whispering with a sense of urgency... GET TO A TOILET... NOW!!! I just knew that I was going to crap my pants... I just KNEW it... because Ed was sick the day before and I knew that he had given it to me. So I grab Eden by the hand and we hi-tail it out of the store toward the restrooms in BFE! I just knew that I wasn't going to make it and I knew that I was going to SHART in my pants... ya know... that fart that is really... um... well... POOP! Okay... so as we are briskly walking (running would have just let my insides loose) I'm trying to squeeze my buttcheeks together to keep anything on the inside of my body from coming to the outside of my body!!! But... to no avail... as we are rounding the corner of Walden Books... the impending doom was upon me and I farted and could feel something more... yes... LUMPY FARTS had entered my clothing and made me stink to high heaven!!!

I leaned over to Eden and said, "Your mom just crapped her pants!!!" We picked up the pace a bit and headed down the long hallway as I was half in agony and half in laughter at what had just transpired!!! I headed into the restroom stall and tried calling Ed, but the reception sucked, so I couldn't get a hold of him. I kept reassuring Eden that I was still there and told her to stay there and not leave the restroom. I kept saying, "Come on Ed... pick up the phone... I just crapped my freakin' pants... I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I JUST CRAPPED MY PANTS!!! Is this real? I feel like I'm in a movie... Dumb and Dumber or something!"

Evidentally a woman heard me and asked me if she could help. I said that Ed was in the mall so she paged him and told him that, "...your wife had a little accident and is in the women's restroom..." Another woman was nice enough to take the kiddos to play in the play area with her children while Ed bought me some undies, wet wipes and sweat pants!!!

(I still cannot believe that I soiled myself! So... not only do I have old lady bones... I have old lady colon elasticity problems as well... IT REALLY SUCKS TO BE ME RIGHT NOW!!!) So... I get all cleaned up and then I have to face this stranger who knows that I crapped myself and wrangle all of my kids. She was very nice and seemed like she understood that accidents happen! Thank you, Amie... and the other lady out there who paged Ed!!! I'd still be sitting on the toilet a week later if it wasn't for the kindness of two complete strangers!!! Life... oh... man... what a day!

Our Family Valentine's Day Dinner

February 14, 2008

This is a family tradition that I started when Eden was only 18 months old and Oliver was almost three. I couldn't believe how much everything cost on this one day. Ed and I can go out to eat any other day and not have to fight the crowds. He can buy me flowers any other time of the year, and save so much more money than on Valentine's day.

As dinner was nearing, I had this thought pop into my head, "Why don't we have a fancy candlelight dinner with the ones that we love the most... our own family?" Ed ran to the store to get the fixing for fettucine alfredo and spaghetti (for Oliver). He also stopped by Fazoli's to get some of their yummy breadsticks (which are a tradition to this day).

Dinner had finally come and I set the table the fanciest way that I could, with a tablecloth and a small piece of lace that I had kept. I had two wine glasses for Ed and I to put sparkling cider in and candles lit all over the table. We feasted on fettucine, spaghetti, salad and breadsticks. I also had a chocolate fondue to dip some strawberries in for dessert.

The kids ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT and so it remains one of our favorite family traditions. We've expanded to invite others to join in with us as well. Who knows... it may be YOU next year!

I've had several friends pick up on this idea and the result is always the same! It seems that the kids LOVE it and want to have candles with every meal for the next several days! The older the kids get the more they help prepare the atmosphere and the food! We all look forward to it every year. It's so much fun!!!

"The Spread" Jaren awaiting his FIRST FAMILY VALENTINE'S DINNER at 7 months old.


Ed and Oliver enjoying their meals. My silly boys!
Oliver, Eden, my mom and me. I couldn't let my breadstick leave my hand for one moment, they are so delicious!

"CHEERS!" Oliver and Eden. This year we tryed a sparkling green apple cider and man was it delish!









"I'm bringing sexy back"... WHAT?!?
Eden diving into her pudding! We didn't have alot of strawberries this year so she had pudding for dessert.
Introducing "Princess Jaren"... with pureed carrots all over his mug! That was his dinner for the night. What a cute little man, with or without the crown!

Oliver trying to lick the chocolate which was pretty much solid by that time except for around the rim!!! He says that he looks like a devil with it around his mouth like that!

Who knew pipe cleaners could be so much fun?!

One day after school, the girls and I got crazy with crafts in preparation for Valentine's Day.
They played with papers, stickers, stamps, paints and PIPE CLEANERS!

We even made some crowns, flowers, wands, necklaces and some heart shaped glasses!








The whole family had fun making the heart shaped glasses! I even made some tiny red heart ones for Jaren!